Concepts

Using the browser to replace the 5250 isn't a new idea. Joe Pluta wrote extensively on this subject in 1999, and his book – eDeployment: The Fastest Path to the Web – was published in 2000. The research for that book uncovered four business requirements unique to the iSeries community:

1. Allow conversion from the OS/400 command line
2. Convert programs to run in batch
3. Generate a default browser interface that functions like the old 5250 interface
4. Allow customization of that interface using industry standard web tools

The first requirement is crucial for real production shops. If you only need to convert one or two programs in a "clean room" environment, any technique is fine, but if you're trying to convert dozens or hundreds or even thousands of programs, under real-world production time pressures, only a command-line interface will do.

Running in batch is essential in these days of the interactive feature. Refer to IBM's web site for pricing. After selecting the link, in the dropdown select "Model", and on the following screen select "810" to compare the prices of various model 810 configurations. You'll see that the price of the interactive feature is as much as 80% of the cost of the entire system. Converting your programs to run in batch can greatly reduce your hardware and system software requirements.

A default 5250 emulation interface is absolutely required both for testing and for end user acceptance, especially by your most demanding power users. In most cases, those power users already know how to use your screens, and they don't need fancy logos, Flash presentations or dropdown boxes. They want tab, keyboard shift codes and function keys. The closer the browser can perform to the 5250 interface the better. Only PSC/400 offers a 100% automatically generated, completely batch 5250 emulation mode, which for many shops is all they'll need to reduce their interactive feature costs and provide a browser interface.

Finally, for those shops that do require a graphical, "web application" presence, the goal is to generate a user interface that is easily customizable. PSC/400 has several unique features that all combine to make it the easiest product to customize on the market today. From its "one JSP per panel" design to its common header and footer to its ability to be edited by any JSP-aware HTML editing tool, PSC/400 offers a level of customization unmatched by any other product.

For more information, contact us.

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