Re: When is browser NOT being used -- MIDRANGE-L

Charles

I gave an outline of my Neural Database yesterday. (Re: Normalization (was Left AS/400 and Returned)).

I need to add to this before answering your question.

ERROS, my NDB, works quite unlike other systems. I mentioned that all data definitions, menus, business rules, application definitions, etc., and the user data that these define, are all stored in the same nine physical files. Creating new applications, including transaction processing, web sites, does NOT involve the creation of new PF's. I do not use logicals. The same kernel programs are used to operate both the development environment and the operational environments for all applications.

As a result, even though their functionality may be very different, all applications are essentially the same. This allowed me to develop a single interface that is used by all applications,and, even in 5250 form, this has many non-standard features. For instance, inquiry screens are built dynamically. Multiple records can be displayed contiguously on one line with windowing left or right or with wrapping. Although subfiles are displayed, there is no DDS subfile coding. I only use one display file and one printer file. As the layout of displays and reports is stored in the NDB, the layouts can be changed without any recompiling.

When I first wanted to web enable ERROS (V3R7), my only choice was WSG so I used this. In addition, it allowed persistent applications. I have much modified it and generate dynamically HTML and Javascript on the fly which I insert into the 5250 datastream sent to WSG. Apart from a few static home pages, there is no stored HTML. I have enabled function keys, put my own text on WSG buttons, put in mouseovers, onDblClick, etc.. As a result, users can use the browser in 5250 mode or as a point and click GUI or any combination. The only URL 's used are for images or for references to external sites and these are only stored once, although thay can be indexed many times in the NDB. All other "hyperlinks", which are automatically bi-directional, are handled by ERROS within the NDB.

It isn't perfect, but nothing is. WSG has a reputation for poor performance, but is quite good with ERROS on my 170 (V5R1) - generally from under 1 second, to 3 seconds for complex database accesses. This is in part because, once a user has started a task, called the kernel programs and opened the 9 files, they remain in use or open until he signs off at the end of the day, even if he changes applications within that task. The kernel programs are very small, under 6 Mb in total so there is no paging of code. Of course this very slow compared with native 5250 when WRKACTJOB usually gives average response times as 0.0 seconds.

I am only a part time developer and WSG has only required learning of HTML and Javscript.

In due course, I hope to convert to CGI, but at the moment, it works well and I haven't the need or time to "fix" it. In the meantime, my use of WSG has allowed me to develop my ideas without going through a learning curve at the same time.

You might wonder why I need native 5250 access still, and the answer is simply for the response times and it is best for heads down data entry (but the browser interface is not bad).

Sorry that this took so long, but I believe that you needed to know why I use very unfashionable WSG.

Rob