ICF Update

ICF UpdateICF Update

Gus BjörklundThe Progress Company

© 2001, Progress Software CorporationICF Update 2

How many of you know about POSSE ?

How many of you know about POSSE ?


First, A Warning:First, A Warning:

What we are discussing here today is not final, and subject to change.– And this time we really mean it!

What we are discussing is a POSSE initiative, a starting point for collaborative development.– Plans and timetables for commercialization

of the ICF are not yet completed


Our AgendaOur Agenda

ICF and POSSE The ICF “Kickstart” Initiative Principles of the ICF ICF Integration with other tools Development Features ICF Application Management Components


ICF and POSSEICF and POSSE

POSSE is the

Progress Open Source Software Exchange All source code for Progress 4GL-based

tools was released on www.possenet.org in December 2000

Issues, feature submissions, and discussion groups are hosted there

New features and products created there will supplement the Progress development toolset



POSSE is composed of community members:– Independent developers

– ISV staff

– Progress staff It costs nothing to join Progress does not control POSSE

– We have influence, not control



ICF is the Internet Component Framework– Working name for next generation Progress

4GL tools– Developed through POSSE in collaboration

with our partners– Goals:

provide additional common application components:

– Security, Session Management, Customization, Design Repository, etc.

enable customers to build traditional and E-business applications for the web more quickly


Internet Component FrameworkInternet Component Framework

ADM 2

ICF

Application

4GL “VM”

Standard“Plumbing”

(Infrastructure)

SO’s


Standard“Plumbing”

(Infrastructure)

Internet Component FrameworkInternet Component Framework

ADM 2

ICF

Application

• Repository

• Security

• Session/Context Mgt.

• V-Control/Upgrade

• Customization

• Internationalization

• UI Implementation

• Logic Re-Use4GL “VM”

SO’s


AgendaAgenda

ICF and POSSE The ICF “Kickstart” Initiative Principles of the ICF ICF Integration with other tools Development Features ICF Application Management Components


ICF “Kickstart” Project GoalsICF “Kickstart” Project Goals

Bring together Progress framework developers from all over the world

Share ideas and solicit contributions to POSSE

Combine the best elements of different frameworks into a common toolset

Support and extend that framework on POSSE as the new Progress 4GL standard


POSSE Unified ICF

POSSEUnified Internet Component Framework

Progress GPS

ISV ‘Home Grown’ Frameworks

Framework Vendors

POSSE Submissions


ICF KickStart specificsICF KickStart specifics

Began in February 2001-- hosted by PSC at Progress headquarters

Sponsored by the POSSE Core Review Team (Board of Directors)

Two weeks of intensive discussions, presentations, and evaluation of existing frameworks– Meeting was open to all

Internal contributions from Progress Professional Services groups

External participation from numerous Progress partners with development tools


ICK Kickstart ParticipationICK Kickstart Participation

Progress Global Professional Services: Asia/Pacific, UK, EMEA, North America

MIP Holdings (South Africa) - Astra SoftCell (Belgium) - Component Builder ISS Group (New Jersey) - E-Framework Applied Logic (New Zealand) - Aspen BravePoint (formerly United Systems -

Atlanta) - Free Framework Progress 4GL Tools Development group


A very international group --Participants from:A very international group --Participants from:

Austria Belgium Netherlands United Kingdom United States South Africa

Australia New Zealand Norway Canada Spain Brazil


ICF Kickstart ResultsICF Kickstart Results Astra framework from MIP Holdings chosen as

the starting point– Consensus choice of a large majority of ICF

participants– Subject to final review and approval by the POSSE

CRT Components from other frameworks and

Progress are being added Resulting framework is being submitted to

POSSE for collaborative development Will be downloadable from POSSE Progress Company commercialization plans and

timetables not yet completed


ICF Kickstart StatusICF Kickstart Status

Development team is working in Bedford hosted by Progress to integrate & extend components:– Progress Tools group, Professional Services

consultants, plus developers from partners, including BravePoint and MIP

Progress will be hosting ISVs for an alpha and beta development program

ICF will be showcased at Exchange


ICF and POSSE at ExchangeICF and POSSE at Exchange

Progress Exchange June 3-7 2001, Washington D.C.

ICF “E-Celerator Lab” workshop Sunday– Consider registering for this full-day hands-on

workshop offered at nominal cost ($99)– Get information at the corporate website:

www.progress.com/exchange POSSE breakout session track to include

presentations on POSSE participation, using ADE code, and ICF


AgendaAgenda

ICF and POSSE The ICF Kickstart Initiative Principles of the ICF ICF Integration with other tools Development Features ICF Application Management Components


ICF FeaturesICF Features

Integration with ER modeling tool Integration with Source Code Management Design Repository for data representation

of many objects, dynamic realization Authentication and Application Security Dynamic language translation /

localization WebClient or WebSpeed Application User

Interface Distributed backend logic with AppServer


Basic ICF PrinciplesBasic ICF Principles

Application design is Repository-based to allow many objects to be “logical” only– Object definitions are stored in the Repository– Objects are realized dynamically from the

Repository data– No source files generated or .r-files to deploy for

dynamic objects– Reduces application size to deploy with WebClient– Allows dynamic generation of Web browser UI and

other User Interfaces



ICF is designed to support thin client architecture– 4GL User Interface can run on WebClient with

no database connection

– Session Manager controls access to application components in a distributed environment

– WebSpeed and other UIs can have the same look and access the same back-end logic



ICF starting point for application components is SmartObject-based– Fully compatible with Version 9 ADM2 apps

– However, many extensions and improvements already made, and more planned

– Dynamic objects allow any “engine” to drive the application, not just the ADM

– Standard support for complex business logic beyond what SDOs and SBOs provide


AgendaAgenda



Integration with ERwin modeling toolIntegration with ERwin modeling tool


ERwin integrationERwin integration

ERwin is a powerful tool for using the Entity-Relationship model to design relational databases

Provides support for generating Progress schemas (.df files)

Existing schemas can be reverse-engineered into ERwin


ICF and ERwinICF and ERwin

Use of ERwin with ICF is optional However, the ICF Erwin customizations

can generate database trigger procedures, Referential Integrity logic, field labels, and more from the model.

PSC is investigating a closer relationship with Computer Associates for our use of ERwin


Referential Integrity codeReferential Integrity code SmartDataObjects can be generated

automatically from the schema Referential Integrity code is generated

automatically from information in the model

RI code and other business logic goes into independent Progress procedures

Table and query maintenance screens are driven from the Repository

Business logic can be used with or without SmartDataObjects


Source Code Management integrationSource Code Management integration ICF can be integrated with Roundtable

Source Code Management system Roundtable will be an optional component However, SCM provides:

– Check-in, check-out of both source files and logical objects (which exist only as data)

– Version control to maintain separate environments for Development, Test, Deployment, and for multiple customers

– Extended support for task management

– Integration with Open/Save dialogs in AppBuilder


Roundtable IntegrationRoundtable Integration

Task Mgmt.

Mgmt. ofphysical &

logical objs.

Work spaces

AppBuilderintegration


Roundtable availabilityRoundtable availability

Roundtable “Lite” product is already available without additional charge from Progress with ProVision

POSSE CRT is investigating an open source version of Roundtable together with StarBase

This would make essential Roundtable features available without charge– Stay tuned...

Interfaces to other SCM systems (e.g., CVS) can be developed through POSSE


AgendaAgenda



ICF Development WizardsICF Development Wizards

There is a whole series of tools to help create application components and assemble them into finished screens– Menu maintenance (overall app. Navigation)

– Browser Wizard

– Viewer Wizard

– Object Controller (Browse window builder)

– Folder Wizard (multi-page folder windows)


Menu Maintenance toolMenu Maintenance tool


Application MenuApplication Menu

Provides overall navigation for an application

Integrates with dynamic Toolbar to control the application


Application Menu / ToolbarApplication Menu / Toolbar

Dynamic, fully data-driven Toolbar / Menu Menu maintenance tool populates the

repository Data is read at runtime to configure and

manage all application toolbars / menus


Browse Builder WizardBrowse Builder Wizard

Generates fully dynamic SmartDataBrowsers

All properties are held in the Repository Table, fields, size, position, personal filter,

container to run from, etc., are all data-driven

Users can save individual preferences for filtering, size, position, sorting


Browser WizardBrowser Wizard


Viewer WizardViewer Wizard

Viewers (data maintenance frames) can be defined with standard lookup browsers and combos for data entry.

The goal is to make Viewers dynamic (driven by repository data) wherever possible


Object Controller WizardObject Controller Wizard

Used to build a window to browse, select, and filter data

The ICF tools are implemented using the ICF Framework, so they look and function like any other application.– See the examples on the following slides...


Object Controller tool is an example of an Object ControllerObject Controller tool is an example of an Object Controller

Toolbar provides many standard functions


Filtering of data in the browse...Filtering of data in the browse...


Printing of browse reports with Crystal Reports free DLLPrinting of browse reports with Crystal Reports free DLL


Sending browse data to ExcelSending browse data to Excel


Folder WizardFolder Wizard

Allows you to assemble a window of one or more pages for comprehensive data management

Again, the tools themselves are an example of what application screens look like...


Folder has Toolbar, pages with Viewers, Browsers, etc.Folder has Toolbar, pages with Viewers, Browsers, etc.

Dynamic lookupbrings up a

browse windowfor selection

Combo objectpopulates a

drop-down listfor selection


Dynamic Lookup supports browsing and filtering to select a recordDynamic Lookup supports browsing and filtering to select a record


AgendaAgenda



Authentication & Application SecurityAuthentication & Application Security

Provides standard but customizable login mechanism

Tools to define users and privileges Repository provides for dynamic

enforcement of privileges– Menu access– “tokens” for access to specific components– Field-level security– Data-level security


Globalization -- in-context translation of text and labelsGlobalization -- in-context translation of text and labels


GlobalizationGlobalization

User Interface text can be translated application-wide or screen by screen

Translation can be done in context to see and adjust the results

Translatable database data can also be translated

Localization of currency, date/time, etc. also supported


N-tier distributed application supportN-tier distributed application support Framework is based on thin client and

stateless AppServers to manage data Session Manager controls AppServer

connections, locating components, managing context

Thin client for WebClient or WebSpeed with no database connection

Custom “Internet” WebSpeed application UI and “Intranet” browser UI for an entire application will both be supported


Web interface will be able to emulate look & feel of GUI interfaceWeb interface will be able to emulate look & feel of GUI interface

WebSpeed User Interface:

dynamicallygenerated,

duplicates GUI behavior to the

greatest extent possible


Browsers, Folders, etc. for WebSpeedBrowsers, Folders, etc. for WebSpeed


In summaryIn summary ICF is a giant step forward in development

of modern n-tier Progress applications for E-Business

ICF Kickstart initiative is providing a strong starting point for all Progress developers

Collaborative development on POSSE will keep the improvements coming

Commercialization of ICF and services to support ISV development will follow after availability of ICF on www.possenet.org.


QuestionsQuestions Have you been following POSSE?

– ICF? What do you think? How can we improve the process?

– The Product?


Questions

ICF Update

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