Profound UI within Genie

Owned by Rob Ferguson
Last updated: Aug 16, 2023 by Jessica Tomkins
2 min read



Profound UI was originally created to run independently as a stand-alone product.

Features of a Stand-alone Profound UI Session

  • URL to start a session is http://yourserver:8080/profoundui/start

  • The initial program is either a CL program that first sets the library list and then calls the first RPG program, or the RPG program is called directly using the library list setup feature of Profound UI

  • The application job runs within the QTMHHTTP subsystem.

  • All screen output must be through a Rich Display File via an RPG program using Open Access

For new development, this is the preferred method of running Profound UI.

If, however, a large RPG application is to be converted to use Rich Display Files, there are some limitations that have significant implications. The following components cannot be used because they can only operate in a 5250 environment and will create an exception.

  • Programs with no source code

  • CL Programs using a display file

  • Prompt-able commands

  • Queries that display information to the screen

  • System screens, such as Working with Spooled Files, Working with Output Queues, and Working with Messages

Running Profound UI within Genie

Genie is primarily a web facing tool that renders 5250 data in a browser but it has been tightly integrated with Profound UI so it can do much more. When a user signs in Genie runs in web facing mode, but if an RPG program using a Rich Display File is called using the CALL command, Genie automatically switches and will render the native GUI. If a Rich Display File program does call a program that outputs 5250 data, Genie will switch back and render the 5250. Genie is therefore able to "fill in the blank" of a converted application, rendering those components that cannot be converted.

Similarly, a 5250 application running in Genie can be slowly converted to use Rich Display Files one program at a time if necessary without impacting production.

Setup

The only setup required is to ensure that the product library (PROFOUNDUI by default) is in the library list of each session. This can be achieved by detecting when the session is running under Genie.

Restriction

Some applications use a window for various prompts. If the prompt window is in a separate display file/program so that it can be called from many places, this can present a problem. Even though Genie can render 5250 and Rich Display File screens, it cannot render both at the same time.  A 5250 window cannot use a Rich Display File popup window and a Rich Display File screen cannot use a 5250 popup window.



Related Videos