In a system including a workstation coupled to a telephone network for receiving telephone data and coupled to a host computer running a panel driven host application program which exchanges panel images with the workstation, the panels containing fields for buffering operands to be processed by the host application program, the operands derived from the telephone data, a data processing program which, when executed in said system, performs a method for preparing a host access table (HAT) containing programmable HAT commands to control the workstation to function as a programmable interface between the host based application program and the telephone network to automatically transfer the operands from the telephone network to the host application program, the method comprising the steps of:
- the data processing program, when executed, performing the step of running a terminal emulation program in a memory in the workstation, in a first multi-tasking session, to exchange a first panel image with the host computer and to receive key stroke characters transferred from a keyboard buffer, that control operations of said terminal emulation program;
- the data processing program, when executed, performing the step of running a HAT Development Facility program in said workstation memory, in a second multi-tasking session, for monitoring said key stroke characters and generating trial HAT commands;
- the data processing program, when executed, performing the step of building a trial HAT in said workstation memory, using said HAT Development Facility program, said trial HAT containing said trial HAT commands;
- the data processing program, when executed, performing the step of running a host interface program in said workstation memory, for executing said trial HAT commands in said trial HAT, and in response thereto, automatically outputting simulated key stroke characters to said terminal emulation program to automatically repeat said operations of said terminal emulation program;
- said terminal emulation program, in response to said simulated key stroke characters, exchanging said first panel image with the host computer and performing said operations;
- whereby a host access table is constructed in the workstation.