Product Overview
Unify VISION
[Product Description |
Technical Specifications |
White Papers |
Data Sheet |
Unify VISION ]
[6/21/96]
Advanced Development Environment for
High-End Client/Server Applications
(Includes VISION 3 and VISION/Web)
"Overall, VISION is a vision of simplistic efficiency. Once you
get the hang of the development environment, you can create
complex applications in a short period of time. ...The tools for
Windows and UNIX are intuitive. The portability features of this
tool free you from the bonds of a single environment, and the
application partitioning capabilities make VISION a scalable
solution for high-volume, enterprise-wide environments. The
documentation is excellent. As portable client/server tools get
better, VISION gets better as well."
DBMS Magazine, C/S Developer
October 1995
"VISION makes application development quick and easy with built-in
connections to most major database servers, a powerful 4GL,
support for object-oriented development, an advanced application
object repository, and new support for the popular concept of
application partitioning."
UNIX Review
December 1995
Introduction
First-Generation Client/Server Tools Visual
point-and-click programming
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Early Second Generation Client/Server
Tools Scalability via 3- tier partitioning
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Application Management Automated building
of managed applications
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Transactional Web Development Tools
Internet browser support via Java code generation
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Filling the enterprise tools gap
For the first time, Unify's VISION client/server application
development environment marries the visual programming of the first
generation of client/server tools with the full scalability of the
early second-generation - those tools that have introduced
three-tier application partitioning, but remain extremely complex
and difficult to use. In doing so, Unify VISION provides the first
tool for IS organizations that is truly appropriate for developing,
deploying and managing applications at the workgroup, departmental
and enterprise-wide levels with anywhere from 10 to 1,000
users.
The early entrants to the second-generation market have addressed
the scalability problems faced by organizations that ran out of gas
with their first-generation tools. But they are aimed at the most
complex, enterprise-scale applications, neglecting to bring along
the easy, straightforward, and rapid visual programming of their
predecessors. According to Hurwitz Consulting Group, "Learning how
to use them [Dynasty and Forte] borders on rocket science." Unify
VISION, on the other hand, is the perfect synthesis: A
client/server tool for developers at every level in the enterprise
- not just a tool for building enterprise-wide applications
Product highlights
Java generation adds Web browsers to full list of enterprise
client platforms
In July 1996, Unify introduced a new companion product to VISION,
VISION/Web™, which provides automated Java code generation
to support fast, scaleable transactional applications on the World
Wide Web. Unify VISION and VISION/Web combine to enable developers
to build enterprise-scale transactional applications that run on
both Web and non-Web clients and servers. While competitors have
announced HTML/CGI generation capable of supporting only simple
forms and document-centric applications over the Web, VISION
together with VISION/Web's Java generation enable developers to
rapidly build complex, transactional Web applications.
Beyond partitioning: an open approach to client/server
application management
In December 1995, Unify became the first client/server tool vendor
to hurdle a major obstacle facing companies building large-scale,
mission-critical applications: application management Unify
introduced . AppMan
for VISION, a new set of open tools and software agents that
automates the process of building managed applications and
integrating them with leading software distribution, event and
performance management systems from vendors including BMC Software,
Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Tivoli. Leading tools industry
analyst firm, Hurwitz Consulting Group, wrote: "With its AppMan
strategy, Unify is helping to set the agenda for applications
management in client/server application development tools"
(Application Management: A Crisis in Enterprise Client/Server
Computing, January 1996).
Just as VISION automates the programming associated with building
GUIs, accessing databases, and building and partitioning
application logic, AppMan now automates the process of building
managed applications. AppMan is the first client/server
development tool that takes a comprehensive approach to all key
requirements of application management: event management,
performance management, software distribution, administration,
security and asset management. Because comprehensive management of
distributed applications is so critical to their success, AppMan
has been fully incorporated as a standard feature within the core
VISION development environment.
Standards-based automated three-tier partitioning
VISION's CORBA-based messaging architecture automatically and
transparently partitions applications across three-tier
client/server systems. As a result, according to Hurwitz Group,
"Developers can deliver efficient, partitioned applications faster,
at lower cost, and with more deployment flexibility than they can
using current tools." Though VISION's advanced partitioning
capabilities are superior to those of any other second-generation
client/server tool, VISION gives developers the option of choosing
not to invoke this capability, which simplifies the development,
deployment and management of smaller-scale applications.
More than simple screen builders: not just widgets, but the
logic behind them
VISION's next-generation visual programming environment goes far
beyond the simple screen- builders of most first- and
second-generation tools, automating 100% of time-intensive forms
design, database access (including concurrent access to multiple
databases), GUI programming, and debugging - plus typically 60-90%
of the application logic. And, where the visual programming stops,
a powerful object-oriented 4GL takes over, so developers can
completely avoid dropping down to low-level coding in a 3GL such as
C .
100% automated native database access
Unify VISION provides 100% automatic generation of SQL code to
access data and control database transactions, far exceeding the
capabilities of both first-generation tools like PowerBuilder and
second-generation tools like Fort. VISION also supports concurrent
access to multiple databases through native interfaces, thus
combining the same optimized functionality and performance as the
database vendors' own tools with the flexibility of an open
database tool.
Cross-platform development and deployment
VISION's complete binary portability among GUIs, operating systems,
and RDBMS platforms enables developers to develop anywhere and
deploy everywhere, without any porting or recompiling. Even
repartitioning applications from one type of platform to another
requires no changes or recompiling. In contrast, competing
products at both the low end and the high end require developers to
recompile and debug applications and partitions to run in each
environment.
Transition to visual OO development - not a forced move
VISION supports IS transition to a fully object-oriented paradigm
(i.e., encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism), but doesn't
demand a flashcut forced move like the early second-generation
tools, which require programmers to be fully versed in OO. Rather,
VISION's graphical class browser- based development environment
supports a flexible transition, giving programmers the flexibility
to choose between visual procedural or OO programming methods, or
to transition seamlessly from one to the other.
Scalable, on-line transaction processing
VISION provides 100% automated generation of transaction-based
logic (e.g., locking strategies) to support large enterprise
on-line transaction processing (OLTP) applications. To improve
performance and cope with the complex requirements of OLTP (such as
choice of locking modes), developers using first-generation tools
typically have to rewrite large parts of their applications in a
lower-level language such as C, defeating first-generation
productivity gains.
Scaling to the enterprise using repository-based team support,
CASE integration
VISION supports large-scale enterprise development through support
for team development using its multi-user repository and version
control. Both of these features support VISION's capabilities to
synchronize the development of multiple components, their versions
and interactions; to support reuse of standardized objects; and to
centrally maintain business rules and logic.
VISION also supports true, tight integration with leading CASE
tools and an open, published API to support free choice of a CASE
tool.
II. A Mature 2nd-Generation Client/Server Development Environment
The First Generation
The first generation of client/server application development tools
features two types of tools:
- Graphical tools that focus exclusively on client-side database
access applications (e.g., PowerBuilder, Centura). They automate
database access but rely on the two-tier client/server model
composed of a client application (the first tier - a.k.a. "fat
client") and back-end SQL database (second tier).
These tools are excellent for developing workgroup applications
with small numbers of users, but slow response times and network
bottlenecks are just a few of the problems that occur when the
number of concurrent users grows, or when large data sets must be
retrieved and manipulated.
- Tools that combine visual screen builders with traditional 3GL
languages (e.g., Microsoft's Visual Basic, Visual C++). These
reduce the burden of processing on the client side but inhibit
rapid development by requiring programmers to write low-level calls
to the DBMS.
This first generation of tools was designed for rapid development
of client-based GUIs. Their greatest and most cost-effective
benefit lies in developing small, less complex applications that
don't require broad deployment to high volumes of users.
However, when companies attempt to upsize their workgroup
applications - or downsize their larger- scale legacy applications
- to client/server, they hit the wall with first-generation tools.
These tools were not designed to support more complex development
functions. Implementing functions such as transaction management,
locking models, forms navigation and relationships, and multiple
database access is code intensive and difficult. Furthermore,
because many support Windows development and deployment only, they
can not support heterogeneous networks with Windows 95, NT, Windows
3.1, OS/2, UNIX, Macintosh and Web browsers.
The Early Second-Generation
The first entrants to the second-generation client/server tools
market directly addressed application scalability for high-volume
transaction support and expanding volumes of users. They used the
three- tier client/server model and automated application
partitioning: the ability to transparently distribute the
application across networked clients (first tier) and application
servers (second tier) as well as database servers (third tier).
With the three-tier model, core business functions are removed from
the client, and bulky, unprocessed data is no longer shipped over
the network. Instead, a "thin client" manages the user
interaction, making remote requests to services when it needs data
or business function processing.
Focused almost exclusively on partitioning to address the
largest-scale client/server applications, these tools do not
provide the easy graphical and automated development capabilities
of first-generation client/server tools. They are best suited to
the most complex enterprise-wide applications and typically demand
the resources to match: both high entry-level financial
investment, plus valuable developer time spent learning extensive
CASE-like methodologies, full object-oriented programming, and
proprietary technologies.
Unify VISION: A mature - and flexible - second-generation
client/server tool
The first truly mature second-generation client/server application
development tool, Unify VISION enables scalable partitioning like
early second-generation tools, while providing the visual,
automated programming environment of the first generation. As
such, VISION is the only visual programming environment appropriate
for workgroup-level to enterprise-level applications
development.
VISION also provides a degree of flexibility not found in its early
second-generation predecessors. To many developers, the transition
to client/server application development is difficult enough
without the added complication of having to design for and manage
three-tier distributed application partitioning or adopt a wholly
object-oriented environment. Unlike most second-generation tools,
VISION does not impose these disciplines, but makes them available
according to user choice, allowing developers to adopt object
orientation at their own pace and decide upon application
partitioning when deploying the application. Furthermore, rather
than forcing developers to adopt the tool vendor's own proprietary
CASE methodology, VISION supports integration with the user's own
preferred CASE tool. Finally, VISION provides the flexibility of
both development and deployment on the developer's choice of
platform with complete native look and feel.
Unify AppMan for VISION: automating the development of managed
client/server applications
In December 1995, Unify VISION made major headlines in the
technology trade press when it became the first client/server tool
to hurdle the next major obstacle facing companies building
large-scale, mission-critical applications: application management.
Companies deploying these applications in client/server
environments are currently inhibited by the lack of
"mainframe-class" management systems necessary to ensure
application availability. As a result, applications that have been
deployed and maintained in enterprise production environments have
required a startling commitment of resources to ensure application
availability, while taxing even the most aggressive IT
organizations. System downtime, budget overruns, and an
uncomfortably high percentage of full-blown client/server
production failures have given most organizations pause in
considering mission-critical deployments.
The dearth of tools to manage client/server applications has become
a major obstacle for mission-critical client/server deployments.
The network and systems-level management products available today
for client/server environments manage the technology components
underlying client/server applications, not the applications
themselves which actually run the business at hand. The key to
effective application management is for developers to build managed
client/server applications from the ground up, but client/server
development tools have not yet addressed this critical
requirement. Unify's AppMan is a new set of tools and software
agents for VISION that automates the process of building managed
applications and integrating them with leading software
distribution, event and performance management systems from vendors
including BMC Software, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Tivoli.
VISION/Web: High-end client/server applications extended to
"universal" Web browser clients
With the July 1996 introduction of VISION/Web, Unify provided the
industry's first advanced development environment to generate Java
for high-end client/server Web applications. VISION and VISION/Web
generate Java code, without the need for Java programming, and
enable developers to build high-end transactional applications that
run on both Web and non-Web clients and servers. For the first
time, VISION and VISION/Web provide a single rapid development
environment that companies can standardize on for all of their
applications -- whether Internet-based or LAN-based, whether
enterprise- or department-scale.
VISION/Web enables VISION applications to run in the Web
environment without modification. While VISION automatically
generates support for all standard enterprise client and server
platforms (Windows 95, NT, 3.1, Unix, OS/2, Macintosh), VISION/WEB
generates Java code which can be downloaded and run through
"universal" Web clients, which have the same look-and-feel and
functionality as non-Web client platforms. In addition, VISION/Web
clients use CORBA-compliant IIOP (Internet Inter-ORB Protocol) --
not simply the HTTP network protocols relied on by other high- end
client-server tools -- to enable multi-step client/server
transactions with substantially reduced Internet network traffic
and far superior end-user response times.
Second-generation client/server capabilities brought to Web
applications
Moreover, in contrast to standard Java programming tools, VISION
doesn't merely hide the complexities of basic 3GL and Internet
programming, but adds a wide range of second-generation
client/server development features for highly-productive
development and high-performance deployment of the most complex
client/server Web applications. These features include:
- Multi-tier partitioning with replicated services for high
performance and fault tolerance
- Integrated application management for centralized control and
monitoring of distributed applications
- Automated native database access and visual object-oriented
(OO) programming for rapid time-to-market.
III. VISION Application Model and Deployment Environment
"Developers we talked with generally accepted the defaults provided
by the application model and appreciated starting with something
they can easily modify rather than having to start from scratch.
The application model gives Unify a real edge in terms of helping
developers quickly get up to speed."
Client/Server Tool Watch
Hurwitz Consulting Group
VISION is built on a default application and transaction model that
eliminates much of the low-level repetitive programming effort
required by other tools. The model consists of a set of built-in
procedures and logic that automate code-intensive functions
including not simply GUI behavior and form generation (like many
other tools) - but application partitioning, enterprise-wide
database connectivity, transaction-based logic and cross-platform
portability. The built-in model eliminates much of the programming
required with both first- and early second-generation tools,
dramatically reducing the amount of application code, and resulting
in better-quality code, increased developer productivity, greater
consistency (within a single application and across multiple
corporate applications), reduced maintenance, and wide availability
of objects for reuse.
Automated three-tier partitioning
VISION's three-tier application partitioning automatically and
transparently distributes service objects - related application
elements that perform a service - across the client (including Web
browsers), the application server, and the database server to
optimize client/server application performance.
VISION clients connect to a standards-based object request broker
(ORB). Furthermore, because developers need not be aware of the
technology used to distribute partitions, developers do not need
specialized network programming expertise.
"VISION's partitioning feature lets developers partition
applications across various application servers to optimize
application performance. VISION provides the command and control
that developers require, including automatically handling
networking communications and messaging among partitions."
DBMS Magazine, C/S Developer
October 1995
"If Forte Software set the standard for application partitioning
features, Unify's VISION 3.0 either meets or exceeds the standards
with very strong partition failover performance management and
partition administration. Unify has also strengthened its
competitive position by integrating its innovative AppMan
management technology in VISION 3.0."
John Rymer,
vice president/senior analyst
Giga Information Group
June 1996
VISION's advanced partitioning capabilities include replicated
application services, which greatly improve performance by enabling
parallel operations on the same or different machines. VISION also
secures mission-critical applications by providing automatic load
balancing and failover (i.e., automatic fault tolerance) for
mission-critical applications. In addition, proactive event
notification features (also known as "publish and subscribe")
support client-to-client and server-to-client messaging -- a
critical feature when, for example, traders on a stock exchange
floor need immediate notification that a stock price has reached a
certain level. VISION partitions can be managed graphically with
the VISION Console, which displays where partition objects are
running, and lets administrators drag-and-drop application
partitions on clients and servers at both development and runtime.
Naming services
The distributed naming service dynamically tracks the location of
all object services available to VISION applications. Aberdeen
Group identifies this naming service as unique to Unify, and a
"strong foundation for departmental growth and change." The naming
service facilitates flexible partitioning and helps to make
applications independent of platform, location, or network. This
capability aids in performance optimization, application
repartitioning, and load balancing at a departmental and an
enterprise scale.
Binary cross-platform portability: not simply portable apps
"VISION's best feature may be one you never use: portability.
VISION is a portable development tool, and applications you build
for your UNIX-based systems are portable without code modifications
to other UNIX and non-UNIX environments. Essentially, your VISION
applications will run on any other platform VISION supports. Our
test proves that its applications are truly portable. We went from
SunOS to MS Windows and back successfully."
UNIX Review
December 1995
"VISION provides developers with binary portability among all of
the GUIs that VISION supports (Windows, Motif, OpenLook, and
Macintosh) as well as operating systems and links to database
servers. This means that you can create a VISION application on
Windows with links to Oracle, and port it to UNIX without
modification, relinking to the same database in that environment.
Also, innovative developers can use a single coy of a VISION
application that resides on a central file server to support
several types of workstations such as Windows, UNIX, and
Macintosh."
DBMS Magizine
October 1995
Using most first-generation client/server tools, the task of moving
an application to a new platform requires complete rebuilding for
the new GUI or operating system. Even those first- and second-
generation tools supporting "portable" application development
typically require developers to recompile and debug the
applications and partitions to run in a new environment.
Because VISION provides complete binary portability among GUIs,
operating systems, and RDBMS platforms, a single copy of an
application can reside on a network server and be executed directly
on any VISION platform-including Windows (3.1, NT and Windows95),
UNIX, Macintosh and OS/2 Warp. Without any porting or recompiling
for each platform, developers can simply develop anywhere and
deploy everywhere. They write and debug code just once on the
development environment they prefer, then simply deploy across
other user platforms. For example, an application (or a partition)
can be moved from a Windows machine to a UNIX server without any
changes or recompiling. With the addition of VISION/Web's Java code
generation, the same application can be executed directly on Web
browser clients, as well.
Database connectivity services: automated, native, enterprise-wide
VISION also provides portability for applications across all
leading databases, supporting all native extensions, while enabling
the use of vendor-specific enhancements such as stored procedures,
triggers, rules, roles, and language extensions such as PL/SQL™
or Transact-SQL®.
"VISION's database-smart drivers are a group of custom native
drivers that exploit the best features of the database server's
native interfaces. When using these drivers, VISION exploits the
locking model and key structures of the native database engines."
UNIX Review
December 1995
The VISION Database Smart interface automates virtually all
database connectivity and transaction management. The interface
lets developers integrate enterprise-wide data from multiple PC and
UNIX client/server and mainframe databases into a single
application or even a single form without sophisticated coding.
VISION automatically handles query-by-form, insert, update, delete,
master/detail relationships, and transaction control for each
database, generating optimized SQL for each brand of DBMS accessed
at runtime. Furthermore, when a form originally developed for one
database is switched to another, the system automatically
accommodates the differences in command syntax, semantics, locking,
and transaction control. Access is provided to the following major
databases:
Mainframe (via DRDA) |
UNIX ,NT,OS/2 Client/Server (all native) |
All ODBC-compliant databases, including: |
DB2
DB2/400 |
DB2/6000, (DB2/2)
Ingres
Informix
Microsoft SQL Server
Oracle
Sybase
Unify 2000 |
Microsoft Access
Watcom
dBASE |
IV. Unify AppMan for VISION
"Application management is the greatest unmet need facing
mission-critical, client/server deployment. It's time for
client/server developers to address management directly, not simply
toss their applications over the wall and let network and system
management professionals struggle to keep them up and running.
Unify understands these issues very clearly and is delivering real
solutions today - not promises."
Patricia Seybold Group
December, 1995
"No one has dealt with application management issues up till now.
Unify is ahead of the curve in coming up with a strategy to do
this."
META Group
(Network World, 12/4/95)
"One of the most significant aspects of the AppMan approach is its
support for automatically delivering management capabilities
without developer intervention. The automatic instrumentation,
monitoring, and eventing capabilities of AppMan free the developer
from having to learn foreign technologies, such as SNMP development
and all its complexities. This automation and ability to embed
management capabilities is critical. Developers are under enormous
pressure to deliver important business functionality. In most
situations, an application management strategy that requires
extensive developer effort is doomed to fail. Unify AppMan avoids
this pitfall by automating much of the application management
process."
Chet Geschickter, vice president
Hurwitz Consulting Group
Application Management:
A Crisis in Enterprise
Client/Server Computing
January, 1996
Open tools to build managed applications
Spurred by demand from users of its VISION enterprise client/server
development environment, Unify has introduced Unify AppMan for
VISION: the first client/server application development tool that
takes a comprehensive approach to all key requirements for
application management.
A suite of tools incorporated within the VISION environment, AppMan
automates the process of building managed applications and
integrating them with the growing third-party management
infrastructure already taking hold in client/server environments.
Just as VISION automates the programming associated with building
GUIs, accessing databases, and building and partitioning
application logic, AppMan now automates the process of building
managed applications.
AppMan uses intelligent software agents to provide VISION
applications with transparent links to leading management systems
from vendors including BMC Software, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and
Tivoli. AppMan also embeds management intelligence into every
VISION application allowing developers to build applications which
automatically support such critical tasks as software distribution,
event management, and performance management. Finally, AppMan is
based on an architected set of APIs and includes an open toolkit
for building custom agents to integrate with additional management
solutions.
Comprehensive, open, integrated management architecture
AppMan addresses the six key management areas required to replicate
mainframe-class management:
- Centralized event management
- Performance management
- Software distribution and configuration management
- Administration
- Security
- Asset management and licensing
Avoiding the proprietary approach proposed by some tool vendors,
Unify built AppMan using an open architecture with a set of
pre-built agents (as well as a set of comprehensive APIs) that
enable IT organizations to manage their VISION-built applications
using any preferred management system - or different systems at
different sites. The AppMan architecture is open and extensible,
capable of evolving in parallel with the fledgling client/server
management infrastructure.
Timetable
In its initial release, AppMan provides complete management
solutions for four of the six major requirements of application
management, and agent-based integrations with several leading
management systems. In AppMan release 2, Unify will support the
two remaining management requirements with agent-based integrations
and will expand its agent offerings. {For additional background
information on Unify AppMan, please see "Unify AppMan for VISION,
Product Strategy and Technology Overview."}
Management
Requirement |
Automated Functions, Embedded Management Intelligence |
Agent-Based
Integrations |
Release |
Centralized event
management |
More than 400 built-in events
VISION 4GL support to
build user-defined events |
BMC PATROL
Tivoli/Enterprise Console
SNMP support |
AppMan 1 |
Performance
management |
140 built-in performance
metrics |
BMC PATROL
Hewlett-Packard
MeasureWare/PerfView
Transaction Tracker
SNMP support |
AppMan 1 |
Software distribution |
Deployment configurator |
Microsoft SMS
Tivoli Courier |
AppMan 1 |
Administration |
VISION graphical console
for partition management
Low-cost Unify console
for events and metrics |
To third-party tools - Future |
AppMan 1 |
Security |
Future |
Future |
AppMan 2 |
Asset Management
and Licensing |
Future |
Future |
AppMan 2 |
V. VISION Development Model and Tools
Repository-based development, forms-based applications
VISION's repository-based development model offers the flexibility
of using VISION's graphical development tools and object-oriented
4GL for iterative development, or for linking closely with
sophisticated modeling and analysis tools for a more structured
design process.
No matter which avenue is chosen, each VISION application
essentially comprises a series of forms. Developing a VISION
application typically involves defining forms, setting form
properties, establishing relationships between forms, and adding
4GL code to script events for forms and other Unify VISION
objects. These processes are supported by a few major VISION
components:
- Graphical class browser, integrated script editor, and object repository
- VISION Designer and SmartView dialogs
- VISION 4GL
Graphical class browser
VISION is the first fully object-oriented client/server tool
(i.e., supporting encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism) in
which the graphical class browser is the central development
environment -- not simply an add-on utility. The graphical class
browser provides a visual and highly intuitive approach to OO and
is easily usable by procedurally trained programmers who are not
OO-literate. Programmers create all new objects by simply
highlighting a parent class in the tree-oriented browser and
subclassing from it, whether it be a form, a code object or
widget.
The combination of the browser's integrated script editing and
VISION 's support for code objects that are either OO or procedural
gives programmers the flexibility to choose between procedural or
OO programming methods, or to transition seamlessly from one to the
other.
Open Object Repository
The object repository (OR) is the storage mechanism for application
objects. The OR allows entire development teams to simultaneously
share and reuse pre-existing, proven components, saving developer
time, making it easier to maintain a company's business rules and
logic in a highly distributed environment, and reducing user
training requirements. The OR also provides a central place to
manage and maintain objects, allowing a developer to change an
object once and have that change apply automatically to every
instance of that object (object synchronization), unless the
developer specifies otherwise.
"VISION supports the object-oriented model and provides the
built-in benefits of object-oriented programming including reuse of
code, metadata, and forms...The object- oriented facilities provide
an effective mechanism for reuse and a facility to maintain objects
inside a managed repository. The repository-driven development of
VISION lets developers define an application from the generic to
the specific, reusing as many components as possible, which reduces
development time and enhances application consistency."
UNIX Review
December 1995
VISION Designer
VISION Designer is a fully graphical environment used to create and
lay out forms. It provides basic forms, tool bars, and menu bars
for developers to size, place, and color.
Java Guideline controls
A checkbox allows developers to create applications with VISION/Web
that stay within current Java guidelines.
SmartView: Automatic forms generation, GUI & DB functions.
SmartView dialogs and property sheets within the Designer let
developers invoke functionality using point-and-click application
design, drastically reducing the amount of code they need to
write. Working purely within SmartView dialog boxes, developers
can define database links, database access, transaction rules, and
relationships between forms. The SQL code to carry out these
selections is generated automatically by VISION. Many VISION
applications are developed without writing a single line of
code.
"SmartView minimizes the amount of code a developer needs to write,
letting VISION deliver some real RAD productivity. Developers
report that SmartView lets them program by exception, using the 4GL
only when they want to override specific functionality... Large
portions of applications can be created without ever touching the
4GL."
Hurwitz Consulting Group
Client/Server Tool Watch
"We've seen many tools that simplify the specification of SQL
statements, facilitate access of data in related tables, and
perform transactions management and locking, but none that does
these things to the extent that Unify VISION does."
Mitchell Kramer
Open Information Systems
Patricia Seybold Group
VISION 4GL
The VISION event-driven, fully object-oriented 4GL language, is a
set of English-like verbs followed by a parameter, is used to add
additional logic to the application and define exceptions to the
built-in behavior of objects.
"The VISION 4GL lets developers create complex business logic with
only a fraction of the coding required by 3GL tools."
Hurwitz Consulting Group
Client/Server Tool Watch,
March 1995
Lifecycle integrations: CASE and configuration management
The OR is platform-independent and multi-user with built-in
concurrency control for large-scale team development. It also
provides links into other tools to enhance overall team
productivity for large development projects. These interfaces are
based on open APIs published and promoted by Unify.
- VISION CASE Bridge. To support sophisticated modeling,
analysis and design via standard CASE tools, the VISION CASE Bridge
lets developers populate the OR from CASE models. Two- way
communication ensures that changes in one environment are
accurately reflected back to the other. Unify currently supports
full integration with Visual Analyst Workbench from Visible
Systems.
- Version Control Bridge. To manage the versioning of objects
across teams throughout the development lifecycle, the Version
Control Bridge provides two-way communication with software
configuration management tools. Unify supports full integration
with Intersolv PVCS, the leading software configuration management
tool for LANs, PCs and workstations.
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VISION Backgrounder
Copyright 1995, 1996 Unify Corporation. All rights reserved.
Last Revised: 18-Jul-1996
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