Re: Niels IceCap 5250

[Nathan Andelin <nandelin@xxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Pete Helgren
> And to come full circle, if the 5250 data was in a standard format, 
> consumable by web client applications, then the two *would* converge.  

There's just a lot of potential here.  For emphasis, I'll again point out the salient architectural elements; starting with the Web client on the left:

Web Client <==> Workstation Extender <==> Virtual Terminal Interface <==> Workstation Application.

The simplicity, productivity, flexibility, efficiency, and congruity of the traditional Workstation Application (using display files) generated a lot of loyalty to the platform.

Niels new Virtual Terminal Interface is cool because it reduces unwieldy 5250 data streams to UI components that are easily referenced from the Workstation Extender.  It offers a component view as opposed to a data stream view.  I'm not aware of any other API that does that for RPG programmers.

The Workstation Extender is cool because it offers flexibility.  Communicate with a browser, or with another type of Web client.  Pass along the entire screen to the client, or part of it, in a simplified message format.  Handle requests that the Workstation Application might not know how to handle.  We're seeing a melding of two worlds.

Every component to the right of the Web Client, including the HTTP Server, runs natively under IBM i.  The interfaces between them are efficient, using shared memory.

Good stuff.

Nathan.