Panther Tools Overview
Empowering Legacy & Modern Apps with JAM/Panther Tools
Accelerate your application modernization journey with Prolifics Panther Tools, a comprehensive suite that bridges legacy JAM systems with modern architectures. Designed to build, connect, and evolve both legacy and new-age systems. Panther is supported on modern platforms, including Windows 64-bit and all Red Hat variants, and also available as a Docker image for flexible, containerized deployment.
Panther
Overview & Capabilities
Panther is a robust, enterprise-class suite from Prolifics designed for advanced application development and modernization. It bridges legacy JAM environments with modern frameworks, web UIs, and cloud platforms, enabling developers to build, maintain, and transform mission-critical applications across heterogeneous systems.
Organizations can preserve their existing JAM investments while evolving to support web, service-oriented, and containerized architectures. The suite is central to Prolifics’ JAM-to-Panther modernization strategy, providing a path to reuse, extend, and migrate legacy functionality into new technology stacks.
Key Aspects
- Cross-platform support for Web, Windows (32-bit & 64-bit), Linux/UNIX, and JEE platforms.
- A graphical development environment with editors, wizards, component repositories, and service editors.
- Integration with Java, C, and JPL (Panther scripting language), and Python scripting. Utilities for modernization, migration, debugging, versioning, and deployment.
- Full backward compatibility with JAM 5 and JAM 7 applications.
- Docker image availability, allowing flexible deployment across cloud or hybrid infrastructures.
Feature Highlights
- Graphical Editor & Wizards – Drag-and-drop UI creation, report builders, and guided layout design.
- Menu, Style, and JIF Editors – Manage menus, visual styles, and service definitions efficiently.
- Debugging Tools – Enhanced stack view, exception tracing, and Web Debugger for real-time visibility.
- Migration & Upgrade Utilities – Automated JAM-to-Panther conversion and mapping assistance.
- Legacy Compatibility & Incremental Migration – Run JAM 5 apps within Panther while modernizing.
- Modernization & Web Enablement – Transform legacy JAM systems into API-driven, cloud-ready solutions.
- Version Control & Repository Integration – Manage code libraries and enable team-based workflows.
Benefits at a Glance
- Preserve investment in existing JAM systems.
- Smooth migration path with incremental upgrade options.
- Extend with modern features — web UI, APIs, cloud, and containers.
- Improve maintainability through versioned, component-based design.
- Deploy flexibly across modern OS, Red Hat variants, and Docker-based environments.
Supported Platforms and Versions
- JAM Versions: JAM 5, JAM 7 (full compatibility).
- Panther Versions: Latest releases (v5.60+) with modernization enhancements.
- Operating Systems: Windows (32-bit & 64-bit), all Red Hat Enterprise Linux variants, and UNIX.
- Databases & Middleware: Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, DB2, Informix via OCI/ODBC, JEE application server support.
- Deployment Options: Web-based, service-oriented, and containerized (Docker) environments.
Panther’s broad platform support ensures enterprises can develop once and deploy anywhere, from on-premise to cloud or container ecosystems like OpenShift.
Accessing Documentation and Resources
Comprehensive Panther Documentation provides everything developers and architects need, from installation to modernization.
Available Resources
- Online Documentation (HTML/PDF manuals, release notes, and upgrade guides).
- Dedicated Upgrade Guides for JAM 5 → Panther and JAM 7 → Panther.
- Tools & Utilities Reference for configuration and usage.
- Release Notes and “What’s New” summaries for each version.
- Step-by-step installation guides for Windows, Linux.
- Panther Quarterly Newsletters
For a seamless experience, integrate internal links to your JAM Versions page and Panther Documentation library.
