rfgen-intro

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RFGen Screen Mapping
One Product - Many Solutions: Screen Mapping
Screen Mapping
- Work with any vt100, 3270 or 5250 host screen
- Create applications that run on all barcode terminals
- Enhance customer applications without changing
anything on their host system
RFGen Screen Mapping
All applications are hardware independent
All telnet capable terminals supported
All Windows based terminals supported
All ODBC databases supported
3270/5250 transaction mapping supported
Double-byte languages supported
RFGen Screen Mapping
RFgen Isn’t Just For
ODBC
Anymore
RFgen Sales Strategy
Solution Oriented Selling
 Differentiate offering from other vendors
 Provide a “single source” solution
 Let customers “try before they buy”
 Listen and respond quickly to customer needs
 Focus on and Sell the right solution
RFGen Screen Mapping

Easy to Manage:
Once connected, RFgen users can have
their own host session (one to one) or share sessions from a
pool of open connections. Interaction with the host system is
accomplished through a number of easy to use language
extensions built into the RFgen VB environment. Using these
commands, users can send and receive text, keystrokes, call
macros, and generally perform any action that a local user
could do.
RFGen Screen Mapping
 Saves
While
you Time and Headaches:
Screen Mapping allows users to access and
update host systems using the built-in business
rules, RFgen allows companies to modify the
data
collection
process
to
suit
their
needs…without changing anything on the
host system! There is NO NEED TO REWRITE
ANY SCREENS!
Making The Connection
In Programmers Assistant, click on ‘Configure’. Select ‘Add New Screen
Mapping Connection. The ‘Configure Screen Mapping Connection’ dialog box
appears…
This is where you specify
the host connection
information, enter the
downtime schedule for
this host, and choose
settings for the other
system defaults…
Advantages of Screen Mapping
With the RFgen screen mapping feature, you do not need to be
concerned with cross platform compatibility or re-engineering the
system’s business rules. RFgen provides easy to use VBA
extensions that allow dynamic interaction with the host emulation
screens, completing actual transactions while the host handles all of
the business rules for you. This process is accomplished with easy
point and click development methods.
Displaying the Environment
To bring up the emulation window, simply “double-click” on the Host icon in
the RFGen status bar, and the selected session window will appear.
Double Click - Screen Mapping Session Window appears
Using the Environment
RFGen uses a standard “point-and-click” interface to allows users to interact
with the host session as well as the built-in Screen Mapping features…
Session – This allows the
user to control various
elements of the session.
Hot Keys – This allows the
user to send IBM specific
keys to the host system.
Macros – This allows
access to the RFGen
Screen Mapping system.
The Pop-Up Window
RFGen also includes pop-up window to simplify the macro recording process.
From this window, users can quickly insert timing and other commands into
the script they are recording. To access this pop-up, just right-click on the
screen.
Three Levels of Integration
RFGen provides three levels of integration capability for the user. They are as
follows…
Basic
Also known as “Traditional Screen Mapping”, the
user has complete control over the host session. All
interaction is written and maintained by the user.
Simplified
This method takes a “System” approach to Screen
Mapping by providing built-in capabilities to navigate
host menus and update host screens.
Embedded
This method builds upon Simplified Screen Mapping
by embedding fields directly into RFGen forms.
VBA Language Extensions
To support the “Basic” Screen Mapping model, RFGen
provides a number of VBA Language extensions.
Users Benefit from these extensions in the following ways…
• Optimized for Specific Tasks
• Coding and Operational Efficiency
• Fully Documented with Examples
• Guaranteed Backwards Compatibility
Connection Availability
Before attempting to send a series of commands to a Screen Mapping
connection, it might be prudent to determine if the host is available.
RFGen provides the following command to test the state of the connection to a
host system…
ConnAvailable
This command returns ‘True’ if the host connection
is available.
Example:
If Not ConnAvailable(“CICS”) Then
vRsp = RFMsgBox(“Host is off-line, proceed with batch?”, vbYesNo)
.
.
End If
Session Startup and Shutdown
RFGen Screen Mapping is designed to simplify the entire process of
interacting with Legacy Host systems. Accordingly, RFGen allows users to
specify initial startup and shutdown macros to login and logout of the host
system properly.
While these macros are called automatically at session startup and shutdown,
users can execute these macros whenever they require…
Multiple Host Support
RFGen Screen Mapping allows users to connect to multiple host systems. At
system startup, RFGen will select the first defined host system to be the
default host. All Screen Mapping commands will then be directed to that host.
Transaction Bracketing
Transaction Bracketing is used with Pooled Screen Mapping Connections. It
allows users to do the following…
1.
Retrieve a specific connection to the host system.
2.
Execute a series of commands against a specific session.
3.
Return the connection to the pool when they’re finished.
Note: Transaction Bracketing is performed automatically when you use the
RFGen Macro commands.
Host Screen Navigation
RFGen Host Screen Navigation is used to simplify the process of moving
between different host applications.
RFGen Host Screen Navigation allows users to do the following…
1.
Easily move from screen to screen in the host system.
2.
Recover from failed navigation or system input errors.
3.
Significantly reduce the complexity of Screen Mapping.
Host Screen Navigation
RFGen introduces the concept of a base screen or “main menu”. The base
screen is used as a point-of-reference when moving between different host
applications. The methodology is as follows…
1.
A “main menu” is linked to a specific RFGen host session.
2.
Application Screens are then linked to this “main menu”.
3.
Screen requests that are linked to this “main menu” will be
automatically routed to this session.
Transaction Macros
RFGen uses a concept called Transaction Mapping to interact with Legacy
Host systems. Transaction Mapping works as follows…
1.
The user identifies all important data fields and screen regions.
2.
The user enters a sample transaction which is recorded and
converted into a series of VBA commands.
3.
The user can then call the macro, passing it the variable data
fields and have the transaction update on the host system.
4.
Optionally, the user can “paint” a RFGen form and have it execute
directly against the macro once all input fields have been
accessed. Any returning data will then be displayed in the
appropriate linked fields.
Note: Unlike “Screen Scraping” solutions, RFGen transactions can be used
while the host is off-line. These transactions can also comprise multiple host
systems or even access ODBC databases.
Main Menu Steps Defined
To create a “main menu”, simply follow these 5 easy steps…
1. Logon to Main Menu – This records all the keystrokes necessary to log
onto the main menu.
2. Identify the Main Menu – Select the areas of the screen that will uniquely
identify this as the main menu.
3. Return from Navigation Error – This records the keystrokes necessary to
recover from an unexpected scripting error.
4. Logoff from the Main Menu – This records the keystrokes necessary to
log off from the system.
5. Test Macros – This allows users
to quickly test their macros.
The Application Screen
“Application Screens” are where the actual user input will normally take place.
These screens are usually linked to macros to send and receive data from the
host system.
All “Application Screens” contain
two basic functions…
1. Link to Main Menu
2. Go to Application Screen Script
3. Return to Main Menu Script
Application Screen Steps Defined
To create an “Application Screen”, simply follow these 5 easy steps…
1. Go to the Application Screen – This records all the keystrokes necessary
to move from the main menu to the application screen.
2. Identify the Application Screen – Select the areas of the screen that will
uniquely identify this as the application screen (page 1).
3. Identify Multiple Screen Pages – Select the areas of the screen that will
uniquely identify this as an additional page of the application screen.
4. Return to the Main Menu– This records the keystrokes necessary to
move from the application screen back to the main menu.
5. Test Macros – This allows users
to quickly test their macros.
The Data Entry Transaction
“Transaction Macros” are where the actual data entry into the host system will
take place.
All “Transaction Macros” contain
the following elements…
1. Link to Application Screen
2. Screen Input Fields
3. Screen Output Fields
4. Transaction Script
Data Entry Transaction Steps Defined
To create an “Transaction Macro”, simply follow these 4 easy steps…
1. Go to the Linked Application Screen – This step tests the code required
to navigate to the linked Application Screen.
2. Mark All Significant Data Fields – Select the input fields/areas of the
screen that you are interested in sending data to/receiving data from.
3. Enter a Sample Transaction – This starts recording the keystrokes
required to input this type of transaction. A fully editable VBA script will then
be created based upon the input captured.
4. Test Transaction – This allows
users to quickly test their
transaction macros.
Embedded Screen Mapping
Embedded Screen Mapping builds on the ‘Simplified’ approach to create the
user interface for the wireless device. Using these methods, Screen Mapping
applications can be created based entirely on “point-and-click” techniques.
Summary
With the RFGen Screen Mapping Module, you can
•Connect to “ANY” Legacy Host
•Connect with “ANY” DOS or CE RF Device
•Customize with Ease
•Rapid Application Development
•Use a Proven Product – Over 1,000 Installations
•Double-Byte Compliant
•WITHOUT MODIFYING THE HOST APPLICATION
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