Rocket PASSPORT Host Integration Objects (HIO) is a non-intrusive legacy integration solution that enables object-orientated access to IBM 3270 and 5250 host applications from customer written applications using .NET or ActiveX. Rocket PASSPORT HIO applications can be deployed from a Microsoft Windows Server or desktop.

Primary Features of Rocket PASSPORT HIO

• Non-intrusive legacy integration with existing 3270 and 5250 applications
• Direct access to host screen buffers (screen scraping)
• Object-oriented API based on Internet Engineering Task Force OHIO draft
• Does not require terminal emulation software
• Proven TN3270 and TN5250 communications module
• SSL Security
• Designed for a Microsoft Windows environment
• Offset addressing for host screen presentation space
• Simplified model for presentation space
• Automatic generation of presentation space field list and attributes
• Keyword-based function text strings
• Event notification for host communication status and screen updates
• International Support
• Diagnostic tracing capabilities

Performs the Following Host Functions

• Open a host session
• Hide host screens from the user
• Read and write information to the host presentation space
• Retrieve text strings from host input fields
• Retrieve text strings from screen
• Determine new string values
• Get associated attributes of text strings and fields
• Copy information into host input fields
• Simulate use of function keys with host application
• Read the operator information area (OIA) for status updates
• Receive notification of events (receipt of new screen, etc.)
• Close the host session

System Requirements

• Windows 7, Vista or XP desktop operating system (for development and client applications)
• Windows Server 2008 or 2003 (for server applications)
• Minimum 128 MB memory
• TCP/IP connection to TN3270 or TN5250 server

Supported Programming Languages

Any Microsoft programming language that supports the ActiveX COM or .NET interface, including:

• Microsoft's Visual Studio version 2008 or 2005

Terminals Emulated

• IBM^® 3278/79 Model 2 (24 x 80 full screen display)
• IBM^® 3278/79 Model 3 (32 x 80 full screen display)
• IBM^® 3278/79 Model 4 (43 x 80 full screen display)
• IBM^® 3278/79 Model 5 (27 x 132 full screen display)
• Dynamic 3270 Model 2-5 Screen Display
• IBM^® 5250 Model 2 (24 x 80 full screen display)
• IBM^® 5250 Model 5 (27 x 132 full screen display)

What is OHIO?

The Open Host Interface Objects (OHIO) addresses the need for a standardized advanced programming interface to the host data. OHIO does not modify the TN3270/TN5250 protocol or data stream, but instead provides a common access method to that data once it arrives at the client (or server). OHIO uses an object oriented approach to divide the data into logical objects, and provides methods on those objects to allow standard access to the data. You do not have to be concerned with details of structure packing and parameter command codes, but can focus on the application functions.

The OHIO API was designed as an alternative to other IBM HLLAPI (High Level Language Application Programming Interface). The reasons include:

• OHIO was designed as an object oriented API, and thus has all the well known benefits of the object oriented programming paradigm.
• Interacting with the host generally requires less code using the OHIO API than doing the same function through the HLLAPI interface.
• OHIO objects concentrate related functions into specific classes, an easier to understand model than the one HLLAPI entry point.
• No need to have a terminal emulation session running in order to run an OHIO application.

OHIO Features

• No architectural limit to the number of sessions
• Event notification for host communications status and screen updates
• Comprehensive error trapping
• Generation of error message text
• Offset addressing for host presentation space
• Simplified model for presentation space
• Automatic generation of presentation space field list and attributes
• Keyword-based function key strings

Rocket PASSPORT HIO Terminal Control Client

Rocket PASSPORT HIO also includes the Terminal Control Object, which lets developers embed a Rocket PASSPORT TN3270 or TN5250 client inside another client application. Through use of the HIO Terminal Control, 3270 or 5250 host "green" screens can be exposed to the end user, similar to an IBM terminal, and full use of the PC keyboard is available to interact with the 3270 or 5250 host application. Rocket PASSPORT HIO Terminal Control is ideal for advanced Windows client-based legacy integration projects.

Print Screen

• Print Screen
• Host screens can be printed to local or LAN attached printers
• Host screens can be printed to a disk file
• Page margins can be set
• Optional header line can be configured to print at top of each page
• Page printed after a specific number of print screens

Clipboard

• Cut, Copy, Copy Append, Copy Graph, Paste, Paste Continue
• Paragraph format copy mode for word processing
• Tabular format copy mode for spreadsheets
• Block, stream, field and spreadsheet modes for pasting text
• Text selection viewed as dotted rectangle or reverse video
• Cut text can be replaced with either nulls or spaces

Cursor

• Underline or block cursor
• Cursor blinking on or off
• Cursor ruler guide can be a full cross hair, vertical only or horizontal only
• Cursor toggle during Insert mode

Fonts and Screen Sizes

• Rocket PASSPORT terminal and thin bit-map raster fonts and Rocket PASSPORT true type fonts provided
• Any Windows fixed pitch raster or true type font can be selected
• Font size automatically adjusts to Window size
• Fixed font size can be selected with horizontal and vertical scrolling
• APL character set for display
• European Currency symbol support
• Screen sizes for TN3270 (24x80, 32x80, 43x80, 27x132)
• Screen sizes for TN5250 (24x80, 27x132)

Hotspots

• Ability to double-click specific text on the screen to perform a function
• Hotspot customization
• Assignment of any emulator function to any hotspot text
• Multiple hotspot schemes can be created and saved
• Default hotspots provided for PF keys and other common host keys
• Hotspots can be viewed as reverse video button or invisible

Keyboard Features

• Interactive keyboard customization
• Multiple keyboard maps can be created and saved
• Assignment of any emulator function
• Type ahead
• Select areas of text using keyboard shifted arrow keys
• Ability to view list of all host keys with current key mapping

Mouse

• Mouse button customization
• Left, right, single and double click mouse actions can be configured
• Any host key or special mouse function can be assigned
• Pop-up floating menu to access common menu commands

International Support (Available in International Version)

• International host code pages
• European currency symbol support
• Multi-national keyboard support
• International Dead Key

Download Rocket PASSPORT for Legacy Integration