Automate Legacy 3270 Applications
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We have an interesting, but perhaps not uncommon, system integration and architectural challenge, since our principle line-of-business application runs on a mainframe (“zSeries” it’s called these days) hosted, supported and controlled by our biggest vendor. So, we connect to the application using 3270 terminal emulation (“Rumba”) that connects through Microsoft SNA, er…, Host Integration Server. Plus, since it is 3270 through SNA, TN3270 isn’t an option, either. We have no direct control over things that run on the mainframe, i.e., we cannot run APPC programs or execute CICS jobs. We can only choose menu options and enter characters on existing screens. So, I want to be able to do that automatically. And, I’ve been doing research. I’ve found stuff about HLLAPI and WinHLLAPI. Neither of these sounds very robust (Daniel Turini posted a response about those alternatives to someone else’s inquiry about screen scraping here on CP). I’ve found several vendors (SDI, ClientSoft, NetManage, Zephyr Corp) who offer expensive legacy application/host integration packages that sound like they’ll do the job, but the prices are pretty high. So, what I’d like to know is: 1) if you confronted such a challenge on a project, what solution did you use? 2) how has that solution worked out? 3) if there is a low-cost, non-proprietry solution, what is it and are there code samples? Your insights and experience are appreciated. What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable . . . and yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust? -- Hamlet, Act II, Scene ii.