Introduction

FuzzyMainframes.TN3270Sharp is a .NET framework to allow the C# developer to create a TN3270 server applications to be utilized by tn3270 clients. It builds 3270 data streams to send to the client and then allows processing of the responses (attention keys and field values).

The project is maintained as a hobby and an experiment. No commercial support is provided.

Benefits and Features

• No mainframe required
• 100% Open Source
• Easy to user (hopefully)
• Supports .NET 6 (and above)
• Cooler than WPF or WinForms
• Costs less than a cup off coffee - 100% free

History

Inspired by racingmars/go3270, the great golang based TN3270 server library written by Matthew Wilson, the idea for a .NET version created. Initially TN3270Sharp was a rough port from golang to c#, but a large part has since been rewritten and added. It has evolved into a different project. Still, it shares similar goals, allow a developer to quickly and easy create a TN3270 in their preferred developer ecosystem without requiring a mainframe.

Following the initial working prototype, other members of the community have contributed to the project.

Future Direction

Ultimately, this will evolve into stable release and packaged up as a NuGet package to simplify it being incorporated into a project. However, there are some enhancements and clean-up needed before it will be deemed ready for packaging.

• Source code needs to be thoroughly documented so that we can automate some developer documentation
• More examples and tutorials for use
• Higher-level abstraction to simplify use.