Cognos 8 SDK -- Getting started with your ASP.NET C# solution

Our sample Cognos 8 SDK web solution will be developed with Visual Studio .NET 2003 (VS.NET 2003). VS.NET 2003 uses .NET Framework 1.0 and that means that we need to use both Cognos SDK .dlls -- cognosdotnet.dll and cognosdotnetassembly.dll in our web solution. If we were using .NET Framework 2.0 then we could use the Cognos SDK .dlls -- cognosdotnet_2_0.dll and cognosdotnetassembly_2_0.dll.

Let’s get started by building the sample file and folder structure for your Cognos 8 SDK web solution:

1. Create a new C# web application in VS.NET 2003 and name it “Cognos_SDK_template”.
2. Expand the project and right-click on References. Go ahead and add both the cognosdotnet.dll and cognosdotnetassembly.dll to your solution.
3. You will also have to ensure that System.Web.Services has been added to your solution.
4. Select the project name “Cognos_SDK_template” and right-click.
a. Add a folder and name it “includes”.
b. Add a C# Class file and name it “CognosSDK.cs”.
c. Add a C# Class file and name it “ExHandler.cs”.
d. Add a new .ASPX page and name it “Default.aspx”.
i. Right-click on this file and select “Set as Start Page”.
e. Add a new .ASPX page and name it “Reports.aspx”.
f. Add a new .ASPX page and name it “PromptPage.aspx”.
g. Add a new .ASPX page and name it “RunReport.aspx”.
h. Add a new .ASPX page and name it “Output.aspx”.
i. Add a new .HTML page and name it “PleaseWait.htm”.
5. Select the “includes” folder and right-click.
a. Add a new .js file and name it “CognosSDKHelper.js”.
b. You can do an internet search for a clipart that represents an hour glass and save the file in the “includes” folder as “executing.gif”.

You have now successfully created the main skeletal structure for your ASP.NET C# Cognos SDK solution.