AD2 2001 Toolkit for Rapid Database Application Development with Clipper and Zachary |
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Who is Zachary? Zachary is a very powerful application generator (appgen). Zachary generates high-quality CA-Clipper 5.2 or 5.3 source code which you then compile and link into an executable program. Simply feed Zachary the raw materials and watch him produce programs that contain an amazing blend of consistency, functionality, and user-friendliness. Zachary comes with everything you need to build a functioning application. It uses a development data dictionary approach. This is different from a runtime data dictionary. Using the data dictionary at the development stage enables you as the developer to control when and how modifications to the application are made. The beauty of Zachary is that it takes seconds to regenerate, compile, and link the source code into a new executable program. You no longer have to dread Change Orders. In fact, you’ll love them because changes are usually so easy to make. When you use Zachary, Change Orders suddenly become profit-producing documents -- something they were always intended to be! Zachary comes with a screen painter which you use to paint data entry screens, custom browse windows, memo fields, introductory screens, even your menus. Two different report writers are included that produce reports in the standard DOS - LPT1 output. One type is for creating predefined reports, and the other allows users to generate ad-hoc query reports. The AD2 Toolkit also includes an interface to R&R Report Writer, so you can easily link your program to R&R reports, either the DOS report writer or Windows version. The Zachary Library includes a number of useful functions and utilities that you can add to your Zachary generated programs. You get the source code to the library so you can modify the code to meet your own needs. The AD2 Toolkit contains additional library functions that are extremely useful in your Zachary applications. With only a brief understanding of Zachary’s capabilities, you can create programs in a matter of minutes or a couple of hours that would have taken a talented programmer days or weeks to create. Once you have mastered Zachary, you will develop programs in a matter of hours that would normally consume weeks of programming efforts. What Zachary can Do for You Right out of the box, Zachary can do a lot for you. Then you can add your own code to the generated code by adding it to the data dictionary and telling Zachary where you want it added to the generated code. It w8ill get written there every time! There just d oes not seem to be a limit on the types of applications you can create with Zachary. One of the most obvious things Zachary will do for you is save you time. Zachary saves you time by performing the tedious, time-consuming task of coding the hundreds or thousands of lines of code needed to support your application, so you don’t have to! Zachary generates excellent code by emulating the thoughts of an expert programmer. Zachary doesn’t fatigue or take short cuts, and won’t take a vacation. Through over 12 years of use, Zachary’ s generated code has been tested and fine-tuned, improving the reliability of programs that you create. You have the advantage that thousands, perhaps millions, of others have served as “beta testers” of much of the code included in your new program, so you can expect fewer trouble reports or problems when your program is released. Whether you use Zachary to create a simple mailing list program or a complex inventory system complete with purchase order and sales order modules, you will always know what to expect of the resulting program. Zachary will produce aplications that will enable you to deliver on time and within budget. Your end users will be impressed with the interface and features of their new programs. Features found in Zachary Applications Every day people are using Zachary to turn out power-packed applications, everything from from sales tracking to student registration, inventory control, statistical management, and customer tracking. Network Support. Zachary is designed to generate programs that run as single-user, or as a network application. It’s your choice. You can design the application as single-user, then change it to multi-user by changing one switch in the Zachary database and regenerating the code. Functions in the AD2 Toolkit even allow you to control how many concurrent users are allowed to use an application. Mouse support. Zachary applications include full mouse support. This is included for applications generated for either Clipper 5.2 or 5.3. Menus and Browses. Zachary’s screen painter lets you draw drop-down menus or traditional scrollbar menus. Database browses are generated automatically, and if you prefer to create a custom browse different that the one Zachary generates, you can design it with the screen painter and let Zachary generate that code for you. Validation Tables. It’s easy to create a “look up table” or list and require that entries to another table be picked from that list. You can require a match, or offer a pop up browse for selection. Variable recalculations and initializations. You define the initialization of each variable in a table or screen, and if it’s dependent on another field, when any field changes the dependent values are recalculated. You have considerable control in this area. AutoPilot. One of the truly amazing capabilities of Zachary is the AutoPilot. After you create a program, you can turn on the AutoPilot and start the program with a special command line parameter. As you run the program, each keystroke you make is recorded so you may run the program later as a demo or training example, and at that time the program will run itself! You can even add pop-up messages that explain what’s going on. Operating System. Zachary generates Clipper code that runs under DOS, OS/2, Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000 and XP. In fact, with Windows powerful memory handling features and today’s fast computers, Zachary generated programs run faster and better in a DOS Window or Command Window than ever before. For heavy duty data entry, DOS programs beat Windows programs every day. The weakest part of DOS programs is the reports; typical LPT1 printed reports use no graphics and look “tired.” By combining Zachary and AD2, and buying a copy of the R&R Report Writer (8.x) for Windows, you can have an application that presents the best of both worlds! How do you learn to use Zachary? The original Zachary versions shipped with an extensive tutorial that took about three days to complete. If you have a copy of that tutorial, use it and take notes as you proceed so that you remember how to do what you’ve learned. The AD2 Toolkit includes an “Express Tutorial” that you can complete in a couple of hours. It will give you a good head start on learning both Zachary and the AD2 Toolkit as you create a simple program using Zachary and AD2 tools. |
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Tortuga Tortoise™ |
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Richard Hamilton Associates |
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