IBM AS/400e User Handbook Manual page 676

IBM Licensed Programs: Application Development Products
• Provide a robust development workbench that can scale up to large development
teams
VisualAge Generator is equipped with integrated repository services that facilitate
software configuration management and version control. In addition, it is possible to
transfer VisualAge Generator source specifications between the integrated repository and
external Software Configuration Management (SCM) tools, such as VisualAge
TeamConnection, to be managed along with other application development artifacts
participating in the enterprise-wide problem and change tracking and development
process management.
• Deliver systems that can scale up to the highest transactional throughputs
VisualAge Generator generates COBOL and C++ source that can be compiled and run
under the control of TXSeries, CICS/ESA, and IMS/TM transaction managers. This native
support of the most proven TP monitors in the industry assures the transactional
scalability required by the most demanding business critical systems.
• Produce systems that can run on a wide variety of platforms
The code generated by VisualAge Generator can run on a variety of client and server
platforms, including Windows 95/98, Windows NT, Sun Solaris, OS/2, AIX, HP/UX,
OS/390, OS/400, as well as other 390 systems such as VSE and VM.
• Ease the integration with existing legacy systems, allow access to legacy data
VisualAge Generator systems can easily reuse existing legacy programs through a simple
CALL API, and can also be invoked by hand-crafted existing COBOL or other 3GL
programs. In addition, VisualAge Generator programs can access not only the most
popular relational DBMS, DB2/UDB family, Oracle and others, but can easily manipulate
legacy file systems, such as VSAM, and non relational IBM databases, such as IMS/DB
and DL/I. The integration allows easy integration of new applications into existing IT
infrastructures maximizing the protection of the previous investments.
• Deliver enterprise IT assets to the Web
As explained in more detail in "Delivering e-business Solutions" on page 647, VisualAge
Generator allows to develop end-to-end multi-tier systems with Java servlet/JSP
component dynamic HTML front-ends, transparently connected to transactional servers
running on any of the supported server platforms and transactional systems mentioned
earlier in this paper.
• Be usable by traditionally skilled programmers
Although VisualAge Generator is tightly integrated with a pure Object Oriented (OO)
programming environment (Smalltalk or Java), the programmer can exploit these
technologies without needing to learn OO programming and simply use the procedural
4GL specifications. However, the power of the underlying OO technology can be gradually
unleashed as the developer becomes more familiar with the component architecture and
begins to explore and exploit the additional facilities.
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AS/400e System Handbook