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  3. December 2006

Re: Saving the System i: Fight Rather Than Switch

M Lazarus wrote:


 Having an HTTP server does NOT match my definition of GUI.  I want to be
able to (at least start to) GUI'ize my applications by using the EXFMT
keyword (maybe w/ some extensions) and not have to have multiple
"threads" within the program whether the client is a browser or green
screen.
Since you separated HTTP server out, isn't EXFMT already doing precisely what you just asked for to the (GUI) iSeries Access emulator or even many competitive emulators? That is a "GUI" client; just because its primary presentation area is rendered as a text area doesn't disqualify it.
I'm still unclear on what is wanted. iSeries Access for Web? HATS? VARPG? 

When "EXFMT" is used as a basis, it seems to cloud the issue for me.
VARPG has (had?) a feature that would import existing DDS display files into its GUI designer. The resulting GUI panels could be pretty ugly if you left them in that initially imported state, but there was no doubt that they were GUI. The elements could then be modified in the designer for positioning, allowing user control over font/color/size, controlling visible/invisible, essentially all of the bits that make "GUI" GUI.
The programmer couldn't manipulate the resulting GUI panel elements via EXFMT because that's not an available VARPG op-code. I suspect that there are a few reasons why it made sense to leave it out of the language.
I don't know why it couldn't be left in. I guess I just wonder what the 'display client' would have to look like in order for EXFMT to work in a predictable fashion if an existing emulator isn't acceptable. 

Tom Liotta

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