Before You Start
There are some important things you need to bear in mind before you start using RAMP-TS:
Remember Everything is Case Sensitive!
Because RAMP-TS uses Javascript which is case-sensitive, you need to watch your capitalization closely when you name screens and fields, create or call variables, objects and functions.
When you encounter a problem, the first thing you should do is to check the capitalization.
Using a RAMP-TS 5250 Session
A RAMP-Tools 5250 session is heavily tracked and monitored. This means that:
- A RAMP-TS 5250 session may execute significantly more slowly than an execution (run time) 5250 session.
- You should always wait for 5250 design time screens to respond. Avoid typing ahead. Be slow and precise in your screen actions.
Axes developer mode 5250 sessions are designed to perform Axes development work only. This means you should not use Axes developer mode 5250 sessions to do other non-Axes development work (eg: editing your RPG programs).
You should never use Axes developer mode 5250 sessions in end user environments.
Understand How the 5250 Application Works
When RAMPing screens you generate scripts that deal with the way the 5250 application behaves.
Typically 5250 applications exhibit patterns of behavior, because they were created by people who (hopefully) followed design rules and were trying to produce a consistent 5250 UI. So, in a RAMP project:
- You will need to discover these application behavioral patterns and accommodate them in your scripts.
- The thing to most avoid is discovering “surprising” or “unexpected” behaviors after you have created 200 scripts (say) because this may mean you have to go back and alter them all.
- After RAMPing 10 typical 5250 screens (say) you should test them very thoroughly to try to minimize the chance that something surprising or unexpected will be uncovered later in the project.
- What you know will not harm your project – the worst it can do is make the project more complicated – it’s what you don’t know that will – so you need to try to minimize what you don’t know.