What does this product do?

FineLine Reface enables you to create true graphical Windows versions of your UNIX / Linux character application's screens so users can access your legacy application through familiar, user-friendly and mouse-driven Windows - while still processing and saving the data in the same centralized, reliable UNIX-based application - without re-programming!

For application developers:

• Reface provides a modern user interface to your UNIX / Linux character-based software so you can display your application proudly at trade shows without having confused prospective customers think it is DOS.  Now you can focus on explaining the benefits of your application rather than having to convince them how your "old" system is better than your competitors' newer, prettier Windows systems that offer less functionality.  Simply put, in the mind of the consumer:  NEW=Up-to-date,  OLD=Out-of-date.  Reface helps you to quickly become part of the "new" crowd.
  
  
• Reface enables you to avoid the enormous, time-consuming and extremely expensive task of trying to duplicate all of your software's functionality through re-coding your application in the single-user graphical environment of Windows.  Now you can just focus on improving the interface, not rewriting the entire application's logic.  Offer a Windows-style application in months, not years.
  
  

For end-users and developers:

• Reface enables you to provide a modern interface while continuing to use the same centralized application with all of its historical data instead of having to switch to a new Windows-based application which requires either massive data conversion or no / limited access to data history.
  
  
• Reface provides a faster learning curve for new employees since they can focus on the application functionality instead of learning how to work the old keyboard-based interface.
  
  
• Reface provides distributed computing because the interface is handled by each individual PC while the database stays centralized on a reliable UNIX / Linux server with no additional burden.
  
  
• Reface enables you to add features not available to standard legacy applications:  display dynamic images tied to changing data, access electronic documents with a click (ex: Word, CAD, PDF), open centralized files on the PC, and more.

Is this a "screen-scraping" tool like MultiView, AniTa, etc?

Not at all.  Simply take a moment to compare the resulting screens to see the world of difference. These "screen-scraper" emulator/conversion programs generate variations of a "graphical-looking" DOS-like interface with some color, basic buttons and maybe a few graphics. With them, you're essentially going from a late-70s look to a late-80s (maybe early-90s) look. Today's savvy computer users are completely familiar with how modern software looks and works and a screen-scraped application is not a professional solution.

FineLine Reface takes a completely different approach from screen-scraping because it allows you to create real Windows screens that relate to the character screen but don't have to mimic its limited layout. In other words, since you control exactly how the screen looks, with FineLine Reface you can create a graphical interface that rivals the look and feel of current Windows software from huge development companies like Microsoft, Oracle, Lotus, etc.  No conversion program will ever be able to accomplish this.

FineLine Reface also works with any standard UNIX application, unlike some products that support only a single specific database application.  FineLine Reface is a feature-rich, professional-grade application that is completely self-contained and all-inclusive so it doesn't require products by other companies to create screens or a separate emulator package to access the native character interface. Since every keystroke is sent to the application in the same way as a traditional terminal emulator, the PC interface will not slow down keyboard users familiar with the application.  Since its design is based on reacting to the character software interface rather than "pushing" control information from the application, no programming changes are required in the server application and with each individual PC performing the refacing, no processing burden is placed on the server.  Since it is a software-only solution, Reface doesn't require purchasing any specialized hardware in order to access the graphical screens - only your UNIX/Linux server and regular networked PCs or thin-clients.

Also related to this topic, FineLine Reface/Review accesses the UNIX application like a regular terminal emulator over a standard telnet / SSH connection and does not require programming Web technology (ASP/PHP) scripts to interpret screen data for "off-line" web browser forms. Screens created by FineLine Reface react in real-time so everything your program does to the data is seen by the user as it happens, with no extra work required on the server by you.

How does it work?

Two programs are required to reface an application:

FineLine Reface is a graphical development tool that allows you to create custom Microsoft Windows forms to replace each "screen" in your character-based legacy application running on UNIX / Linux.  

FineLine Review is a special terminal emulator / screen generator that is run by the end-user to access the refaced application using the information created with FineLine Reface. This can be considered the "runtime" side of this software solution (versus the FineLine Reface "development" side)

Can I add mouse support to my application?

Yes!  FineLine Reface includes adding mouse support in a number of different ways - but the limiting factor in adding the ability to click like Windows comes down to the capability of your character application. For example, can you issue a command in your application to jump the cursor to a particular field directly?  If so, you can add the ability to have a user click in a Windows field and have the character application move to the matching field (other field movement approaches are also available). Users can click within a field to move the cursor to a certain character. Cut, copy and paste by dragging with the mouse is available if your application supports inserting and deleting a character within a field. Clicking and rolling the mouse wheel on tables can move the highlight and select an item.  And more...

Will Reface support my application's older "edit one field at a time" approach?

Whether your character application enables the user to move freely through all fields on the screen while editing (like filePro) or it requires the user to specify a field in order to edit it (by entering a number, for example, like Appgen), as long as the placement of the fields on the screen is static, FineLine Reface should support it.  Since Reface includes the ability for you to control when clicking a field is enabled or disabled based on screen text, you can ensure that keystrokes sent to the application by clicking to change fields is active only when it corresponds to the appropriate mode of your application.

How do I design a screen?

There are 3 ways to create a new screen:

• Auto-design - If your application displays a graphic character (or a unique regular character, like an asterisk) at the end of each input text field, the auto-design option enables simply clicking a button to automatically build a matching Windows screen of labels and fields, complete with associations to the character screen.  Since it includes support for specifying which page tab to place the new objects on, you can create graphical versions of up to 12 screens in succession - in literally minutes!  You can then use the full designer to enhance the PC screen.
  
  
• Quick design - This option enables using the mouse to highlight portions of the screen and a single click to create labels, fields and buttons, complete with associations to the character screen.  This enables fast designing of screens for applications that do not have an input field end character or for quickly adding associated labels (for displaying non-editable data) or buttons to an auto-designed screen. Since it also includes support for specifying which page tab to place the new objects on, you can create graphical versions of up to 12 screens without leaving the function.  When done, you can use the full designer to enhance the PC screen.
  
  
• Full designer - Pictured above, this option provides full design functionality for adding, deleting and modifying the objects on the graphical screen to suit your needs.
  
  

What are some key features of this product?

• It enables you to create a custom Windows interface for your character-based UNIX software without having to hire outside services for development or modification - i.e. YOU control the design process in-house and can change it at any time.
  
  
• The style of the Windows forms is virtually unlimited and can even feature the look of graphics-filled web pages.
  
  
• The easy-to-use Windows screen designer is similar to using web page development software so virtually anyone in your organization can create screens (i.e. it does not require a programmer's expertise). It also supports any number of simultaneous developers.
  
  
• Everything you need to design, test and deploy graphical screens is included in the Reface development program as a fully-integrated solution, eliminating the need to purchase and learn multiple disconnected software packages.
  
  
• Since FineLine Reface reacts to the data on the application screen (and not the underlying data storage), no application programming is specifically required by the software.  Also, all configuration is performed through options in the PC interface (i.e. no scripting / programming is required in Reface).
  
  
• Since every keystroke is sent to the application in the same way as a traditional terminal emulator, the PC interface will not slow down keyboard users familiar with the application.  FineLine Reface adds a graphical interface without taking away the benefits of the character application.
  
  
• Features "Windows key simulation" options for insert mode with on/off toggle, Delete key deletion, destructive backspace and more for a natural PC editing experience without modifying the UNIX/Linux server application.
  
  
• A "custom pull-down menu system" enables creating PC-style pull-down menus that send specified keystrokes to the server when an option is selected. Up to 12 menu headings and 4 menus deep can be created, along with optionally specifying that keystrokes be sent to the server each time the menu is loaded to ensure that the character application is in a "known state". The pull-down menus can also be loaded with options from the server by a control sequence, providing the ability to create custom dynamic menus for each user upon login (for example).
  
  
• A  filePro Starter Kit is included with the Reface development system for filePro database users (at no additional charge).  This collection of PC screens, triggers and dynamic boxes provides filePro developers with ready-to-use refaced versions of repeatedly used filePro screens and dialogs.
  
  
• A  programmable virtual keypad for touch screen applications can be easily modified "on-the-fly" by the character application to display the keys required for the current operation.  Options exist to display / hide rows of up to 51 programmable keys, assign text or payment method graphics along with the key(s) to send when pressed, display / hide the function key and numeric keypad section, display / hide the navigation key section, and more.  The special keypad shape aligns next to the graphical window for a professional look.
  
  
• Built-in customizable virtual keyboard & numeric keypad send pressed keys to the server (not to Windows), greatly simplifying the creation of a touch screen version of your character application.
  
  
• A "dynamic image navigator" option enables clicking through multiple images/documents related just to the current database record (this feature is compatible with our FineLine PC ImageLink software, but doesn't require it).  For example: product images, CAD drawings, specification documents, scanned receipts, checks, payment stubs, etc. can be available to the user just by viewing the UNIX database record.  By simply clicking the image or program icon, the user can even open a copy of the file in the associated Windows program!
  
  
• "Page tabs" enable combining up to 12 character screens on 1 PC screen with a single mouse click switching between screens.
  
  
• Dynamic list, prompt and message box options enable reading the graphic box that surrounds common dialogs to automatically build an associated Windows version "on-the-fly" - without requiring an additional screen license.
  
  
• A built-in "notepad" enables editing a UNIX file on the PC simply by sending a control sequence from your application, providing an easy way to attach centralized notes to a database record.
  
  
• A built-in "print preview" option enables viewing a UNIX report with full scrolling in either a fixed-width or proportional font, stripped of printer control sequences (a system configuration option enables you to easily specify what sequences you want stripped). The list of UNIX printers available to the user is provided by the server with a simple control sequence and an option exists to have the PC's Windows printers also included in the list. If a Windows printer is selected to receive the print file, it is sent to the Windows printer "raw" so the file is not modified by the Windows printer driver (so the printer receives exactly what is in the original print file from the server).
  
  
• A configurable "floating toolbar" enables the end-user to simply click for cut, copy, paste, cancel, save and reload. The cancel option includes the ability to flash upon a specified application condition (very important for filePro users to indicate the cancel warning).
  
  
• A "pop-up" calendar and clock option ties to a UNIX field so the user's selection is entered into the correct character field in the correct format. You can also specify that only the server's current date/time is used (important for time-sensitive functions that require a centralized clock).
  
  
• The built-in overlay terminal emulator can be displayed (or hidden) at any time with the push of a key or with a control sequence from the server, providing access to the native character interface at any point in the application.
  
  
• Alternate language support is included so captions for labels, buttons, page tabs, icons, etc. can be designed in two languages (ex: English / French), with the ability to toggle between the two while designing.  Alternate character set support is also included for the alternate language (ex: Russian Cyrillic characters).  At runtime, the alternate language can easily be selected from the server as users log in.
  
  
• The "Projects" feature can be used to separate multiple unrelated applications that need to be refaced. By defining each application as a project, Reface enables switching between projects and therefore the number of screen licenses required only needs to meet the requirements of the largest application, rather than the total number of screens for all of the applications to be refaced. Note that the projects feature can only be used when the different applications have different end-users since only one project can be compiled at a time and used with FineLine Review.
  
  
• A "debugging log" is available for tracing the flow through your program, complete with search, adding position markers and highlighting selected text for easy reference.
  
  
• FineLine Reface / Review supports connections to the application server using the standard telnet protocol or secure connections with SSH v1 / v2.
  
  
• And much more...

What UNIX applications does it support?

Any!   FineLine Reface does not require any specific character development tool or language since it works with the output of the program (i.e. the application screens), not the inner workings.

What types of applications are not supported by FineLine Reface?

FineLine Reface cannot support applications that generate screens that change (ex: a screen or menu creator).  It requires fields in fixed positions on screens that can be recognized and associated one-to-one with a Windows form.

Will I need to modify my UNIX application?

This depends on how well your application is written and what you wish to accomplish.  Applications created with database packages like filePro or Appgen are great candidates for refacing since there is already a set of rules and standards put into place by the database software (Reface has been tested extensively with filePro, and includes support for features included in Appgen).

Probably the single biggest benefit provided by Microsoft Windows is development standardization. All data is accessed through a limited number of objects with specific guidelines that provide a consistent interface.

On the other hand, UNIX applications are based on a stream of data sent by the program to appear as a screen to the user on the character terminal. For many UNIX applications, the program was created from scratch using a low-level language like C, COBOL or Basic and so the programmer could do virtually anything that he/she was capable of.

If the application's logic follows the convention of separate non-overlapping "fields" on each screen, there should be little to no application changes required to reface it. If the application does things like allowing a field or table column to run over other fields or columns instead of scrolling in-place, this will need to be changed because it is not possible to properly duplicate this unusual behavior with separate objects in Windows because it breaks logical field/object boundaries.

Note: Even if your application requires a number of modifications to "fit it into the mold" for refacing, it is still tremendously easier for you to modify your own UNIX application and reface it with this product than to try to rewrite all of its functionality in the completely different single-user graphical environment of Windows.

Can multiple people develop screens at the same time?

Absolutely.  Because FineLine Reface is actually a multi-user UNIX application that stores all of the information on the server, any number of PCs can run the development system and access different screens at the same time without conflict.

How long will it take to reface my application?

The amount of time depends on what you wish to accomplish, the complexity of your application and how many people will be defining screens. The important thing to understand is that every screen, form, dialog box, printer list, message box, pop-up window, etc. needs to be defined with FineLine Reface. If your goal is to only reface a portion of your product (ex: Point Of Sale system) and it doesn't contain a large number of screens and your application is already "standardized", you could probably have it refaced in just a few weeks.

In the beginning, creating and associating screens will be slower as you learn the technology and approach. The more you do it and become familiar with it, the less time it takes. Generally, it takes between 30 to 90 minutes to create a graphical screen from scratch once you are comfortable with the process. Of course, this amount of time will depend on the complexity of the screen and your abilities.

We also offer a character screen design service if you would like to have your application's screens created for you, saving considerable time and effort.

As a developer, how can we provide different modules to different customers?

When you define a new screen, you can also specify what software module it is included in. For example, you can specify that an invoicing screen is in "Accounts Receivable". When you compile the screens for distribution and use with FineLine Review, you can specify any number of modules - and even individual screens - to be included in the distribution. In this way, you can create a smaller distribution file that only includes the needed information for customers that don't have your entire application.

Is this software only for application developers?

Not at all.  If you have an in-house application that you would like to reface and it is worth the cost and effort to do it, that's great.  We will work "hand-in-hand" with you in the same way as an application developer.

What service is provided with purchase of this development system?

Actually, a "ton" of service is included since this is the key to making your refacing goal a reality. We will work very closely with you "one-on-one" to teach you how the software works and the logic behind refacing the screens of your application so you are comfortable with the process and to ensure that the software includes the features you need (within reason) to attain your goal.

FineLine Reface is constantly being refined and expanded, and we want to see how your application works and how we can make the transition faster, easier and more feature-rich. In a sense, you will have a personal consultant working with you as you get started to make sure everything works correctly and you understand what you need to know.

To summarize, this is not the purchase of a product that you will have to wade through a thick manual to learn and implement - it is a two-way relationship where we teach you and work with you to help you reach the ultimate goal:  Turning your legacy application's interface into a graphical interface.

How can I try this software before purchase?

We've found that the most effective way for customers to understand how Reface works and how it will relate to their particular application is by the following steps:

1. Download and try the FineLine Review demo to gain an understanding of how the graphical version ties to the character application and how the demo's features compare to your application (call or e-mail us with any questions or concerns)
   
   
2. We can schedule a web demo where together we will reface some screens of your application (through telnet / SSH) so you can have hands-on experience with how the software works
   

DEMO:  We recommend that you fIrst download and try the UNIX / PC demonstration of FineLine Review running a refaced character-based database program. This provides a working example of many of the functions available with FineLine Reface/Review and allows you to experience what your application can look and feel like once you reface it. The demo includes examples of:

• Full mouse support including changing fields, cut, copy & paste
• Dynamic list, prompt & message boxes
• Dynamic image display of product images stored on the UNIX server
• Image navigator with "click to open" examples of image, text and MS Word files from the server
• Browse record list
• Menus with highlight tracking buttons
• "Pop-up" calendar and clock for data entry
• Editing a centralized note tied to the record and saved on the server
• And more!
  
  

What are the software & hardware requirements?

Reface development system:  Microsoft Windows PC running 2000, XP or higher, with a minimum screen size of 1024x768. Pentium 4 or faster.

Review "runtime" emulator:  Microsoft Windows PC running 2000, XP or higher, connected over a TCP/IP network to the UNIX / Linux application server using telnet / SSH. Pentium 4 or faster is recommended.

What UNIX platforms are supported?

• SCO OpenServer 5 / 6
• SCO UnixWare 7
• Linux
• IBM AIX

(If you are running a flavor of UNIX that is not listed above, let us know and we will evaluate porting to it.)

How is this product licensed?

FineLine Reface development system:  Licensed by the number of PC screens required to reface the UNIX legacy application (unlimited developers).  If you are refacing multiple unrelated applications, the number of screens required will equal the number required by the largest application (not the sum of all screens in all applications.)  NOTE: Every screen that is displayed (whether full size or an overlay) is considered a separate screen unless it only contains a browse list box or 1-5 prompt lines surrounded by a graphic box and can be generated on-the-fly by the dynamic form functions. Also the "page tabs" option enables combining up to 12 related character screens on 1 PC screen.

FineLine Review emulator / screen generator:  Licensed by a single server license for the maximum number of refaced screens in the application, and the number of PCs accessing the refaced legacy application.

What is the pricing for this product?

Application developers (i.e. application for resale):

• The Reface development system is only required by the developer
  
  
• Customers accessing the refaced application only require the FineLine Review emulator software along with the compiled screen information file created with the Reface development system.
  

End-user in-house only (i.e. not for resale):

• The Reface development system includes the Review emulator for 5 PCs so the Review UNIX server license is not required (although additional PC licenses may need to be added)
  

FineLine Reface   (Development system)

++ 100 PC screens can contain up to 1,200 character screens with the page tabs feature

FAQ:  Why is the pricing for the development system based on the number of screens needed to reface the application?

This is to scale the product cost to the size of the application.  If only a small point-of-sale system is being refaced (for example), the cost is lower and more proportionate.  If a large 1000+ screen application is being refaced, the pricing scales to include the large difference in project size and the more value that the product is providing.  By offering "add-on" pricing, the application refacing can grow at any pace and with any budget since the FineLine Review "emulator" doesn't require that the entire application be refaced before use.  In all fairness, we have even built in a number of screen-saving measures including the ability to separate unrelated applications into separate projects that share the screen license; dynamic list, prompt and message box generation; and the ability to combine multiple character screens on a single PC screen with "page tabs".  Our goal is to be fair to the product's capabilities and how it's being used.  Just compare even our most expensive screen price of $19.80/each for 25 additional screens to the cost required to re-create just one screen in a regular Windows development product...

FineLine Review   ("Runtime" terminal emulator / screen generator)

1. A FineLine Review UNIX server license (unless only for in-house use on the same server as FineLine Reface)
   
   
2. A license for each PC that will be running the emulator (5 PC licenses are included with the Review server license)
   
   

NOTE:  A separate UNIX server license is required for every UNIX server / customer running the refaced application.

Review UNIX server

Review PC Licenses

These licenses are used to expand the 5 PC license included with the Review server.

Note: PC license bundles can only be used with a single server.

Character Screen Design Service

We can create your screens for you!

We can also work with you on an hourly basis to assist with refacing various aspects of your application beyond screens, including creating a pull-down menu system to drive your "flat" menus, defining dynamic list, prompt and message boxes, and any other refacing issues that you would like design help with.

Note: The following prices are based on designing screens for a small application project.  Contact us for discounted pricing for larger screen projects.

NOTE: All pricing is subject to change without notice.