WinForm App to Telnet Application

[ScottO]

I am looking for a product that can convert a WinForm application or ASP.NET
application into a telnet server application. I have a customer that uses a
great deal of telnet applications. They are used to using them. They would
also like to so use .NET.

Any idea where I might find such a product?

 

[Peter Huang]

Hi Scott,

After I search, I did not find such a product which will convert ASP.NET
application or windows form application into a telnet server application.
I think you may try to do it yourself and add the function into your
application.
Here is some sample about how to implement a telnet server in .net.
http://www.gotdotnet.com/community/usersamples/Default.aspx?query=telnet

Best regards,

Peter Huang
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[ScottO]

Thanks. I'm off to make myself rich... <grin>

 

[William Stacey [MVP]]

I don't see how a product would even begin to convert a WinForm to a console
based app. How would you handle buttons, list boxes, etc, etc. I would
right a good api in the app that exposes its functionality (kinda like wmi
the app.) Then you can export those apis via Remoting or locally to your
telnet server. If you want a Dos Edit kind of console gui, then your
talking more then Telnet. If your talking just console stuff like enum
this, show that, etc. Then you can create a console front end to each
program which can talk to the "server" side remotely using sockets or
Remoting. User could telnet into server and start the console program in
interactive or cmdline mode without needing special telnet server - could
just use standard server. Making console version of each program is
probably best bet and can be leveraged across Remoting, console clients,
hosting app as service, etc. If this is primary for client, I would
recommend all new programs are written as "headless" services and they write
gui clients and console clients to interact with services.

 

[scorpion53061]

This is what I do for a living. I make windows applications that
interact with telnet connections.

I could help you. Please email me off list. Remove "nospamplease" from
my email address.

 

[William Stacey [MVP]]

Please expand a little if possible. What are you doing? The windows app
can be hosted in a telnet session?

 

[scorpion53061]

Hello William,

The way it works is that by using a telnet connection I can take
UNIX/AIX or other legacy application environments and am able to emulate
what they do in a Microsoft Windows environment. Companies like it
because they all want the GUI which those kinds of applications
obviously cannot give and in some cases because of the tools within the
framework I can actually enhance what it is they are doing.

An example is at:

http://www.kjmsolutions.com/arraysolutions.asp

This is one such AIX operating system application that I did this with.

 

[William Stacey [MVP]]

But your not taking an existing Windows Forms app and screen scaping it to
give you a console client - are you?
Your building another console app that calls same apis that winForms app
does, right?

 

[ScottO]

I think I understand. He is doing exactly the opposite of what I'm
suggesting in my original post.

He is (I think):
[C++ Application] -> [Unix Telnet Server] -> [Telnet Client] -> [Converting
Application] -> [WinForm]

I am suggesting:
[.NET WinForm Application] -> [Converting Application] -> [Telnet Client]

Telnet has been around for a long time. I think telnet is great for doing
data entry. Right now VS.NET is great for WinForm and Web applications. I
can see a niche for a GUI way of creating telnet applications using VS.NET.
It might be just the thing to get the Unix guys in the .NET bandwagon!

Ironicly web pages are really just telnet application that you see through a
browser.

Here is coding way of doing it:
http://codeproject.com/internet/telnet_server.asp. However, I am looking for
a drap and drop way of doing it.

 

[ScottO]

I see you're point. Certainly you could only use very specific user controls
like text box, labels, and maybe drop downs.

Maybe create an add-on for VS.NET for specifically creating telnet
applications. Then just reuse the business objects from your original
WinForm or ASP.NET application. It would seem like a ton of work but I guess
it could be done.

Thanks for your useful insight.

Scott

 

[William Stacey [MVP]]

Why not just create a console app and control it in the telnet session (e.g.
nslookup, netsh, etc).

--
William Stacey, MVP

I think I understand. He is doing exactly the opposite of what I'm
suggesting in my original post.

He is (I think):
[C++ Application] -> [Unix Telnet Server] -> [Telnet Client] -> [Converting
Application] -> [WinForm]

I am suggesting:
[.NET WinForm Application] -> [Converting Application] -> [Telnet Client]

Telnet has been around for a long time. I think telnet is great for doing
data entry. Right now VS.NET is great for WinForm and Web applications. I
can see a niche for a GUI way of creating telnet applications using VS.NET.
It might be just the thing to get the Unix guys in the .NET bandwagon!

Ironicly web pages are really just telnet application that you see through a
browser.

Here is coding way of doing it:
http://codeproject.com/internet/telnet_server.asp. However, I am looking for
a drap and drop way of doing it.

But your not taking an existing Windows Forms app and screen scaping it to
give you a console client - are you?
Your building another console app that calls same apis that winForms app
does, right?

 

[scorpion53061]

It would work both ways.

For instance, if I needed to rm 067890* on my AIX box I could send the
appropriate commands through a button interface on my windows app.

If I wanted to find out if the event was successful, I would do an ls
-la (basic FTP) enumerate through the files etc which I could return the
data to my windows application.

The key is in the methods and the emulation type of the server at least
with my methods anyway.

I am probably not elegant at it but it has gotten me some work.

I think I understand. He is doing exactly the opposite of what I'm
suggesting in my original post.

He is (I think):
[C++ Application] -> [Unix Telnet Server] -> [Telnet Client] ->
[Converting
Application] -> [WinForm]

I am suggesting:
[.NET WinForm Application] -> [Converting Application] -> [Telnet
Client]

Telnet has been around for a long time. I think telnet is great for
doing
data entry. Right now VS.NET is great for WinForm and Web applications.
I
can see a niche for a GUI way of creating telnet applications using
VS.NET.
It might be just the thing to get the Unix guys in the .NET bandwagon!

Ironicly web pages are really just telnet application that you see through
a
browser.

Here is coding way of doing it:
http://codeproject.com/internet/telnet_server.asp. However, I am looking
for
a drap and drop way of doing it.

But your not taking an existing Windows Forms app and screen scaping it
to
give you a console client - are you?
Your building another console app that calls same apis that winForms
app
does, right?

 

[scorpion53061]

I wish it were that simple!!

Unfortunately, knowledge of the different terminal types (ibm3151 is a
PAIN - my most recent headache) are very important in determining when
and how a particular operation completes or what is happening during the
process. The different term types can react and require quite different
methods. And don't even get me started on what some proprietary software
in that environment does with function keys - certain processes have to
be kicked off with those keys because they combine elements of several
other applications within the code (usually written in cobol which I am
not the best at). It is not for the faint of heart that much I can tell
you.

If you would like to see more sometime I can walk you through a windows
app I built using these scenarios.