ABSTRACT
The ability to easily, economically, and very dramatically rejuvenate the anachronistic user interface of mainframe and AS/400 applications is an integral, valuable, and widely publicized feature of most contemporary Web-to-host integration solutions. Schemes to facilitate user interface rejuvenation when it came to PC/workstation-based host access have also been readily available with traditional screen emulation solutions (e.g., Eicon’s Aviva for Desktops) for nearly 15 years. All leading 3270/5250 emulators offer high-level language application program interface (HLLAPI) or equivalent, at a minimum, as one possible means whereby the harsh and dated “green-on-black” screens of SNA applications can be intercepted and totally revamped before they are presented to a user. However, it is sobering to realize that not even 25 percent of the millions of mainframe and AS/400 screens that are regularly displayed around the world with these traditional access solutions have been rejuvenated. “Green-on-black” is still the norm when it comes to IBM host access.
