FILM: the NDB CORBA Server (release 20030908)
Python client
README

This is a sample NDB CORBA client expressed in Python.

Since CORBA is language-independent, it can be written in any language
for which CORBA bindings exist, notably C++, Python, or Java.

Python allows for greatest ease of use, compactness, and clarity.

We use omniORB/omniORBpy, a free software CORBA implementation for C++
and Python.  Everything is developed on a Linux system, and should
work on any system where omniORB and python are supported.

This package consists of three files:

-- README 
   this file
-- some.idl 
   CORBA IDL specification for MacroMolecular Structure, as
   implemented by the NDB CORBA server
-- client.py
   a sample python client to access the server

Here's how to install and run the client:

-- Get the omniORB and omniORBpy.

   www.omniorb-support.com

   The recentmost version is 4.0.2.  

-- build and install them with the same ${prefix}, first orb, then
   py.  By default they go to /usr/local

-- copy the config file to /etc/omniORB.cfg

   there, edit/uncomment the following:

InitRef = NameService=corbaname::pdb-bioshark-7.rutgers.edu
giopMaxMsgSize = 2097152    # 2 MBytes

The first line is where the server is, the second increases the maximum
CORBA package size so we can send a really large molecule, such as a ribosome.

-- create a working directory, copy the IDL there (some.idl, attached)
   and the client (client.py, attached)

-- set the environment and generate IDL-python stubs

This and the next step can be automated with the script
python.setup.sh.  If you installed omniORB/py into the default
/usr/local, just run it; otherwise, specify the location in PREFIX
there before running.

Or you can set the environment manually as follows:

   export PYTHONPATH=${PREFIX}/lib/python2.2/site-packages
   export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${PREFIX}/lib

Manually running the IDL-to-python compiler:

${PREFIX}/bin/omniidl -b python some.idl

   This will produce python stubs for the IDL.

-- run the client

python client.py [NDB_ID]

The NDB ID is optional:

python client.py PD0299

(If not supplied, that is also the default NDB ID.)

In case you cannot modify the InitRef line in /etc/omniORB.cfg
(e.g. you use a local naming server by default), invoke the client
with an option specifying the NDB CORBA Naming Server explicitly:

python client.py -ORBInitRef NameService=corbaname::pdb-bioshark-7.rutgers.edu

The client returns list of atoms, symmetry information, and secondary
structures for at particular NDB or PDB ID.

FEEDBACK
--------

Send all questions, patches, improvements and suggestions for the client to:

Dr. John Westbrook <jwest@rcsb.rutgers.edu>
Alexy Khrabrov     <alexy@rcsb.rutgers.edu>
--
$Id$