× The internal search function is temporarily non-functional. The current search engine is no longer viable and we are researching alternatives.
As a stop gap measure, we are using Google's custom search engine service.
If you know of an easy to use, open source, search engine ... please contact support@midrange.com.



I think there is a little misconception in our world. Screen scraper
technology is something that was ~once~ available for green screens. Looking
closer, you will find most of the current offerings in the market offer much
more than simple screen scraping - the technology has matured tremendously.
If you do a comparison based on whether or not a "screen scraper" can do
something, you might be missing all the new technology and functionality.

What is available? (btw, I am not attempting anything I would consider
product specific here - I am trying to do this without bias towards the one
I work with every day.) Screen "scraping" into GUI is the minimum
requirement. Refacing an entire application using graphical themes (style
sheets, color schemes, etc..) is also easier. Integrating with existing
applications beyond the green screen is a given. Integrating with the
iSeries database gets easier - some products do it from inside the code
(because you are already there and you are an RPG programmer), some products
do it from the desktop. Integrating with the desktop and other platforms is
now a basic requirement for this genre - some can, some can't. Web enabling
a green screen app (not rebuilding it into a web application) can be done in
fewer steps than you might think. "Screen scrapers" have matured a lot. We
have gone from lipstick on a pig... to plastic surgery... to the bionic man.
Of course, as in any industry, there are still make-up artists competing
with NASA, and as Joe says, some of these tools are still missing what are
now considered essentials.

I was initially skeptical when I was asked to work with this technology, but
I can tell you that I really like this niche. I have learned VB, HTML,
DHTML, VBScript, JavaScript and a whole bunch more, and I am just an RPG
guy. This new world can do amazing things, and I like that I get to show off
every day. "Screen scraping" has gone from 'well, that still looks ugly!' to
'WOW, it can do THAT?'. Not only can I make green screen applications into
web-enabled applications that the user thinks is something completely new,
but I can extend and integrate that green screen application far beyond what
was available only a couple of years ago.

And on a semi-related topic, come and see my session at COMMON called "GUI
Tips - the challenges of application modernization".
Trevor
newlook Jedi

P.S. I would be happy to give more specific information and my web address
off-list.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Pluta" <joepluta@PlutaBrothers.com>
Subject: RE: Is anybody using Seagull's new Transidiom software (Screen
Scraper)?


> > From: Paul Nelson
> >
> > I'd be willing to bet that you could duplicate the function of
> > that program
> > with AVR. Remember that AVR has an option to import your RPG
> > code. If P4211
> > is too big to import, try this: Make a copy of the P4211 source, strip
out
> > the stuff you don't need, and then get it working properly in RPG. Then
> > import it into AVR.
>
> Since people are offering alternate solutions, PSC/400 can take any
> interactive program and convert it automatically into a batch program
which
> can then be invoked by any other program.  If the idea is to walk through
> the screens (as with a screen scraper) it can be done relatively easily
with
> PSC/400.  Not only that, you can use hidden fields to communicate with the
> caller in case you need to add additional functions that won't fit on your
> original screen.  This capability is unavailable to a screen scraper.
>
> Joe Pluta
> www.plutabrothers.com
>



As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This thread ...

Replies:

Follow On AppleNews
Return to Archive home page | Return to MIDRANGE.COM home page

This mailing list archive is Copyright 1997-2024 by midrange.com and David Gibbs as a compilation work. Use of the archive is restricted to research of a business or technical nature. Any other uses are prohibited. Full details are available on our policy page. If you have questions about this, please contact [javascript protected email address].

Operating expenses for this site are earned using the Amazon Associate program and Google Adsense.