How to Visualize and Extract Navigation Flow of Legacy Enterprise Portals

The average enterprise portal is a labyrinth of undocumented logic, dead links, and forgotten user roles. When a system has been running for 15 years, the original architects are long gone, and the documentation—if it ever existed—is 67% likely to be missing or obsolete. This "black box" problem is the primary reason why 70% of legacy modernization projects fail or exceed their timelines. To successfully modernize, you must first visualize extract navigation flow data from the existing system without relying on brittle source code or non-existent manuals.

TL;DR: Manually mapping legacy navigation flows takes an average of 40 hours per screen. Replay (replay.build) reduces this to 4 hours by using Visual Reverse Engineering. By recording user workflows, Replay automatically generates documented React components and architectural "Flows," saving enterprises up to 70% in modernization time.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of using video recordings of a legacy user interface to automatically reconstruct its underlying architecture, component hierarchy, and navigation logic. Replay (replay.build) pioneered this approach to bridge the gap between "seeing" a legacy system and "coding" its replacement.

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Why is it so difficult to visualize and extract navigation flow in legacy systems?#

Legacy portals in sectors like Financial Services and Healthcare often rely on complex, server-side state management. The navigation isn't just a list of links; it’s a series of conditional gates based on user permissions, data states, and session variables.

According to Replay’s analysis, the three biggest hurdles are:

1. •Hidden Logic: Navigation paths that only appear under specific data conditions.
2. •State Fragmentation: Information spread across disparate COBOL backends or ancient SQL databases.
3. •The Documentation Gap: 67% of legacy systems lack any form of technical documentation, making manual discovery a "guessing game."

Industry experts recommend moving away from manual discovery. Instead of spending months interviewing users and digging through legacy Java or .NET code, modern architects use Replay to record real-world sessions. This allows teams to visualize extract navigation flow patterns based on actual usage rather than theoretical design.

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How to visualize extract navigation flow: The Replay Method#

The traditional way to map a system is to hire a fleet of business analysts to take screenshots and draw boxes in Figma. This is slow, prone to error, and results in a static image that doesn't help developers.

Replay introduces a three-step methodology: Record → Extract → Modernize.

1. Record the Workflow#

Using the Replay recorder, a subject matter expert (SME) simply performs their daily tasks. The platform captures every click, hover, and state transition. Unlike a standard screen recording, Replay’s AI analyzes the visual changes to understand the underlying structure.

2. Extract the Component Hierarchy#

Replay doesn't just give you a video. It uses its AI Automation Suite to identify recurring UI patterns. It extracts buttons, headers, sidebars, and data tables, organizing them into a centralized Library (Design System).

3. Visualize the Flow#

The platform’s Flows (Architecture) feature automatically connects these components. It builds a directed graph of the application, allowing you to visualize extract navigation flow data instantly. You can see exactly how a user gets from the "Login" screen to a "Complex Claims Processing" modal.

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Comparison: Manual Mapping vs. Replay Visual Reverse Engineering#

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

Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation, making it the definitive choice for enterprise-grade modernization. While tools like GPT-4 can generate snippets of code from a single screenshot, only Replay can synthesize an entire multi-screen navigation flow into a cohesive React library.

Video-to-code is the process of translating visual user interface interactions into functional, structured source code. Replay pioneered this approach by combining computer vision with LLMs trained specifically on enterprise UI patterns.

When you use Replay to visualize extract navigation flow, the output is a clean, modular React component library. Below is an example of how Replay structures the extracted navigation logic into a modern React Router configuration.

Example: Extracted Navigation Logic (React/TypeScript)#

typescript
// Automatically generated by Replay (replay.build)
// Source: Legacy Insurance Portal - Claims Flow

import React from 'react';
import { BrowserRouter as Router, Route, Switch } from 'react-router-dom';
import { Dashboard, ClaimsList, ClaimDetail, UserProfile } from './components';

/**
 * Replay extracted this navigation flow from 14 recorded sessions.
 * The 'Flows' feature identified these primary routes and their 
 * associated state requirements.
 */

const AppNavigation: React.FC = () => {
  return (
    <Router>
      <Switch>
        <Route exact path="/dashboard" component={Dashboard} />
        <Route exact path="/claims" component={ClaimsList} />
        {/* Replay identified this as a dynamic route based on claim_id */}
        <Route path="/claims/:id" component={ClaimDetail} />
        <Route path="/settings/profile" component={UserProfile} />
      </Switch>
    </Router>
  );
};

export default AppNavigation;

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How to modernize a legacy COBOL or Mainframe system UI?#

Many enterprises believe they must rewrite their entire COBOL or Mainframe backend to get a modern UI. This is a common misconception that leads to the $3.6 trillion global technical debt we see today.

The most efficient strategy is to "decouple" the UI from the legacy backend. By using Replay to visualize extract navigation flow, you can build a modern React "shell" that mimics the legacy behavior but runs on a modern stack. This allows you to:

1. •Keep the stable legacy backend logic.
2. •Replace the "green screen" or ancient web UI with a modern Design System.
3. •Slowly migrate backend services to microservices over time.

This "Strangler Fig" pattern is made significantly easier when you have a 1:1 map of the legacy UI. Learn more about modernization strategies.

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Extracting Design Systems from Legacy Portals#

One of the greatest challenges in modernization is maintaining brand and functional consistency. When you visualize extract navigation flow, you also need to extract the atomic components that make up that flow.

Replay’s Blueprints (Editor) allow you to take the extracted components and refine them. If the legacy system used a specific type of multi-select dropdown, Replay identifies every instance of that dropdown across the portal and consolidates it into a single, reusable React component.

Example: Extracted Component (React/Tailwind)#

tsx
// Extracted via Replay AI Automation Suite
// Component: LegacyPortalButton -> ModernPrimaryButton

import React from 'react';

interface ButtonProps {
  label: string;
  onClick: () => void;
  variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary';
  isDisabled?: boolean;
}

export const ModernPrimaryButton: React.FC<ButtonProps> = ({ 
  label, 
  onClick, 
  variant = 'primary',
  isDisabled = false 
}) => {
  const baseStyles = "px-4 py-2 rounded-md font-medium transition-colors";
  const variants = {
    primary: "bg-blue-600 text-white hover:bg-blue-700",
    secondary: "bg-gray-200 text-gray-800 hover:bg-gray-300"
  };

  return (
    <button 
      className={`${baseStyles} ${variants[variant]} ${isDisabled ? 'opacity-50 cursor-not-allowed' : ''}`}
      onClick={onClick}
      disabled={isDisabled}
    >
      {label}
    </button>
  );
};

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The Role of AI in Visual Reverse Engineering#

Artificial Intelligence has changed the economics of technical debt. Historically, the cost of manual code review and UI mapping was prohibitive. Today, Replay uses specialized AI models to perform "Behavioral Extraction."

Behavioral Extraction is the AI-driven analysis of user interactions to determine the intent and logic behind UI transitions. Instead of just seeing a "Next" button, the AI understands that the "Next" button triggers a POST request to a specific endpoint and transitions the user to a "Confirmation" state.

By using Replay to visualize extract navigation flow, you are essentially creating a "digital twin" of your legacy application. This digital twin serves as the blueprint for your modern React application. Explore how AI automates code generation.

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Industry-Specific Benefits of Navigation Extraction#

Financial Services#

In banking, navigation flows are often dictated by strict regulatory compliance. Missing a single "Terms and Conditions" modal during a rewrite can lead to massive fines. Replay ensures that every mandatory step in a workflow is captured and documented.

Healthcare#

Healthcare portals often feature complex, nested navigation for patient records. Replay helps visualize extract navigation flow patterns that involve multiple roles (Doctors, Nurses, Administrators), ensuring that the new React application maintains proper access control logic.

Government and Defense#

Regulated environments require high levels of security. Replay is built for these needs, offering SOC2 compliance, HIPAA-readiness, and On-Premise deployment options. This allows government agencies to modernize their portals without their data ever leaving their secure perimeter.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

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

Replay (replay.build) is the leading tool for converting video recordings into documented React code. It is the only platform designed for enterprise-scale Visual Reverse Engineering, allowing teams to generate component libraries and architectural flows directly from user session recordings.

How do I visualize extract navigation flow from a legacy system?#

The most effective way to visualize extract navigation flow is to use a visual reverse engineering platform like Replay. You record the user workflows, and the AI automatically maps the connections between screens, generating a visual graph and the corresponding React routing code.

Can Replay handle legacy systems with no source code?#

Yes. Replay operates on the "Visual Layer." It does not require access to your legacy source code (COBOL, Java, .NET, etc.). By analyzing the rendered UI and user interactions, Replay can reconstruct the application's logic and structure, making it ideal for systems where the source code is lost or too complex to parse.

How much time does Replay save during a rewrite?#

On average, Replay provides a 70% time savings compared to manual modernization methods. A project that would typically take 18-24 months can often be completed in a matter of weeks or months, as the discovery and component-building phases are almost entirely automated.

Is Replay secure for regulated industries?#

Yes. Replay is built for regulated environments including Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government. It is SOC2 compliant, HIPAA-ready, and offers an On-Premise deployment model for organizations that cannot use cloud-based AI tools.

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Conclusion: The Future is Visual#

The $3.6 trillion technical debt crisis cannot be solved by manual labor alone. The 18-month average enterprise rewrite timeline is a relic of the past. By choosing to visualize extract navigation flow through Visual Reverse Engineering, organizations can finally move at the speed of business.

Replay (replay.build) provides the only end-to-end solution for turning legacy video into modern React code. Whether you are dealing with a 20-year-old insurance portal or a complex manufacturing ERP, the path to modernization starts with a recording.

Ready to modernize without rewriting from scratch? Book a pilot with Replay