Introduction

The following guidelines are designed to assist credit unions who would like to link CU*BASE GOLD to third-party applications. These links can be designed to start third-party applications or to pass information from a CU*BASE GOLD screen to another application.

Purpose

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide options for integrating the credit union software environment.

Each integration option requires custom programming by CU*Answers and coordination with CU*BASE GOLD updates. To take the next step in streamlining your credit union’s software environment, contact a Client Service Representative.

Guidelines

1. Static URL – GOLD can call a static URL that launches the user’s default web browser. A static URL is a URL that does not pass any data from GOLD to the web site. For example, GOLD’s link to the CU*Answers web site at www.cuanswers.com works this way.
2. Dynamic URL – GOLD can also build a dynamic URL that launches the user’s default web browser. A dynamic URL is a URL that includes data passed as parameters from GOLD to the web site. The web site must be designed to read and process the parameters in the URL. For example, GOLD passes parameters to the CU*Answers AnswerBook web site when the AnswerBook icon on the menu is clicked. The link looks similar to this: https://kb.cuanswers.com/cuanswers/consumer/search.asp?CatID2=2

   IMPORTANT: GOLD can’t do any of its own encryption, and parameters are passed in plain text in the URL. Consequently, we are unable to use this method to pass sensitive member information such as account numbers or Social Security numbers to web sites.

3. COM DLL or API – GOLD can’t communicate directly with most COM DLLs or APIs, so a custom program is written by CU*Answers to act as an intermediary between GOLD and the third-party DLL or API. GOLD calls the custom program, the custom program reads whatever parameters it needs from GOLD, and the custom program then passes those parameters to the target DLL or API. For example, GOLD uses this method to pass account numbers to AutoSig Systems’ ID verification software.
4. Windows Command-line Parameters – GOLD can call an executable program and pass it parameters as if the parameters had been typed on the Windows command line. This works much the same as typing “winword.exe C:\myworddocument.doc” or “iexplore.exehttps://www.cuanswers.com” at the Windows Run prompt; the program starts up and loads the document specified by the command line parameter. In the case of GOLD, the parameter being passed might be an account number. The third-party application to be called needs to be installed in a consistent path on each PC; if no path is provided, GOLD will expect the application’s executable to be in the PC’s GOLD directory.