Customizing the Display and Printer session interfaceScript menuRocket TE scripts

Rocket TE scripts

Rocket TE scripts can be recorded in either a proprietary format or in a text-based format recorded in either VBScript or JavaScript.

Note: Some applications refer to the function used to automate tasks as a macro. Rocket TE refers to this function as a script and offers several automation technologies from the Script menu in the Rocket TE emulators.

Rocket TE proprietary scripts are targeted at users with a basic understanding of scripting and logic but without skill sets required to write and edit VBScripts or JavaScripts.

Rocket TE text-based scripts are targeted at users who wish to leverage their proficiency with either VBScript or JavaScript and want to take advantage of being able to write and edit Rocket TE scripts in a scripting language that they already know.

The type of script desired is selected at the time when the script is created by selecting the desired file extension.
Table 1: Rocket TE script types
File extension Script type
.BZS Rocket TE proprietary script
.BBS Rocket TE proprietary script
.VBS VBScript
.JS JavaScript
The following table lists the competitor’s scripts and the Rocket TE scripts that they map to.
Table 2: Mappings of competitor’s script to Rocket TE scripts
Competitor’s script Rocket TE script
EXTRA .EBM Rocket TE .BBS
Reflection .RBS Rocket TE .BBS
Reflection VBA .RVS, .R2W, and .R4W Rocket TE Plus VBA .BVP
Rumba .RMC Rocket TE .BZS
Pcom .MAC Rocket TE .VBS
Pcom .VBS Rocket TE .VBS
Hummingbird .EBS Rocket TE .BBS

Rocket TE proprietary script format

Rocket TE proprietary scripts are recorded and played back using a proprietary method. Scripts are typically created by recording keystrokes, but can be edited later to change the desired playback. Scripts are edited using the Rocket TE Script Editor (bzse.exe) application which is launched from the Rocket TE menu bar by selecting Script → Edit and selecting the desired script. Choosing a script that ends in .bbs or .bzs starts the Rocket TE Script Editor application with the requested script displayed in the editing region.

Rocket TE Script Editor is a GUI tool allowing users to drag Script Events into the Script flow, change the order of events, and delete previously recorded events. Rocket TE Scripts support a proprietary mechanism called Wait_Ready that ensures the host is ready to accept input, even when using TN3270 or TN3270E .

Advantages
  • They are easy to record.
  • They are easy to edit with Rocket TE Script Editor.
  • They are keyboard lock state aware.
  • They support advanced functions like wait for, watch for, text input, and so on.
  • They can execute other programs using the Run command.
  • They can run Rocket TE Menu commands, ex; Copy, Paste, Print Screen.
  • They can accept variables passed from a Rocket TE Web to Host Object Tag. ex: Login ID and Password generated dynamically by the web application and used to sign the user into the mainframe.
Disadvantages
  • They do not support text input variables.
  • They do not support file I/O.
  • There is no external application integration.

Rocket TE text-based scripts

Rocket TE text-based scripts can be written or recorded in either VBScript or JavaScript. Scripts are typically created by recording keystrokes, but can be edited later to change the playback. Scripts are edited using the Rocket TE Script Host and Debugger (bsh.exe) application which is launched from the Rocket TE menu bar by clicking Script → Edit and selecting the script. Selecting a script that ends in either .vbs or .js script starts the Rocket TE Script Host and Debugger application with the requested script displayed in the editing region.

Advantages
  • They are easy to record or can be written from scratch.
  • They can be written in VBScript or JavaScript
  • They are easy to edit with Rocket TE Script Host Debugger.
  • They support unique Rocket TE methods which control the behavior of Rocket TE.
Disadvantages
  • They require a working knowledge of VBScript or JavaScript.

For more information on the Rocket TE Script Host, Rocket TE Script Host and Debugger, and the Rocket TE Dialog Editor, see the Rocket TE Advanced Automation Developer's Guide.

  • Rocket TE Script Editor
    Rocket TE scripting is a powerful and flexible scripting language which uses a built-in GUI (Graphical User Interface) designed for the easy automation of tasks on host systems using the Rocket TE family of host emulation products.
  • Editing scripts
    After you create a Rocket TE script, you can return to the script and edit it in the Rocket TE Script Editor application. In the Script Editor, you can add, delete, move, and edit items, and resolve syntax errors.
  • Script events
    A Rocket TE script has the ability to execute all menu commands from the Rocket TE Display and has the ability to send all host key sequences to the host system. Script events are used to add flow control and user input to Rocket TE scripts. In addition, script events can be used to gain the attention of the user, add comments to a script file, and to execute programs on the workstation.
  • LU functions
    Rocket TE scripts have the ability to send all host specific key sequences or commands to the host system. We refer to these host specific commands as LU Functions.
  • Menu commands
    Rocket TE scripts have the ability to execute all Rocket TE menu commands. This includes everything from opening configuration files to launching sessions to executing host file transfers.
  • Recording scripts
    This procedure is intended to provide a step-by-step outline to demonstrate how an end user can use Rocket TE to record a script that can then be used over and over again.
  • Playing scripts
    Rocket TE end users can record keyboard events and save the results to a file for later playback. The process of playing back the resulting file is called playing a Script.
  • Auto-playing scripts
    In order to Auto-Play a script, you must first create the script that you want to automatically play. Auto-Play simply means that a Rocket TE script will automatically start to play when one of three events takes place. The three events are:
  • Script properties
    The Script Properties property sheet is used to configure Rocket TE Script playback settings. From the Rocket TE menu bar, click Script → Properties. The Script Property Sheet opens displaying the following:
  • Mapping scripts to power pads
    After a script has been created and tested, it can be mapped to a power pad to make it instantly accessible with a single click.
  • Mapping scripts to the keyboard
    After a script has been created and tested, it can be mapped to a keyboard key to make it instantly accessible from the keyboard.
  • Use the Wait_For script event
    Rocket TE scripts support the ability to wait for a specific text string or LU Function to appear in the host session screen. Wait_For is one of the more versatile Rocket TE script functions.
  • Use variables in scripts
    With Rocket TE Scripts, you can create variables that can be utilized in a Rocket TE script.
Parent topic: Script menu