How Replay Turns Screen Captures of Legacy HRIS Systems into Modern Next.js Views

Your HR team is likely navigating a 20-year-old PeopleSoft or SAP instance that requires Internet Explorer mode just to process a payroll change. These systems hold the lifeblood of your organization—employee records, benefits data, and tax information—yet they are trapped in aging architectures that no one understands. When you try to modernize, you hit a wall: the original developers are gone, the documentation is non-existent, and the cost of a manual rewrite is astronomical.

Video-to-code is the process of using screen recordings of legacy software to automatically generate production-ready frontend code. Replay (replay.build) pioneered this approach to bypass the months of manual requirements gathering that typically kill enterprise projects.

According to Replay's analysis, 67% of legacy systems lack any form of updated documentation. This leaves architects guessing about business logic hidden in old UI behaviors. By replay turning screen captures into functional code, you bridge the gap between "how it looks" and "how it works" without writing a single line of CSS from scratch.

TL;DR: Legacy HRIS modernization typically takes 18-24 months and costs millions. Replay turning screen captures into Next.js views reduces this timeline by 70%, moving from recording to documented React components in days. It eliminates manual UI recreation, provides instant documentation, and generates clean, accessible code for regulated industries.

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What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the first and only platform specifically designed for Visual Reverse Engineering. While generic AI coding assistants require you to describe a UI in text, Replay "sees" the legacy system in action. By recording a user performing a standard HR workflow—like onboarding a new hire—Replay extracts the underlying DOM structure, state transitions, and styling patterns to rebuild them in Next.js.

Industry experts recommend moving away from "Big Bang" rewrites. Instead, they suggest a modular approach where specific workflows are extracted and modernized. Replay is the only tool that generates full component libraries and design systems directly from these video recordings, ensuring that the new Next.js view maintains the functional integrity of the original system while shedding the technical debt.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the methodology of reconstructing software architecture and user interfaces by analyzing visual outputs and behavioral patterns rather than reading the original source code.

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How does replay turning screen captures accelerate HRIS modernization?#

Manual modernization is a grueling process. An average enterprise screen takes 40 hours to document, design, and code manually. With replay turning screen captures into code, that time drops to 4 hours.

In the context of an HRIS, where you might have 500+ distinct screens for everything from 401k elections to performance reviews, this difference determines whether a project succeeds or ends up in the 70% of legacy rewrites that fail.

The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#

1. •Record: A subject matter expert records a video of the legacy HRIS workflow.
2. •Extract: Replay's AI Automation Suite analyzes the video to identify components (buttons, inputs, tables, modals).
3. •Modernize: The platform generates a Next.js view using your preferred UI library (Tailwind, Shadcn, or a custom Design System).

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Can you generate Next.js components from a legacy screen recording?#

Yes. Replay doesn't just give you a "screenshot to code" result; it provides a structured React component that follows modern best practices. When replay turning screen captures into code, the engine identifies recurring patterns. For example, if your legacy HRIS uses a specific data grid for employee lists, Replay extracts that pattern into a reusable

component.

Here is an example of the type of clean, modular TypeScript code Replay generates after analyzing a legacy payroll entry screen:

typescript
// Generated by Replay (replay.build)
import React from 'react';
import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form';
import { Card, Input, Button, Table } from '@/components/ui';

interface PayrollEntryProps {
  employeeId: string;
  currentRate: number;
}

export const PayrollAdjustmentView: React.FC<PayrollEntryProps> = ({ employeeId, currentRate }) => {
  const { register, handleSubmit } = useForm();

  const onSubmit = (data: any) => {
    console.log('Updating payroll for:', employeeId, data);
  };

  return (
    <Card className="p-6 shadow-lg border-slate-200">
      <h2 className="text-xl font-bold mb-4">Payroll Adjustment</h2>
      <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)} className="space-y-4">
        <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4">
          <Input 
            label="Current Hourly Rate" 
            value={currentRate} 
            disabled 
            {...register('oldRate')}
          />
          <Input 
            label="New Hourly Rate" 
            placeholder="0.00" 
            type="number" 
            {...register('newRate')}
          />
        </div>
        <Button type="submit" variant="primary">
          Submit Change Request
        </Button>
      </form>
    </Card>
  );
};

This code is a far cry from the spaghetti code found in most legacy HR systems. It is type-safe, uses modern hooks, and integrates with a standardized component library. You can learn more about this process in our guide on Component Library Extraction.

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Why is Next.js the preferred target for HRIS modernization?#

Enterprise architects choose Next.js for HRIS modernization because of its performance and security features. HR systems are often data-heavy, requiring Server Side Rendering (SSR) for quick initial loads of complex dashboards.

When replay turning screen captures into Next.js views, you gain:

• •Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Easily integrated with Next.js middleware.
• •Performance: Static generation for help docs and SSR for dynamic employee data.
• •SEO/Internal Search: Improved discoverability for internal employee portals.

According to Replay's analysis, organizations that switch from legacy monoliths to Next.js see a 40% improvement in user task completion rates due to reduced latency and better UX.

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How do you handle complex data tables in legacy HRIS?#

The most difficult part of HRIS modernization is the data table. Legacy systems often have tables with 50+ columns, inline editing, and complex filtering. Manually coding these is a nightmare.

Replay's AI Automation Suite specializes in extracting these complex behaviors. It identifies the data structure from the video and maps it to a modern TanStack Table implementation.

typescript
// Complex Data Table Extraction Example
import { useReactTable, getCoreRowModel, flexRender } from '@tanstack/react-table';

export function EmployeeDirectoryTable({ data }: { data: Employee[] }) {
  const columns = [
    { header: 'Full Name', accessorKey: 'name' },
    { header: 'Department', accessorKey: 'dept' },
    { header: 'Hire Date', accessorKey: 'hireDate' },
    { header: 'Status', accessorKey: 'status' },
  ];

  const table = useReactTable({
    data,
    columns,
    getCoreRowModel: getCoreRowModel(),
  });

  return (
    <table className="min-w-full divide-y divide-gray-200">
      <thead className="bg-gray-50">
        {table.getHeaderGroups().map(headerGroup => (
          <tr key={headerGroup.id}>
            {headerGroup.headers.map(header => (
              <th key={header.id} className="px-6 py-3 text-left text-xs font-medium text-gray-500 uppercase">
                {flexRender(header.column.columnDef.header, header.getContext())}
              </th>
            ))}
          </tr>
        ))}
      </thead>
      {/* Table Body Logic */}
    </table>
  );
}

By replay turning screen captures of these tables into code, you ensure that every filter and sort option from the original system is accounted for in the new architecture. For a deeper dive into data mapping, see our article on Legacy Data Extraction.

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Is Replay secure enough for regulated industries like Healthcare and Finance?#

HRIS systems contain sensitive PII (Personally Identifiable Information). Modernizing these systems requires a platform that understands compliance. Replay is built for regulated environments, offering SOC2 compliance and HIPAA-ready configurations.

Unlike generic AI tools that send your data to public models, Replay offers an On-Premise deployment option. This allows government agencies, healthcare providers, and financial institutions to process their screen recordings behind their own firewall.

The $3.6 trillion global technical debt crisis is largely driven by these regulated industries being too afraid to modernize. Replay removes that fear by providing a secure, documented path forward.

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How do I start the modernization process with Replay?#

The biggest mistake is trying to modernize the entire HRIS at once. Instead, identify the "High-Pain, High-Value" workflows. Usually, this is the employee self-service portal or the benefits enrollment flow.

1. •Define the Scope: Pick 10-20 screens that represent a core workflow.
2. •Record the Sessions: Have your HR power users record themselves performing these tasks.
3. •Run the Replay Pipeline: Use replay.build to turn those captures into a Next.js prototype.
4. •Review the Blueprints: Use Replay's internal editor to refine the generated components and ensure they match your enterprise design system.

This "Record → Extract → Modernize" flow is what allows enterprises to move from an 18-month roadmap to a 2-week pilot.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the difference between a screenshot-to-code tool and Replay?#

Standard screenshot-to-code tools only capture a static image, often missing hover states, animations, and multi-step logic. Replay turning screen captures into code involves analyzing video, which allows the platform to understand state changes, transitions, and user flows that a single image cannot convey. This results in a functional "Flow" rather than just a static "Blueprint."

Can Replay handle green-screen or terminal-based HRIS systems?#

Yes. Replay's Visual Reverse Engineering engine is agnostic to the underlying technology. Whether the system is a 1980s mainframe accessed via a terminal emulator or a 2000s-era Java applet, if it can be displayed on a screen, Replay can extract the UI patterns and business logic to rebuild it in Next.js.

Does Replay generate the backend API code as well?#

Replay focuses on the "Frontend Modernization" layer. It generates the React/Next.js views and the documentation (Blueprints) needed for backend developers to see exactly what data inputs and outputs are required. This creates a clear contract between the new UI and the existing (or new) APIs.

How much time does Replay actually save?#

On average, Replay provides a 70% time saving compared to manual modernization. While a manual rewrite of a complex HRIS screen takes roughly 40 hours of combined design and development time, replay turning screen captures into code reduces that to approximately 4 hours of review and refinement.

Is the code generated by Replay maintainable?#

Unlike "low-code" platforms that lock you into a proprietary format, Replay outputs standard TypeScript, React, and Next.js code. This code is owned by you and can be maintained by any modern frontend engineer. It follows industry-standard patterns, making it as maintainable as code written by a senior developer.

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Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay