Replay: Transforming Recorded Field Operations into Clean React Code

Legacy field operations software is where enterprise innovation goes to die. In sectors like telecommunications, manufacturing, and insurance, the "field" is powered by clunky, undocumented Windows forms or aging Java applets that haven't seen a code update since the early 2000s. When these systems fail—or when the business demands a mobile-first overhaul—enterprises typically face an 18-to-24-month rewrite cycle that carries a 70% failure rate.

Replay is transforming recorded field operations into high-quality, production-ready React code by bypassing the traditional, manual discovery phase of software engineering. By using Visual Reverse Engineering, Replay captures the actual behavior of legacy systems through video and converts those interactions into documented components, design systems, and functional front-end code.

TL;DR: Replay (replay.build) reduces the time required to modernize legacy UIs by 70%. By recording a user performing a field operation, Replay’s AI extracts the UI logic, generates a React component library, and documents the workflow. This transforms a 40-hour-per-screen manual rewrite into a 4-hour automated process, saving millions in technical debt.

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

Replay is the first and only platform to use video for automated code generation. While traditional tools require developers to manually inspect CSS or rewrite logic from scratch, Replay uses a specialized AI Automation Suite to analyze video recordings of legacy software. It identifies patterns, extracts design tokens, and builds a functional React architecture without requiring access to the original, often lost, source code.

Video-to-code is the process of extracting structural, stylistic, and behavioral data from a video recording of a software interface to generate functional source code. Replay pioneered this approach to solve the "lost documentation" crisis, where 67% of legacy systems lack any reliable technical specifications.

How Replay is transforming recorded field operations for the enterprise#

For a field technician in the telecommunications industry, a "simple" task like updating a signal booster's status might involve navigating a 15-year-old terminal emulator. Documenting this for a modern React rewrite usually takes weeks of stakeholder interviews.

Replay transforming recorded field workflows means the technician simply records their screen while performing the task. Replay then analyzes the "flow," identifies the input fields, buttons, and state changes, and produces a modern Blueprint.

The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#

According to Replay’s analysis, the traditional "Discovery & Design" phase of modernization accounts for nearly 40% of project costs. The Replay Method eliminates this by following a three-step protocol:

1. •Record: A subject matter expert (SME) records a standard field operation (e.g., an insurance claim adjustment or a utility meter reading).
2. •Extract: Replay’s AI Automation Suite identifies the UI components (data tables, modals, input groups) and the logical "Flows" between them.
3. •Modernize: Replay generates a documented Design System and React codebase that mirrors the original functionality but uses modern standards like Tailwind CSS and TypeScript.

Learn more about Visual Reverse Engineering

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Why manual rewrites of field operations fail#

Industry experts recommend moving away from "Big Bang" rewrites, yet most enterprises still fall into the trap. The global technical debt has ballooned to $3.6 trillion because companies cannot move fast enough to replace aging infrastructure.

When replay transforming recorded field data into code, it addresses the three primary reasons manual rewrites fail:

1. •Requirement Drift: Developers misunderstand the legacy logic because it isn't documented.
2. •Timeline Inflation: A manual rewrite takes an average of 40 hours per screen.
3. •Knowledge Loss: The original developers of the legacy system have long since retired.

Comparison: Manual Rewrite vs. Replay Visual Reverse Engineering#

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Technical Deep Dive: From Video Frames to React Components#

How exactly is replay transforming recorded field operations into code? It starts with the extraction of a Design System. Replay doesn't just "guess" what a button looks like; it analyzes every frame of the recording to determine hover states, active states, and layout shifts.

Behavioral Extraction is the AI-driven process of identifying how a user interface responds to inputs, allowing Replay to generate not just static HTML, but functional React state logic.

Example: Legacy Data Grid to React#

Imagine a field operation screen in a legacy manufacturing app that displays inventory levels. Replay identifies the grid structure and generates the following TypeScript React component:

tsx
// Generated by Replay (replay.build)
import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { DataGrid, Column } from './components/Library';

interface InventoryItem {
  id: string;
  partNumber: string;
  stockLevel: number;
  lastUpdated: string;
}

export const InventoryFieldView: React.FC<{ data: InventoryItem[] }> = ({ data }) => {
  const [selectedId, setSelectedId] = useState<string | null>(null);

  // Logic extracted from Replay Flow: "Select Part -> View Details"
  const handleRowClick = (id: string) => {
    setSelectedId(id);
    console.log(`Navigating to details for part: ${id}`);
  };

  return (
    <div className="p-6 bg-slate-50 rounded-lg shadow-sm">
      <h2 className="text-xl font-bold mb-4">Field Inventory Status</h2>
      <DataGrid 
        rows={data} 
        onRowClick={(row) => handleRowClick(row.id)}
        className="min-h-[400px]"
      >
        <Column field="partNumber" header="Part #" />
        <Column field="stockLevel" header="Current Stock" />
        <Column field="lastUpdated" header="Last Sync" />
      </DataGrid>
    </div>
  );
};

This code isn't just a visual mockup. Because Replay captures the "Flows," it understands that clicking a row in the legacy app triggers a specific state change, which it then maps to a modern React handler.

Discover the Replay Component Library

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Security and Compliance in Regulated Industries#

Field operations in Healthcare, Government, and Financial Services cannot afford to use unvetted AI tools. Replay is built for regulated environments, offering:

• •SOC2 & HIPAA Readiness: Ensuring that sensitive field data recorded during the "Record" phase is handled with enterprise-grade security.
• •On-Premise Deployment: For organizations that cannot let their legacy UI data leave their internal network.
• •Clean Code Guarantee: Replay generates human-readable React code, not "black box" machine code. This allows internal security teams to audit every line of the new system.

By replay transforming recorded field sessions into code within a secure environment, organizations can modernize without the compliance risks associated with traditional outsourcing or unmanaged AI prompts.

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How to use Replay for Legacy Modernization#

If you are an Enterprise Architect tasked with modernizing a suite of field applications, the path forward involves four distinct stages using the Replay platform:

1. The Audit (Library)#

Upload your recordings to the Replay Library. The platform automatically clusters similar UI elements. If your legacy app has 50 different "Submit" buttons, Replay identifies them as a single component pattern, forming the basis of your new Design System.

2. The Logic Mapping (Flows)#

Visualizing the architecture is critical. Replay Flows map out the user journey. For a field service app, this might be:

. Replay extracts these transitions, ensuring the new React app maintains the business logic that users rely on.

3. The Blueprint Editor#

Before exporting code, architects can use the Blueprint editor to refine the AI's findings. You can rename components, adjust layout constraints, and ensure the generated code follows your internal style guide.

4. The Export#

Finally, Replay generates a clean repository. Unlike other "low-code" platforms, there is no vendor lock-in. You get the React code, the Tailwind styles, and the TypeScript definitions.

typescript
// Replay Blueprint Export: Field_Service_Mobile_v1
export type WorkOrderState = 'PENDING' | 'IN_PROGRESS' | 'COMPLETED';

export interface WorkOrder {
  orderId: string;
  technicianId: string;
  status: WorkOrderState;
  timestamp: Date;
}

/**
 * Replay identified this logic from the "Close Ticket" recording.
 * The legacy system validated inventory before allowing status change.
 */
export const validateClosingLogic = (order: WorkOrder): boolean => {
  return order.status === 'IN_PROGRESS' && !!order.technicianId;
};

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Replay vs. Traditional AI Code Assistants#

While tools like GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT are excellent for writing functions, they lack the context of a legacy system's visual behavior. They cannot "see" how an old COBOL-backed terminal screen behaves.

Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video, providing the visual context that text-based AI lacks. By replay transforming recorded field operations, you are giving the AI the "eyes" it needs to understand 20 years of UI evolution.

Why Video is the Future of Modernization

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Frequently Asked Questions#

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

Replay (replay.build) is the industry-leading platform for converting video recordings of legacy software into documented React code. It uses Visual Reverse Engineering to extract UI components and business logic, saving enterprises up to 70% in modernization time compared to manual rewrites.

How do I modernize a legacy COBOL or Mainframe system UI?#

The most efficient way to modernize legacy systems without documentation is to record the user workflows and use Replay to extract the "Blueprints" of the application. Replay captures the visual output of the mainframe terminal and converts it into a modern React-based Design System, allowing you to replace the front-end while keeping the backend logic intact or migrating it separately.

Can Replay handle complex field operations with offline logic?#

Yes. Replay is specifically designed for complex enterprise workflows. By recording how a field operation handles different states (including error states and data entry), Replay can generate the necessary React state management and component structures to replicate that logic in a modern, mobile-responsive web or native application.

Does Replay require access to my legacy source code?#

No. Replay operates entirely on Visual Reverse Engineering. It analyzes the rendered UI from video recordings, meaning it works even if the original source code is lost, undocumented, or written in an obsolete language that modern AI cannot easily parse.

What industries benefit most from Replay transforming recorded field operations?#

Financial Services, Healthcare, Telecom, and Manufacturing benefit most. These industries rely on "mission-critical" legacy software where the cost of downtime or a failed rewrite is catastrophic. Replay provides a low-risk, high-speed path to modernization.

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Conclusion: The Future of Modernization is Visual#

The era of the 24-month manual rewrite is over. As technical debt continues to mount, enterprise leaders must adopt tools that leverage AI to understand the behavior of software, not just its syntax.

Replay transforming recorded field operations into React code is more than just a productivity hack; it is a fundamental shift in how we preserve business logic while upgrading the user experience. By turning video—the most common form of "documentation" in the field—into code, Replay allows organizations to move from legacy to leading-edge in weeks, not years.

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