Re: Anyone knows the case tool TopWindows?

In article: <D4x2BB.LIA_at_knoware.nl> Joerka Deen <joerka_at_knoware.nl> writes:
>
> Does anyone know the case tool TopWindows?
> What is the quality of the product in terms of: functionality, usability,
> etc.

I was involved with a major project about 2 years ago that was using Top*Case from Top Systems. I think this later became known as TopWindows.

In my opinion, at that time, the product was very weak in its ability to deliver departmental or enterprise systems. It was geared to building simplistic, small-scale, wholly data-driven applications (or more accurately, demos and prototypes), and as such, absolutely failed to deliver on the project that I was involved in.

The stability of the product was very poor, performing more like an alpha demo than a production release, with core functionality not working at all. Because of the severe problems encountered with it, a 2 week evaluation was performed to quantify them, and over 150 bugs were discovered, including over 20 show-stoppers and several fundamental design flaws. The database interaction of the applications generated by Top*Case were found to be especially poor. The naivety in its approach to some concurreny issues, for example, was truly astounding.

This was 2 years ago and much may have changed. Top Systems have now been acquired by Unisys to form USoft, I believe. If I was you, I'd be looking to see a good number of truly representative reference sites who have successfully achieved what you hope to. If you are trying to build applications that are pitched above the workgroup level (eg departmental or enterprise), you should very closely at the product's ability to scale and support reasonable numbers of concurrent users.  

-Tony. Received on Sun Mar 05 1995 - 19:30:35 CET