6th May 2015

Latest version of BCD Software’s modernisation tool, Presto is released

ibmi-modernisation-presto-screens_0-1

Following hot on the heels of the recent release of WebSmart 10.8, BCD Software (now Fresche Solutions) has released the very latest version of Presto, the leading rapid green screen and new RPG application modernisation tool.

Presto is the fastest way to transform your organisation’s outdated green screens and system menus into modern web-based GUI’s that are easier to access and use. Presto gives IBM i-based organisations the flexibility to add new functionality, regardless of whether you use the 5250 datastream or RPG Open Access (OA).

Highlights of Presto 6.1 include:

  • New and improved Visual Editor features
  • A collapsible mobile side menu
  • Ability to reconnect after losing your Internet connection
  • Support for accessing PC applications from modernized green screens.

In an interview with MC Press Online, Marcel Sarrasin, Quadrant Software’s VP of Corporate Marketing said:

“We place a huge emphasis on efficiency when it comes to further enhancing Presto screens. For example, Presto 6.1 makes it faster and more intuitive for programmers to add tabs and edit UI elements. Mobile functionality is also a focus with each release. The collapsible side menu and ability to easily reconnect after losing an Internet connection will greatly improve the end-user experience. Programmers can also take advantage of modern web technologies like HTML5 input types.”

New visual editor features

In Presto 6.1, BCD Software has introduced a number of enhancements to the Visual Editor, including:

  • Improvements to adding tabs to screens: BCD Software has greatly simplified the process that users have to go through to add tabs to screens and break up the content between them. Now tabs, for example, will automatically ‘snap’ together so users no longer have to align them manually. Presto Visual Editor also supports vertical tabs, which can be stacked along either the right or left-hand side of a screen.
  • Inline editing: you can now edit text ‘inline’ if you are adding text constants or containers in the Visual Editor.
  • HTML5 input types: HTML5 is now supported in Presto 6.1 for input types including email, telephone and data

Collapsible mobile side menu

If you have been looking for an opportunity to maximise the viewable ‘real estate’ on mobile devices, users can now do so by configuring the side function key menu to collapse and expand on mobile devices. This brings Presto developed applications in line with the user experience (UI) found on other mobile applications.

Reconnecting after lost internet connection

If users access your applications developed in Presto in a manner that is susceptible to connectivity issues, i.e. they are walking around a warehouse with a tablet, or are in and out of a showroom, users may have experienced their sessions ‘hanging’.

If a session does go down, in Presto 6.1, users will be prompted to reconnect to the Internet session, giving them the opportunity to continue where they left off.

Support for accessing PC applications from Presto screens

Presto 6.1 supports applications that use STRPCCMD. This allows users to launch an application on a personal computer from Presto. An example application where this enhancement might be seen includes an imaging application where users can select records in their Presto screens and load related pictures or PDFs.

Posted by Paul on 6th May 2015.