Modernizing the user interface of 3270 applications

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Presentation templates – To create rich web pages from existing 3270 data streams, Virtel uses HTML/JavaScript presentation templates that include:

• HTML/JavaScript code: define web page layout and style
• Embedded Virtel tags: insert 3270 data into the web page
• Calls to JavaScript widgets: add GUI features such as dropdown lists and graphical calendars
• Ajax code: add new application features through the GUI.

Those presentation templates are developed using Virtel Screen Redesigner.

Scenarios and scripts – Virtel scenarios and scripts control the transformation process, in particular the association of presentation templates to 3270 application screens.

The new user interface is based on true web navigation logic. Useless screens can be skipped. Multiple 3270 screens can be regrouped into fewer web pages. Tabs subdivide the pages and organize the workflow. PFKs are hidden behind buttons and tabs. Help popups and collapsible web page sections add to the web navigation experience.

Data entry is assisted with check boxes, selection lists that hide esoteric 3270 application codes behind plain-English literals, graphical calendars, help popups, and other such widgets. Whenever possible, data entry is assisted or even automated, sometimes by accessing external applications and data using Ajax.

The host application becomes intuitive and user-friendly like a true web application. Data entry errors are reduced or even eliminated. It brings real productivity gains to the end-users. It eliminates the learning curve for new employees. It allows exposing selected transactions in self-service to business partners and clients.

Using Ajax, new application features can be added to the GUI without changing the underlying 3270 application code. It might involve retrieving data outside the 3270 application to assist data entry with auto-suggest or auto-complete services, generating and serving documents in desktop-compatible formats (PDF, Excel, etc), sending emails, and many other functional additions that improve the application and user experience.

Virtel Screen-Redesigner is a PC-based development tool (IDE) that comes with Virtel Web Modernization. It allows mainframe developers that have no HTML/JavaScript skills to walk through the 3270 screens and decide field by field what widget to use on the web page: Y/N check box, graphical calendar, dropdown list, etc. It then generates automatically the appropriate HTML/JavaScript code. It also lets web developers add HTML/JavaScript code and style sheets to complete the web page design.

Using Open Source JavaScript widgets (Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Dojo, jQuery, etc) accelerates the development of Virtel presentation templates while insuring presentation consistency across browsers.

Today, more developers use JavaScript than any other language for new developments worldwide. Virtel allows fully leveraging from the prolific JavaScript Open Source developer community.

Virtel presentation templates can transform the landscape format of 3270 screens (24×80, etc) into a mobile-friendly accordion that is more suited to the reduced display width and special ergonomics (i.e. absence of virtual PFKs) of mobile devices: smartphones, PDAs and tablets.

Virtel can serve the same 3270 applications concurrently as legacy 3270 screens, full-screen GUIs, or mobile-friendly "accordion" GUIs for different users.

Serving the same application concurrently with 3270, GUI, and mobile presentations

In time, with the development of GUIs and web services, the legacy 3270 presentation layer (i.e. green screens) becomes useless, and the maps are replaced by structured fields or COMMAREA as preferred application interface, while the underlying business logic is retained. Virtel can easily and progressively adapt to this natural evolution because it supports both maps, structured fields, and COMMAREA as transaction interfaces.

• Read about Virtel Web Suite
• Read about Virtel Screen Redesign
• Read about replacing 3270 emulation with Virtel Pure Web Access
• Read about serving 3270 applications as web services
• Read about Virtel technology differentiators
• Read about Virtel security features

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