RE: Web Interfacing Advantages?

["Walden H. Leverich" <WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brian,

Web interfaces _usually_ are better than green screen interfaces, with
the obvious exception of heads-down data entry (order entry call centers
for example). A good data entry person will never take their hands off
the keyboard and will operate at lightening speed on 5250s.

The "interactive traffic" issue depends partially on how you move to the
web. If you're simply refacing 5250 screens, but leaving the actual 5250
programs running then you'll not lessen the load, but if you make true
web-apps, then yes, they will operate as batch jobs on the iSeries and
not count toward your interactive limit.

The "old school programmer's" concerns that the interfaces are too
confusing sounds to me as more of an issue that the "old school
programmer" doesn't want to learn something new. Wouldn't be the first
time I've seen that. But to be fair he may have a point. We didn't have
that many color and placement choices in 80x24 land, so we couldn't mess
up screen design _too_ badly. In browser design we have lots of choices,
and we can make a screen really ugly, really fast (Hint, fuchsia is
rarely a valid color choice). Good web design is an art and a science
both and usually isn't something 5250 programmers are good at. You'd be
well advised to get an experienced web designer to craft some design
specifications before you create too many pages.

You mentioned one other interesting thing though, that the old school
guys "do not see a
need to move any of the apps." And that's something you should consider.
Make sure you're moving green screen apps to the browser for a valid
business reason -- "because it's cool" isn't a valid business reason.
You're spending time, money and effort when you move a screen from 5250
to the browser, if there's a business reason, great, if not leave it
where it is. This is a decision the users and management should be
involved in, not something IT decides. If the business will benefit from
web, get there, but if it won't, the "old school" guys may still know a
thing or two.

-Walden

------------
Walden H Leverich III
Tech Software
(516) 627-3800 x11
WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.TechSoftInc.com

Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
(Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)
  


-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Brian Piotrowski
Sent: Thursday, 02 June, 2005 08:28
To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Web Interfacing Advantages?

Hi All,

 

Our operations have been using the old "green screen" applications since
we received our AS/400.  That being said, the programs work fine (albeit
clumsy as everything must be typed in as opposed to a "point and click"
interface), but the users are looking for more GUI, as a lot of our
other applications use a web interface.

 

With all of the new and wonderful technologies that IBM has been
releasing with the latest iteration of the O/S, I am looking to the
future and move most (if not all) of our interactive applications to a
web interface.  However, I have been meeting a lot of resistance from
the "old school" senior AS/400 programmers/users here who do not see a
need to move any of the apps.  They claim that web interfaces are "too
confusing" and the users would not understand them (even though 95%+ of
our users are very familiar with Windows interfaces).

 

The main reason why I would like to move to a web environment is the
simple fact that I am programming twice - once in the web interface, and
AGAIN for those users who use only green screen.

 

Can anyone provide me any information as to the advantages of moving to
web GUIs in lieu of green screens?  From what I understand, moving the
applications to web interfaces will reduce the amount of interactive
traffic on the AS/400 - is that true?

 

Any information that anyone could provide would be most helpful, as I
have been tasked by the managers to provide appropriate reasoning to
making the move to a GUI.

 

Thanks!

 

Brian.

 

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Brian Piotrowski

Specialist - I.T.

Simcoe Parts Service, Inc.

Ph: 705-435-7814 x343

Fx: 705-435-6746

bpiotrowski@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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