Re: 4GL's

Jeff,

Speeding up the transaction between the PC and the server does not
necessarily improve the speed of data entry. Data entry 'speed' can also
depend on simple things, like the size+speed+memory+disk of the PC itself.
If the browser is slow, data entry will be.

If you are looking to replace the concept of 'green screen entry' with a
browser, it will be difficult. The cursor, for example, is based on the
mouse in a browser, not the up/down/left/right arrows. Creating a similar
experience to green data entry can be done, but you will need more tools
than a web browser.

What you may want to do, is replace the data entry with a user interface
that does more of the work for the user. Dropdown boxes, radio buttons,
checkboxes will improve the user experience for new users, and will work
well with a mouse (if the keyboard users can adjust). The best trick is to
use tools like AJAX to collect data as the user types. For example, as you
type the user's name or company, start showing all the matches in a dropdown
list. Use a web service to collect the city, county and state after a
zipcode is entered. There are lots of ways to improve the user experience by
reducing the amount of typing and lookup that is typically done with data
entry, and you have the added advantage of reducing human error.

Trevor



On 9/3/08 9:50 AM, "Jeff Crosby" <jlcrosby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

That's it!

--
Jeff Crosby
UniPro Foodservice/Dilgard
260-422-7531
Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily those of my company. Unless
I say so.



Charles Wilt wrote:

Technically, Web 2.0, Ajax, RUI whatever you call it goes back to the
server _more_ often than the original way of doing things.

The difference is that the entire _page_ is not sent each time with a
Web 2.0 type application. Instead of having to refresh the entire
page for any action as with Web 1.0, with Web 2.0 you can simply
update a small section of the page.

Charles

On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 9:26 AM, Jeff Crosby <jlcrosby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

By Web 2.0, I mean fast data entry, or what IBM calls RUI (Rich User
Interface). Don't have to go back to the server every mouse click or
field tab.

Make sense?

--
Jeff Crosby