Re: Can you tell if you are running 5250 from a CL program?

On 9/19/2011 11:14 PM, Vern Hamberg wrote:

As to having slightly different programming - again, the point is NOT to
have to have different programming.

Ah, the difference between the theory and the reality. The theory is that the program shouldn't know the difference. I too believed that once, grasshopper! The reality is that it is very nice to be able to do so. One reason is so that you can add extra capability that isn't there for the non-handler version due to the limitations of the original interface. Very important for convincing folks to move off the green screen (trust me). We use it in PSCiQ all the time to add enhanced features (such as dynamic menus and button bars) that aren't available in the green screen version. Yes, I suppose we could unconditionally go through all the extra gyrations even though they wouldn't be used when running 5250 sessions, but I find that distasteful.

I ask you to actually write a
handler, to see just what is really involved.

Why would the mechanics of the handler make any difference to the requirement? The request was simple: how do I know if a handler is being run. I shouldn't have to know how a handler is written to know if one is being run.

Reading the docs isn't
enough - seriously - especially with a WORKSTN handler - I know I don't
want to play in that world - you might do better, since you worked with
this kind of thing already with your own stuff.

Yes, writing a WORKSTN handler is hard regardless of the technique since you basically have to support all the pieces of things like subfiles and so on yourself. This includes everything from subfile paging to the CHANGE keyword. Definitely not for dabbler. If you do decide to tackle this, Vern, pay special attention to the section in Chapter 3 of the Rational OA manual entitled "Setting the feedback areas in the INFDS". It is crucial to properly implementing a WORKSTN handler.

Again, I am
not sure you have done enough with OA to know how it is architected. It
really does take a while - at least, it has for my feeble brain to dig
past what is in the documentation - or NOT to go beyond it, since it is
not necessary or desirable.

I'll try not to be too terribly offended, Vern, even though I was doing modernization before modernization was cool. ;) And despite your misgivings, the documents are very well written and I'm comfortable that through them and some helpful posts from Barbara and Jon that I understand enough of the architecture. But feel free to provide an example of something you've learned about OA that isn't in the documentation.

Joe