Re: The "Presentation" Layer

[Jon Paris <Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Let me ask this: What exactly makes 5250 peer-to-peer vs. client/ 
> server?  Is
> it the "thin-ness" of the client (i.e. the terminal) ?  Is it the
> statefulness of the client in that it never loses connection and has a
> direct line into the machine (brings back coaxial memories :-)?

Personally I find it misleading to think of 5250 as either peer-to- 
peer OR client-server.

Would you describe the LCD display panel on the front of the "i" in  
those terms?  Or a printer?  A 5250 is simply an output device.  It  
has no intelligence to speak of - everything is in the data stream and  
is (theoretically) then subjected only to hardware/firmware  
interpretation.

The fact that we now use emulators and can intercept and "webulate"  
that data stream doesn't change the fundamental nature of the device.   
The "state" information is retained by the driving program - the 5250  
only knows when it has "permission to talk".

Maybe I'm being pedantic, but I think it confuses the debate when we  
try to categorize 5250 in this way.

Jon Paris

www.Partner400.com
www.SystemiDeveloper.com