CODEPAINTER Index

• methodology
  
  
• performances
  
  
• characteristics
  
  
• attractions
  
  
• applications framework
  
  
• generated application
  
  
• technical characteristics

 

CODEPAINTER methodology

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CODEPAINTER performances

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CODEPAINTER characteristics

• CODEPAINTER separates the logical application from the physical implementation: programmers can focus on functional aspects only.
  
  
• CODEPAINTER allows programmers with different backgrounds to work in a common environment.
  
  
• CODEPAINTER enables programmers to deliver applications relaying on best available software technologies.
  
  
• CODEPAINTER generates Client/Server applications operating in a transactional environment.

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CODEPAINTER attractions

CODEPAINTER major attractions can be fully appreciated by Software Developers. CODEPAINTER is extremely user-friendly and easy to use.

• Object-Oriented Domain Analysis for Business Applications Development
  
  
• Data definition independent from target Database Servers   
   
• Prototype generation
  
  
• Code generation
  
  
• Application source code: automatically generated in standard common programming languages
  
  
• Cost Free Release: no royalties due
  
  
• Maintenance fully supported by the tool
  
  
• Application spoken language: customizable
  
  
• User Reference & Technical Documentation: automatically generated

Object-Oriented Domain Analysis for Business Applications

CODEPAINTER is the specific tool for generating Business Applications and it uses a specific symbology that allows to easily and rapidly define all project components. The Design tool is the heart of the system controlling and coordinating all subsequent phases; it defines and establishes relationships between the project components and the database structure.
Projects are designed through predefined entities that clearly represent the available Business Object Classes:

While you design your application, the tool organizes and updates all information needed to automatically generate the technical and design documentation.
The project is 'painted' using advanced graphical tools. First of all you place the predefined entities on your design plan reflecting your project structure. You then simply draw the links between entities to define complex properties such as cardinalities and referential integrities.
Projects can be expanded on more levels allowing you to define all peculiarities of the application you want to produce. As the project becomes larger you can improve design organization introducing Group objects and Visibility links.
You can also introduce String objects and Output entities to enhance plan documentation.
CODEPAINTER supports team working throughExternal entities and multiple design plans, i.e. an entity defined in plan 1 by user A can be linked to another entity defined in plan 2 by user B.



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Cost Free Release: No Royalties Due

You can freely distribute the generated source code, as well as the application in executable format. All you need to do so is the license for the programming language, in order to compile you source code. This means that there are no additional fees for any generated application, neither per user, nor per server.

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Maintenance Fully Supported By The Tool

Typically projects need continuous maintenance to fix bugs and to extend application features to fulfill new user requirements and technology changes. This usually binds your application (and your Customer) to a specific technology and/or environment. Projects developed with CODEPAINTER are completely independent from the target source code and can always be automatically regenerated using the latest technologies promptly supported by CODEPAINTER. Thanks to CODEPAINTER you can protect your investments drastically reducing the risk of having obsolete applications. You can easily maintain your applications, indeed you can go back to any stage of the production cycle, e.g. you can reengineer the Design plan any time and CODEPAINTER will automatically generate the required up-dates. Thanks to Visual Tools you can easily add Queries, Zooms, and Reports.

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Application spoken language: customizable

CODEPAINTER default languages are English and Italian, but you can create applications in different languages, simply translating the file containing system message Macros.

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User Reference & Technical Documentation: automatically generated

Editing and keeping updated User Reference Guides and Technical Documentation of complex software projects usually takes about 30-40% of the total time spent on the project. CODEPAINTER completely manages documentation editing and updating phases, through specific tools able to create and coordinate all information and notes inserted in the Design and Codify phases. The documentation is automatically generated in XML. CODEPAINTER provides a set of HTML templates and XSL style-sheets so that the documentation can be browsed and printed using a common Internet Browser. Furthermore, the application's on-line HELP is automatically generated from the XML documentation files. To produce you documentation just write your documentation notes for your project elements using the dedicated 'Note' tabstrips.
These notes will be included in the Documentation, which is generated automatically simply clicking

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CODEPAINTER's applications framework

With outstanding difference from other C.A.S.E. tools, CODEPAINTER provides all generated applications with a framework where a set of utilities suitable to efficiently support business activities are made available. These utilities are useful for both programmers and End-Users, to customize their applications even further! The generated application and CODEPAINTER deliver a unique development framework.

·    Toolbar and Application Bar
·    Client-Server transactional environment
·    Security Control Tools   
·    Database Administration
·    User & Group Administration
·    Visual Query, Menu, & Zoom
·    Instant Messaging, Post-In & Warnings   
·    On-line User Translations
·    Run Time Configuration Tool

Toolbar and Application Bar

All generated applications are provided with the Toolbar containing all standard buttons for standard functionalities (load, change, delete records, close the window, browse the database, print the standard report, etc.) and with the Application Bar specific for creating and browsing Post-In, checking the mailbox for instant messages, managing Users & Groups and creating menu shortcuts.

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Client Server transactional environment

Applications created with CODEPAINTER are Client/Server and all queries are executed by the Database Server. Business rules ensure ACID operations: transactionality and atomicity are well supported and the programmer is effectively driven by CODEPAINTER. CODEPAINTER can use different kinds of relational databases, such as SQL Server, Oracle, etc.

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Security Control Tools



Security controls can be defined for each single application function and set for each user group. Possible access levels are: Enter, Insert, Modify and Delete.

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Database Administration



This tool allows connecting to different database servers and generates proper SQL sentences required to create & update database tables. The 'Database Administration' tool is automatically executed the first time you run your application or when you run it after having regenerated the design plan.

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User & Group Administration



You can create & modify users and groups. The same user can belong to more groups. It is possible to define a different password for each user.

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Visual Query & Visual Zoom



With Visual Tools it is possible to 'paint' SQL sentences easily. Queries can be used to build customized displays of database data (Zoom) or to pass on data to the Visual Fox Report Editor. In addition you can default Zooms for users or groups.

Visual Menu

The Visual Menu tool allows creating different application standard menus for both, users and groups.

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Post-In



This feature allows you to stick "electronic memos" on the application desktop, in order to take notes. These memos are saved in a dedicated database table and restored on the screen when the application is run. All Post-Ins can be accessed and maintained through the Post-IN Folder on the application toolbar: An expiry date can be defined for each Post-In.
Post-In as Warning are used to temporary extend information on records: simply drag & drop a Post-In on a selected record. The Warning can be integrated in the record as a new window sheet.
Post-Ins can be used to send messages between users. The message will be displayed on the addressee's desktop.
Post-Ins can contain plain text or MS Word Documents, MS Excel Sheets and MS Graphs can be attached. Moreover, Post-Ins can contain a button linked to an application function

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On Line User Translations



It is possible to translate menu items and application window options on-line. Each user potentially can have a different application language. The translation tool has the extraordinary 'Autolearning' Option that fills the languages database while browsing in the application.

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Run Time Configuration Tool

It is fully integrated in Application Framework and allows you to customize all dialog windows belonging to the automatically generated application in order to create application profiles matching specific Business Organization needs, i.e. the application will present different layouts depending on the role played by the user in the Business Organization. Using this tool, you can rearrange and/or hide items and fields within the dialog windows, and add checks, validations and calculations: all without the need of regenerating or recompiling your application.

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CODEPAINTER's generated application         

Abstract: this section shows how a small Business Application designed with CODEPAINTER works. Both, Software Developers and End Users will appreciate how Master Files, Detail Files and Master/ Details become a fully functioning Application. Finally you will see an automatically generated CODEPAINTER Zoom showing all data base fields of an entity. As you will notice, all the application framework presented below is fully integrated in generated source code.

When the Design and the Codify phases are terminated, CODEPAINTER generates the final application source code. Compile and run it and you will get the first application window, as shown in the following examples:



Each application has standard toolbars and function keys. The menu is automatically generated and can also be customized. Standard Zooms are always displayed in the 'List' tabstrip. All application framework functionalities described in the previous section can be found under the 'Utility' menu and in the Application Bar.

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CODEPAINTER technical characteristics