For most companies using CA:2E (also known as Synon:2E, Cool:2E, Jasmine:2E, Advantage:2E or Allfusion:2E), the following scenario is typical:

They have a large amount of software generated by CA:2E that works well. They have staff highly skilled in using CA:2E. They are very happy with the productivity from using CA:2E and have not found anything comparable that creates applications with a GUI interface. They need to extend the reach of applications to people anywhere on the Internet and they need to deliver a "standard" GUI interface.

In addition, it is sensible to exploit the cheaper "Batch" processing on the IBM i, where possible.

Quickstep:2e was written to do all of these things.

How does Quickstep:2e work?

Complie Time: Quickstep:2e operates as a transparent step in the compile process. When an CA:2E function is compiled three files are generated. Quickstep:2e generates two additional files and slightly alters one of the standard files.

Figure 1: Files generated for a compiled function

The CA:2E "compiled function" code is slightly altered. For every call to the green screen display, an additional line of code is added that enables communication with the runtime components of Quickstep:2e. The business logic of the function is not altered in any way. The HTML help page is simply a direct translation of the green screen help display.

For each CA:2E defined function, Quickstep:2e uses the green screen display definition and information from the CA:2E model to automatically generate a Java based GUI. Incorporating information from the CA:2E model is the key to the very high accuracy of Quickstep:2e generated GUIs. Once the GUI has been generated it can be customized, if desired, using Quickstep:2e's Java editor.

Modifications can be made to enhance GUI presentation, for example adding logos or other corporate graphics, or to add functionality not available in the green screen environment, such as seemless integration with desktop applications. Customization information is held within the Quickstep:2e development environment and is automatically reapplied every time a function is regenerated.

Run Time: The runtime components of Quickstep:2e are the Quickstep:2e middleware, which runs on the IBM i, and the Quickstep:2e client, which runs on the client PC or thin client server.

The Quickstep:2e middleware simply coordinates communications between the CA 2E developed application and the Quickstep:2e client. The Quickstep:2e client is a small Java based application that presents the GUI displays on the client terminal. On the client, only Java support, TCP/IP, and the Quickstep:2e Java client are required to run Quickstep:2e for a user. Java support (Sun's Java 2 Runtime Environment) and TCP/IP are available for almost all platforms so only the Quickstep:2e client, which is small (approximately 0.5 MB), needs to be distributed.

Figure 2: Quickstep Operation

All Quickstep:2e jobs run as batch jobs on the IBM i. No interactive capacity is required. The green screens are still available, provided the machine has sufficient interactive capacity. In fact, any combination of green screen and GUIs can be used simultaneously.

More Details:

• The Java client interprets the screen definitions and presents a fully featured GUI interface to the user.
• The GUI interface has a typical Windows look and feel, with drop down lists, pop up menus, full keyboard functionality, subfiles that can be scrolled line by line, the ability to resize or reorder columns in a subfile, and so on.
• On the IBM i the processing all occurs in batch and is not restricted by the system's interactive processing limit. This can avoid having to purchase expensive upgrades to your interactive limit.
• Only one set of application code is required to provide both a GUI and green screen interface. This greatly simplifies developing and maintaining applications when both interfaces must be provided.
• The screen definitions are quite small, and are automatically uploaded to a client the first time they are needed. They can be kept centrally on the IBM i eliminating the need to distribute changes or new functions.
• No knowledge of Java is required if you accept the default displays generated by Quickstep:2e. The value of your investment in CA:2E skills is preserved. Minimal understanding of Java is required to modify panel layouts, and add desktop integration.

Interactive functions other than CA:2E

Quickstep:2e requires the CA:2E model and generated source in order to create the screen definition modified function. Other interactive applications and interactive system functions cannot be converted at present. However, Quickstep:2e includes facilities to perform most of the common functions users require from outside of an CA:2E application.

Menus. A menu application is built into Quickstep:2e. This is a simple yet comprehensive tool. See "Menu system" for details.Common system functions such as WRKSBMJOB and WRKSPLF. Converted versions of commands commonly present in user applications are included with Quickstep:2e. These are automatically substituted when running in the Quickstep:2e environment. See "System functions" for details.

Security

Quickstep:2e requires users to log on to the IBM i with a user name and password. Thereafter security is the same in the GUI environment as in the green screen environment.

The menu system integrated into Quickstep:2e allows applications to be restricted by a combination of user groups and menu option groups.

Menu system

The menu system is comprehensive yet simple. Menu options can be defined and organised in a normal hierarchical manner. A menu option can be defined once and attached to many menus.

The menu system can be used in green screen mode or GUI mode. It is driven from a list of options and menus, and a list of users. User groups can be defined, and options or menus authorised by group or by individual user. The files defining the menu system are held centrally on the IBM i and can be dynamically maintained.

In GUI mode, when the user selects an option from the menu it is started in a new window so that users can have multiple functions active.

In green screen mode the user navigates through the menu in the normal way, requests a function, then exits to return to the menu.

Figure 3: Quickstep Menu

Converted system functions

The following IBM i commands have been converted to run under Quickstep:2e. Others may be converted later as required.

• WRKSBMJOB Work with submitted jobs.
• WRKOUTQ Work with print files on a print queue.
• WRKWTR Work with printers.
• DSPSPLF Display print file.
• DSPJOBLOG Display job log.

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