In a project with the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Finance, the user interface and application structure of the municipal finance information system (KOMFIS) were modernisized using the ISA Dialog Managers .
Summary
Task
Modernizing the user interface of an in COBOL programmed Desktop Application
Client
Ministry of Finance Baden-Württemberg
Sector
Public administration, state authority
Platform
- Clients with Microsoft Windows (workstation and development computer)
- Unix server for data storage
Technology
- ISA Dialog Manager
- COBOL, Micro Focus Net Express
- XML (Extensible Markup Language)
Objectives
- Ease of use, task support
- Better use of existing data
- Maintenance of the user interface by the application developers (COBOL programmers)
Our Role
- Development of an architecture for the user interface
- Designing the interface between application and user interface
- Training and coaching of application developers
- Support in implementing the user interface
Application
As part of the municipal financial equalization, federal and state funds are distributed to the cities and municipalities in Baden-Württemberg. These funds are an essential part of the municipalities' financial resources to carry out their tasks. They are used by municipalities, for example, for educational institutions and local public transport. In Baden-Württemberg, the Ministry of Finance distributes more than 6 billion euros each year to 1,101 communities in 35 rural and 9 urban districts.
The municipal finance information system (KOMFIS) is the central application for implementing municipal financial equalization in the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Finance. KOMFIS is used to calculate and pay the municipal financial equalization and to create reports. The application has its origins in a mainframe application from the 1960s and now runs in a client-server environment. The entire application logic with the calculation routines is implemented in COBOL and runs on the workstations under Microsoft Windows, while the data is held on Unix servers of the Ministry of Finance. The application is continually being developed to respond, for example, to changes in the law. Further development is carried out by the KOMFIS development team in the Ministry of Finance, which consists of experienced COBOL developers.
Initial Situation
KOMFIS had a text-based user interface that was no longer up to date and caused problems for both users and developers. The manufacturer had discontinued the development tools for the user interface and no longer provided support for it. The users of KOMFIS required long training and processing times because they sometimes had to memorize or look up cryptic abbreviations and codes to use the application. It was difficult and time-consuming to create analyzes for specific purposes, meaning that the existing data stock could not be used optimally, even though it contained valuable information.
An attempt to replace the text-based user interface with a GUI developed with Java Swing failed despite a successful feasibility study. This solution proved to be too complex for the KOMFIS developers to continuously maintain and adapt as necessary.
Solution
To implement the user interface with the ISA Dialog Manager (IDM), the COBOL calculation functions were encapsulated. They did not need to be changed to integrate the new user interface. The configuration of around 70 calculations is described using XML files. For example, they state which dialogs belong to them, which COBOL routines and data they use, for what period of time they are valid and in which contexts they can be used.
More complex processes can be put together from the calculations, with typical processes consisting of up to 45 individual calculations. Processes are described by text files in which the calculation steps are listed. They can therefore be created by the user without programming. This is used, for example, for model calculations or to answer parliamentary questions.
The configuration files for calculations and processes - together with a few other configuration files - form the interface between the application and the user interface. In addition, the user interface does not require any information about calculations or other internals of the application, resulting in a simple, clear interface.
In the user interface, the XML configuration files are processed using the ISA Dialog Manager XML interface. The data exchange between the user interface and the application takes place via IDM data objects (records). The data structures (copy files) required for this on the COBOL side can be generated with the IDM. Although adjustments to the COBOL application were required to connect the user interface, the calculation functions were not affected by these changes.
In total, the new user interface consists of almost 30 dialog descriptions and around 340 class definitions. The dialogs can be extensively configured using parameters, with the parameters being kept in editable tables. The application page consists of over 90 COBOL modules and almost 70 copy files.
Conclusion
The COBOL application immediately ran stable and almost error-free with the IDM user interface. It was quickly accepted by users. The user interface is largely self-explanatory. Where users previously had to enter abbreviations or code numbers, they now have selection lists and convenient dialogs at their disposal. Users can define new calculation processes, evaluations and reports without the help of developers. The user interface configuration files now include a file for each user that stores their settings and application state. This means that work can now be interrupted at will and continued later at the same point. KOMFIS did not offer this option with the old user interface.
Both users and developers can now work more efficiently with KOMFIS, leaving more capacity available for other tasks. When adapting the application, the training that ISA carried out with the KOMFIS developers as part of the modernization pays off. Thanks to the training and personal advice from ISA developers during the implementation of the new user interface, the KOMFIS developers can also use an object-oriented tool such as the ISA Dialog Manager without any problems, even though they previously programmed almost exclusively procedurally in COBOL. With the options for changing and expanding the user interface, KOMFIS has become more future-proof and can therefore be used for years to come.
