Cayzer Stuart wrote: > > Here at Washington State DOL we're building a new system that fits the > description of where you want to go - it's a client/server setup with > the data under DB2 on the state DIS's 3270. We use Intersolv's APS to > generate MF COBOL for the Windows GUI and COBOL 370 for the CICS and MVS > programs. This project began several years ago and we're about to > deliver on Windows 3.11. Clearly, Windows 95 and NT 4.0 offer many > advantages and we'll eventually go there (if the project is successful). > I believe that the new release of APS (which is currently in beta) will > generate 32 bit code. > > I've worked with APS for many years - it started out targetting the 3270 > platform and it is much stronger there than in the Windows environment. > We've made many modifications to the macros that actually generate the > MF COBOL in order to get code that behaves well under Windows. COBOL in > Windows is a bit of a square peg in a round hole but it's nice for us to > have one generator churning out the code for both platforms. And there's > so much COBOL expertise around. However, you have more options - VB can > handle the presentation logic but is too slow for any serious processing > (eg: when you pass data to and from the mainframe you'll need to convert > ASCII to EBCDIC and vice versa - I'm told that VB can't even do that > adequately). Delphi and C are better options - actually, the subsystem > that will run in DOL's branch offices was built using Delphi for the GUI > and it looks pretty slick. > > My answer is high level ... but it's a BIG question. There's many > considerations to take into account. > > G'luck. > > ---------- > From: Craig Otway > To: Multiple recipients of list CICS-L > Subject: They want GUI. They want custom. > Date: Friday, February 21, 1997 9:31AM > > We provide data services to about thirty distinct clients. Each client > has its own internal LAN/WAN and soon we will connect them to a super > WAN through channel attached gateways (NT SNA/LU6.2). Most of our > client+s current LANs are Novell 3.12, but they will eventually convert > to 4.1 or NT. Some have DEC+s and AS400+s too. We are currently running > on a 9672 (MVS 5.2.2 and about to order 390 R?) using CICS4.1/DB24.1 > /VSAM/COBOL. We have the OSA adapter but have not decided on a backbone > at this time. > Here+s the question. How can we convert our 3270 type CICS/DB2/COBOL > applications into GUI while keeping the data on the mainframe? We > currently offer the 3270 systems (in-house customized systems they want > to be GUI), AMS Advantage 2000 (third party mainframe/GUI non-customized > software), and a pure client server product called WINSCHOOL that may > have the data ported up to the mainframe. Do we use VB, PB, MF COBOL, > Realia, CICS WEB...?? Thanks. > -- > Craig Otway > MVS/S390 Technical Support > Education Service Center Region 10 > 400 E Spring Valley > Richardson, Texas 75081 > 972-231-2582 x456 > > <<File Attachment: ATT00267.htm>> We also have a mix, and currently protyping going to our CICS/DB2 domain directly from VB using TCP/IP. As for the ASCII - EBCIDIC issue, the CICS Sockets Extended API provides conversion routines, as an alternative we could use Microfocus Conversion (CODESET) wrapped in a WinAPI DLL.

Bill Lindsay

lindsayb@nabisco.com