Entreprise Modernization : Switching between Web Applications with JavaScript

Some IBM customers have a lot of assets on "older" (or shouls we say more mature) platforms as zSeries or iSeries. Traditionnally those applications have "green screens".

Rational Host Access Transformation Services allows to easilly convert those 5250 or 3270 screens into Web pages exposing exactly the same functionality.

This allows to extend the reach of the i or z code.

End users also have an easier way to switch between their different screens. They can do that by:

• having several browsers and using ALT-TAB to switch between them
• having a browser with Multi-tab (like FireFox or IE7)
  
• toggle between web applications in a page using javascript and iFrames for instance

I have built a small demo to show the last possibility.

By showing or hiding a div containing an iframe, one can easilly navigate between different web apps and stay logged in and in context (the hidden iframe just stays on the same page, until i is shown again).

You can test it here in 2 different flavors:

• Explicit show/hide
  
• Show one application at a time

Of course this is a very simple and cheap solution, the ultimate way to do this would be to use Lotus Mashup Center.