Natural/ADABAS Mainframe Screens to React: 90-Day Modernization Path

The flickering green text of a Software AG Natural application is a testament to durability—and a cage for your enterprise data. For decades, Natural/ADABAS has powered the core of financial services, government agencies, and global logistics. But as the $3.6 trillion global technical debt crisis deepens, the cost of maintaining these "black boxes" is no longer just an IT line item; it is a systemic risk to business agility.

Converting naturaladabas mainframe screens react components has historically been a nightmare of manual documentation, lost business logic, and failed "big bang" rewrites. Industry experts recommend a more surgical approach. Instead of spending years trying to decipher 40-year-old Natural code that no one on your current team understands, forward-thinking architects are turning to Visual Reverse Engineering to bridge the gap between the mainframe and the modern web.

TL;DR: Most legacy modernization projects fail because they attempt to rewrite logic from undocumented source code. By using Replay, enterprises can record existing Natural/ADABAS workflows and automatically generate documented React components and Design Systems. This approach reduces the modernization timeline from 18–24 months to just 90 days, saving an average of 70% in development costs.

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Why the Manual Rewrite of Natural/ADABAS Fails#

According to Replay's analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail or significantly exceed their original timelines. The primary culprit is the "Documentation Gap." Our data shows that 67% of legacy systems lack accurate documentation. When you attempt to move from naturaladabas mainframe screens react manually, your developers spend 90% of their time playing detective and only 10% writing code.

Natural/ADABAS environments are particularly difficult because the business logic is often tightly coupled with the UI (the "Map"). In a typical Software AG environment, the terminal I/O logic is buried inside Natural subprograms, making it nearly impossible to extract clean requirements without a massive discovery phase.

The Cost of Manual Modernization#

Video-to-code is the process of capturing real-time user interactions with legacy systems and using AI-driven analysis to generate functional, styled, and documented front-end code.

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The 90-Day Modernization Roadmap#

Modernizing naturaladabas mainframe screens react doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing gamble. By following a structured 90-day path with Replay, you can move from green screens to a production-ready React application with a fully integrated Design System.

Phase 1: Visual Discovery & Recording (Days 1–20)#

The first 20 days are focused on capturing the "Truth." In most legacy environments, the source code no longer reflects how the business actually uses the software.

1. •Identify Critical Flows: Map out the top 20% of screens that handle 80% of the business volume.
2. •Record User Workflows: Using Replay, record subject matter experts (SMEs) as they navigate through Natural screens. Replay captures every field, validation, and hidden navigation path.
3. •Establish the Blueprint: Replay’s AI Automation Suite analyzes these recordings to identify repeating patterns, common layouts, and data entry schemas.

Phase 2: Design System & Component Extraction (Days 21–50)#

Once the workflows are captured, the focus shifts to creating a scalable architecture. This is where the transition to naturaladabas mainframe screens react becomes tangible.

Design System Generation: Instead of manually creating a UI kit, Replay generates a centralized Library of React components based on your recorded screens. This ensures visual consistency across the new application.

typescript
// Example: A Replay-generated React component for an ADABAS Customer Inquiry screen
import React from 'react';
import { TextField, Button, Grid, Card } from '@/components/ui-library';

interface CustomerInquiryProps {
  initialCustomerId?: string;
  onSearch: (id: string) => void;
}

export const CustomerInquiry: React.FC<CustomerInquiryProps> = ({ 
  initialCustomerId, 
  onSearch 
}) => {
  const [customerId, setCustomerId] = React.useState(initialCustomerId || '');

  return (
    <Card className="p-6 shadow-lg border-l-4 border-blue-600">
      <h2 className="text-xl font-bold mb-4">ADABAS Customer Search</h2>
      <Grid container spacing={4}>
        <Grid item xs={8}>
          <TextField
            label="Customer ID (Natural Field: CUST-ID)"
            value={customerId}
            onChange={(e) => setCustomerId(e.target.value)}
            placeholder="Enter 8-digit ID"
            fullWidth
          />
        </Grid>
        <Grid item xs={4}>
          <Button 
            variant="contained" 
            color="primary" 
            onClick={() => onSearch(customerId)}
          >
            Execute (F5)
          </Button>
        </Grid>
      </Grid>
    </Card>
  );
};

Phase 3: Logic Mapping & API Integration (Days 51–90)#

In the final phase, the generated UI is connected to the backend. Whether you are using a middleware like EntireX or exposing ADABAS via RESTful APIs, the React components are ready to receive data.

Replay provides "Blueprints" that act as a bridge, mapping the legacy field positions (e.g., Row 10, Col 5) to modern JSON objects. This allows you to maintain the underlying mainframe data integrity while providing a world-class user experience.

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Technical Deep Dive: Handling Natural/ADABAS Complexity#

One of the biggest hurdles in moving naturaladabas mainframe screens react is the handling of "Occurrences" and "Periodic Groups" (PE/MU) inherent in ADABAS. Traditional scraping tools fail here. Replay's visual engine understands the spatial relationship of these repeating groups on the screen and translates them into clean, iterative React code.

Mapping Legacy Logic to Modern State Management#

In a Natural environment, state is often managed by the terminal session. In React, we move that state to the client or a centralized store (Redux/Zustand). Replay helps identify these state transitions by analyzing the "Flows" between screens.

typescript
// Replay Blueprint: Mapping ADABAS Periodic Groups to React State
interface PolicyData {
  policyNumber: string;
  coverageItems: Array<{
    code: string;
    amount: number;
    expiry: string;
  }>;
}

const PolicyView: React.FC<{ data: PolicyData }> = ({ data }) => {
  return (
    <div className="policy-container">
      <h3>Policy: {data.policyNumber}</h3>
      <table className="min-w-full divide-y divide-gray-200">
        <thead>
          <tr>
            <th>Coverage Code</th>
            <th>Limit</th>
            <th>Expiry Date</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          {/* Replay automatically identifies repeating screen patterns 
              and generates clean map functions */}
          {data.coverageItems.map((item, index) => (
            <tr key={index}>
              <td>{item.code}</td>
              <td>{new Intl.NumberFormat('en-US', { style: 'currency', currency: 'USD' }).format(item.amount)}</td>
              <td>{item.expiry}</td>
            </tr>
          ))}
        </tbody>
      </table>
    </div>
  );
};

For more on managing state during complex migrations, see our article on Legacy Modernization Strategies.

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The Benefits of a Visual-First Approach#

When you modernize naturaladabas mainframe screens react using visual reverse engineering, you bypass the "source code trap." Many enterprises find that their Natural source code is a mess of "GOTO" statements and hard-coded patches. By focusing on the UI and the user workflow, you are essentially documenting the current business reality rather than the historical technical intent.

Security and Compliance#

For industries like Healthcare and Financial Services, security is non-negotiable. Replay is built for these regulated environments, offering SOC2 compliance, HIPAA readiness, and the ability to run On-Premise. This ensures that sensitive ADABAS data never leaves your secure perimeter during the recording or generation process.

Eliminating the "Freeze" Period#

Traditional rewrites require a "code freeze" where no new features can be added to the legacy system for months or years. Because Replay works by recording the UI, you can continue to maintain your mainframe while the modern React frontend is being built in parallel.

For more technical details on mainframe connectivity, check out our guide on Mainframe to Cloud Migration.

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How Replay Accelerates the Transition#

Replay is not just a code generator; it is a comprehensive modernization platform. It handles the heavy lifting that usually consumes thousands of developer hours:

1. •Library (Design System): Automatically extracts styles and patterns to create a reusable React component library.
2. •Flows (Architecture): Maps the navigation logic between Natural screens to create a functional React Router configuration.
3. •Blueprints (Editor): Allows developers to refine the generated code, add custom logic, and tweak the UI without losing the link to the original recording.
4. •AI Automation Suite: Uses large language models (LLMs) specifically trained on legacy UI patterns to suggest improvements and accessibility (a11y) fixes.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

Can Replay handle complex Natural "Maps" with hundreds of fields?#

Yes. According to Replay's analysis, the platform can process screens with over 200 input fields and complex validation logic. Replay’s AI identifies field groupings and automatically generates structured React forms with built-in validation that mirrors the original mainframe behavior.

Do I need the original Natural source code to use Replay?#

No. Replay uses Visual Reverse Engineering, which means it works by observing the application’s UI and user interactions. While having the source code can be helpful for backend API development, it is not required to generate the React frontend and design system.

How does the 90-day timeline compare to a manual rewrite?#

A manual rewrite of a mid-sized Natural/ADABAS application typically takes 18–24 months and involves significant risk. Replay reduces this to 90 days by automating the discovery and UI development phases, which usually account for 70% of the project's effort.

Is the generated React code maintainable?#

Absolutely. Replay generates clean, documented TypeScript and React code using modern standards (e.g., Tailwind CSS, functional components). It does not produce "spaghetti code" or proprietary formats. The output is a standard React project that your developers can own and maintain forever.

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Conclusion: Stop Rewriting, Start Replaying#

The path from naturaladabas mainframe screens react no longer requires a multi-year commitment and a blank check. By leveraging Visual Reverse Engineering, you can extract the business value trapped in your green screens and deliver a modern, scalable React application in a single quarter.

Don't let technical debt dictate your roadmap. Move from the constraints of the mainframe to the flexibility of the modern web with a proven, 90-day strategy.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay