Re: What's Project X?
Date: 10 Jan 1995 16:59:44 GMT
Message-ID: <3euee0$khq_at_uuneo.neosoft.com>
Dennis Moore (dbmoore_at_netcom.com) wrote:
: The CDE2 products listed above are in production TODAY (in shipping for US
: customers on the 12th, so upgrades will be orderable at that time in the US.
: We are finalizing pricing for anyoen who wants to purchase it at the end of
: the month. Sorry, but existing supported customers get preference!) on
: Windows. In fact, last week we had the CDE2 Ambassador training for a
: certified group of independent consultants and others who will be supporting
: the PowerSwitch program on our BBS. Several of them read this group (anyone
: who was there feel like telling the world your opinion of these tools?).
Hi Dennis,
I will be happy to express my opinion on the CDE2 tool set. I wqs really impressed with new products. The user-inteface for Forms 4.5 has been totally rewritten and it is very intuitive. 70% to 80% of the code is shared between Forms 4.5, Reports 2.5, and Graphics 2.5 designers
The new Object Navigator, which is used by all three of the products, is a very nice feature. It makes finding objects very easy. A list of database object names (such as stored procedures, tables, and even columns) can be viewed through the Navigator. PL/SQL 1.1 code can be moved to and from the client and server by simply draging and dropping it where you wnat it to go. Multible objects may be selected. Built-in procedures and functions may be listed and their name and/or parameter syntax can be pasted into PL/SQL code.
A PL/SQL editor and a PL/SQL interpretter/debugger are availible in all three products. This makes coding and testing easy at design-time and run-time. You can now set true break points in the PL/SQL code. The BREAK; command is still supported.
All of the layout canvas editors have been greatly enhanced. For example in Forms 4.5, stacked canvases can now be placed and moved in the layout editor. If you double-click a stacked canvas, it will appear in its own window so its objects can be minipulated. Reports 2.5 now has a pretty graphical group layout editor and an enhanced page layout editor. Graphics 2.5 layout editor can support multiple layers (like over-head projector transparencies).
The menu editor for Forms 4.5 has be totally re-done. You simply click buttons of graphically place menu items to the right or down.
<Menu Item 1> <Menu Item 2> <Menu Item 3> <Menu Item 4> ...
. <Menu Item 5>
. <Menu Item 6>
. <Menu Item 7> <Menu Item 9>
<Menu Item 8> .
. .
. .
.
There are so many new features and enhancements that I could probably go on for another 1000 lines. From all of the 'oohs' and 'ahs' that I heard and sounded myself during the four day training period, everybody was thoroughly impressed, even the critics. There are still some things that I perceive as problems such as PL/SQL 1.1 on the client side and PL/SQL 2.x on the server side, can't reference (only copy) PL/SQL code in Reports 2.5, and the property sheets on Forms 4.5 can become very long and tedious to use.
PowerBuilder is still a more flexible tool then the CDE2 Tool Set but, for Oracle database front-ends, Powersort now has a very tough competitor. If Oracle plays their cards right, they can blow away their competitors in the database market for MS-Windows.
Later,
Steven
_ _ _ _ __ : Steven Whatley \ The opinions expressed are my
|_ |_| | | : System Analyst/Programmer \ own. You may freely copy,
_| | | _|_ |__ : swhatle_at_starbase.neosoft.com \_use,_or_ignore_them._______
: Oracle CDE2 Ambassador: Feel free to ask questions about CDE2!
Scientific Applications International Corporation (An employee-owned company)
Received on Tue Jan 10 1995 - 17:59:44 CET