The Only True Object-Based Query and Reporting Tool.

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You already know that object technology is revolutionizing application development. Now you can put the power of objects in the hands of every business user.

A New Paradigm
With IQ/Objects, users create queries and reports with prefabricated building blocks called SmartObjects. SmartObjects are intelligent. They communicate with each other. And they're reusable. Users simply assemble these SmartObjects to create a limitless array of sophisticated queries and reports.

Simple and Sophisticated
IQ/Objects integrates and correlates information with unprecedented ease. With no more effort or expertise than it takes to use a word processor, any user can...

• query data from heterogeneous data sources
• combine charts, multidimensional cross-tabs, and free form layouts on a single page
• use parent/child reports to pass results from one query object to another
• make any query object conditional
• add watermarks, bitmaps, even audio and video clips

Usability and Scalability
A Microsoft Office look and feel makes IQ/Objects instantly usable. And, by combining IQ/Objects with IQ/SmartServer for Unix or NT, you get a higly scalable, three-tier architecture solution - ready for everything from workgroup decision support to enterprise-wide data warehouses.

SmartObjects are comprised of intelligent objects which can communicate with each other. These SmartObjects are reusable and are easily assembled to create new queries and reports. This allows business users to look at data in many different ways easily and rapidly.

With IQ/Objects, users can generate multiple queries in a single request. These queries can share data with each other and integrate and consolidate output in a single document. For example, a business user may review sales by region and sales by product line, or automatically generate another query to review detailed sales by salesperson.

Click on image to view full size

The solution lies in IQ Software's three- tier architecture that allows data access functions to be partitioned among clients, application servers, and data sources. Each tier can perform the functions it does best. Graphical clients can present the query interface and display results. Server functions can be performed on any logical server including the database server or a separate application server. Databases can reside anywhere.

IQ Software allows IT professionals to implement a highly manageable three-tier architecture solution by seamlessly integrating IQ/Objects with IQ/SmartServer.

This combination allows for a "division of labor" among clients and servers. Query processing can be targeted for the server, the client, or a combination of server and client depending on the needs of the deployment. This flexibility eliminates the fat client syndrome and provides superior performance and scalability.

IQ/Objects' interface immediately looks familiar to users of Microsoft applications. Object directory allows users to create a semantic layer composed of business views. Folder orientation provides easy access to objects including calculated objects, formatting, attributes and functions. Key features include a customizable work environment, consistent tabbed dialogs, multiple levels of undo and redo, and Multiple Document Interface so users can work with several reports/queries simutaneously.

Floating object palette facilitates
easy selection and placement of objects.

Templates containing formatting, logic, calculations and child objects allow users to easily create sophisticated queries and reports.

Quick Query and Designer

Click on image to view full size IQ/Objects' powerful and rich query designer allows limitless output options. Any data object can be simply dragged and dropped to create a query. Consistent formatting attributes for all objects including color, font, borders, and shading, as well as value translation and conditional printing. Live data viewing lets users see results as they design.

1. Creates a query of "Sales by Region" from an Oracle database.
2. Retrieves a previously saved "Sales by Product Line" query from the object repository. This query accesses a MS-Access database and is included for comparative viewing.
3. To analyze sales by salesperson for a specific region, the analyst creates a third query - "Top 5 Salespersons for the Best Performing Region." Detailed sales data is accessed from Informix while the best performing region is passed from the "Sales by Region" query.
4. Upon execution, Query #3 drives Query #4 "3rd Quarter Sales Contest Champs" which displays the winners and their contest prizes.
5. Query #3 also drives Query #5 and "Salespersons Below Quota," a multidimensional cross-tab to analyze sales by product for below quota salespersons.
6. An icon has been included to access an OLE audio-visual object.
7. Bitmapped logo.

Cross-tab Objects

Click on image to view full size Several cross-tab styles are available to easily create simple and multidimensional cross-tabs.

Enterprise-wide deployments of business intelligence tools require enterprise-wide manageability. Without it, the IT support resource, the network performance, and overall resource utilization can be strained.

IQ/Objects minimizes the IT department's support load by combining the reusability of object technology with a powerful repository for shielding users from database complexities. At the same time, the inherent scalability of its three-tier architecture maximizes network performance and resource utilization. These technologies work together to make IQ/Objects highly manageable within both small and large deployments.

Minimal IT Support
IQ/Objects is the only data access tool to provide true object-based technology that supports inheritance, polymorphism and encapsulation. This allows IT professionals to easily administer enterprise-wide deployments.

IQ/Objects' powerful object repository, called the Knowledge Base, allows IT professionals to control access to information. Metadata from databases may be automatically imported into the Knowledge Base to create a comprehensive semantic layer.

Table joins defined by the database administrator are stored in the Knowledge Base. IQ/Objects has the intelligence to automatically decipher join relationships among multiple tables based upon foreign keys and/or column name matching. Cartesian joins are not permitted.

Business Views For Easy Data Access
IQ/Objects' Knowledge Base may be comprised of diverse data sources, providing transparent access to multiple databases. Each Knowledge Base may consist of several business views tailored to meet the needs of specific workgroups. For example, a marketing manager's view may provide access to product sales and channel information, while the financial analyst's view may provide access to budget and expense information. These views allow objects to be easily accessed and shared by groups of business users.

Superior Performance/Scalability
IQ/Objects' Knowledge Base provides for optimum table joins leading to superior performance and accurate results. This includes the ability to set up multi-path links that may define complex join paths between tables where no direct relationship exists.

In conjunction with IQ/SmartServer, IQ Software provides a three-tier architecture that delivers further performance and scalability by the partitioning of data access functions among clients and servers. Support is provided for multiple UNIX and NT application servers for query/report processing. This allows the IT professionals to meet the processing demands of large scale deployments.

Robust Production Reporting
IQ/Objects offers unlimited flexibility in creating sophisticated queries and production reports rapidly. Complex and multi-query reports that took days to develop in 3GL or 4GL tools can be developed with IQ/Objects in minutes.

In addition to parent/child reporting, multiple queries and composite outputs, other advanced capabilities include editing of SQL, automatic creation of IF-THEN-ELSE for conditional logic plus value translation and support for user-defined functions via Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs). Since IQ/Objects allows conditional objects and printing, dozens of related reports can be combined into a few powerful reports reducing maintenance, backlog and processing time.

Flexible Batch Processing
Using IQ/SmartServer, queries and reports created by IQ/Objects can be scheduled for complete execution on the UNIX or NT application or database server, taking advantage of their multi-tasking and multiprocessor capabilities.

Sophisticated output processing provides automatic mapping of fonts between Windows and UNIX. In addition, IQ/SmartServer provides complete support for job monitoring, error handling and automatic completion notification, making it easy to administer batch processing.

Seamless Application Integration
IQ/Objects allows easy integration with other applications using OLE and DDE as well as a command line interface. Queries and reports can be called from popular client/server development tools such as PowerBuilder, Visual Basic and C/C++.

*Requires INFOAccess from Pioneer Systems
**Requires third party gateway, e.g. MDI
***Using DDCS/2 or DDCS/6000

NOTE: Drivers for databases listed above are shipped with IQ/Objects except: MS Access, Watcom, Red Brick, Unisys DMS II and Unisys DMS 2200.