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OS/2 Shareware BBS: 16 Announce
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IBMAD.TXT
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1993-10-16
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IBM ANNOUNCES APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS, STRATEGIES
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 12 . . . IBM today announced
offerings and strategies designed to help software developers
build applications that take advantage of the power of the
desktop and key technologies such as client/server processing,
object-oriented development and transparent access to data
across the enterprise.
The offerings illustrate IBM's commitment to providing
products and services to increase the effectiveness of software
developers working individually or in teams using LAN-based
workstations.
"IBM's goal for application development is to help developers
build tomorrow's applications today -- quickly, efficiently and
with high quality," said Steve Mills, General Manager, IBM
Software Solutions Division. "IBM's application development
offers a breadth of skills for building mission-critical,
client/server and object-oriented applications through products,
consulting and services."
IBM will deliver an open environment to build applications
for an extensive set of clients and servers that support scalable
systems from the desktop to the enterprise.
In support of these strategies, IBM today introduced the
following offerings for application development:
- VisualAge*, a powerful tool that allows developers to
quickly build a range of client-server applications
utilizing existing code as well as new software
components. VisualAge allows developers to exploit the
efficiency of object-oriented technology by building
software from pre-built components while minimizing
training costs.
- IBM also intends to introduce a new addition to its
application generator family of products. This
product, code-named Highpoint, is designed to establish
IBM's role in the 4GL (fourth generation language)
workstation environment by providing a powerful,
comprehensive solution for use in the definition, test
and generation of graphics-based client/server and
stand-alone applications. The tool is intended to
deliver business solutions while providing a
development environment which insulates the programmer
from underlying system and subsystem complexities such
as communications protocols, data formatting and
conversion and server location.
- IBM also announced ReDiscovery* a tool that increases
productivity by allowing customers to reuse existing
software code, specifications, and documentation.
ReuseGuide automates the search and selection of
reusable software parts, reducing the time needed to
maintain old applications, build new ones and support
movement to client/server.
- IBM also announced the availability of skilled software
personnel to assist in the planning, installation and
customization of a range of client/serving offerings,
including business process reengineering.
IBM's AD strategies reflect its belief that object-oriented
(OO) technology is a key emerging direction for building
industrial-strength, client/server applications. IBM has
completed more than 45 projects using OO, including the
development of VisualAge and FlowMark*, a new work flow
management system. IBM is also working with standards groups to
provide OO consistency and openness.
"IBM is committed to OO in client/server development, in
fact the majority of our workstation development now involves
OO," said James B. Archer, IBM's Director of Application
Development. "That commitment reaches across data storage,
languages, visual development, support and services."
Other key new IBM strategies and products in application
development include:
- C++ language in OS/2* as well as AIX*;
- Class libraries for key system functions;
- Object-oriented database technology for underlying AD
storage and persistent object store for applications;
- extending OO direction across the 3GL languages;
- shared objects between languages and across systems (SOM
and DSOM);
- extension to relational DBs to support objects.
IBM's Software Solutions Division develops mission-critical
software for data on workstations, local area networks, midrange
computers and large systems. It provides a broad range of
products for application development, enterprise data and systems
management, workgroup applications and electronic publishing
documentation. Its IBM Software Manufacturing Company provides
3other companies comprehensive services for marketing and
distributing software products worldwide.
# # #
IBM ANNOUNCES HIGH-PERFORMANCE CLIENT/SERVER POWER TOOL
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 12, 1993 . . . IBM today announced
VisualAge*, a new client/server power tool which allows software
developers to quickly write advanced, more efficient and tailored
applications without investing tremendous amounts of time, energy
and money in complex programming skills.
VisualAge allows developers to quickly build client-server
software applications by combining the power of object-oriented
(OO) technology with the simplicity of visually connecting
pre-fabricated software components. The combination of the
VisualAge integrated Smalltalk environment with necessary
team-oriented facilities provides for the development of
scalable, line-of-business applications.
VisualAge's features include rich and open networking and
communications, access to IBM and non-IBM databases, multi-media
components, and access and use of existing applications.
VisualAge is especially well-suited for developers who build
state-of-the-art client/server applications that need to access
and use enterprise code and data.
"With today's announcement of VisualAge, IBM has
demonstrated its long-term commitment to high-performance,
industry-leading, client/server programming technology," said
Steve Mills, General Manager, IBM Software Solutions Division.
"VisualAge improves application development productivity and
offers professional developers a true object-oriented programming
tool."
There are two kinds of VisualAge: VisualAge for stand-alone
developers and VisualAge Team, which includes library support
version control and configuration management capabilities.
VisualAge is the premier application builder for DB2/2
applications. DB2/2 access and support is built into the base
products of VisualAge and VisualAge Team. Access to Sybase and
Oracle databases is available as an optional feature.
VisualAge is an extensible, high-powered client/server
development tool which eliminates possible programming obstacles
end users might encounter using other rapid application
development tools. Because of the product's architecture and its
use of Smalltalk, end users benefit from the productivity of a
fourth generation programming language (4GL) and the flexibility
of a 3GL.
"Moving into object-oriented technology without the learning
curve can mean productivity without delay for customers," said
Al Zollar, Director, Cary Programming Lab, IBM Software Solutions
Division. "Developers can build applications without OO skills by
simply selecting pre-built software parts and making connections
between them."
When new parts need to be written, programmers can take
advantage of the full Smalltalk environment within VisualAge.
Alternatively, parts can be written in C or COBOL, and VisualAge
packages these parts to behave like objects.
VisualAge provides a set of interactive development tools
including visual programming facilities and an extensive library
of already constructed parts. Add-on components include
communications, Cobol language, access to non-IBM databases and
multimedia.
IBM's VisualAge will first support IBM's OS/2*, followed
shortly by Windows**, then AIX and other platforms based on
customer demand. VisualAge, which was developed with extensive
customer involvement, will be available to selected customers at
the end of this month through a First Customer Shipment program.
The first release of VisualAge will support IBM's Systems
Object Model (SOM), which provides component reusability and
interoperability across languages.
The Smalltalk embedded in VisualAge adheres to industry
standards such as OSF MOTIF, POSIX and XWINDOWS. It is also
based on the proposed common-base Smalltalk submitted to ANSI
this year.
VisualAge Team and IBM's ENVY**/400 are complementary
products. ENVY/400 is for customers who need integration with
AS/400* data and services.
VisualAge incorporates technology licensed from leading OO
tool vendors, including Object Technology International, Inc.,
and Digitalk, Inc.
IBM's Software Solutions Division develops mission-critical
software for data on workstations, local area networks, midrange
computers and large systems. It provides a broad range of
products for application development, enterprise data and systems
management, workgroup applications and electronic publishing
documentation. Its IBM Software Manufacturing Company provides
other companies comprehensive services for marketing and
distributing software products worldwide.
# # #
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Detail on IBM's VisualAge*
VisualAge allows the rapid development of software applications
from parts, provides a set of interactive development tools,
including visual programming facilities and an extensive library
of already constructed parts. Components and support provided by
VisualAge include:
Application builder: visual programming tool for
creating applications non-procedurally, using
construction from pre-built software parts.
GUI support with reusable components for CUA and
extensions for smart entry fields, tables and forms.
Client/server and communication support over multiple
protocols including APPC, ECI, TCP/IP, NetBIOS and
EHLLAPI.
Relational database support, including IBM's DB2/2 and
remote databases via IBM's DRDA, Oracle and Sybase.
Enhanced DLL support for local C and COBOL DLLs with a
facility that automatically builds parts from the DLL
and the copy files.
Mapping between records (I/O record structures of local
and remote C and COBOL programs and database tables)
and objects.
Team programming in VisualAge Team with a Local Area
Network (LAN)central library of
classes, parts, and subsystems towhich programmers
can access concurrently. The VisualAge Team product
also includes support for prerequisites, version and
release control, change control and management,
ownership, performance profiler and application
packager.
Library of reusable parts for GUI, customizable generic
parts for queries, external functions and remote
transactions.
Other powerful capabilities and benefits offered by
VisualAge include:
supports many types of client/server programming beyond just
building database applications
allows non-advanced programmers to build custom
applications using existing code
provides more advanced programmers with the tools they
need to build their own parts
accesses and builds GUI
allows PCs to pull more data from the server more
efficiently for processing
takes advantage of OO programming, resulting in higher
rates of productivity and quality in end programs
uses the latest version of the industry's Common User
Access (CUA) standards with programming icons
multimedia capabilities
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
IBM Announces New Tool for Reusing and Managing Software
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 12, 1993 . . . IBM today announced
a new software reuse management tool that allows software
developers and corporate data administrators to locate and keep
track of reusable software parts in their enterprise. IBM's
ReDiscovery/2* and ReDiscovery/MVS* are designed to provide a
cost-effective means for reusing code, thus reducing the cost of
software maintenance and development.
With the ReDiscovery products, software developers can
create a catalog of reusable software parts to search for and
retrieve needed parts. The catalog is a compact index that
describes the contents of reuse libraries. ReDiscovery also
notifies the user when a change has been made to a specific
part's reuse information.
Developers and administrators often spend valuable time
searching and cataloging reusable application code and system
components. The ReDiscovery products, developed by IBM's Software
Solutions Division, automate and speed this "discovery" process.
"Developers' and administrators' time is valuable, and they
have to spend too much of it searching and cataloging re-usable
application code and systems components," said
Steve Mills, general manager of IBM's Software Solutions
Division. "The ReDiscovery products speed this process, freeing
people from manually categorizing, indexing and locating
hundreds of common reusable functions in an enterprise."
For example, a company may have dozens of time-date
functions in the enterprise. By replacing them with one reusable
time-date module, redundant code is eliminated.
The ReDiscovery products provide extremely flexible search
criteria and a fast search capability, making them one of the
easiest to use and fastest tools on the market.
The new products also supports a customizable Reuse
Methodology, so users can define the type of reuse information
for parts identification, location and retrieval. They can access
reuse parts libraries in OS/2* workstations, or MVS* file systems
as well as other popular library management systems. They can
locate local or remote workstation parts or MVS parts from a
single OS/2* interface.
Other features include an easy-to-use graphical user
interface, an online tutorial, and extensive online help.
The ReDiscovery products will be available to selected
customers in November. These tools are the latest offering in
IBM's software Redevelopment portfolio, which enables users to
leverage investments in existing systems to jump start new
applications and at the same time improve quality, maintenance and
productivity of old applications. In addition to products, IBM's
redevelopment portfolio includes educational and consulting
services to assist users through all phases of the software
redevelopment process.
IBM's Software Solutions Division develops mission-critical
software for data on workstations, local area networks, midrange
computers and large systems. It provides a broad range of
products for application development, enterprise data and systems
management, workgroup applications and electronic publishing
documentation. The IBM Software Manufacturing Company, part of
the Software Solutions Division, provides other companies
comprehensive services for marketing and distributing software
products worldwide.
* Indicates a trademark of the International Business
Machines Corp.
** Indicates a trademark of Microsoft Corp., Object Technology
International.
1133 Westchester Ave., mail drop 254
White Plains, NY 10604
Fax# T/L 224-5799, 5784
Or see IBM Software solutions VISUALAGE forum.