Building ASP Forms

Interface Builder (IB) generates ASP or DHTML forms directly from the LCIF model. The output forms are equivalent to the GUI painted screens the user maintains in LDA. The forms can be used with Unisys ActiveLINC or IEG’s IE-WEBS product. “LINC users should be excited to discover that they can now deploy and maintain web forms and processes within their LINC/LDA environments. One of the challenges in deploying LINC applications is that screens (ISPECs) were developed for data entry users and not web users.” stated Dennis Schmidt, Lexington.

Up to now developing an entire new front end would have been the only option available but now with the Interface Builder (IB), developers who know LINC, and more importantly, who know the application can develop new forms designed specifically for the web. This also solves the dilemma of how to integrate front-end web-server processes with the host enterprise system. Dennis further commented: “Is it easier to train a LINC developer how to paint buttons and list boxes than to train a web developer how the application works? From our experience, using application skilled resources results in more successful outcome.”

IB features cascading style sheets along with client and server side scripts based on attributes automatically extracted from the LCIF model. The style sheets add considerable flexibility as many attributes can be changed without regenerating the forms. “All the current presentation types that can be defined in LDA are generated equivalently in the ASP/DHTML form. IEG has implemented the expanded capabilities of text areas, local error handling, hover text, and local field editing within the browser.” comments Phil Kauffman, Chicago. “As in so many other areas, we are able to make use of the information inherent to all LINC systems. This allows IB to do things like include scripting based on what is found in the LDA Model.” continued Lynn.

The IB product contains templates used in the production of ASP and/or DHTML forms. These user modifiable templates give IB an almost unlimited flexibility in scripting. Experienced ASP/DHTML developers are able to customize the templates to enable automatic generation of additional scripting.

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