Develop the templates used by Virtel to convert host application screens into web pages

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Virtel Screen Designer is an HTML application (.hta file). It runs under Microsoft Internet Explorer, Version 6 or later on a workstation. From the workstation, Virtel Screen Designer can display the screens of host applications (CICS, Natural, IMS, etc) through the host-installed Virtel Web Modernization product.

A "map" is a field-by-field description of a host application (3270) screen. Maps contain part of the data needed to develop Virtel's 3270-to-web conversion templates.

Virtel Screen Designer takes CICS (BMS) and IMS (MFS) maps as direct input to its template generation workbench.

Alternatively, Virtel Screen Designer can be used to view the host application screens and automatically generate a map for each viewed screen. This is useful with host applications for which maps are not available, either because they are lost, or because they are part of a protected vendor package.

From that point on, Virtel Screen Designer functions as a workbench to design and develop the templates that Virtel Web Modernization will use to convert the 3270 screens into web pages at runtime.

This step requires no HTML/JavaScript skills but good understanding of the host application: it is typically performed by mainframe application developers.

Virtel Screen Designer presents each 3270 screen as a workbench table in which each row displays the mapping data of a specific 3270 field: name, start coordinates (row and column), length, attributes, and initial value.

Virtel GUI-IDE workbench

For any given field (i.e. table row), Virtel Screen Designer offers a list of options to process the field as a checkbox, selection list, table, graphic calendar date, etc.

Selecting one of the processing options generates in the template the corresponding HTML/JavaScript code, including the insertion of widgets and other mash-able elements from third-party JavaScript libraries (Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, DOJO, JQuery, etc). Tapping into third-party JavaScript libraries:

• Accelerates the development of web page templates
• Provides a wider selection of web presentation options
• Improves presentation consistency across web browsers
• Reduces the web page template development costs

This step requires good HTML/JavaScript skills but no understanding of the host application: it is typically performed by web developers.

Upon completion of step 2, the workbench is used to make further code insertion that:

• Organize the page's layout and flow
• Take advantage of the many possibilities offered by HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to improve the page's presentation and ergonomics
• Call user-developed functions to add new application features that use Ajax technology, such as dynamic selection lists, suggest, and auto-complete

In the end, the design and development process delivers an HTML template with embedded JavaScript and Virtel tags that Virtel Web Modernization uses to dynamically convert existing host (3270) screens to web 2.0 pages with AJAX technology.

Virtel Screen Designer allows developers to instantly display on the workstation the web pages resulting from the workbench processing choices and HTML/JavaScript code insertions for instant validation.

Virtel Screen Designer allows uploading the template to the host in a dedicated library, and compiling it ready for use at runtime.

The dynamic 3270-to-web conversion by Virtel Web Modernization can then be activated to test the actual connection from the workstation's Internet browser to the modernized mainframe application through the new web page user interface.

• Read about Virtel Web Suite
• Read about exposing 3270 applications through GUIs
• Read about serving 3270 applications as web services
• Read about Virtel technology differentiators
• Read about Virtel security features

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