Simulate a old IBM

[Kwai chang caine]

Hello at all the familly

It's the last day of the year, so i can't finish her, without have again a mad idea

At my mind, just a old programmer can help me..and i'm not sure where are too much old man on this forum
But like it's the period of miracle...perhaps.......

Know you a way to simulate a old IBM AS/400 or TN3270...
Is it possible ???

I don't believe to the miracle.....but we never know
I wish you the best last day of 2011

KCC

[Ramihyn_]

http://www.mochasoft.dk/tn3270vista.htm

Happy new year

[infratec]

Hi,

do you want to write a program which can 'connect' to an AS400 or do you plan
to emulate the real machine?

First thing is relative 'easy', last thing is possible, but difficult.

I wrote an emulator of an old Sharp MZ-700 'Personal Computer' it tooks a long long time
until everything works. And you need a lot of hardware knowledge of the machine.
I tried to port it to PB, but... I found no possible solution to translate my tricky parts.
Or I have so many assembler inside the program, that it makes no sense.
Or... it will be very slow.

But I wish you good luck and a happy new year!

[Kwai chang caine]

last thing is possible, but difficult.

Like usually, it's the bad solution i want to do
I believe it's not too difficult to create it, but apparently i'm wrong
Never mind again an idea to put in the trash

In fact i use already an emulator of IBM and i want to writing inside myself with my PC.
The only solution for the moment i found, it's simulate a UNIX session or 3270, AS/400, VAX/VMS for use it like a "notepad".
So after what you say to me...it's again a bad idea

Thanks at you two for your answer
Happy new year at you two

[charvista]

Happy New Year KCC
I am not sure what you are willing to accomplish with 'emulator'... would you like that the screen is displaying CHUI* characters, and that inputs are terminated with the Enter key?
Like here:http://www.datamission.co.uk/AS400_Utilities1.html ?
If so, then the answer is YES, it is perfectly possible in PureBasic, because I have written a lot of procedures to imitate DOS appearance. Of course, this suppress the use of the mouse completely, and is purely keyboard-driven.

*CHUI=Character User Interface, like MS-DOS, as opposed to the GUI=Graphical User Interface, like Windows.

[Kwai chang caine]

Hello CHARVISTA
Happy new year to you too !!!


Thanks a lot for your explanation, i not know this word CHUI now thanks to you i know what is it

In fact, i want to do this, since several years, and several time, i have abandoned
Sometime i have a new idea, and i dream a new time, that sometime i can accomplish it

I works in my company with an IBM 3270 emulator
So i create programs for remote this emulator with OLE, sometime with VB6, sometime with PB thanks to the splendid works of SROD (Comate) and TSSOFT (PureDishelper)

My problem is strange, like all my problems, you say perhaps to me

So, a big part of my programs, remote this emulator who is connected to the network and all is good like that.
But often, i want make demonstrations of my program, and it's here the problem, because i have not always my job network, and obviously not a IBM in my pocket
So in this configuration, all my programs can't works, because he wait the IBM answer.

Then i say to me : "How can i do for create a virtual IBM network ??"

Since all this years, i try several methods

1/ Try to create a virtual emulator myself, but i have two problems.
This emulator must be answer to the OLE orders, and for do that i have search, but only VB can do that.
I must create an ACTIVEX and it's really too hard for my little brain

And the second problem, is about the look
This emulator have a big function i never seen before, when you resizing the windows the characters also resize

I have believe found this fonction thanks a code of IDLE with his splendid EDITOR, but apparently there are again problem with this resizing of characters

But, even if i can create this window, i'm not sure it's possible to receive the OLE orders with PB
I don't think SROD or TSSOFT have thinking to create this style of function PB to OLE = Yes but OLE to PB ????

2/ Another solution is using the emulator, for create a virtual session of TN3270 or AS/400, UNIX etc .....but here, i have again a problem
I don't understand anything to all this technicals terms, and not know how i must configurate it

Numerous choices i have:
Selecting the style of Session (IBM central or AS/400 or VAX/VMS, UNIX, Asynchrone)
After the protocol (Connect direct 802.2 or connect direct MPTN or Microsoft SNA server or SAA via client IBM or SNA client or TN5250)
And all this choice is chinese for KCC

So day after day i have try nearly all the choices, at random
And sometime i have a black screen, but the big problem is i can't writing everywhere on the screen, with keyboard or OLE
Because i think creator of the emulator not thinking a jester like KCC want a day create a training version of his emulator

So this is all the long history, excuse me for the lengh, but for good understanding, it's sometime necessary to explain in detail

Now, i not have really a good way for do my dream.....because all the method i try have failled

If you have an idea.....now...i take all the ideas

[infratec]

Hi KCC,

so you don't want to emulate a whole AS/400.
You only need to emulate some answers of an AS/400.

When I understand you correct, your 'tools' control remotely a TN3270 Terminal program,
and you want to test them at home.

So you need only a few answers from an AS/400.

If you use 'wireshark', you can sniff what the AS/400 answers to the TN3270 terminal.

At the end you only have to create a networkserver which send this answers to your 'local' TN3270 program.
I think that's posible in a 'short' time.
But you are limited to the implemented stuff.

Bernd

[charvista]

KCC, thank you for the Champagne, really appreciated

I am really sorry that I cannot help you with the emulator It is not what I thought, and it appears not to be my domain.
A pity... dommage...
But never give it up, soon or later, "the franc will fall down" in your brain

[Kwai chang caine]

@CHARVISTA
Never mind it's already very kind to purpose your help
But, your idea of old screen, interesting me when even
I don't know, perhaps if i want create a virtual screen IBM ...
Again thanks

@INFRATEC

So you need only a few answers from an AS/400.

Waaaoooouuuhhhh !!!!
This years begin too cool

Are you sure you have not a red coat and cap ???

There are few hours, i have no hope and you and CHARVISTA give to a little bit of hope

When I understand you correct, your 'tools' control remotely a TN3270 Terminal program,

But thanks to the VB6 OLE and through an emulator

and you want to test them at home.

Exactly

If you use 'wireshark', you can sniff what the AS/400 answers to the TN3270 terminal.

Me the only thing i know SNIFF, it's my noise when I caught a cold

I try to read or ask how use this "wireshark", but thanks to you i have at new hope
Thanks a lot INFRATEC

[infratec]

Hi KCC,

do you know this:
http://x3270.bgp.nu/

[netmaestro]

x3270 runs over a TELNET connection, emulating either an IBM 3279 (color) or 3278 (monochrome)

This reminds me of the time in 1986 when my employer, who was using dozens of 3278 terminals, started to upgrade some of them to the color ones. We had a second hardware supplier with two computers in our shop and we got to know their tech guy quite well. One day he came over with a mechanic's magnet and said, "you guys ever see this?" and waved it in front of a 3278 (monochrome) monitor. It all went beautifully squiggly and swirly, and when he pulled the magnet away it went right back to normal. One of our guys was really impressed with this, grabbed the magnet from the tech and said, "I'll be right back". He went over to the terminal being run by a girl he liked and said, "Hey, watch this", then waved the magnet in front of her 3279 (color) terminal. It went all beautifully squiggly, swirly and psychedelic. After the appropriate "ooh, neat!" and "wow" response he was looking for, he pulled it away. It stayed just like that! Cost of that terminal in those days was about $4000. You can imagine the sh*tstorm that followed. A few days later when the IBM tech came in they showed it to him and gave him the story they had cooked up: "It just went that way about 2 hours after you left last time." He stroked his chin and looked thoughtful for a minute or two and then he said, "Did someone bring a magnet near this by any chance?" evoking a response that left him in no doubt whatsoever what had happened. Ah, the good old days...

[infratec]

Hi KCC,

found something else, maybe your solution:
http://www.acomtech.com/snasim.html

The intro version is free.

But I have to less knowledge about this stuff to tell you more.

Bernd

[Kwai chang caine]

@INFRATEC
Whaaaouuuh two !!!!
I don't know, if that worked, and do what i want, but you are really the angel of christmas
I will study this links, for see if i can do something

One thousand of thanks

@NETMAESTRO

Apparently you have know the good epoque
This time where the black and green or black and yellow are kings
Personaly i love this old machine, and even now several big company have not replaced it
When i was young, i have one in my hands, but i'm again more idiot than now, i have all disassembled it, for see what he have in the stomach
Since this time, I still regret
Perhaps a day, i found another one in the trash, and this time, i assure you i will dive head first into the bucket for the fish up