DocsMainframe integration
Mainframe integration allows interaction with various terminal based applications. These are typically legacy "green screen" applications which used to be accessed via a "dumb terminal". The applications run on a mainframe. On modern systems dumb terminals have been replaced by terminal emulators, which provide robotic automation capabilities.
Blue Prism integrates with various terminal emulators either through emulator-specific COM APIs or through the High Level Language API (HLLAPI). Other terminals may be supported by the Generic HLLAPI feature.
For a complete list of the supported emulators, see the Which Mainframe Emulators are supported by Blue Prism? article on the Blue Prism support portal.
To integrate with a mainframe application, run the Application Modeller and select Mainframe. For further information on setting up mainframe applications, see Mainframe Application Parameters.
Spying
Once the terminal loads, you can use spy tool to tell Blue Prism where the terminal window is. After the terminal emulator window has been selected, Blue Prism provides you with a grid that divides this area into the correct number of rows and columns (for example, 80x24). Drag the mouse to identify field as rectangular sections of the screen. Finally, to capture a field into Application Modeller, press the Ctrl key and left-click the mouse whilst hovering over the desired field.
Further help with mainframe applications can be found in the Troubleshooting section.
Send Keys Mainframe
The Send Keys Mainframe function takes a sequence of letters and control codes. For example, if you want to send the keys 'u' 's' 'e' 'r' 'ENTER', then you can use the following sequence: "user{enter}". Send Keys Mainframe is available for the Micro Focus reflections .NET connector and HLLAPI emulators.
The plus sign '+', caret '^', percent sign '%', tilde '~', and parentheses '(' ')' have special meanings to Send Keys. To specify one of these characters, enclose it within braces. For example, to specify the plus sign, use "{+}". To specify brace characters, use "{{}" and "{}}". Brackets '[' ']' have no special meaning to Send Keys, but you must enclose them in braces.
The following standard set of control codes are translated to mainframe specific commands. The codes are not case sensitive.
|
Code |
Key/Command |
|---|---|
| {UpperShift} | Upper shift |
| {Alt} | Alt key |
| {Ctrl} | Ctrl key |
| {LeftTab} | Tab Backward key |
| {Clear} | Clear key |
| {Delete} | Delete key |
| {Enter} | Send data to the host (Enter) key |
| {EraseEOF} | Erase to end of field |
| {Help} | Display the host help screen |
| {Insert} | Insert key |
| {Jump} | Partition Jump key |
| {CursorLeft} | Left Arrow (Cursor) key |
| {NewLine} | New Line key |
| {Space} | Space key |
| {Print} | Print the host screen |
| {Reset} | Reset key |
| {RightTab} | Tab Forward key |
| {CursorUp} | Up Arrow (Cursor) key |
| {CursorDown} | Down Arrow (Cursor) key |
| {DBCS} | Double byte character set |
| {CursorRight} | Right Arrow (Cursor) key |
| {Home} | Home key |
| {PF1} | F1/PF1 function key |
| {PF2} | F2/PF2 function key |
| {PF3} | F3/PF3 function key |
| {PF4} | F4/PF4 function key |
| {PF5} | F5/PF5 function key |
| {PF6} | F6/PF6 function key |
| {PF7} | F7/PF7 function key |
| {PF8} | F8/PF8 function key |
| {PF9} | F9/PF9 function key |
| {PF10} | F10/PF10 function key |
| {PF11} | F11/PF11 function key |
| {PF12} | F12/PF12 function key |
| {PF13} | F13/PF13 function key |
| {PF14} | F14/PF14 function key |
| {PF15} | F15/PF15 function key |
| {PF16} | F16/PF16 function key |
| {PF17} | F17/PF17 function key |
| {PF18} | F18/PF18 function key |
| {PF19} | F19/PF19 function key |
| {PF20} | F20/PF20 function key |
| {PF21} | F21/PF21 function key |
| {PF22} | F22/PF22 function key |
| {PF23} | F23/PF23 function key |
| {PF24} | F24/PF24 function key |
| {End} | End of Field key |
| {PageUp} | Page Up key |
| {PageDown} | Page Down key |
| {PA1} | PA1 function key |
| {PA2} | PA2 function key |
| {PA3} | PA3 function key |
| {At} | @ (at) symbol key |
| {AlternateCursor} | Alternate Cursor key |
| {Backspace} | Backspace key |
| {Test} | Activate test program (AS/400 legacy only) |
| {DeleteWord} | Delete Word key |
| {FieldExit} | Field Exit key |
| {EraseInput} | Erase Input key |
| {SystemRequest} | Send system request (SysRq) key |
| {InsertToggle} | Insert toggle key |
| {CursorSelect} | Cursor Select key |
| {CursorLeftFast} | Fast Left Arrow (Cursor) key |
| {Attention} | Attention key to activate attention program (AS/400 only) |
| {DeviceCancel} | Device cancel key |
| {PrintPS} | Print presentation space |
| {CursorUpFast} | Fast Up Arrow (Cursor) key |
| {CursorDownFast} | Fast Down Arror (Cursor) key |
| {CursorRightFast} | Fast Right Arrow (Cursor) key |
| {ReverseVideo} | Reverse Field key |
| {Underscore} | Underscore key (PC/3270) |
| {ResetReverseVideo} | Reset Reverse Video key (PC/3270) |
| {Red} | Red (PC/3270) |
| {Pink} | Pink (PC/3270) |
| {Green} | Green (PC/3270) |
| {Yellow} | Yellow (PC/3270) |
| {Blue} | Blue (PC/3270) |
| {Turquoise} | Turquoise (PC/3270) |
| {White} | White (PC/3270) |
| {ResetHostColor} | Reset Host Color (PC/3270) |
| {PrintScrn} | Print (PC) |
| {Rollup} | Rollup (PC400) |
| {Rolldown} | Rolldown (PC400) |
| {ForwardWordTab} | Forward Word Tab |
| {BackwardWordTab} | Backward Word Tab |
| {FieldMinus} | Field Minus key |
| {FieldPlus} | Field Plus key |
| {RecordBackspace} | Record Backspace (PC400) |
| {PrintPSOH} | Print Presentation Space on Host (PC400) |
| {Dup} | Dup key |
| {FieldMark} | Field Mark key |
