BBj SysConsole Thin Client

vs

BBj TermConsole in a Terminal Emulator

Advantages

1. Easier deployment

  • In BBj 10.0 and higher, the built-in Jetty web server makes it easier than ever to deploy a thin-client. The SysConsole is already deployed and available via a URL after a typical BBj install such as http://[server_name_here]:8888/basis/cuiweb.jnlp
  • The Web Start thin client can be invoked easily from a shortcut on the desktop.
  • The embedded Jetty web server makes it easy to configure thin-client applications with custom arguments, including SysConsole thin-clients. See Enterprise Manager - JNLP Configuration.

2. Efficient licensing

  • Multiple invocations of the thin-client may be launched from the client PC, consuming only one license.

3. Greater customization

  • The SysConsole allows customization of the colors (foreground/background) and font colors, styles, and point size by program code or by direct user interaction. There are many more fonts and styles to choose from than a terminal emulator can offer. Preferences are stored in .def configuration files. See Saving Configuration and Changing Colors.
  • Further customization of the appearance is possible with skinning. See More Than One Way To Skin An App.

4. MS Windows-style Copy/Paste/Select All functionality

  • Starting with BBj 10.02, the SysConsole can toggle between traditional PRO/5 SysWindow Copy/Paste or the MS Windows-style CTRL C/CTRL V/CTRL A Copy/Paste/Select All mechanism.

5. Does not rely on termcap

  • Goodbye forever to the termcap file with all its terminal-specific escape sequences and maintenance issues. Moving a SysConsole application from one platform to another requires no changes to termcap entries or color or font reconfiguration of any kind. As a result, SysConsole users experience fewer character encoding headaches.

6. Improved box/line drawing graphics characters

  • Unlike PRO/5 or the BBj TermConsole, graphics characters do not depend on custom termcap escape sequences or character sets. Graphics are entities drawn directly on the SysConsole window rather than special characters found only in certain character sets.
  • In addition, the list of line/box drawing graphics in the SysConsole are expanded to include double-line graphics characters. Changing the character encoding or character set or font or font style has no effect on the displayed graphics.

7. Additional mnemonics

The BBj SysConsole allows greater programmatic control over its appearance and behavior than is possible with the TermConsole due to additional SysWindow-only mnemonics, such as

  • FILEOPEN and FILESAVE for invoking OS-specific graphic dialogs to work with file
  • SIZE, MAXIMIZE, MINIMIZE, DOCK and RELOCATE for resizing and repositioning the SysConsole under program control
  • PLAYSOUND for playing .wav files
  • FONT for setting the font, font style and point size
  • LOCKMODE for controlling the behavior of columns and rows and fonts when the SysConsole is re-sized
  • TITLE for changing the text on the GUI frame of the SysConsole

8. Graphical line editor

  • Edit Individual lines of program code using the traditional character editor, as available in the TermConsole, or using a more intuitive pop-up graphical editor dialog.

9. GUI and IDE integration

  • The SysConsole swims in the same graphical environment as the SysGUI. It can be used in MDI (Multiple Document Interface) mode like any SysGui program and is launchable from within the BASIS IDE.