ISPF on Sun

[J. Philip Miller]

in: SUN-SPOTS DIGEST           Friday, 2 June 1989          Volume 8 : Issue 1
> From:    monty at nestor.bsd.uchicago.edu (Monty Mullig)
> Subject: Re: An ISPF Clone for Unix/Sun Workstations
> 
> >I want a replacement for IBM's ISPF full-screen menu and screen handling
> >facility....A direct Unix clone for the Sun workstation of the ISPF
> >functions would be superb.
> 
> huh ?  why ?  i don't think you're going have any luck on this one.
> besides, the window/icon system destroys ISPF (in my opinion) in every
> possible way.  were you just joking or baiting us with this one ?

I think this is an unfortunate example of religious wars that is not
needed on  Sun-Spots.  I  think  that Monty has not realized the diversity
of uses that Sun machines have taken on in large organizations.  When  Sun
systems start appearing on the desks of non-CS/non-engineering types, then
many new constraints begin to emerge as being important (please listen Sun
:-).  One of  them  is that of porting existing applications.  If an
organization has been heavily dependant on IBM mainframe  software
support  the  conversion from  the big iron to the workstation may be
achieved best by retaining the "look and feel" of the application.  This
is particularly important if  you are  taking  about applications which
are not used sun-up to sun-down, e.g.  entering purchase orders or
searches in an  applicant  pool  maintained  by personnell.  There  are
substantial  training  and  productivity gains for having  a  platform
independant  appearance  as  much   of   the   current developmental  work
by  many  vendors  assumes.  Currently  these  are not available to the
mainstay IBM mainframe users, so perhaps  we  need  to  be able  to play
thier game as well.  Finally, many use Sun machines as shared use
computers with chracter oriented terminals - I have yet to  see  anyone
show me how the super window/icon system that blows away ISPF works well
on such a device!

I wish I had a productive answer for the original poster.

-- 
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
J. Philip Miller - Div of Biostat - Washington Univ Medical School
phil at wubios.WUstl.edu - Internet        phil at wubios.wustl - bitnet
(314) 362-3617                   c90562jm at wuvmd - alternate bitnet