Graphic - Visual element

Key Characteristics

• • Device-Dependent: Mainframe graphics are often highly tailored to the capabilities of the target display or printing device (e.g., 3279 terminals, AFP printers), requiring specific device drivers or output formats.
  • Programmatic Generation: Graphics are typically generated programmatically using APIs (like GDDM) within COBOL, PL/I, or Assembler applications, rather than through interactive design tools on the mainframe itself.
  • Vector-Based or Character-Based: Historically, graphics could be rendered using extended character sets on 3270 screens or as vector instructions for plotters and specialized graphics terminals. Modern AFP output often uses object-oriented drawing commands.
  • Data-Driven: Often, graphics are dynamically generated based on application data, such as charts, graphs, or forms overlays, rather than being static image files.
  • Output-Oriented: The primary purpose is usually for reporting, charting, or form generation, often destined for high-volume printing or specialized display.
  • Limited Interactivity: Traditional mainframe graphics environments offered limited interactive manipulation compared to modern GUI applications, focusing more on display and output.

Use Cases

• • Business Charting and Reporting: Generating line graphs, bar charts, and pie charts from financial or operational data for management reports using products like GDDM (Graphical Data Display Manager).
  • Forms and Document Overlays: Creating pre-printed forms, logos, barcodes, and dynamic data fields for high-volume transactional printing using AFP (Advanced Function Presentation) and products like AFP Utilities.
  • Terminal-Based Visualizations: Enhancing 3270 terminal screens with extended colors, highlighting, and rudimentary graphical elements (e.g., block characters for simple progress bars) to improve user experience.
  • Technical Schematics and Diagrams: Displaying complex technical diagrams or schematics on specialized graphics terminals for engineering or scientific applications (less common today).
  • Web Interface Integration: Mainframe applications serving data via APIs (e.g., through z/OS Connect) to modern web or mobile front-ends, where the graphical rendering occurs on the client side.

Related Concepts