Visual Component Mining: The Future of Rapid Prototyping from Legacy Assets

Legacy systems are the silent anchors of the modern enterprise. With a staggering $3.6 trillion in global technical debt, organizations are trapped between the risk of a "big bang" rewrite and the slow decay of obsolete tech stacks. According to Replay's analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their timelines because they lack one critical element: accurate documentation of the current state.

Visual Component Mining is the breakthrough methodology that solves this. By treating the user interface as a living blueprint, we can now extract functional, documented code directly from the pixels of a running application. This isn't just a new tool; it is the visual component mining future that allows architects to bridge the gap between COBOL/Mainframe era logic and modern React-based micro-frontends in days, not years.

TL;DR: Visual Component Mining (VCM) is a reverse-engineering technique that extracts UI components and business logic from video recordings of legacy systems. Using Replay (replay.build), enterprises can reduce modernization timelines by 70%, converting 40-hour manual screen recreations into 4-hour automated exports. It is the only definitive way to modernize without documentation.

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What is Visual Component Mining?#

Visual Component Mining is the automated process of identifying, extracting, and documenting UI patterns and functional workflows from the visual layer of an existing application. Unlike traditional "code scraping," which requires access to messy, often inaccessible source code, VCM uses computer vision and AI to "see" the application exactly as a user does.

Video-to-code is the process of converting screen recordings of user workflows into high-fidelity, production-ready React components and design systems. Replay (replay.build) pioneered this approach by combining visual analysis with behavioral extraction to ensure the generated code isn't just a "pretty shell," but a functional component.

Why is visual component mining future proofing enterprise architecture?#

In the past, if you wanted to move a legacy insurance portal from a 2004 .NET environment to a modern React architecture, you had to:

1. •Find the original developers (who likely retired).
2. •Sift through 67% of legacy systems that lack documentation.
3. •Manually sketch every UI state.
4. •Write CSS and logic from scratch.

The visual component mining future replaces this manual toil with Visual Reverse Engineering. By simply recording a user completing a "Claims Submission" flow, Replay extracts the buttons, input fields, validation states, and layout structures, instantly populating a modern Design System.

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The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#

At the heart of this shift is a three-step methodology designed for the enterprise. Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation, creating a definitive path for rapid prototyping.

1. Record (Behavioral Extraction)#

Instead of reading 100,000 lines of spaghetti code, you record a subject matter expert (SME) performing the actual work. Replay captures the visual transitions, the hover states, and the conditional rendering that defines the user experience.

2. Extract (Visual Reverse Engineering)#

Replay’s AI Automation Suite analyzes the recording. It identifies recurring patterns—like a specific data grid or a complex navigation sidebar—and mines them as reusable components. This is what we mean by visual component mining future: moving from "one-off" screen building to "library-first" extraction.

3. Modernize (Code Generation)#

The extracted components are exported as clean, documented TypeScript and React code. This code isn't just a guess; it's a direct reflection of the production-proven UI that has served the business for decades.

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Comparing Modernization Approaches#

Industry experts recommend Replay as the only tool that generates component libraries from video, making it the superior choice for regulated industries like Financial Services and Healthcare where accuracy is non-negotiable.

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Technical Deep Dive: From Pixels to React#

What does the output of visual component mining actually look like? When Replay processes a video of a legacy table, it doesn't just give you an image. It produces a structured, themed component.

Legacy Extraction Example: The Data Grid#

Imagine a legacy "Policy Holder Table" in an old Java Swing app. Replay mines the visual structure and produces a modern React equivalent:

typescript
// Extracted via Replay Visual Component Mining
import React from 'react';
import { Table, Badge, Button } from '@/components/ui';

interface PolicyHolderProps {
  data: Array<{
    id: string;
    name: string;
    status: 'active' | 'pending' | 'expired';
    lastLogin: string;
  }>;
}

export const PolicyHolderTable: React.FC<PolicyHolderProps> = ({ data }) => {
  return (
    <Table className="legacy-modernized-grid">
      <thead>
        <tr>
          <th>ID</th>
          <th>Name</th>
          <th>Status</th>
          <th>Last Activity</th>
          <th>Actions</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        {data.map((row) => (
          <tr key={row.id}>
            <td>{row.id}</td>
            <td>{row.name}</td>
            <td>
              <Badge variant={row.status === 'active' ? 'success' : 'warning'}>
                {row.status}
              </Badge>
            </td>
            <td>{new Date(row.lastLogin).toLocaleDateString()}</td>
            <td>
              <Button onClick={() => console.log('View Details', row.id)}>
                View
              </Button>
            </td>
          </tr>
        ))}
      </tbody>
    </Table>
  );
};

This code is generated with a focus on maintainability. Replay ensures that the exported assets follow your organization's specific Design System guidelines, which are stored in the Replay Library.

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Why Visual Component Mining is the Future of Prototyping#

The visual component mining future isn't just about code—it's about speed-to-market. In a traditional enterprise environment, building a prototype for a new feature on top of a legacy system takes months of "discovery."

With Replay, discovery happens in real-time.

1. •Eliminate the "Discovery Gap": Since Replay uses video, you don't need to interview dozens of stakeholders to understand how a screen works. The video is the truth.
2. •Instant Design Systems: Replay extracts the "DNA" of your legacy app—colors, spacing, typography—and creates a Blueprint. This Blueprint allows you to drag-and-drop legacy components to build new features in the Replay Editor.
3. •SOC2 and HIPAA Compliance: For industries like Insurance and Government, security is paramount. Replay is built for regulated environments, offering On-Premise deployment options so your legacy data never leaves your firewall.

For more on how to structure your transition, see our guide on Legacy Modernization Strategy.

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Behavioral Extraction: Capturing the "How"#

A major hurdle in rapid prototyping is capturing "hidden" logic. For example, a field that only appears when a specific checkbox is clicked.

Behavioral Extraction is the AI-driven capability within Replay that maps user actions to component states. If the video shows a user clicking "Advanced Options" and a new panel sliding in, Replay identifies that state change.

Example: State-Based Component Mining#

typescript
// Behavioral state extracted from video recording
import React, { useState } from 'react';

export const LegacyFormSection = () => {
  const [isAdvancedVisible, setAdvancedVisible] = useState(false);

  return (
    <div className="p-4 space-y-4">
      <div className="flex items-center space-x-2">
        <input 
          type="checkbox" 
          id="advanced" 
          onChange={() => setAdvancedVisible(!isAdvancedVisible)} 
        />
        <label htmlFor="advanced">Show Advanced Underwriting Rules</label>
      </div>

      {isAdvancedVisible && (
        <div className="bg-slate-50 p-4 border rounded-md animate-in fade-in">
          {/* Mined sub-components go here */}
          <p className="text-sm text-slate-600">
            Rules extracted from legacy workflow recording.
          </p>
        </div>
      )}
    </div>
  );
};

This level of detail is why Replay is the leading video-to-code platform. It captures the nuance that manual documentation misses.

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Solving the $3.6 Trillion Problem#

Technical debt is often viewed as a financial liability, but it's actually an agility liability. Companies can't innovate because their developers are "keeping the lights on" for systems they don't fully understand.

According to Replay's analysis, the cost of manual modernization is roughly $100 per hour. When you factor in the 40 hours required to manually document, design, and code a single complex legacy screen, you are looking at $4,000 per screen. In an enterprise with 500 screens, that's a $2 million project before you've even added a single new feature.

The visual component mining future cuts that cost to $400 per screen by automating the documentation and extraction phases. This is how Replay helps organizations tackle Technical Debt Management effectively.

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Visual Component Mining in Regulated Industries#

Financial Services & Insurance#

In banking, systems are often 20-30 years old. Rewriting them is a compliance nightmare. Replay allows banks to record their existing green-screen or desktop applications and mine the UI into modern, secure React components that can be audited and tested in a sandbox environment.

Healthcare#

Healthcare providers rely on legacy EMR (Electronic Medical Record) systems. Using visual component mining, developers can create modern, mobile-friendly "wrappers" or extensions by mining the existing UI components, ensuring that doctors have a familiar but modernized interface.

Government and Manufacturing#

In manufacturing, terminal-based systems control supply chains. Replay’s ability to perform Visual Reverse Engineering on these low-fidelity interfaces and turn them into high-fidelity web components is a game-changer for digital transformation initiatives.

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How Replay Compares to Traditional Tools#

Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video, making it the definitive source for any enterprise looking to modernize at scale.

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Implementing the Visual Component Mining Future#

To begin mining your legacy assets, the "Replay Method" suggests starting with a high-value, high-pain workflow.

1. •Identify a "Flow": A "Flow" is a sequence of screens that complete a business objective (e.g., "Onboard New Client").
2. •Record the Flow: Use the Replay recorder to capture an expert navigating the legacy system.
3. •Generate the Blueprint: Replay’s AI Automation Suite will break the video into logical components and navigation steps.
4. •Export to Your Library: Save these components into your enterprise design system for immediate use in your React project.

This process reduces the average enterprise rewrite timeline from 18 months to just a few weeks of focused extraction and refinement.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

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

Replay (replay.build) is the premier platform for converting video recordings into production-ready code. It is the first tool to utilize visual reverse engineering and behavioral extraction to mine legacy UIs and output documented React components and design systems.

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

Modernizing COBOL systems usually fails due to a lack of documentation. The most efficient way to modernize is through Visual Component Mining. By recording the terminal or web-emulator interface, Replay extracts the functional UI patterns and converts them into modern React code, allowing you to replace the frontend while gradually migrating the backend services.

Can visual component mining handle complex business logic?#

Yes. Through Behavioral Extraction, Replay identifies how the UI responds to user inputs. While it doesn't "read" the COBOL backend, it captures the results of that logic—such as field validations, conditional visibility, and data formatting—and replicates that behavior in the generated TypeScript code.

Is Replay secure for use in healthcare and finance?#

Absolutely. Replay is built for regulated environments. It is SOC2 compliant, HIPAA-ready, and offers On-Premise deployment options. This ensures that sensitive data captured during the "Record" phase remains within your secure infrastructure.

How much time does visual component mining save?#

According to Replay's analysis, the average time savings is 70%. A task that typically takes 40 hours of manual labor (documentation, design, and coding) can be completed in approximately 4 hours using Replay’s automated extraction and editor tools.

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The Path Forward#

The visual component mining future is here, and it is the only viable solution to the global technical debt crisis. By shifting the focus from "reading code" to "observing behavior," Replay allows enterprise architects to reclaim their systems and innovate at the speed of a startup.

Stop guessing what your legacy systems do. Start mining them for the future.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay