What it is

Web OpenWorkshop is a browser client for Thoroughbred Basic and OPENworkshop applications. Your application runs on the host exactly as it does today. Web OpenWorkshop draws its windows as modern web pages, and keeps a full character terminal underneath for programs that don’t have a graphical interface.

It isn’t only for developers. All the regular Solution-IV products run in Web OpenWorkshop, so anyone who uses Solution-IV can do their work from a browser.

Who it’s for

Solution-IV users who want to work from any PC, Mac or tablet without installing a client
OPENworkshop developers and resellers who want to give their customers a browser option alongside the VIP Windows client
IT teams that want to roll out to every user without touching a workstation
Users on Mac, Chromebook or tablet, where the Windows client doesn’t run

Key benefits

Nothing to install

One address in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. There is no client software to install or update on each workstation.

Your code, unchanged

No conversion. Screens, views, menus and messages come from the same Dictionary-IV definitions, and programs without a graphical interface run in a full character terminal in the same window.

A modern look your users choose

Classic, Glass dark or Glass light, with adjustable glass opacity, blur and dimming of background windows.

Reports to PDF or printer

Host reports open as PDF documents, or print to the workstation’s own printer.

Custom screens in the browser

The built-in screen designer edits a screen’s layout in the browser and saves it back to the host.

Secure, and your data stays home

A TLS-encrypted connection, and each user signs in with their own host credentials. Your data stays on your server.

See it in action

These are Solution-IV screens running in Web OpenWorkshop. Select a picture to see it full size.

A vendor lookup opens as a grid over the screen you're working in.
Vendor purchase history, with balances and monthly and yearly totals.
Each user picks Classic, Glass dark or Glass light, and sets the glass opacity, the blur and how much background windows dim. The choice is saved for that operator in that browser.

How it works

Your users' browsers

Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on Windows, Mac and tablets

Application windows and formsYour screens, views, menus and messages, drawn in a modern web look
Reports to PDF or printerHost reports open as PDF to save, email or print at the workstation
Character terminalPrograms without a graphical interface run in a full terminal, in the same window

Your host server

Linux or UNIX, on your network or in the cloud

Secure terminal gatewayEach user signs in with their own host credentials
Thoroughbred BasicThe Basic environment you run today, unchanged
Dictionary-IV and OPENworkshopThe screen, menu, view, message and report definitions the browser draws
Your applicationsSolution-IV and your own OPENworkshop applications, with nothing converted

One address · Nothing to install on user devices · Your data stays on your host

Your users open one address and sign in. The browser connects to your host over a secure, TLS-encrypted WebSocket.
The host runs your application unchanged, on the same Thoroughbred Basic and OPENworkshop it uses today.
Web OpenWorkshop draws each screen, view, menu and message as it arrives, and sends keystrokes and clicks back to the host.

For developers

What’s covered: Dictionary-IV screens, including layouts customized on the host; views and grids; list and matrix menus; message boxes and valid-value lists; text and help windows; busy windows; and reports.
Character mode: programs without a graphical interface run in a full character terminal in the same browser window.
Custom screens: the built-in screen designer opens a Dictionary-IV screen in the browser and saves the layout back to the host, so every user gets it.
On the server: a Linux or UNIX host with OPENworkshop 8.9.1, running Thoroughbred Basic and your OPENworkshop or Dictionary-IV application. Web OpenWorkshop’s secure terminal gateway runs alongside it.
Browsers: current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.
Technical documentation: ask our sales team for the Web OpenWorkshop technical documentation.

Availability and pricing

Web OpenWorkshop is available December 1, 2026. It requires OPENworkshop release 8.9.1 on your host.

Contact sales for pricing. Email sales@tbred.com or call (800) 524-0430, and we’ll go over licensing for your site and set up a demo on your own application.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to change my application?

No. Your application runs on the host exactly as it does today. Web OpenWorkshop draws the same Dictionary-IV screens, views, menus and messages your users already know.

Does Solution-IV run in Web OpenWorkshop?

Yes. All the regular Solution-IV products run in Web OpenWorkshop, with the same screens and the same data.

When is it available, and what do I need?

Web OpenWorkshop is available December 1, 2026. It requires OPENworkshop release 8.9.1 on your Linux or UNIX host, and a current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on each user’s device.

How does it relate to VIP and TbredComm?

Web OpenWorkshop shows the same Dictionary-IV screens, views and menus as VIP for Dictionary-IV, in a browser instead of a Windows client. Because your application doesn’t change, browser users and VIP users can work side by side. Contact sales to plan the move for your site.

Can it run on our own server, or hosted?

It runs on your own Linux or UNIX server, on your network or in the cloud. Ask us about running it in Thoroughbred’s cloud hosting.

Which browsers does it support?

Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on Windows, Mac, Linux and tablets.

Do our custom screen layouts carry over?

Yes. Screen layouts customized on the host display as designed, and the built-in screen designer edits them in the browser and saves them back to the host.

Web OpenWorkshop