Re: Tool to Modernize IBMi Screens into GUI

Hi Thomas,

Am 01.01.2025 um 04:14 schrieb Thomas Burrows <thomas.burrows.1957@xxxxxxxxx>:

Why not rewrite your screen interfaces using C#.net? Works great and
connects back into the IBM iSeries.

First - because if you don't do web interface with some random fancy framework today, your development is doomed. </cynism>

But seriously - todays software development is poised by the sheer amount of available options. Back in the days, we had 5250 and that was pretty it. And the concept of "user interaction" was pretty complex and driven by the business need of doing transactions.

Today everything is pressed into the "connectionless" mold that HTTP(S) is forcing us to use. Pretty hilarious solutions (like cookies and session ids) are used to simulate, what a good 5250 dialog program always had - control over the workflow. Today one simple press on the browsers "Back" button, and everything goes downhill from there.

So IMHO we are lacking a system / paradigm / protocol which offers sessions / connections for transactional processes. Sure you can press that into the HTTP mold - but another option wouldn't hurt.

Using C# isn't a bad option - even Delphi and Lazarus/FreePascal gained some (small) traction lately.

Regards,
Daniel