iSeries
Studio
Visual
Studio
Web
Studio
A d e l i a
T h e u n i v e r s a l d e v e l o p m e n t p l a t f o r m
a p p l i e d t o c o r p o r a t e s t r a t e g y
www.hardis.com
The choice of a CASE tool does not only depend
on the quality of the offer at any given time,
but also on the capacity of the designer company
to upgrade its product in response to the demands
of the market.
The international success of Adelia is a long-term
guarantee for Hardis, ensuring that resources
will be available for future development.
In response to the market
The Hardis Research and Development center is extremely attentive to the expectations of its existing and potential customers, and works constantly to enrich Adelia with new features and enhance the existing modules. Web technology integration is one of its main activities. This evolution has three objectives: allow the use
of INTRANET, EXTRANET, and INTERNET-based architectures, ensure that applications can be ported to open systems while integrating these technologies with existing information systems.
In this way, Hardis safeguards its customers’ software investments, giving them access to new technologies and development methodologies.
Adelia spearheads Hardis’ commitment to enable IT projects to be increasingly industrialized by integrating
all the technologies necessary for servers, client workstations, communications and database systems.
Scheduled
upgrading
in response
Working permanently with the major players in the field
This constant upgrading is carried out in close cooperation with IBM, Microsoft and Oracle. This is reflected in the participation of Hardis in the “Application Development” project set up by IBM to select and promote the best products on the market.
This permanent communi-cation with the laboratories in Rochester ensures that the most recent upgrades to OS/400 will be integrated into Adelia. Hardis is also a partner of Microsoft and Oracle, and thus benefits from the technological support of these software publishers.
Research & Development, a long-term guarantee
Hardis takes new technologies, tests them and integrates standards (Java for Internet applications as well as Notes, Unix, etc.).
Therefore, Hardis meets new and major needs of users, provides transparency in development and a longer life cycle for software investments.
The technological leadership enjoyed by Hardis
is the result of a clearly implemented policy: 10 % of its turnover and 20 % of its staff are devoted to Research & Development. 10 % of revenue and 20 % of employees
are devoted to Research and Development.
Character mode applications for iSeries
Multiplatform graphical and raoming applications
Multiplatform applications for the Web
iSeries NT Servers UNIX/LINUX
The Company's Information System
Adelia Studio is a universal integrated development
platform covering the complete life cycle of software,
from design to maintenance.
Although initially designed as an iSeries application development tool, Adelia Studio is today firmly geared to multilevel open system architectures using heterogeneous technologies. Web technologies are currently being implemented in corporate information systems and demand is now high for the develop-ment of Web sites that integrate with the company's
management system. Interconnection of these applications with the corporate information system has become a priority. IT departments must now tackle challenges in terms of corporate organization (multi-disciplinary management), economics (duplication of management applications on Web servers) and technical capabilities (e.g. fast response times and high speed database access).
Adelia Studio includes three development environments based on a repository and a 4GL that let you develop: • native 5250 applications on iSeries,
• Windows and Java multi-platform graphical applications (standalone or client/server applications),
• Web applications in Java J2EE environments.
Adelia Studio still generates 3GL code that does not need runtime to run.
Adelia Studio,
an integrated
development
platform
applied
to corporate
strategy
Single and shared repository
Knowledge base
User interface standards, OCX, OLE technological components,
Personalized graphical object, Question/Answer program templates.
I.S. descriptive objects
Conceptual data models, Management rules, Logical data models, Physical data models, Descriptions of MMI, Descriptions of reports, Programs, Documentation, Cross-references. Maintenance Version manager, Cross-references, Impact analyses. Reverse engineering of existing system Audit, Retrieval of data descriptions. Implementation Menu manager, Translation tools, Administration, Documentation manager, Deployment. Design Data Modeling, Specification of the management rules
of the company. Development Rapid application development, Programming by Question/Answer, Layout design/prototyping, 4GL, Generators: RPG, C, JAVA Middleware, Database access controller.
Adelia is an integrated solution which enables you from a single CASE environment
-to develop iSeries native applications, as well as Windows applications, client/server applications and Web applications.
Web development environment
• HTML layout designer.
• Generates Servlets and JSP code.
• Incorporates user session management and browser technologies.
• Generates business components on the application server
in native and Java code.
Windows and Java client/server
development environment
• Graphical interface editor.
• Generates C and Java client code.
• Integrates management of client/server communication.
• Generates C code for Windows and Unix, and generates RPG/Ile for iSeries
and Java for any servers incorporating a Java virtual machine.
iSeries application
development environment
Single, partitionable repository
Adelia Studio: a universal
development environment
Adelia
in detail
Repository
Adelia Studio is built around an integrated repository. More than an ordinary dictionary of objects, it is a real technical database for the Information System. This corporate repository, as well as its object-oriented organization, offers many benefits:
• The reusing in one application area of objects
that have already been defined in another, considerably increases the productivity of the designer and of the developer.
• Redundant descriptions
are avoided thanks to the uniqueness check.
• Maintenance is easier,
every modification is automatically taken into account for all corporate application areas.
The objects contained in the repository are grouped into two main categories.
The knowledge base objects
These objects allow the rapid development of high quality applications using existing standards that have been tried and tested. Indeed, as soon as Adelia Studio is installed in the company, a knowledge base containing any standards on the market is proposed by default. This can be adapted and added to according to the needs of the company. The knowledge base contains layout standards for screens, reports, screen sequencing models, data types with their management rules, program templates that the developer can use immediately.
It also contains predefined functions, as well as question/answer scenarios used during R&D
development phases. The knowledge base is also a series of OCX-type graphical components
from the marketplace, and graphical objects that are customized by developers, to enhance user interfaces during the development of graphical applications.
The software life cycle objects
This category brings together all the descriptive objects of the Corporate Information System. They are handled at every stage in the software life cycle:
• Reverse engineering:
these are file descriptions (physical data models).
• Design:
these are conceptual data models (entities, relationships, properties, management rules).
• The development of applications:
these are descriptions of screens, reports, 4GL programs and macro-instructions.
Reverse engineering
Adelia Studio easily fits into existing systems. Its tools for recovering database systems allow the repository to be loaded automatically. In addition, the 4GL programs that you develop with Adelia Studio can easily communicate with existing applications (programs such as RPG, Cobol, CLP for iSeries, or programs *.EXE and *.DLL for Windows environments).
Application design
Adelia Studio uses the extended Entity/Relationship formalism: each entity or data is described by its conventional characteristics such as name, length, description, etc., but also by the process
attached to it. This approach provides the description of repository and functional integrity constraints, as well as methods of initialization, control, calculation, user help and update. In addition, in a context
of graphic application development, a visual representation can be attached to each data. Adelia Studio caters entirely for the generation of logical and physical models. An integrated tool,
a unique and shared repository, proven
Adelia iSeries Studio proposes two approaches,
depending on the specifications of the application
to be developed.
Development by questions/answers
This approach relates to applications whose building method has already been described in the knowledge base.
In its standard package, Adelia iSeries Studio proposes a certain number of question/answer scenarios for automatically generating updates of basic files, query programs, printouts of lists, etc. The developer can design his own development scenarios according to his needs.
When a program is created, the developer chooses the scenario that is adapted to the type of program to be built. He is guided by a series of questions; the system builds the application depending on the answers that are given. In this case, the savings in productivity are extremely significant. Since the resulting application is written in the Adelia language, the developer can always adapt or add to it as necessary.
Development by layout design/prototyping
This approach relates to any applications that are built in collaboration with the users. The aim is to demonstrate them before going ahead.
For this purpose, Adelia iSeries Studio provides a series of graphical tools that are perfectly adapted to this approach.
The screen sequencing graph
This is a graphical environment that allows the designing of screen sequencing and calling of external programs. After being validated by the user, Adelia automatically translates the design into 4GL graphical specifications. Adelia iSeries Studio provides graphical “templates”which the designer can use to propose standardized ergonomic solutions. The layout design phase consists in designing transactions and reports.
Here too, the graphical environment of Adelia provides intuitive and user-friendly tools.
Development
From a unique repository, Adelia Studio offers 3 development platforms: • an environment dedicated to native applications on iSeries, • an environment for
Client/Server applications, • an environnement for Web applications.
There are two layout design environments:
• 5250 screen layout for the designing of screen images based
on predefined ergonomic standards. The user can also design his layouts completely by directly placing any constant and other data in the layout.
• Report layout for the designing of documents to be printed.
Here again, the graphical environment provides all the necessary features for an efficient report layout:
- the user can use the functions copy, paste, move to work with pre-selected lines or blocks;
- each layout can be commented and documented, to produce user folders for validation.
At the end of the layout design, Adelia generates interactive prototypes that will be submitted for validation by users. These prototypes already contain all the methods attached to the data that is positioned in the layouts.
They are generally made up of control rules, as well as prompt or calculation functions. These prototypes also integrate the database access.
When the prototypes are validated by the user, they are complemented by the developer via the 4GL development environment.
The Adelia language is a series of more than 160 instructions. Some of these instructions execute complete functions and correspond to several dozen 3GL instructions.
This language is both powerful and flexible; it allows the design of all types of iSeries applications.
Access to the iSeries database can be “native” or in SQL mode. As a complement to the language, the developers can also define reusable functions via macro-instructions.
The source code generator translates 4GL programs into ILE/RPG code. The applications produced by Adelia have no runtime, and are thus totally independent of the CASE tool. In addition, the code generator is perfectly optimized and produces efficient applications in execution. The generated code does not take up much space
and is easy to understand.
iSeries
Studio
Adelia Visual Studio is a development environment for
client/server applications designed for information
systems that are built around uniform, multi-platform
and outward-looking systems.
It is indeed increasingly frequent to encounter
multi-site extended networks and Intranet
architectures.
Adelia Visual Studio perfectly meets the needs
of these types of architecture.
Catering for extended networks
They require the implementation of highly efficient client/server applications that are perfectly optimized in network traffic. It is obvious that in this case, client/server architecture of data raises problems of deployment and performance. Adelia Visual Studio provides a client/server architecture for processes that enables the best possible distribution of processes between the client and the server, in order to limit the network traffic as much as possible.
Adelia Visual Studio was designed to create client/server applications with Windows or Java client workstations. Adelia Visual Studio generates multi-platform server code: • RPG ILE code for iSeries
• C code for Windows and Unix
• Java code for any servers incorporating a Java virtual machine.
Catering for communication
Adelia Visual Studio integrates communication management between client and server: The management of data transfer between the client and the server is made with no intervention of the application developer.
Software architecture
The code for the applications generated by Adelia Visual Studio is divided between the client and the servers in order to minimize the network traffic: the client workstations receive all the application logic related to the user interface, while the data-related processes take place on the server.
In this architecture, you can use any client platform and the code generated on the server is perfectly adapted to the operating systems and databases that it uses.
The development environment
This environment is integrated into Adelia Visual Studio and uses the same repository. It includes a graphical interface editor for working with basic graphical objects such as buttons,
Development
of client/server applications
C l i e n t s e c t i o n
Presentation
Application logic
Client communication middleware
Request
to service
Server communication middleware
Server application
Application logic
Database API access
S e r v e r s e c t i o n
Response
from service
radio buttons, check boxes, combo-boxes, lists, and images as well as objects such as OCX, OLE servers or objects that have been customized by the developer, being recorded in the knowledge base.
Numerous functions are provided to help with positioning objects, such as the snap grid, and functions for aligning frames, for resizing, etc.
The access to the data repository allows the information to be positioned in the layout and associated
with a graphic representation.
The interface editor is closely linked to the 4GL development environment. Indeed, from each graphical object, the developer can access the code that is associated with each object event.
The particularly ergonomic interface of the graphical editor also allows multi-window management and the use of copy/paste functions that are particularly useful during the R&D development phases.
The Adelia Visual Studio language is an extension of the Adelia language, from which it takes the main algorithmic instructions as well as database access operations. Its approach is now event-oriented and contains a set of instructions for working with graphical interfaces.
It communicates naturally with marketplace components such as the OCX and OLE server applications.
Local Ar chitecture Off ice / W areh ouse Off ice / W areh ouse Workstation Local server Notebook Local server Com pany serv er Com pany serv er Com pany server Workstation Wor ksta tion Rem ote wor ksta tion iSe ries iSe ries iSeries UNIX N T N T In te rn et In tra n et Intra net
Visual
Studio
Right from the earliest projects using client/server data models a number of major economic constraints quickly become apparent, including high running costs, problems with software version management and deployment on client
workstations and relatively poor response times for remote clients.
The thin client and Web terminal concepts soon won a major following. To address these changing circumstances, Hardis added to its software engineering platform, incorporating all the various components needed in order to implement multilevel internet/intranet architectures.
The technologies involved
Hardis has opted for the JAVA J2EE architecture and its JSP, servlet and JAVA Bean technologies for reasons of openness and portability.
This architecture is now operational on all commercially-available servers.
No prior knowledge of Java language, or J2EE technologies is required in order to develop Web applications with Adelia Web Studio.
Adelia Web Studio
Multilevel Web
application
The development environment
It includes an HTML layout designer that lets software developers design Web pages.
Access to the data repository means that data from the Information System can be positioned on the layout and assigned a graphical representation. The layout designer works closely with the Adelia Studio code editor: Each graphical object can be assigned events and associated code by the developer. The development language is event-driven and very similar to certain PC development languages. Similar to the Adelia Visual Studio language, it is very quick to learn: a week's training is all you need to master the basics and start producing Web applications.
Code generation
Adelia Web Studio generates the entire application code: • JSP code,
• Java classes corresponding to the process on the Web server.
It also generates the business components that run on the company's application server:
• RPG-Ile code for iSeries,
• C code for Windows, UNIX and Linux, • Java code for any other servers. SQL/SERVER, DB/2 and ORACLE databases are accessed in native mode. The access to other databases is made with ODBC or JDBC.
JAVA client
Adelia Web Studio enables the use of connected remote client applications whose application logic is downloaded.
In this architecture, you can use any client platform, and its administration and maintenance are handled automatically by the server and Web browsers.
Web
Studio
Adelia Web Studio generates all the codes executed on the Web server and on business servers.
Client browser
J2EE Web server
Jsp, Java classes
Servlets
Business components
RPG/ILE, C, Java code
Access to DB2, Oracle, SQL/Server databases, plus JDBC
ISeries, Windows, Unix, Linux business servers
Layout designer
Editor
Implementation
The menu manager classifies programs by topic
and by type. The user can immediately access
a particular topic or a given option.
The translation manager allows you to use multilingual applications, to compile a dictionary of words and phrases from the screen and the reports, and to organize the various translations. The language used for running the application will depend on the user.
Documentation management
Adelia Studio produces user and technical documentation. The presentation and content of the documents can be customized by the user, and are unlimited in number. Thanks to a very powerful and graphical editor, Adelia Studio produces high-quality conceptual and technical folders, including graphs and diagrams.
Application deployment and maintenance
The version manager describes, then manages the software manufacturing cycle. Adelia Studio automates the transition from development versions to test or production environments. The deployment manager allows you to build auto-run programs for the generated applications. In addition, the update of client workstations can be performed automatically when starting the application.
The maintenance manager allows you to calculate the impact of a data structure modification, to automatically modify any related screens and programs and to recompile them. If necessary it recreates the database while conserving the data. Adelia Studio covers the whole life cycle of your software,
from conception to implementation and maintenance of the applications.
You will benefit from Adelia Studio in terms of productivity and quality. Your applications will be user-friendly with a high level of performance.
the changes
Implementing a tool as Adelia is an important decision to make. It is dealing with: • New concepts, • new tools, • new techniques, • a new language. The aim is a better organization, a better communication and how to better share information. In addition, Adelia Studio will boost the motivation and development of your teams.It is essential to adopt these various elements as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thanks to its experience, Hardis has developed an integration method, including: • Skills transfer,
• training,
• consulting and follow-up. This approach is modular, customizable and adaptable to each situation, depending on the culture and originality
that characterize each company (hardware, applications, human resources).
The Hardis consultants who take responsibility for these assignments have a proven track-record with several years of tried and tested “know-how” and experience “in the field”.
They can intervene at different stages in your project in the context of the following tasks: • auditing of existing system, • methodological advice and instructorship, • control of design tools, • control of development tools,
• organization, standardization of “in the state of the art” development, • project follow-up, • installation of your application programs, • distributed implementation of solutions, • etc.
All these tasks are permanently brought up to date on the basis of information from our Research & Development department, from the hotline, and using suggestions from our clients.
Our services are validated by the ISO 9001 quality approach to which we are already committed. More than just a tool, Hardis provides
you with a global solution for integrating the Adelia development platform, in minimum time, for maximum efficiency.
A global approach for a full system integration, quickly efficient.
HARDIS Head Office,
Research & Development
Cityparc - 34 rue de la Tuilerie 38176 SEYSSINET-PARISET (Grenoble) FRANCE Tel.: +33 04 76 70 80 50 Fax: +33 04 76 21 49 49 Web: www.hardis.com mailto:[email protected] Subsidiaries:
Germany, Mexico, Italy. - Tél. 04 38 12 44 11 - www
