The ACUCOBOL-GT® Development System includes an Internet-related graphical control called WEB-BROWSER2. This control broadens the usefulness and scope of your COBOL programs (this control is designed for Windows users only). For instance, the WEB-BROWSER2 control lets you:
ACUCOBOL-GT's WEB-BROWSER2 control is used just as any other graphical control in ACUCOBOL-GT is used, except that it opens a resource such as an HTML page. When you include the WEB-BROWSER2 control in your source code, your COBOL UI displays a browser and connects to the resource you specified.
For example to display our Web page on the user's machine, you might create a WEB-BROWSER2 control identified by the name BROWSER-1, then add the following lines to a Screen Section item:
03 BROWSER-1 WEB-BROWSER2, VALUE "www.microfocus.com"
COLUMN 5, LINE 5, SIZE 60, LINES 20.
or add the following Procedure Division code:
DISPLAY WEB-BROWSER2, VALUE "www.microfocus.com" COLUMN 5, LINE 5, SIZE 60, LINES 20.
As with any ACUCOBOL-GT control, you can add the WEB-BROWSER2 control to user interface screens using the AcuBench® Screen Designer. The control can be found on the screen design control palette along with the other controls. Click the control, fill in its value clause, and the Screen Painter will show you what the screen will look like to the user.
Your WEB-BROWSER2 control can be as simple or involved as you like. In its simplest form, the WEB-BROWSER2 control is activated in a single DISPLAY statement. You can specify the size and other standard properties. You can also inquire and modify Special properties and Other properties from your COBOL program.
For information on the methods, properties, events, and event properties of the WEB-BROWSER2 control, see User Interface Programming.