I've just ended up in the position of having to supply an interactive program to all our local desktop users. They already use the mainframe. This program will need to ask about a hundred questions divided through about 30 screens. The final product is a JCL script that will be run on the mainframe.

It is already written in Wybur macro language (the mainframe editor we use). The best way to describe this language is original Procomm, before they realized they needed more than 10 variables. In this case, it has 99 variables, called S01 to S99.

The guy who currently maintains this program has to change it every time our 3rd party tools change (about once every 3 months), and it might take a few days to modify it due to the lack of named variables and reusing them for different purposes. Very dangerous and painful.

We want to rewrite it using something a bit easier to extend as needed. It must be runnable from the corporate desktop. It'll be up to me to rewrite it, but I have to do it in a fashion that this guy can add new rules. It feels like I will construct a limited language for him to keep the rules in, and then interpret his rules with some type of multi-level if/then/else GUI interface.

The final output will then be FTPed to the mainframe and run as needed.

Last time I did GUI programming was some light Java about 3 years ago. DLing WxPerl feels a bit like that. Create a frame, add elements, etc.

Is this stable enough to use / release internally? I'd hate to get 90% and find it flaking out. Given the fact I already know Perl, and have written "little languages" before, is this the best direction or should I look to any alternatives?

All users have access to central network server in a shared directory environment. I should be able to deploy the app via a single batch file without any desktop issues. I'm pretty sure I don't even need to install Perl, just set the environmental variables correctly. There will be no monthly desktop issues at all. A single control file that is modified on the network is all it should take for any changes.

I really dislike the multi-level dependancies of web apps. 1st I have the issue of language. If I use Coldfusion (which is our default corporate web environment), I am immediately out of my league. Remember, I need to write an interpretive engine as well as a presentation interface. I can do this in a day or 2 using Perl. It might take weeks to months in CF for me, and our CF programmers do NOT have the Little Language mind set, which would mean CF programming for every change. Or I bully my way into non-standard, use PHP or Perl back-end, but then need to deal with the IT group and web server issues, which is to be avoided if possible.

I also HATE the interactive feel of web apps, A personal issue, but I will avoid using an environment that I can't truly control the layout unless I need out of house deployment. This app is for our internal MF programmers. It will never be used by a customer.

So, control, limited internal politics, expertise in the language, no overriding need to go into a complex web framework, (I'm sure I can come up with a bunch more now that I am in rationalization mode) lead me to a real desktop app. I don't see a downside to it, while web crap (I HATE IE SUPPORT) has always caused me pain.