METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACCESSING DATA IN LEGACY APPLICATIONS

A method and apparatus is presented for mapping legacy application data. The mapping process consists of trail recording, mapping, and template creation. In the trail recording phase, user interaction with the legacy application is recorded as a trail. Each trail consists of snapshots of every screen encountered, and all of the keystrokes entered by the user. After trail creation, maps of the legacy application are created by sorting the screen snapshots into screens. The sorting is done according to specific rules that are controlled by the end user. The default rules allocate snapshots according to the number, position, and location of the predefined fields found in the snapshots. Additional tags can be defined of alphanumeric text to help properly identify the screens. Templates are then created to allow direct access to the data found on the screens of the legacy application. Separate templates allow access to static fields and tabular fields. Methods are then defined to access particular data in the legacy application. One or more methods can then be defined as a service, which is compiled into a reusable software component.