using mfc serialized content in java

[RoS]

Hello

I am building a Java project, which has to handle data files from the
previous version (which happen to be MFC serialized objects). Is there
a convenient way to use MFC serialized binary objects in Java? I am
aware that MFC source code is available as part of the VC distribution,
so in the worst case I will have to re-implement the serialization
business in Java. But I am wondering if there is a ready-made Java
library for handling MFC serialized object. I looked into POIFS, but
from what I understood it is tailored for Word/Excel documents only.

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated

Cheers,
Roman

 

[Andrew Thompson]

RoS wrote:
....

I am building a Java project, which has to handle data files from the
previous version (which happen to be MFC

Multi-Function Center? Which one?
Or do you mean (shudder)
...Microsoft Foundation Classes?

If the latter...

....serialized objects). Is there
a convenient way to use MFC serialized binary objects in Java?
No.

...I am
aware that MFC source code is available as part of the VC distribution,

Is it? Which build? The 3810 is the last I know of,
but not something I'd recommend for any end-user*.
Maybe Sun should have widened their law suit.

* Not that your app. necessarily requires distributing
any MFC classes to end users**.

so in the worst case I will have to re-implement the serialization
business in Java.

To convert them to a more sensible format (like XML)?
** Or are you looking at *distributing* the MFC classes
needed to deserialise the data, from it's current form?

....But I am wondering if there is a ready-made Java
library for handling MFC serialized object. I looked into POIFS, but
from what I understood it is tailored for Word/Excel documents only.

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated

I'd find myself an old Win2K OS install disk.
Whip it onto a spare box, and use the built in
MSVM in IE to convert all the data to a format
that is more portable.

Andrew T.

 

[RoS]

If the latter...

Yep, the latter.

Is it? Which build? The 3810 is the last I know of,
but not something I'd recommend for any end-user*.
Maybe Sun should have widened their law suit.

I haven't checked other versions, but MFC source code comes with the
2005 version.

To convert them to a more sensible format (like XML)?
** Or are you looking at *distributing* the MFC classes
needed to deserialise the data, from it's current form?

It is the latter. I need a way to handle the data produced by the older
version without any prior conversion. Except that I dont want to
distribute any MFC classes (besides is there a way to call c libraries
from Java?), but the whole thing should be implemented in Java without
any external dependencies.

I tried Apache's POI, but unfortunately it doesn't understand the MFC
format.