Uniface Enterprise Apps: Visual Evidence for Component Generation

Uniface applications are the "ghost ships" of the enterprise—functional, mission-critical, yet often completely undocumented and anchored to a development paradigm that hasn't evolved in decades. For organizations running global supply chains, insurance underwriting, or government registries, these systems represent a $3.6 trillion technical debt problem that can no longer be ignored. The traditional path out—a manual, ground-up rewrite—is a proven trap. Industry data shows that 70% of legacy rewrites fail or significantly exceed their timelines, often because the business logic is so deeply intertwined with the UI that extracting it feels like performing surgery with a sledgehammer.

The challenge is that Uniface (now part of Rocket Software) uses a unique, model-driven approach where the UI and the underlying ProcScript are tightly coupled. When you attempt to modernize uniface enterprise apps visual components, you aren't just fighting old code; you’re fighting a lack of visual clarity. Most of these systems have been modified by dozens of developers over 20 years, leaving 67% of legacy systems without any accurate documentation.

Replay offers a radical departure from this manual misery. Instead of reading broken code, Replay uses Visual Reverse Engineering to turn your running Uniface application into a source of truth. By recording real user workflows, Replay extracts the visual evidence needed to generate documented React code, Design Systems, and Component Libraries in a fraction of the time.

TL;DR: Modernizing Uniface applications manually takes an average of 40 hours per screen and carries a 70% failure risk. By using uniface enterprise apps visual evidence through Replay’s Visual Reverse Engineering platform, enterprises can reduce modernization time by 70%, converting legacy UIs into production-ready React components in hours rather than days.

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The Uniface Modernization Crisis#

Uniface was built on the promise of "write once, deploy anywhere," but in the modern web era, it has become "trapped everywhere." Most Uniface implementations rely on thick-client architectures or early web-delivery mechanisms that do not support modern UX standards, accessibility requirements, or mobile-first strategies.

According to Replay's analysis, the primary bottleneck in these migrations isn't the database schema—it's the UI layer. In Uniface, the "Form" is the unit of work. These forms contain visual layout, data binding, and procedural logic all in one place. When an architect is asked to move this to a modern React stack, they face a "black box" problem.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of capturing the runtime behavior and visual state of an application to reconstruct its underlying architecture and components without needing access to the original source code or outdated documentation.

Why Manual Rewrites Fail#

When teams attempt to manually migrate uniface enterprise apps visual interfaces, they follow a predictable, failing pattern:

1. •Discovery: Developers spend weeks clicking through the app, taking screenshots, and trying to guess the logic.
2. •Design: Designers recreate the UI in Figma from scratch, often missing edge cases.
3. •Development: Engineers write React components that "look like" the old app but lack the functional nuances.

This process takes an average of 18 months for an enterprise-scale rewrite. By the time the new system is ready, the business requirements have changed, and the project is dead on arrival.

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Leveraging Uniface Enterprise Apps Visual Evidence#

The breakthrough in modernization comes from treating the running application as the "spec." If a user can see it and interact with it, it can be documented and converted. This is where the concept of visual evidence becomes a force multiplier.

The Replay Workflow for Uniface#

Instead of digging through ProcScript, Replay allows you to record a user session within the Uniface application. As the user navigates through complex forms, grid views, and modal popups, Replay’s AI Automation Suite analyzes the visual output.

1. •Capture: Record the uniface enterprise apps visual workflows.
2. •Analyze: Replay identifies recurring patterns—buttons, input fields, data tables, and navigation structures.
3. •Generate: The platform outputs a structured Design System and React components that mirror the legacy functionality but utilize modern best practices (Tailwind CSS, TypeScript, and functional components).

Component Extraction is the automated identification and isolation of UI elements from a recorded session to create reusable, modular code blocks.

Comparison: Manual vs. Visual Reverse Engineering#

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From ProcScript UI to Modern React Components#

To understand the power of capturing uniface enterprise apps visual data, we must look at the output. A traditional Uniface form might define a "Command Button" with specific ProcScript triggers. When Replay captures this, it doesn't just take a picture; it understands the component's role in the workflow.

Industry experts recommend that legacy transitions should prioritize "Componentization" over "Replication." You don't want a React version of a 1998 UI; you want a modern UI that performs the same business function.

Example: Legacy Uniface Structure (Conceptual)#

In the old world, your UI definition was buried in a proprietary format.

text
; Conceptual Uniface Form Trigger
trigger detail
  if (STATUS == "ACTIVE")
    activate "EDIT_MODAL"
  endif
end

Example: Replay Generated React Component#

Replay takes the visual evidence of that interaction and generates clean, type-safe React code. This ensures that the uniface enterprise apps visual experience is preserved but modernized.

typescript
import React from 'react';
import { Button } from '@/components/ui';

interface ActionButtonProps {
  status: 'ACTIVE' | 'INACTIVE';
  onEdit: () => void;
}

/**
 * Generated from Uniface Form: CUSTOMER_MGMT
 * Visual Evidence ID: REPLAY-99283
 */
export const ActionButton: React.FC<ActionButtonProps> = ({ status, onEdit }) => {
  const isActive = status === 'ACTIVE';

  return (
    <Button 
      variant={isActive ? "primary" : "ghost"}
      onClick={onEdit}
      disabled={!isActive}
      className="transition-all duration-200"
    >
      {isActive ? 'Edit Record' : 'Record Locked'}
    </Button>
  );
};

By generating code like this, Replay allows you to build a Component Library that is consistent across the entire enterprise.

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Building a Design System from Visual Evidence#

One of the most significant hurdles in modernizing uniface enterprise apps visual layouts is the lack of a standardized design system. Uniface apps often have "UI drift," where different forms use slightly different shades of grey or different button sizes.

Replay’s "Library" feature acts as a centralized repository for your extracted components. As you record more workflows, Replay identifies these inconsistencies and suggests a unified Design System. This is critical for Design System Automation, as it prevents the new React application from inheriting the visual mess of the legacy system.

The AI Automation Suite#

Replay doesn't just stop at code generation. Its AI Automation Suite looks at the flows captured and suggests logical groupings. For example, if it detects a recurring pattern of a "Search Input" followed by a "Data Grid," it identifies this as a "Searchable List" pattern.

According to Replay's analysis, identifying these patterns early can save up to 200 developer hours in the first three months of a migration project. Instead of building 50 separate search screens, you build one robust component and 50 configurations.

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Architecture and Flows: Mapping the Uniface Logic#

Modernization isn't just about the "look"; it's about the "flow." Uniface applications are notoriously complex in how they handle state transitions. Replay’s "Flows" feature maps these transitions visually.

When you record a session, Replay documents the sequence of events. If clicking "Submit" on Form A opens Form B with a specific filter applied, that is captured as visual evidence. This allows architects to visualize the application's architecture before writing a single line of backend glue code.

Modernizing Legacy UI requires this level of forensic detail. Without a map of the existing flows, developers often miss critical business rules that were never documented but are visible in the app's behavior.

TypeScript Integration for Enterprise Scale#

For enterprise environments, "it works" isn't good enough. The code must be maintainable. Replay generates TypeScript by default, ensuring that the data structures captured from the uniface enterprise apps visual evidence are strictly typed.

typescript
// Replay-generated Data Model from Uniface Grid Evidence
export interface UnifaceEntity {
  id: string;
  transactionDate: Date;
  amount: number;
  currency: 'USD' | 'EUR' | 'GBP';
  status: 'PENDING' | 'COMPLETED' | 'FAILED';
  metadata: Record<string, string | number>;
}

export const useUnifaceData = (entityId: string) => {
  // Logic to interface with modernized API layer
  // based on captured visual data patterns
};

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Security and Compliance in Regulated Industries#

Most Uniface applications live in highly regulated sectors: Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government. You cannot simply upload screenshots to a public AI and hope for the best.

Replay is built for these environments. With SOC2 compliance, HIPAA-readiness, and an On-Premise deployment option, Replay ensures that your uniface enterprise apps visual data never leaves your secure perimeter. This is a critical distinction from generic AI code assistants. Replay is a Visual Reverse Engineering platform designed for the enterprise, not a playground for LLMs.

The "Blueprints" Editor#

Before the code is finalized, Replay provides a "Blueprints" editor. This allows senior architects to review the captured visual evidence and the generated React code side-by-side. You can tweak the component's behavior, adjust the Tailwind classes, and ensure the output meets your internal coding standards before it ever hits your repository.

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The Economics of Visual Reverse Engineering#

Let’s look at the numbers. If an enterprise has 500 screens in their Uniface portfolio:

• •Manual Approach: 500 screens * 40 hours = 20,000 hours. At a blended rate of $100/hr, that's a $2,000,000 investment with a high risk of failure and an 18-24 month timeline.
• •Replay Approach: 500 screens * 4 hours = 2,000 hours. At the same rate, that's $200,000 and can be completed in weeks.

The choice isn't just about technology; it's about fiduciary responsibility. By using Replay, you are amortizing your technical debt at a 10x accelerated rate.

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Conclusion: Stop Guessing, Start Recording#

The era of manual legacy discovery is over. If your organization is still trying to decode ProcScript to build React components, you are fighting a losing battle against a $3.6 trillion problem. By focusing on uniface enterprise apps visual evidence, you turn your existing application into the ultimate specification for its successor.

Replay provides the bridge between the rigid, monolithic past of Uniface and the flexible, component-driven future of React. You can save 70% of your modernization timeline while ensuring that your new Design System is documented, type-safe, and ready for the next decade of business growth.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay

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Frequently Asked Questions#

What is visual reverse engineering for Uniface apps?#

Visual Reverse Engineering for Uniface involves recording the runtime UI and user interactions of a Uniface application to automatically generate modern code artifacts. Instead of analyzing the underlying ProcScript or model definitions, Replay analyzes the uniface enterprise apps visual output to create React components, documentation, and design systems that accurately reflect the business logic and user experience.

Can Replay handle complex Uniface grids and modal logic?#

Yes. Replay’s AI Automation Suite is specifically designed to recognize complex enterprise UI patterns like multi-level grids, conditional modal popups, and intricate form validations. By capturing the visual evidence of these elements in action, Replay generates the corresponding React state management and component structure needed to replicate the functionality in a modern stack.

How does Replay ensure the generated React code is maintainable?#

Replay doesn't just output "spaghetti code." It generates clean, modular TypeScript and React components using industry-standard libraries like Tailwind CSS. Every component is added to a centralized Library (Design System), ensuring reusability. Furthermore, the "Blueprints" editor allows your lead developers to review and refine the code to ensure it meets your specific enterprise standards.

Is my data secure during the Uniface modernization process?#

Security is a core pillar of Replay. The platform is SOC2 compliant and HIPAA-ready. For organizations with extreme security requirements, such as government or top-tier financial institutions, Replay offers an On-Premise deployment option. This ensures that all uniface enterprise apps visual recordings and generated code stay within your controlled environment.

How much time can I really save using Replay instead of a manual rewrite?#

According to Replay's analysis, the average manual rewrite of an enterprise screen takes approximately 40 hours when accounting for discovery, design, coding, and testing. Replay reduces this to an average of 4 hours per screen. For a typical enterprise application, this represents a 70-90% reduction in total modernization time, moving timelines from years to weeks.