Face-Lift for Host Screens

HOB announces its Java-based development tool for GUI-fying IBM host screens

Zirndorf, Germany, May 12, 2000. HOB, the German software developer and connectivity expert, has announced another new development: HOBLink J-FaceLifter. This Java-based development tool makes it possible for programmers to give old-fashioned IBM mainframe screens a modern graphical user inter-“face” with the Windows look and feel when the client is connected via the Web. The launch date for the product is scheduled for June 2000.

With this new GUI-fication software, HOB is primarily targeting in-house development departments of large enterprises as well as service providers. While comparable enhancement software from other manufacturers is based on proprietary environments, HOB is following a strictly open strategy with HOBLink J-FaceLifter, which supports all the usual Java development environments such as Visual Café and Visual Age for Java. This also guarantees the integration of existing and future Java developments (e.g. Swing).

Klaus Brandstätter, HOB CEO and Director of Development, commented: “HOBLink J-FaceLifter combines modern Java computing and host computing. We have been careful to give customers complete freedom in determining the development environment in which they will use HOBLink J-FaceLifter to make structure-specific adaptations to their host applications. In contrast to proprietary solutions, this saves programmers a huge amount of training in a new development environment, and therefore saves the company a lot of money.”

HOBLink J-FaceLifter was specially conceived for GUI-fying IBM applications based on mainframes and AS/400’s. Using J-FaceLifter any screen which the mainframe or AS/400 sends over the web and which is received via a Java client can be re-designed according to the individual needs of the enterprise and its users. The complexity of the host application and the alphanumerical screens remains hidden from the user. And no modification of host applications is required.

The “face-lifting” procedure takes place in several simple steps: first the relevant screen masks are recorded (saved) using the HOBLink 3270 or HOBLink 5250 emulation. Next, HOBLink J-FaceLifter converts the screens into Java code; finally, they are edited with a Java compiler. With this method, complex host screens can be simplified, e.g. by including only certain fields in the GUI version. Functionality can also be added, for example using Java Beans (included with delivery) for host communication, without having to make changes to the host application.

System Requirements

For the development environment:

• HOBLink J-Term (Java-based web-to-host software from HOB)
• Java-Compiler (e.g. Symantec Visual Café Version 3 or higher, etc.)
• HOBLink 3270 or HOBLink 5250

For the client environment:

• HOBLink J-Term V. 2.3 (runs on any platform with a JVM, that supports JDK 1.1.4 or higher)

HOBLink J-FaceLifter is available in June and costs just under 10,000 Euro, excluding tax.

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Further information:

HOB
Petra Körwer
Tel: +49 911-9666-284
E-mail: petra.koerwer@hob.de

powerUp International
Vera Csukovits
Lutzstrasse 25 a
80687 München
Tel +49-89-580 086-0
email vc@powerup-intl.com

webmaster@hobsoft.com, Last Updated: 16-Jan-08