CNX Valence - Green Screen to Web UI

What is CNX Valence?

“Valence is an enterprise application development platform that empowers IT and business leaders to transform operations on, and off, the IBM i platform. … IT and business leaders can work together more effectively by giving developers and users the tools they need to be more confident, capable and self-sufficient.”

CNX Blokes

Valence is a groovy web interface that takes you from green screen to the world wide web

• Valence is Web Application Software designed to handle all modern application needs for IBM i.
• Valence is native to IBM I OS —running on an IBM I Webserver and serving its screens, images, and database requests direct from your IBM I System
• Valence does not require other software or hardware to run simply install it on the IBMN I system, configure a web server, turn it on and let people know the URL to log in just how they would log into a green screen
• Valence comes with a green screen emulator called FUSION5250
• Valence uses SQL to perform it’s database IO operations – but can also call native programs to transfer data via JSON

The basic idea is Valence handles the look, feel and action of the data being rpesented to the end user. Valence can supply much of this using native SQL but more complex business logic is handled by Valence calling background programs -- think RPG, COBOL, CL, etc

For example: A simple Customer Address file could be viewed and updated using Valence without having to write any program code on your IBM I sysyetm

If you wanted to add particular customer address validation, then this can be designed into a single *PGM with PROCEDURES for each piece of business logic. Or many programs if you prefer. This modern style of modularising the business logic is fast, effective and (most of all) makes sense to software developers.

How does Valence Work?

Valence runs within a single application in your browser, or your Android/Apple app on your phone or tablet
The user interface, how it looks and feels, is designed with Ext JS, an establisghed javascript framework for enterprise business soluitions.

Working within this user interface triggers SQL calls to retrieve data from the IBM I Server or calls to IBM I programs to get the data and./or perform more coplex business logic as the task requires.

All the benefits of a modern Web 2.0 interface with the benefits of modern business logic design -- written in the IBMi language of your choice! Potentially saving $millions on application development.

And finally... CNX Valence is easy to use and understand for any IBM i Programmer (or Software Developer if you wanna get fancy).

So, without further ado, let's dive right in: