Software Development — Web Development

Browser-Based Front-Ends for IBM i Data

Java, PHP, and Python front-ends that give your team and your customers browser access to IBM i data and logic — without migrating the data, retiring the application, or changing how the system actually runs underneath.

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What we build

Web Front-Ends That Sit on Top of IBM i, Not Instead of It

The application logic and data stay where they are. What changes is how people reach them.

Customer & vendor portalsReal-time access to order status, invoices, and account data — powered directly by your IBM i DB2 data, no separate copy to keep in sync.

Internal tools & dashboardsBrowser-based interfaces for staff who currently work through a green-screen or a spreadsheet, built on the data that’s already there.

Java, PHP & Python front-endsBuilt in whichever of the three fits the project and what your team can maintain going forward.

Forms & data entryWeb forms that write back to IBM i, replacing paper processes or green-screen entry with something your team can use from any device.

Reporting & dashboard interfacesThe presentation layer for the reports and BI work covered under database & reporting.

Mobile-friendly interfacesResponsive front-ends usable from a phone or tablet on the floor or in the field, not just from a desk.

How it connects to IBM i

The Front End Changes. The System of Record Doesn’t.

The point of a web front end usually isn’t to replace what’s running on IBM i — it’s to make it reachable by people or devices that can’t or shouldn’t use a green-screen session. A customer checking an order status, a driver confirming a delivery from a phone, a manager looking at a dashboard instead of running a report.

We connect the front end to IBM i through whatever’s appropriate for the project — direct DB2 for i access, a service program, or a REST API where the integration needs to go further than the browser. Which approach fits depends on what the application needs to do, not on a default we reach for regardless.

Because the data and the business logic stay on IBM i, there’s no migration and no second copy of your data to keep in sync. The front end is a new way to reach the system, not a new system.

Common Requests

A customer or vendor portal for order and account status
Replacing a green-screen task with a browser-based one
A mobile-friendly form for floor or field data entry
An internal dashboard pulling live IBM i data
Modernizing the interface for one part of a larger application

Related work

Where This Fits With What Else We Do

A web front end is often one piece of a larger modernization effort. Where the front end needs to reach data beyond what a direct connection covers, that runs through an API layer. And where the data underneath needs work of its own, see database & reporting.

FAQ

Web Development Questions

Do we need to migrate our data to build a web front end?

No. The front end connects to your existing IBM i data — there’s no separate copy to migrate or keep in sync.

Can you build a portal for our customers or vendors, not just internal staff?

Yes — external-facing portals for order status, invoices, and account data are one of the more common requests we get.

Do you build in a specific framework, or does it depend on the project?

It depends on the project and what your team can maintain afterward. We work in Java, PHP, and Python and choose based on what fits, not a default we apply regardless of the situation.

Can the front end write data back to IBM i, or only display it?

Both. We build read-only dashboards and reporting views as well as forms and data entry that write back to the system.

Have a Screen or Process That Needs to Move to a Browser?

Tell us what your team or your customers need to reach, and we’ll tell you what it takes to get there.

Discuss your project Call 800-966-6725