[LINUX5250] Re: executing datastream commands

[Andre Holthus <holthus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

Holger Schurig wrote:
> > Can you tell me what a BDE is?
> German for "Betriebsdatenerfassung". That means data aquisition terminals.
>
> They might be portable PDA like devices or built in into machines to count 
> or measure things in the production hall.

Exactly! The BDE is a stationary device connected with a counter on a
weaving loom. Sorry for the missing explanation.
We got also mobile data acquisition terminals (called MDE). Running also
on Linux with WLAN, IPSec and TN5250 but without an V.24 interface ;)

> For example, there could be a configuration file where you define how the 
> AS/400 data entry screen looks like and which external program to call to 
> get the data. Then you could automatically add things to screens, 
> something like this:

This looks very good, but I do not know much about programming the
AS/400 data screens, so again to understand:

There is a data entry screen, like this:
> **************************************
> AS/400  Mumpf Data Entry System
>
> Count  ___
> Item   _______________________________
> Ok?    _
> **************************************

Is the next line also on the screen or is it hidden in TN5250?
> /usr/local/bin/getdata.py
> **************************************

The defined script contains the code to get the data from the counter
(or play a sound) and is executed when the user is entering the screen
above:
> /usr/local/bin/getdata.py:
> COUNT=getdata(fromcounter)
> print $COUNT
> print "Mumpf item"
> print "Y"
Is it really so simple to start an external script and fill the TN5250
screen with captured data ???

Then the user can confirm the screen entries (or the script will fill
the OK field).
> In this case, whenever the screen looks like defined, then the external 
> program would be called. The output of this program would, line by line, 
> entered into the fields and the screen would be sent.

If it works this way, it will be no problem to get the things started.

Thanks all for the fast responds to my question! :)

Best regards
    Andre Holthus