We looked at a product called WIN.FAST. But it only got us about 90% where we needed to be. They scan each row looking for specific characters to tell them where headings begin and end, where input fields begin and end. So if you have very consistent screen content and format, this might work for you. We have had too many fingers in the pie over the last 20 years. So consistency is not as good as it should be. In particular, we had some lookups that occupied multiple rows for one item. Some items had three rows, others had four rows. There were other anomalies in the display. So they had trouble figuring out what the user should be allowed to select from this lookup to bring back to the primary screen.
It also is only pseudo-gui. The mouse can only be used in certain instances. You still are trying to keep the display in sync with the Unibasic code behind the GUI. Since it is not really event driven, you can only use the mouse in certain places. But it did do a good job of making screens that were consistent look much better. Menus converted easily. You could setup a terminal type for WinFast users. So you could put Winfast specific statements in your existing Unibasic code and still allow green screens to use the same program. There was a lot of functionality that they could provide on the client machine to call windows and web apps from the Unix server (Unibasic programs). There was little to deploy when you wanted to introduce changes to screen. Most all manipulation was handled on the server. The client side just needed to recognize certain characters to trigger GUI like presentation and execution. It did not fit for us, but it might for others. http://www.gowinfast.com/product.htm -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Keith W. Roberts Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 10:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [U2] Using Esc Somebody out there has a product for sale which allows you to turn green-screen apps into gui apps with little to no effort. They still have a gs look, so the transition's easy for the user, but you get all the advantages of being able to do the standard editing in a gui input box, etc. I can't remember what it's called or who puts it out, and I can't get to the web to research it right now ... but someone else should recognise what I'm talking about. -Keith ----Original Message---- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark Johnson Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 7:29 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [U2] Using Esc > Despite the progress made with conversions from green screen > to GUI, my > client base for example is virtually 100% green screen. I've > been adding a > few Accuterm GED programs but not to any huge extent. > > I believe that the providers should catch up with the times, > especially Raining Data and IBM. They should recognize that the > conversions from green > screen to GUI do not happen overnight and it is truly an > extremely large > undertaking to consider re-writing legacy code for a gui > interface. I'm not > talking about re-developing the apps, just trying to make > them a little more > modern. > > One client would like their legacy Order Entry app re-written in a GUI > interface. I'm truly afraid that my cost for this project will be > prohibitive and that it may never happen. Thus adds another > frustration. > > Nothing embarrasses me more than having to explain to a client's new > employee that they have to re-type the whole answer if they > spelled Apt 4B > instead of Apt 4A on a long address line. That tiny piece of > time starts off > their relationship on a tremendous backwards note. Granted we > know that the > apps are sophisticated underneath. But the employee's > shrugging shoulders > speaks volumes. > > Perhaps what I'm hearing is that RD & IBM will turn their back on this > concept and, like many things, it's in my hands. So I'll re-deploy my > GET.ANS() subroutine and try to tweak it for my different client's > environments. Most users are not cut & paste oriented. They > just want to get > to the end of 123 East South Street NW, Apt 4B and replace > the B with an A. > I don't blame them for condemming the application (and thus > the database) > with such a tired user interface. > > MS QuickBasic didn't provide any <Home><End><Del><Insert> > kind of INPUT > statement. It actually provided too many INPUT formats so I > had to write my > own. Fortunately there were no terminal emulations or other > 'environments', just DOS. Now, anyone programming with VB doesn't > concern > themselves one > bit with these shortcomings. It's part of the environment. > > My 2 cents. > Mark Johnson > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Brian Leach" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 7:22 AM > Subject: Re: [U2] Using Esc > > >> Mark, >> >> AFAIR UV does provide cursor driven input - see the Input > @, KeyEdit and > KeyTrap statements. It is however pretty horrible. >> >> You can't blame the vendors for this one though. The > problem has been the > mindset of a community that hasn't shared code (how many > virtually identical > menu runners or input subroutines have I seen over the years) > even though > the runtime binding model of external subroutines makes it so easy... >> >> I doubt the vendors would be interested in extending a 20 > year old text > interface when you can download the free VB 2005 Express, > UO.Net and do it > all properly ... >> >> >> Brian >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: "Mark Johnson"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: >> 19/12/05 05:25:10 To: "u2-usChis case MS got it right. Every >> input > behaves very much > like every other >> with the special keys. >> >> I believe that this should be accomplished by the providers >> themselves, ie Raining Data and IBM in their future releases. >> They > already interpet > the >> TERM setting and it would remove the differences. I > took my GET.ANS > and >> tried to fit it on Accuterm and couldn't get the proper >> backspace. ------- u2-users mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ > ------- > u2-users mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ ------- u2-users mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ ------- u2-users mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/
