HOB introduces its ultimate development "HOBLink FaceLifter" to the market. The Visual Basic Tool for guification of host masks achieves more userfriendliness when working with IBM Mainframe applications using Windows Look and Feel and consequently reduces training expenses.

Guifying host applications is really simple with the twin pack HOBLink FaceLifter and HOBLink 3270. You do not even have to learn a programming language. HOBLink FaceLifter, however, is Visual Basic based. The user guidance of the popular programming environment is fully applied. In addition to that numerous development components, the so-called HOB Controls are available, which allow implementing host specific functions. This tool allows the user to operate IBM Mainframe applications by intuitition by means of a Windows based user guidance according to usual Microsoft Office manner.

Klaus Brandstätter, owner and chief developer of HOB electronic comments: "Today's user generation is used to work with Graphical User Interfaces and Windows commands. This is why it turns out to be especially hard for the younger user generation to operate alphanumeric IBM Mainframe applications. Using this developing tool programmers can create tailor-made, user friendly host applications. The only requirement is MS Visual Basic Know How and that is what most programmers are familiar with."

Apart from converting and implementing host masks into graphical user interfaces with usual Windows Look and Feel, the integral development components give an incredible flexibility for customizing an application according to organization specific demands. Providing OnLine Help system for older IBM applications, or combining several host masks to one dialog box are just a few practical examples. Further you can simplify working with several host sessions. The guified applications are stored as .EXE files, which have access to HOBLink 3270 on the server or alternately use a locally installed version. Installing Visual Basic on the work stations is not required.

The minimal prerequisites are a PC with 486 processor, Windows NT or Window s 95 and 16 MB memory as well as HOBLink 3270 version 4.2.