APPX Release 4.1

Conference - 2002

APPX Release 4.1

APPX 4.1 is the single, most significant release in the history of the product!

APPX Release 4.1

• GUI Design by Specification

• RDBMS Enhancements

• Performance

Three Major Areas of Focus

APPX Release 4.1

• HPUX 11

• AIX 4.3.3

• Solaris 8

• Windows NT 4 SP6

• Windows 2000

• Red Hat Linux 6.2

• SCO 5.0.4p

• NCR SVR4 MP RAS 03.02.00.39

• OS400 5.1

OS Requirements

APPX Release 4.1

• Oracle 7, 8

• Sybase 12

• DB2 6.1 (Windows NT/2000)

• DB2 7.1 (Unix)

• SQL Server 2000

• Access 2000

RDBMS Requirements

APPX Release 4.1

• OS Release

• RDBMS Release

• Data files are compatible

• Design files changed

• Design files cannot be downgraded

Upgrade Considerations...

APPX Release 4.1

• APPX Reportwriter (SQL)

• APPX Client (GUI)

• APPX/ODBC Driver

• Language Translation

• Four sessions per user

• Web Interface to APPX Backend

• APPX Client in a Browser

• APPX/Net

FREE Features in APPX 4.1!!!

APPX Release 4.1

• User Rights

• Designer Rights

• RDBMS Interfaces

• Maintenance– Software Updates

– Tech Support

Only Four Chargeable Items!!!

APPX Release 4.1

• Menu processes

• Input processes

GUI Design by Specification

APPX Release 4.1

• Included with APPX 4.1

• Application DMO 00

• Database DMO

• Requires APPX GUI Client

GUI Demo Application

APPX Release 4.1

• Title Bar

• Wallpaper/Background Color

• Pull-down Menus

• Toolbar buttons

• Right-Click Menu

• Buttons

• Frames

• Labels

• Pictures

• Fields

GUI Menus/Inputs

APPX Release 4.1

• Title bar Color

• Title Text– Text Alignment (Left/Right/Center)

– Text Font/Scaling/Style/Color

• Resource (Icon)

• Buttons (Help/Return/End)

Title Bar Attributes

APPX Release 4.1

• Resource (Wallpaper)

• Background Color

• Border Style

• Border Color

Window Attributes

APPX Release 4.1

• Defined as GUI Attributes of Optional Children

• Multiple pull-down menus

• Multiple pullout menus

• Menu Item Resource (Icon)

• Menu Item Icon location (Left/Right of text)

• Shortcut keys

• Menu Item Text (Font/Scaling/Style/Color)

• Menu Item Background color

Pull-Down/Right-Click Menus

APPX Release 4.1

• Separator Lines (Before/After)

• Invisible?

• Enabled?

• Menu Item Tooltips

Pull-Down/Right-Click Menus

APPX Release 4.1

• Isolate graphics from application

• Different graphic for each “state”

• Identifies graphic location type– Server

– Client

• Identifies graphic location– Pathname

– url

Named Resources

APPX Release 4.1

• Graphic formats supported– GIF

– Animated GIF

– JPEG

– BMP

Named Resources

APPX Release 4.1

• Stored in memory

• Implemented via ILF statements– CREATE

– SCRATCH

– OPEN

• Possible uses– Increase runtime performance

– Constrained Scans

– Temporary copy of disk file

Cached Files

APPX Release 4.1

• Client-side printing

• Send file to client

• Retrieve file from client

• Run a “document” on client

• Run a program on client

Desktop Integration via the APPX Client

APPX Release 4.1

• Triggered by file I/O

• Defined as “rules” for a file– File Open

– Post Read

– Pre Update

– Post Update

– File Close

File Level Event Points

APPX Release 4.1

• Possible uses– Enforcing referential Integrity between files

• Key change

• Delete related records

– Updates to related files

File Level Event Points

APPX Release 4.1

• Support for variable length records– Support for compressed records

– Save disk space

– Quick restructures

• Support for larger file sizes– Up to 4GB for Unix

– Up to 2GB for Windows

APPXIO

APPX Release 4.1

• “Automatic” Fast Queries

• Query record selection will use indexes– APPX will pick the “best” index to use

– Designer can supply “hints”• BEG AT

• END AT

• APPX will skip the sort if possible

• APPX will sort in memory if possible– APPX_RUN_MEM

– APPX_DISK_SORT_THRESHOLD

“Fast” Queries

APPX Release 4.1

• “Designed” fast queries– Optimize complex selection logic

– New event point• ESTABLISH PCF RANGE

– New subroutine• PROCESS QUERY RECORD

“Fast” Queries

APPX Release 4.1

• ILF Statements– PASS statement enhanced

– RECEIVE statement implemented

• Use with– GOSUB

– Process invocation ILF statements

– Automatic/Optional child processes

• Nested subroutine “calls” supported

“True” Subroutines

APPX Release 4.1

• PASS Statement– Pass arguments to “subroutines”

– Returned results from “subroutines”

• RECEIVE Statement– Receive arguments

• Automatic data type conversion

– Localize variables

“True” Subroutines

APPX Release 4.1

• Major rewrite of RDBMS interfaces– Significantly improved performance

– Major new features

– Support for more databases

RDBMS Interfaces

APPX Release 4.1

• Significantly improved performance– Quick restructures

• Use ALTER TABLE when possible

– Faster record I/O• SQL Statement Caching

• Retrieve rows by Row ID

• Partial Record I/O

• Cached Files

RDBMS Interfaces

APPX Release 4.1

• Major new features– Commit

• COMMIT statement

• Process Commit Mode– Compatibility

– PCF Cycle

– End

– Manual

– Rollback• ROLLBACK statement

• SAVE PNT statement

RDBMS Interfaces

APPX Release 4.1

• Major new features– Field Overrides when creating tables

• Field Name

• Field Type

• Nullability

– Table Sizing when creating table• FMS Group enhanced

– Better data type conversions

RDBMS Interfaces

APPX Release 4.1

• Support for more databases– Oracle

– ODBC for Windows• MS SQL Server

• MS Access

– DB2 (Beta status)

– Sybase (Beta status)

– ODBC for Unix/Linux (Beta status)

RDBMS Interfaces

APPX Release 4.1

• FMS Groups– Replaced control strings with specifications

– Added Table sizing options

– Added a few RDBMS runtime options

– Added Identities for remote logins• User IDs

• Passwords

RDBMS Interfaces

APPX Release 4.1

• Oracle table

• MS SQL Server

• Text Files

Data Dictionary Importer (0UT)

APPX Release 4.1

• Generates:– Menus

– File Maintenance

– Transaction Entry

– File Lists

Application Generator

APPX Release 4.1

• Fixed all known bugs

• New version of “asql” table importer– Prompts for Login

– Prompts for host/port

– Prompts for Database/Application

• Improved reliability

• Improved performance

APPX/ODBC Driver for Windows

APPX Release 4.1

• Client Applications– Prompt for login

• Validate Server login

• Validate APPX login

– Run File Level Event Points

– Enforce APPX Data Security

– Enforce APPX Key Protection

APPX/ODBC Driver for Windows

APPX Release 4.1

• Enforce APPX Data Security– File Read/Modify

– Field Read/Modify

– Record Access

• Enforce APPX Key Protection– Key Change

– Key Delete

APPX/ODBC Driver for Windows

APPX Release 4.1

• Buttons on menu and input images

• Pull-down menu– System (Direct Process 1)

– Application (Direct Process 2)

– Process (Current Process)

• Title Bar with buttons

• Check boxes for Logic fields

• Horizontal scrolling

• Scrolling text fields

Auto-GUI for Character Mode Applications

APPX Release 4.1

• Scan indicators (Binoculars)– PCF scan

– DLU scan

• List box for token fields

• Scrolling screens– Boxes around column headings

– Separator lines between fields and records

– Scroll bar

Auto-GUI for Character Mode Applications