Support for
Netscape Navigator Plug-in API Allows BASIC Developers to Build
Intranet Applications Quickly and Easily
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Sept. 3,
1996-Oracle Corporation today announced new features for Oracle
Power Objects 2.0, Oracle's visual client/server development tool
for BASIC developers, that allow developers to build server-based
intranet applications without the need to learn a new language.
Users will be able to run fully-functional client/server
applications directly from their Web browsers.
These new capabilities represent another
step in Oracle's delivery of application development technology
for building intranet-enabled corporations. Like Oracle's other
development tools, Oracle Power Objects 2.0 leverages existing
skills and systems investments of developers and their
organizations, allowing them to construct corporate intranets
that reduce system costs, extend information access, and link
multimedia with relational data.
Using the Power Objects Plug-in, users
can download Power Objects 2.0 applications from a Web server and
run them directly within Plug-in compatible browsers such as
Oracle PowerBrowser 1.5, Netscape Navigator 2.0 or 3.0 or
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 3.0. The Power Objects Plug-in is
available in the forthcoming release of Oracle Power Objects
V2.0.
"Oracle Power Objects is delivering
what developers want-productivity-and is taking them where they
want to go-intranets," said Sohaib Abbasi, senior vice
president of Oracle's Tools Division. "These new
capabilities empower the many BASIC programmers around the world
to start developing sophisticated, database-savvy intranet
applications quickly and easily."
Previewed to over 500 developers at the
Windows NT Intranet Solutions show in San Francisco last week,
the Power Objects Plug-in has received a warm reception from key
Power Objects developers. "With Oracle Power Objects, we can
build database-centric applications that stand alone, or operate
over corporate intranets," said Richard Jowsey, Development
Manager at SFC Desktop Business Systems of San Francisco.
"It's a big plus for us to have these standardized Power
Objects plug-ins. This is really great technology for our clients
who are increasingly looking to intranet solutions, for reasons
of cost savings and ease of use."
With the Power Objects Plug-in, Oracle
joins the growing number of software vendors that support
Netscape's emerging platform for extending the functionality of
Web browsers via Plug-ins. "Client/server developers are
turning to Netscape Navigator as a rapid way to Web-enable their
applications for intranets," said Bob Lisbonne, vice
president of client product marketing at Netscape Communications
Corporation. "The Oracle Power Objects Plug-in extends
Netscape Navigator, making it easier for enterprise developers to
combine existing client/server application development with the
flexibility of the Internet."
Extending the Power of Power Objects
The Plug-in for Oracle Power Objects 2.0 provides several
benefits for developers, corporate IS systems and users. BASIC
developers can deploy fully-functional client/server applications
on intranets without having to learn a new language. Existing
Power Objects applications can be migrated to intranets without
significant reengineering, preserving investments in existing
client/server systems.
Central deployment onto intranet servers
reduces corporate IS costs by eliminating the need to maintain
software on every user's computer. As an interpreted language,
BASIC, like Java, provides a secure environment for downloading
and running both components and complete applications developed
in-house or bought-in, without compromising the security of
users' desktops.
End-users benefit from linking multimedia
data held on the Web with transaction-oriented data held in
client/server databases, and they can run multiple applications,
embedded on separate Web pages simultaneously. With these
applications, users can query and update databases across the
corporate network in the same way they would in a traditional
client/server application.
The Plug-in will support Power Objects
functionality including native controls and ActiveX controls.
Often only around 30 to 40K in size, the application files
generated by Power Objects provide a fast environment to run
transaction-oriented database applications within a corporate
intranet.
Embedding Power Objects with Oracle
PowerBrowser
In addition, Oracle Power Objects 2.0 will support the
PowerBrowser ActiveX control, a technology which allows Oracle
PowerBrowser to be embedded into any application developed in an
environment supporting ActiveX containment. It will enable
developers to embed Web pages directly into a Power Objects
application. The ActiveX control will appear as an HTML window in
the application and will expose a set of properties and methods
which can be changed from Oracle BASIC, the scripting language of
Oracle Power Objects.
Availability
Both the Oracle Power Objects Plug-In and the Power Browser
ActiveX control are expected to ship with Power Objects 2.0, set
for release in the fourth quarter of 1996, and will support
Windows 95, Windows NT 3.5 and 4.0.
Oracle Power Objects
Oracle Power Objects is Oracle's visual client/server development
tool for BASIC developers. It combines strong database
integration with established industry standards such as OLE, new
techniques including visual object orientation, and a unique drag
and drop metaphor for ease of use. It is the most productive way
for Windows and Macintosh developers to rapidly build robust web
and workgroup information systems.
Company Background
Oracle Corp., based in Redwood Shores, Calif., is the world's
largest supplier of software for information management, and the
world's second largest software company. With annual revenues of
more than $4.2 billion, the company offers its database, tools
and application products along with related consulting, education
and support services, in more than 90 countries around the world.
For more information about Oracle, please
contact Oracle's headquarters at (415) 506-7000. Oracle's World
Wide Web address is (URL) http://www.oracle.com/.
Trademarks
Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. Oracle is
a trademark of Oracle Corporation. Netscape, Netscape
Communications and Netscape Navigator are trademarks of Netscape
Communications Corporation. All other products or company names
mentioned are used for identification purposes only, and may be
trademarks of their respective owners.