CAIL6530 iPad App - Conversational Mode POC Implementation

Welcome to the CAIL6530 iPad App - Conversational Mode POC Implementation challenge.

The client wants to develop an iPad app that emulates a text based terminal called "Tandem 6530" on iOS tablets. The App will allow users to access legacy, text based applications running on HP NonStop (formerly Tandem) mainframe systems. The app will be used by financial and manufacturing companies to connect to these mainframe systems.

 

The client has already built an Android app (source code for the same is provided in forums). We also have a Objective-C proof of concept which isn’t stable and not the highest code quality but can be used as a reference to see how it works.

 

There’s also the T-Term Pro app on the App Store which closely describes what we’re trying to build.

 

Challenge Requirements

 

The key requirement for this app is to support two modes - block mode and conversational mode.

1. This challenge aims to build a proof of concept for the conversational mode implementation. The conversational mode is a prerequisite for the block mode functionality that we will build out in subsequent challenges.

Please refer to Chapter 2 in the provided manual which explains how conversational mode works. Some important details below
 

• Although we are in character mode, since the 6530 emulation uses telnet’s LINE MODE, typed characters are not sent until the number of characters the LINE MODE read specifies is reached, or the terminating character (usually carriage return) is keyed in by the user. The user can also edit the line using backspace - this is local editing.
  Note any 6530 emulation will work without LINE MODE. It is negotiated while connecting. However, we require it to be used, as long as the host supports it. To our knowledge all NonStop (Tandem) hosts support LINE MODE.
• The 6530 interprets incoming data as either graphic (displayable) characters or control (non-displayable) characters and processes them accordingly

You need to implement the control codes and escape sequences as mentioned in the manual for this mode

2. We are expecting the iPad app UI to be similar to the provided Android app.  The UI refinements will be made in later challenge
 

Evaluation/ Review Criteria

 
- The application must connection to the sample 6530 server (details provided in forum) and be able to run a block mode program. Further details are provided in the forums

We will provide some files containing escape sequences that can be copied to the screen to determine if you have implemented an escape sequence correctly (see forums)

 

Challenge Assets

 

• Android App source code

• XPrize Objective C Proof of Concept

• Connection information to sample HP server including VPN connectivity

• 6530 Manual
   

  General Notes

   

  NOTES

• Only iPad device is in scope.

• All source code changes must be well commented and MUST follow existing coding conventions

• If you face any API issues or have doubts related to request response for any API, please raise it in the forums so it can be clarified by client.

• The app works in both portrait and landscape modes

• App must support iOS 10.x

• All code must be written in the latest version Swift and the project must use latest XCode version. Do not use Objective-C or Bridging approach

• Please ask in the forums if you wish to use any open-source third-party libs to ensure there are no license violations

Final Submission Guidelines

Submission Guidelines

 

- XCode Project with all source code that addresses the requirements

- Deployment guide with configuration & verification steps. Describe all config params and include steps to run

- Demo video (Mandatory and will be scored down if not provided)