Posted on

How to Get and Set a Sitemap URL in Java

Sitemaps allow a webmaster to provide search engines with a list of URLs on a website that are available for crawling; this can be especially helpful if you’re attempting to increase your page rank. In addition to providing the list of URLs, sitemaps also supply information about each individual URL, such as relevancy to the website, update times, and change frequency. 

Since the internet is a pretty crowded place, it is incredibly important to take the proper steps to ensure your site is getting the highest amount of traffic possible. If your website is just getting started and you are looking to increase traffic, creating a sitemap can assist search engines by providing insight into pages that are new, recently updated, or not immediately accessible through the browsable interface. 

Posted on

How to Convert DOCX to HTML in Java

As we have discussed in previous articles, while the Word DOCX format is the go-to for creating text documents, it can be insufficient when we enter the web-based territory. When considering formatting for online documents, it is Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) that emerges as one of the clear winners for applications and websites. This dynamic language utilizes set cues or elements to construct documents that can be transmitted to browsers and presented to end-users as a readable web page. The structure of HTML even allows for the integration of images, interactive forms, and other objects that are more difficult to create with a straightforward Word document.

The Word DOCX format is actually based on a different markup language, XML (Extensible Markup Language).  Microsoft transitioned its most popular programs – Word, Excel, and PowerPoint – to an open standard, XML-based format in the mid-2000s. This move was to create improvements in file size, image compression, and security, as well as to maintain an edge over their competitors. While some users still prefer the older DOC version due to its compatibility with other platforms, the DOCX format is generally the better choice for current word processing projects.

Posted on

How to Protect Against XSS Attacks in Java

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks are a form of threat that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in web applications to prey on user information. Using malicious scripts, attackers can reach different users through a usually trustworthy web page and access any information logged in the browser by the user including cookies and other sensitive information. These kinds of attacks can occur wherever a web program accepts user input without validation and subsequently uses it within its output.

It is important to take all necessary steps toward protecting your users, and this is especially true in the case of XSS attacks, as a user may only be aware of their use of your website, and not the malicious actor who is threatening them. This can then harm your website’s reputation as users will relate any issues to its users and may be disinclined to return.

Posted on

How to Validate and Geocode a Street Address in Java

When working with location services, it is important that the information you collect is accurate for your users or clients. This will prevent any mistakes in shipping, billing, and many other aspects of operations that rely on correct location information. For businesses that have applications using location services, this is especially important as any incorrect data can mean the displacement of goods or interrupted services.

The following APIs will allow you to fully validate street addresses by first parsing address data input and then verifying and normalizing the information. The last two APIs will also allow you to geocode and reverse geocode an address to receive more accurate location data for your applications.

Posted on

How to Validate a Domain Name in Java

A domain name is used to represent online entities and provide users with access to websites that can help them accomplish goals like purchasing products, finding information, and connecting with others. As the internet a tool universally used in commerce throughout business practices, it is important to know what sites you are accessing, as well as any threats that may exist from those domains. 

With phishing attempts and other cyber threats on the rise, online security should be a key part of business planning. Preparing for these risks will help prevent the theft of information and protect your organization and client-base. Having a plan in place will lend your business credibility and reliability in the eyes of your users and partners, who will know that they can trust you with their sensitive data.

Posted on

How to Validate and Geolocate an IP Address in Java

An IP Address is used as a unique identifier for network-connected hardware such as computers and smartphones. These contain four sets of numbers that differentiate each device when it accesses network services such as the internet. This information can be very useful for businesses with websites, as they can verify their user’s various IP Addresses to gather important client-specific and audience information for various purposes.  

Some of the most important usages for IP Addresses is threat tracking and user data such as identifying Tor servers and providing location information that can assist with security and user-experience needs. The following four APIs are centered around these functions and can be used separately or in tandem. This will allow you to ensure the security of your site, as well as providing data that can help optimize your platforms for users. 

Posted on

How to Optimize a PDF in Java

As we have discussed before, the PDF is the ideal file format for saving, sharing, and protecting documents, both small and large. Its high compatibility with most Operating Systems makes it popular amongst most users for sharing information with different parties. Furthermore, it provides a more static platform for working with important documents like contracts and manuals, as steps can be taken to prevent any unwanted access or editing to the file. 

With large and highly complex files like this, however, different systems may have difficulty uploading, downloading, and reading the formatting for your document. This can lead to file corruption or increased loading times that can halt productivity. Thus, streamlining large PDF files can greatly benefit organizations that regularly use this format in day-to-day operations. 

Posted on

How to Convert MP4 to MP3 in Java

Extracting audio data from video content can be an arduous process, particularly when attempted by hand. If you need to perform the task with large stacks of data, it can become seemingly impossible or at least prove to be a major time vacuum. Therefore, finding an appropriate API to handle the job for you means that you will be able to efficiently produce high-quality work without losing labor hours or team members to a fairly menial task.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to convert video files to different audio file formats using four Video and Audio APIs. These include MP3, M4A, WAV, and AAC. Because we have quite a few functions to the walkthrough, we will just jump in now.

Posted on

How to Encrypt PDF Documents in Java

Proper documentation, intensive contracts, and extensive manuals form the backbone of the business, though, in modern business, much of this is retained digitally using document file formats such as PDF. Because your organization relies on so many of these forms of documentation, it is integral that you can protect the contents within from errors or outside threats. For the proper precautions to be put in place, utilizing encryption and permissions settings will ensure your PDF documents are only used in ways you deem fit, and cannot be accidentally or maliciously altered by other entities. 

Setting these parameters on each document, however, is a daunting and time-consuming task, and, if it is mistakenly forgotten, it can lead to major issues for you and your organization. By using the following two APIs, you can cut this risk as each document will be automatically encrypted with password protection. This password protection includes an owner password to control editor/creator permissions and a user password to control who can view the PDF.

Posted on

When HTTP Status Codes Are Not Enough: Tackling Web APIs Error Reporting

One area of RESTful web API design that's quite frequently overlooked is how to report errors and problems, either related to the business or application. The proper usage of the HTTP status codes comes to mind first, and although quite handy, it is often not informative enough. Let us take 400 Bad Request as an  example. Yes, it clearly states that the request is problematic, but what exactly is wrong?

The RESTful architectural style does not dictate what should be done in this case and so everyone is inventing their own styles, conventions, and specifications. It could be as simple as including an error message in the response or as shortsighted as copy/pasting long stack traces (in case of Java or .NET, to name a few cultprits). There is no shortage of ideas but luckily, we have at least some guidance available in the form of RFC 7807: Problem Details for HTTP APIs. Despite the fact that it is not an official specification but a draft (still), it outlines some good common principles on the problem at hand and this is what we are going to talk about in this post.

Posted on

YAML API Management Artifacts From AWS API Gateway

I’ve always been a big supporter of creating machine-readable artifacts that help define the API lifecycle. While individual artifacts can originate and govern specific stops along the API lifecycle, they can also bring value when applied across other stops along the API lifecycle, and most importantly when it comes time to govern everything. The definition and evolution of individual API lifecycle artifacts is the central premise of my API discovery format APIs.json–which depends on there being machine readable elements within the index of each collection of APIs being documented, helping us map out the entire API lifecycle.

OpenAPI provides us with machine-readable details about the surface area of our API which can be used throughout the API lifecycle, but it lacks other details about the surface area of our API operations. So when I do come across interesting approaches to extending the OpenAPI specification which are also injecting a machine readable artifact into the OpenAPI that support other stops along the API lifecycle, I like to showcase what they are doing. I’ve become very fond of one within the OpenAPI export of any AWS API Gateway deployed API I’m working with, which provides some valuable details that can be used as part of both the deployment and management stops along the API lifecycle: