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

Contents

Introduction

First-Generation Client/Server Tools Visual point-and-click programming

Early Second Generation Client/Server Tools Scalability via 3- tier partitioning

Application Management Automated building of managed applications

Transactional Web Development Tools Internet browser support via Java code generation

Unify VISION

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.

Vision Backgrounder
Copyright 1995, 1996 Unify Corporation. All rights reserved.
Last Revised: 18-Jul-1996
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