RE: How does this software work??

Steve,

> Look at all the TAATOOL utilities. What, if any, of them are release
> dependent?

There are TAATOOLS (when they were still free in QUSRTOOL) that broke at
different release levels, unless you recompiled the new source for them that
came with that new release. Although, granted, they never used really
'undocumented' stuff.

> The system needs PKCS #1 thru 15 as open source api's,
> written in MI for best performance and compatibility.

Why do you think MI will give you 'best performance and compatibility' ?
Why not just hand-code the PCC assembly language ?

> A better 5250 mode source editer would be a welcome addition
> to the system.

People still use SEU or EDTF for coding source these days ? ;-)

> I can make a case for a 3rd party 5250 telnet server as the first step
> toward being able to telnet to the as400 without the interactive job
> penalty.

And how do you propose to make it non-penalty-invoking ? The moment the user
of your server opens anything that uses a DSPF - bingo CFINTxx wakes up.

> All can be done in a release independent way.

Again, granted tools can be written in what I would call a safe way, where
in a lot of the time a change of release won't cause any grief, but there's
always a possibility that sometime, somewhere a release will break the code
and you forgot to read the 'Memo to users' - remember the recent changes to
the length of a library list and the commands that changed & broke code ?

--phil