The shortest distance between your

 ideas

and 

finished applications.

TAD is a wizard-driven Rapid Application Development (RAD) tool used to create or enhance existing applications.  With its extensive ability to handle detail-programming tasks, TAD saves the designer time and effort for more meaningful tasks.  TAD achieves many solutions  without programming, while generating documented, 100% data basic code.  No Visual Basic code is used.  Since TAD is table- and parameter-driven, many changes to the editing rules and processing can be made without program recompilation.  By clicking on the image at the left, you will see the main menu window used to enter

The application developer.  TAD contains the following modules to complete the system development task:

         Global Data Dictionary:  Each business employs a standard lexicon of business rules.  Business rulesdictate default data values, validations and interrelated data updates.  In the “progressive detail” model of Visual ^e, the fundamental defining file is the Global Data Dictionary.  Think of the Global Data Dictionary as the doorway to your businesses data warehouse.  Discrete levels of default definition, screen appearance, validation and interrelation propagate automatically from the Global Data Dictionary throughout the application, insuring consistency for the operator, integrity of the data, and ease for the developer.

         Menu Developer:  Allows the developer to build a custom “Desktop.”  From the menu, Microsoft Windows-based applications, Visual ^e programs, TCL character-baseddisplays, basic process programs, PROCs, and Macros are executed.

       Global File Developer:  Automatically creates and maintains file time information such as index maintenance, ID assignment, cross-referencing (inverted list), B-trees, and called subroutine execution.  Look-up definitions can be maintained for any field within the file and automatically called when a “record not found” conditions occur.

         Window Designer:  Provides the developer with a drag-and-drop tool to design windows that internally link the database fields with their validations and other specified fields (see Global Data Dictionary above) to the objects placed in the window.  Fields for specific Windows that need to follow non-default rules are readily specified locally.

         Image Viewer:  Allows the display of scanned images and other raster formats by using the Windows/NT file path name.

         Program Generator:  Generates 100% Pick/Basic, structured,

            event-drivensource code that is already compiled and ready to use.

All these modules provide tools for the designer that virtually eliminate the need to understand or use the Pick/Basic construct of information.  For those seasoned Pick developers who must access the Pick constructs, The Application Developer maintains the constructs automatically.  For instance, TAD’s program generator is responsible for mapping the Windows communication layer subroutines to the appropriate functions called for by the Visual ^e Window DesignerVisual ^e also performs the I/O process between the client graphical communication software and the host program.  The Visual ^e processor eliminates the need to program the navigation-event-capturing and data-processing logic.  And, more importantly, while maintain such complex features, TAD will take any window design and still produce 100% Pick Basic, host event-driven, structured codethat any programmer can understand.

Referential Integrity

In an invoicing system, for example, where invoice line items are maintained by using multi-value fields, complete integrity is maintained in all related line item fields.  For those of you unfamiliar with multi-values, think of them as a “table within a table.”  When one multi-value (MV) is added or deleted, this action is propagated to all corresponding MV’s.  The process is similar to adding a new row to a table, all columns apply to the row.  Because of the uniquely designed Global Data Dictionary, all referential integrity is maintained at a level that does not require regeneration of a program when changes are made to the controlling/dependency relationship.  To simplify maintenance of this relationship, the attribute name is used rather than an attribute mark countnumber (AMC) when showing this relationship.  Yet Pick dictionaries are still maintained using the AMC format.  (AMC is the position of the field within the record.)

Product Comparisons

Right now, Graphical User Interfaceproducts exist that were established to give a graphic look and feel to otherwise procedural oriented applications.  These products each lack true “object-oriented/event-driven” capabilities — they are not fully Windows-aware.  As a result, they do not provide the real productivity gains to end-users that fully Windows-integrated products such as Visual ^e are able to offer. 

Great Compromise

Unlike other Window design products, Visual ^e is designed to help the end-user and developer to design a Windows application without programming.  Visual ^e does not require a “fill-in” the form approach to design your  application.  Instead, a wizard-type dialog appears—but only when required—to prompt the designer for needed information.  By contrast, the “GUIwrapper”-type 4GLs provide little Windows functionality to legacy applications.  Trying to be the best of both worlds’ calls for great compromise when designing Windows applications.  Visual ^e is a true Windows development tool designed specifically to preserve the legacy application.

Thin/Thick Event

Many competing products are runtime interpreted, using a Script language rather than compiled code, or using Visual Basic (thick client) as their primary programming languages.  Other products, like System Builder, contain many called subroutines or interpreted processes that makes user response slow, increase the runtime processing load on the host, plus also making it very difficult for a programmer to debug or enhance a program.  TAD employs a true “Thin Client" architecture that runs compiled code on the host.  In TAD, records do not have to be passed to the client, like in a “Thick Client” solution.  Rather, TAD generates complete programs that contain internal GO-SUBS rather than external calls.  Furthermore, TAD maintains and uses standard record layoutsfor all file records in the form of dimensional arrays.  These standard record layouts provide self-documentation, and resolve field locations at compile time rather than at program execution time. 

Surpasses Character-based Screens

Our present release of Visual ^e is far superior to a character-basedenvironment.  We believe you will find that Visual ^e meets or exceeds your basic Windows design needs for the multidimensional database environment.  Review some of these features:

          Extensive Multi-Value Group handling, one of the most robust features of the product. 

          Ability to handle the normal “data-entry rhythm” of a data entry person.  This feature provides the intensive data-entry applications and allows the operator to continue processing in the current manner.  In particular, Visual ^e allows developers to create Windows screens that follow the operator’s rhythm and style by preserving the Enter key function, rather than forcing operators to learn a new process.

          Run other Windows/DOS programs from Visual ^e.

          Run existing character-based applications from within a window, without any changes.

          Supports small applications from within the Windows 95 platform, providing the ability to perform distributed processing.  For example, salespeople could have their own systems on a laptop computer, while still being able to upload the entered orders to the host/server system at the end of the day. 

          Incorporates procedural control over the windows navigation from object to object.  In most Windows applications, the return key exits the window, and the typical lack of overall control of the window can either allow incomplete records to be accepted, or can interrupt the data-entry person’s rhythm.

Menuing System

Visual ^e’s Menuing System can virtually eliminate the need to jump to the Microsoft Program Manager or Desktop.  By creating specific menus that are available from the currently active window, you can make everything that is necessary to run any application within the multidimensional database environment.  The click of a button can give you access to any word processing, spreadsheet, or other Windows application.  Reviewers of the software have stated that, " Visual ^e 's Menuing Module gives you the ability to create your own Desktop."  Having everything readily available is a real time-saver.

For a detailed demonstration of The Application Developer, please contact us.