Oracle
Developer/2000 Release 2
Product Preview
Oracle's Developer/2000 has set the standard
for second generation client/server development tools.
Developer/2000 R2.0 takes second generation development to an
unprecedented level of scalability and productivity, allowing
application developers to create highly functional, highly
scaleable, enterprise-wide applications with the ease of use of
the desktop.
Internet & Intranet Web Applications
Developer/2000 R2 allows you to web enable your
existing applications with no changes required to
your applications. You can also leverage the productive and
scaleable development environment of Developer/2000 to build new
applications which can be deployed in traditional environments
such as Windows, Mac, Motif and character mode or on the Web with no
changes required to the application !
Web Publishing
Developer/2000 R1.3.1 has new reporting and
charting capabilities which will allow existing and new documents
to be web enabled with no effort. Reports can now be output as
.PDF or HTML as simply as a point and click. Charts can also be
saved in GIF format for easy reading by all popular web browsers.
All done with no changes required to your
applications.
In Developer/2000 R2.0 the Application Server
allows you to schedule and execute your reports and charts on
Unix and NT, which can speed up the execution of your documents
by a factor of 100 ! The Server also allows you to specify a
refresh period which can dramatically reduce network traffic for
reports which you produce hourly, weekly or monthly etc. (e.g.
Period End Reports, Quarterly Reports). If the refresh period
hasn't expired, the Developer/2000 Application Server simply
delivers the latest version without hitting the database.
Scalability and Performance
Providing customers with an environment to
build applications which can effortlessly scale throughout their
entire enterprise has always been our prime directive. With
Developer/2000 R2.0, we extend the boundaries of scalability and
performance by offering unparalleled database integration and
increased performance.
Developer/2000 Project Builder
The Developer/2000 Project Builder will allow you to define and manage the files which make up your entire project - whether these files are Oracle or non-Oracle related. You will be able to package up your application and then deploy this on other machines using utilities of your own choosing. This will greatly assist the management of large projects. Future versions will also include source control features.
Array DML
Developer/2000 R2.0 allows you to perform array
updates, inserts, and deletes without writing a single line of
code. This greatly reduces network traffic and provides
significant gains in performance. In particular, users running in
WAN environments will immediately see large benefits.
Data Blocks Based Directly On Stored Procedures
Data Blocks can be based directly on the
results of stored procedures. Using Developer/2000 R2.0, you can
describe the result set from the procedure and automatically
create a data block within your application without writing a
single line of code.
This will automatically support the SmartClientTM architecture which our
Applications Division has found so effective. DML can also be
based on stored procedures, allowing entire sets of updates to be
passed to the server in a single network round-trip. This allows
both DML and validation to be performed on the server,
reducing network traffic and improving performance, as well as
supporting updates to multiple tables.
Multiple Data Sources for Blocks
As seen above, Data Blocks can now be based on
stored procedures as well as tables, views, and transactional
triggers. We extend this even further by allowing you to have
different sources for your queries, inserts, updates and deletes.
Highly flexible and highly scaleable.
Global Application Libraries
In Developer/2000 R2.0, libraries can now be
shared across multiple open forms. A single copy of the PL/SQL
library is stored in memory and services all forms, saving
memory, improving performance and facilitating easy passing of
array structures across forms.
Faster Application Startup
Using a combination of non-blocking connects to
the database and an even more efficient algorithm for loading
DLLs at startup time, Developer/2000 R2.0 provides even faster
application startup.
3-Tiered Reports Architecture
Developer/2000 R2.0 provides the capability to
seamlessly execute a report from a client machine directly on a
remote Report Server, accessing data from a separate database
server.
Non-Blocking Queries And Max Number Of Records
Queries can now be executed using a
Non-Blocking UPI interaction with the database. This means that
your PC will no longer be tied up as your application performs
lengthy or complex queries. For Forms applications, this means we
can now display a cancel dialog for users to cancel long running
queries. You will also be able to define a maximum number of
records that a query should fetch and the execution will be
halted once that number of records have been retrieved.
Unified Client-Server Environment
Developer/2000's Application Partitioning
capability revolutionized the creation and distribution of
application logic. Release 2.0 extends this even further with the
ability to not only create and distribute server logic, but also
to debug server-side programs in a seamless, unified
architecture.
Developer/2000 continues to be the only true
client-server development environment.
Server-Side Debugging & Distributed Debugging
You can now debug Oracle7 stored procedures
directly on the server by stepping into the stored procedure from
the client and continue debugging the code within the server with
the full debugging capabilities you've grown accustomed to on the
client. You can even track distributed debugging threads that
follow the flow of execution between client and server.
Client-side PL/SQL V2
Exploit all the new PL/SQL V2 features such as
PL/SQL tables and table of records (collections) within client
and server PL/SQL program units.
Ease of Use
Developer/2000 has made massive strides in
usability and productivity. We perform extensive testing in our
usability lab, which is one of the most comprehensive usability
labs in the industry.
We have incorporated a number of new features
in Developer/2000 R2.0 which will ease both the learning curve
and use of the product.
New Wizards, Cue Cards & Quick Tour (CBT)
Developer/2000 introduces several new Wizards
including the ones for creating/changing data blocks, reports,
and charts. Use Quick Tour (Computer Based Training), with
page-turning style lessons covering key concepts, to achieve a
solid foundation quickly. With Wizards and Cue Cards guiding
users through specific steps to perform tasks, developers will be
extremely productive in this new development environment.
Integration Of Reporting and Charting
With the new wizards in Developer/2000 R2.0, we
provide the ability to create reports and charts within the same
integrated development environment. See your charts appear within
your applications at design-time by using the new charting
wizard. Base your charts or reports directly on data retrieved
into data blocks without writing a single line of code..
Calculated Fields
Developer/2000 R2.0 allows you to specify that
a particular field is a summary of a column of data or is to be
calculated from a formula of one or more fields. This is all done
declaratively without any code required.
New Improved Property Palette
Based on usability testing and user feedback,
we have re-designed the Property Inspector to follow the Object
Navigator paradigm; you can expand/collapse sections, perform
multiple selections, and quickly search for properties. Values
are edited in-place, inherited/overridden properties are easily
identified, and easy to use dialogs are displayed for complex
properties.
Quick Access to Context-Sensitive Triggers
Extending right mouse menu support,
Developer/2000 now provides a new menu option to provide quick
access to context-sensitive triggers. By selecting this option
for an object, you are presented with a list of common triggers
which makes sense for that particular object. After selecting a
trigger, you are placed within the PL/SQL Editor with all the
information relating to the scope of the trigger.
Object Orientation
Developer/2000 introduced many improvements in
the areas of productivity, usability and maintainability. Many of
these enhancements are a natural extension of the new Object
Oriented Programming facilities which are integral to the
development environment within Developer/2000.
Release 2.0 delivers even more object oriented
techniques to improve object re-use, the delivery of those
objects, and the ability to easily enforce standards throughout
your entire development environment.
True Object Subclassing
You can create full subclasses of any object,
adding new attributes or methods to the object or altering
existing ones as required. Any properties which have been
overridden can be re-inherited from the superclass on demand. The
new Property Inspector paradigm allows all of this
information to be viewed easily and intuitively.
Object Library For Drag and Drop Object Reuse
The new Object Library will revolutionize how
objects are delivered and re-used within your development
environment, promoting productivity and cultivating consistency.
To re-use any object, simply drag it from the Object Library and
drop it into your application. Storing reusable objects in the
Object Library is just as easy; create an object, and simply
drag-and-drop it into the Object Library.
Supplying Enterprise-Wide Standards
The Object Library also allows you to ensure
complete consistency within your development environment. Mark an
object in the library as the standard class, and whenever a new
object of this type is created, the developer can pick from a
context sensitive list of available corporate standard classes.
RAD with Template Forms/Reports/Charts
You can create Template Forms, Reports or
Charts for enforcing standards and performing Rapid Application
Development (RAD). Whenever a new document is created using a
template, all the objects in the template (e.g., standard
toolbars, standard layout, and standard libraries, etc.) are
automatically included.
Extended Openness
Whether you have Windows 95, Mac, or Motif,
with ORACLE or non-ORACLE databases, Developer/2000 Release 2.0
is completely open to your environment. Our Open/2000 Initiative
also offers fully integrated, comprehensive solutions for
developing open, enterprise-wide client-server systems through
interfaces with key partner products.
Windows 95
Developer/2000 offers full Windows 95 native
32-bit support, including OLE2 Custom Controls (OCX and ActiveX),
Multiple/Single Document Interface (MDI/SDI), Object Linking
& Embedding (OLE2) with drag and drop, Windows 95 Explorer
look and feel, Messaging API (MAPI), and Dynamic Data Exchange
(DDE).
Platform-Independent Windows95 Style Tab Controls, Balloon Help & Right Mouse Menus
Other new features include the new Windows 95
style tab control, declarative balloon help and right-mouse
menus. Not a single line of code is required to
create or use these objects. Using our unique cross platform
architecture, these features will also be available on Mac and
Motif.
Open to Multiple Data Sources
Through the Oracle Open Client Adapter, a
Developer/2000 application may connect to any ODBC-accessible
data source, such as Oracle Rdb, SQL Server, Sybase System 10,
Informix, Ingres, DB2/400, Tandem NonStop SQL, and Microsoft
Access. You can also access TP Monitors and DCE services through
Open Horizon's ODBC-compliant "Connection" product.
We have also extended the Forms component so
that depending on the database you are running against, the
application uses the correct default settings. This makes
building generic applications which can be run against multiple
databases much easier.
Transparent Access to Foreign Stored Procedures
With Developer/2000, you have the power to call
foreign stored procedures. For example, call a Sybase stored
procedure directly from your PL/SQL program unit.
Extended 3-Tier Architecture
Partition your application logic into a 3-tier
architecture using Oracle stored procedures, disconnected Oracle
Mobile Agents, or popular TP Monitors, such as Tuxedo, TopEnd, or
Encina. Also experience the convenience of easy integration to
interfaces and technologies that best fit your business needs
with the Open/2000 Initiative program.
Currently the Open/2000 program includes
interfaces from more than 60 partners, such as TP Monitors,
Source Control & Configuration Management, Workflow
Automation, Geographic Information Systems and Project
Management.
New Charting Features
Developer/2000 Release 2.0 provides users with a
seamless design-time environment for embedding charts and other
dynamic graphical objects. Use the new Developer/2000 Chart
Wizard to enhance the visual impact of Developer/2000
applications by presenting information in an intuitive graphical
format. Deliver a point-and-click interface that allows your
users to easily drill-down and navigate through data.
Chart Wizard
The Developer/2000 Chart Wizard leads you
step-by-step through the process of creating charts directly
within the forms or reports designer. You can preview charts
within forms and reports at design-time and edit chart
properties by pointing and clicking on the forms or reports
layout editors. For added convenience, you can edit chart
properties using the Properties Inspector.
Representing Data Sources with Charts
Choose a forms data block or reports group as
data sources for your charts by specifying them within the chart
wizard. Pass data to your charts without writing a single
line of code. Use the wizard to create point-and-click
drill-down relationships between charts and other forms objects.
Drill down by clicking on a chart to see details listed within a
detail forms data block without writing a single line of code.
New Reporting Features
Developer/2000 R2.0 revolutionizes our
reporting capabilities; they are totally easy to
use! The new Live Previewer allows users to edit reports the way
they want to see them, without having to deal with frames. The
simple and intuitive UI, openness, and flexibility of these new
features will simply astound you.
Report Wizard
Use the Report Wizard to easily choose a report
type, breaks, summaries, labels, and format using the gallery of
pre-defined templates. Quickly and easily prototype any report
with the re-entrant Report Wizard.
Live Previewer
Much of the reports customization can be done
in the Live Previewer, without visiting the Layout Editor:
on-canvas text-editing, geometry management preserving the
report's structure and appearance, placing charts automatically,
toolbar buttons for common masks ($, %, etc.), and mini-wizards
to insert data and page numbers, etc.
Other Great New Features