---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash Object Oriented Software Providers SunFLASH Vol 48 #12 December 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article is based upon an internal Sun email which was a reply to the question "What third party Object Oriented Software Providers have applications which run on Sun ?" I am sure that this list is not complete, but it should be a useful starting point for developers who are interested in "Objects". Sun offices should now have copies of a new Catalyst portfolio of Third-Party Object oriented solutions vendors. A SunFlash article in the near future will describe that portfolio in more detail. -johnj ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VENDOR NAME: ISSI ADDRESS: 9430 Research Boulevard Echelon IV, Suite 250 Austin, Texas TELEPHONE: (512) 338-5700 FAX: (512) 338-5757 PRODUCT NAME(S): SILK SALES OFFICE(S): Austin, Texas (512)338-5700 CONTACTS: SALES Don Warner (512) 338-5701 MARKETING Don Warner (512) 338-5701 TECHNICAL Aral Ege (512) 338-5718 PRODUCT SUMMARY: SILK is a graphical user interface builder that provides appli- cation prototyping and complete source code generation. Using SILK's Binder utility, a user can interactively load, bind and execute existing application procedures. This simplifies not only the process of creating new GUI applications, but also the process of reengineering existing applications for a graphical user interface. SILK saves graphical interfaces in a textual format that is compatible with Sun's DevGuide GIL format, but also retains the application semantics. This eases the maintenance of applications generated by SILK because when such an application is reloaded into SILK, all the application procedures are reloaded as well. After making changes, the application can then be re-generated without having to manually add the procedures again. SILK's Intra Widget utility facilitates the graphical definition of widget interactions, such as palling values and merging application procedures with widget interactions. The Intra Widget utility employs a point-and-click paradigm to capture the actions performed on a widget, which can then be bound together and attached to a widget. This provides an easy technique for story boarding a user interface. BENEFITS SUMMARY: FEATURE: Interactive Interface Construction FUNCTION: Create/Edit/Destroy BENEFIT: WYSIWYG Interface Specification FEATURE: Binder Utility FUNCTION: Compile/Load/Bind/Execute BENEFIT: Application Prototyping FEATURE: Intra Widget Utility FUNCTION: Visual Programming BENEFIT: Ease of Application Building FEATURE: Textual Representation FUNCTION: Save/Load BENEFIT: Reuse/Ease of Maintenance FEATURE: Alignment FUNCTION: Move BENEFIT: Fine tuning the widget placement --------------------------------------------------------------------- VENDOR NAME: Oberon Software Inc. ADDRESS: One Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02142 TELEPHONE: (800) 524-5450 (617) 494-0990 FAX: (617) 494-0414 PRODUCT NAME(S): SynchroWorks SALES OFFICE(S): Cambridge, MA (800) 524-5450 (617) 494-0990 Silicon Valley, CA (800) 524-5450 (510) 881-5732 CONTACTS: SALES Win Burke (800) 524-5450 (617) 494-0990 MARKETING Ralph Specht (800) 524-5450 (617) 494-0990 TECHNICAL Gene Smith (800) 524-5450 (617) 494-0990 PRODUCT SUMMARY: SynchroWorks is an object-oriented 5GL specifically targeted at persons building applications for ISVs, Systems Integrators, large organizations, and work groups. Retaining 4GL features such as MIS forms, menus, and reports, SynchroWorks adds two advances in application development technology: - Object Technology creates a significant breakthrough in software development by providing substantial gains in programmer productivity and reduces resources consumed in the quality assurance cycle. Through reusability, once a software module is developed, it can be incorporated into many applications. By combining previously tested reusable modules, systems are developed more efficiently. In addition, work group development is improved since all developers can share the modules that are stored in a common Object Repository. - Using SynchroWorks Visual Programming Language and other specialized visual tools, application builders can develop applications in a highly interactive manner and actually see their programs executing on the computer screen. By using building blocks of software and "wiring" them together, development organizations can achieve incredible savings as they develop, test, and revise, simply by using the computer as an integral part of the development process. A 5GL not only includes the traditional method of using visual tools to develop user interfaces such as the NeXT, but also adds superior (visual) data modeling facilities, as well as visual process modeling through its Visual Programming Language. This allows complete systems to be developed visually and does not require that developers write code in Objective-C. SynchroWorks facilitates the integration of existing applications as well as third-party applications such as databases, spreadsheets, and graphics software. This capability allows easy application expansion and integration utilizing software commercially available software and existing databases. BENEFITS SUMMARY: FEATURE: Object Oriented Technology FUNCTION: Ability to Reuse and Share Software Modules BENEFIT: Speed of Development and Reduced Maintenance Costs FEATURE: Visual Programming Environment FUNCTION: Ability to Specify Complete Applications Visually BENEFIT: Speed of Development - Does not require Objective-C coding FEATURE: Simple Encapsulation Tools FUNCTION: Ability to Incorporate Existing Programs into the SynchroWorks Environment BENEFIT: Protect and Leverage Existing Investments and Expertise FEATURE: Object Interfaces with Third Party Applications and Databases FUNCTION: Integration with Existing Popular Software BENEFIT: Continue to use current Object Oriented Technology with commercial software --------------------------------------------------------------------- VENDOR NAME: The Preston Group ADDRESS: 488 Victoria Street Richmond Victoria 3121 Australia TELEPHONE: +61 3 428 8899 FAX: +61 3 427 1969 PRODUCT NAME(S): Total Airspace and Airport Modular(TAAM) Terminal Management System(TMS) Air Crew Scheduler(ACS) Interactive Aircraft Scheduler (IAS) Transport Resources Intelligent Process Simulator(TRIPS) SALES OFFICE(S): European Office (London) - Phone +44 81 528 9865 CONTACTS: The Americas Harry Westendorp +61 3 428 8899 Asia/Pacific Ken Greer +61 3 428 8899 Europe/Middle East Phillip Rechter +61 3 428 8899 PRODUCT SUMMARY: TAAM The Total Airspace and Airport Modular has been developed to help aviation authorities and airport operators around the world solve problems with airspace and airport congestion. It is designed to assist with the planning of airspace and airport systems and facilities. TAAM is a sophisticated workstation-based program which produces realistic simulations of airspace and airports operations, and generates meaningful reports and statistics for subsequent analysis. Its interactive graphical fast time simulations allow a planning analyst to set-up, run and evaluate an airspace or airport plans more quickly and effectively than is possible with traditional simulation tools. TMS Terminal Management System(TMS) has been developed to help airport authorities and airlines manage airport terminal resources and facilities. It is designed to streamline the administration of daily operations (such as gate allocations, and manpower and equipment scheduling) and also evaluate past, current or future operations. TMS is ideally suited for evaluating the viability of airport layouts before committing large sums of money to their construction. TMS allows airport operators, planners and consultants to validate their designs and demonstrate how these designs will operate in the "real world". With the gate allocation module that forms part of our system, the model then becomes an operational tool which is used by terminal management on a daily basis to cater for regular schedules and unplanned events. ACS The Air Crew Scheduler(ACS) has been developed to help alleviate many of the problems faced by airlines in efficiently planning cost-effective aircraft crewing patterns. ACS is used by experienced crew planners to interactively develop and modify crewing patterns that conform to government regulations as well as labor and management agreements. The resulting patterns for a planning period are the basis for assigning actual crew names and are made available to a preferential bidding system, assembled into pattern strings in a bid line system or assigned to specific crew members in an assignment system. IAS The Interactive Aircraft Scheduler (IAS) has been developed to help airlines with the cumbersome and time-consuming manual preparation of aircraft schedules. IAS automates the aircraft scheduling processes and validates the schedule and its changes against the airline's operating guidelines as well as aircraft constraints. TRIPS The Transport Resources Intelligent Process Simulator(TRIPS) has been developed to help transport managers obtain the greatest possible productivity from fleet and transport operations. It is designed to optimize the use of vehicles or rolling stock as well as the plant associated with the material being carried on a transportation network. BENEFITS SUMMARY: All products are decision support tools which allow the user to control larger amounts of data, and make better decisions faster. Existing customers have identified cost savings directly through higher productivity from staff involved in scheduling, and more importantly, indirectly from the planning or operational decisions now being made through the use of these systems. COMMENTS: These innovative products are based on rulebase techniques and apply object-oriented principles in both the development and use of the systems. The user interfaces provide a ready transition to the use of the systems and assist in producing early productivity benefits. REFERENCES: All products operate in the aviation industry/market and are designed for use by airlines, airports, aviation authorities, and consultants or planners operating in these areas. Current users are: QUANTAS Air Crew Schedular British Airways Air Crew Schedular Australian Civil Aviation Authority Total Airspace and Airport Modular U.K. C.A.A. Total Airspace and Airport Modular B.F.S. Germany (CAA) Total Airspace and Airport Modular Sydney (Kingsford Smith Airport) Terminal Management System Manchester International Airport Terminal Management System Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (installing) Terminal Management System London Heathrow Airport (installing) Terminal Management System Australian National Line Transport Resources Intelligent Process Simulator References from the above may be arranged after consultation with The Preston Group. --------------------------------------------------------------------- VENDOR NAME: Template Software ADDRESS: 13100 Worldgate Drive Suite 340 Herndon, Virginia 22070 TELEPHONE: (703) 318-1000 FAX: (703) 318-7378 PRODUCT NAME(S): SNAP SALES OFFICE(S): Herndon, Virginia (703) 318-1000 Oak Brook, Illinois (708) 684-2217 Atlanta, Georgia (404) 392-3477 Scarborough, Ontario (416) 296-1259 CONTACTS: SALES: William T. McManes, VP (703) 318-1000 MARKETING: Mary Ann Stoops (703) 318-1000 TECHNICAL: David Kiker (703) 318-1000 PRODUCT SUMMARY: SNAP is an advanced application development environment architected for the implementation of mission-critical, cooperative applications. SNAP technology is based on the concept of a "template." The template architectural concept promotes large-scale code reuse. It can generate as much as 85 percent of an application. SNAP yields dramatic gains in productivity by delivering complex, cooperative applications in record time. The SNAP template consists of five components of pre-defined software: Object Model, Graphic User Interface, Communication, Permanent Storage, and External Applications Software. The unique aspect of SNAP's object technology is that the application development process can be procedural and/or knowledge based. Simple or complex real-time applications in a distributed processing environment can be easily implemented. SNAP also provides a unique capability called Shared Information Base(SIB). SIB extends SNAP's interprocess communications from single-directional, pair-wise interchange to bi-directional, multi-process interchange thus facilitating cooperative applications. SNAP features an advanced open object architecture, technology integration, multi-platform workgroup support and rapid application development. These unique and exciting features make SNAP the ideal solution for mission-critical business Problems, which are the primary focus of development in organizations today! BENEFITS SUMMARY: FEATURE: Template architecturing design FUNCTION: enables large-scale code reuse BENEFIT: yields dramatic gains in productivity and performance FEATURE: Employs object technology FUNCTION: representation of data maps to real word objects BENEFIT: this treatment of data eases application development, maintenance and extendibility FEATURE: Shared Information Base FUNCTION: enables multi-platform workgroups to share data BENEFIT: facilitates cooperative processing FEATURE: Multiple Windowing Sys. & Multiple Database Integration FUNCTION: integration of pre-existing software or new software BENEFIT: supports multi-application, multi-workgroups FEATURE: Portable & Scalable FUNCTION: heterogeneous platform support BENEFIT: applications can accommodate change in hardware configuration without code changes COMMENTS: - Supports knowledge-intensive applications - Provides dynamic event-driven display updates - Open and extendible - Integrated-DOE compliant (release 4.5 Fall '92) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- VENDOR NAME: Visix Software Inc. ADDRESS: 11440 Commerce Pk. Dr. Reston, VA. 22091 TELEPHONE: (703) 758-8230 FAX: (703) 758-0233 PRODUCT NAME(S): Looking Glass Professional Looking Glass Advantage Galaxy Application Environment SALES OFFICE(S): Reston, VA (800) 832-8668 CONTACTS: SALES: Barry Libenson (703) 758-2709 MARKETING: Tom Axbey (703) 758-2700 TECHNICAL: Chad Bisk (703) 758-8230 PRODUCT SUMMARY: Looking Glass Professional is a graphical user environment for workstations and X Window System terminals. It provides the final layer of system interface software needed to make UNIX a complete end-user product. Looking Glass Professional gives users a simple and consistent metaphor for managing files and directories, manipulating the UNIX environment and launching applications. Because it is based on Visix's own Galaxy Application Environment, Looking Glass Professional provides a single interface solution for all major window systems including X Window, Open Windows, Environ V (Intergraph), and SunView. It also lets users select their choice of look-and-feel standards at run-time--OPENLOOK, Motif, or Presentation Manager. Looking Glass Professional gives users the same powerful environment across all major hardware platforms and across UNIX networks. Major software applications are already integrated to create a complete end-user environment. Looking Glass Advantage Looking Glass Advantage is a WYSIWYG development tool that allows users to quickly create graphical front-ends for UNIXcommands, and build extensions to Looking Glass Professional. LGA gives users access to a rich set of user interface controls such as text entry fields, scrolling lists and check boxes. Extensive validation of user entries can be built into dialogs. Looking Glass Advantage also includes pre-built command dialogs and a help facility for creating on-line help. Galaxy Application Environment Galaxy is a comprehensive multiplatform application development environment designed specifically to construct high-end commercial applications around a client-server modes. Galaxy comes with a powerful runtime component that provides a number of network-independent application services to any Galaxy application. It is a one-for-one replacement for the Macintosh Toolbox, Windows SDK, Motif Toolkit, and OPENLOOK Toolkit. Galaxy provides user interface services, operating system support services, internationalization services, development and maintenance tools, and tutorial materials. BENEFITS SUMMARY: Available from Visix for all products - phone Tom Axbey ---------------------------------------------------------------- VENDOR NAME: ONTOS, Inc. ADDRESS: Three Burlington Woods Burlington, MA 01803 TELEPHONE: HQTRS (800) 388-7110 Sun Rep (703) 848-9253 FAX: (617) 272-8101 (703) 848-4586 PRODUCT NAME(S): ONTOS Db Server ONTOS Db Designer ONTOS Studio ONTOS Shorthand ONTOS Object SQL ONTOS C++ API ONTOS Small Talk API ONTOS ADA API ONTOS C API ONTOS Connect SALES OFFICE(S): LOCATION CONTACT TELEPHONE BOSTON POC(HQTRS) Lynn Currier (617) 272-7110 Washington DC Aileen Black (703) 848-9253 Chicago Steve Tonissen (708) 684-2225 Los Angeles Debra Kelfer (310) 643-4558 International John Corda (404) 518-9736 Telecommunications Mark Lesswing (708) 377-4558 PRODUCT SUMMARY: The ONTOS products combined with Sun provides a powerful Object Oriented development and user environment. The ONTOS and Sun solution provide a deep, rich and superior solution to many other companies such as NeXT. The essence of what ONTOS brings to Sun in this context is a superior, well-designed architecture for data and applications design, distribution, and deployment. Moreover, this architecture is based on industry standard C++. The Ontos strategy fits very closely with and is compatible with Sun's object strategy today and tomorrow. At the core of the system is a thoroughly object-oriented DBMS which offers a rich set of database services. ONTOS provides the capability for development of highly scalable environments. The ONTOS object database system provides an ideal basis for integration because of its superior object modeling capabilities and flexible connection support. The ONTOS object model is ideal for supporting a common information model. ONTOS can be used as the foundation for connecting legacy databases (oracle, m204, sybase, DB2, IMS, IDBMS, homegrown). This flexibility provides the perfect solution for adding UNIX workstations to a mainframe environment. The ONTOS development environment includes: The ONTOS DB - a third generation distributed object oriented database management system ONTOS DB Designer, and interactive graphical tool for database design, browsing and editing ONTOS Studio, a graphical user interface builder ONTOS Shorthand and interpreted object oriented data manipulation language ONTOS C++ API an application program interface ONTOS Object SQL a structured query language with extensions ONTOS Connection Library - Connection Storage managers for integration with legacy databases ONTOS also provides on site support, application development support, maintenance and educational services. BENEFITS SUMMARY: (Streamlined Application Development Buying Criteria) Objects Throughout FEATURE:- Extensible object model BENEFIT:- Datatypes and model can be extended smoothly to accommodate evolving application requirements FEATURE:- Active data dictionary - Programmatic dictionary interface BENEFIT:- Powerful interface for constructing language bindings, design tools, schema driven tools, data import/export tool legacy database integration tools, and data translation tools Workgroup Application Support FEATURE:- Pessimistic Concurrency - Optimistic concurrency - Time-based concurrency - Object-level locking - Page-level locking - Aggregate-level locking - Event notification - Application-controlled conflict resolution - HCO Technology - Distributed deadlock detection BENEFIT:- Effective programmer choice and control over distribution and concurrency issues. - Satisfying application requirements without compromising database design Integrated Object Tools FEATURE:- Object SQL BENEFIT:- Powerful, standards-based query and filtering mechanism, fully integrated with object programming environment FEATURE:- Standard C++ interface - Standard Smalltalk interface - Schema-driven DB design tool - Schema-driven front-end tool - Re-usable U1's in database BENEFIT:- Expanded range of applications - Improved end-user satisfaction - Increased re-use. - Effective support for rapid application development Performance Control FEATURE:- Extensible storage manager classes - Cache management control - Concurrency options BENEFIT:- Performance optimization and control without compromising database design or application architecture (Workgroup Application Support Buying Criteria) Workgroup Application Support FEATURE:- Pessimistic concurrency - Optimistic concurrency - Time-based concurrency BENEFIT:- Choice and control to satisfy diverse workgroup concurrency control requirements FEATURE:- Object-level locking - Page-level locking - Aggregate-level locking BENEFIT:- Choice and control to provide locking models which maximize concurrency, while maintaining integrity FEATURE:- Event notification BENEFIT:- Effective communication of events between applications executing concurrently in a distributed environment. FEATURE:- Application-controlled conflict resolution BENEFIT:- Choice and control over conflict resolution by applications FEATURE:- HCO Technology BENEFIT:- High concurrency and throughput provided for particular widely shared critical objects. FEATURE:- Distributed deadlock detection BENEFIT:- Essential for distributed workgroup applications Performance Control FEATURE:- Cache management control BENEFIT:- Effective control over performance in networked, client-server environment. FEATURE:- Clustering control BENEFIT:- Effective control over object distribution and transfer performance. (Integration Buying Criteria) Objects Throughout FEATURE:- Extensible object model BENEFIT:- Provides rich object modeling necessary to handle complexity of integrated application models. FEATURE:- Active data dictionary BENEFIT:- Provides most powerful interface for flexible export tools driven by ONTOS schema. FEATURE:- Programmatic dictionary interface BENEFIT:- Provides powerful interface for flexible import tools which both create ONTOS schema and import data. - Best interface for dealing with issues of semantic translation between different databases and data models. FEATURE:- Class-based storage managers BENEFIT:- Provides most effective mechanism for implementing gateways to legacy systems in a way which is transparent to all other components of the ONTOS application. (Performance Control Buying Criteria) Performance Control FEATURE:- Extensible storage manager classes BENEFIT:- A range of built-in storage managers allow ONTOS to meet multiple performance requirements in a single database system, without compromising database design. - Application-specific storage managers can be added to meet any specific performance and functionality trade-offs not covered by the existing ONTOS options. FEATURE:- Cache management control BENEFIT:- Cache management control allows optimization of network buffering and caching in distributed client-server applications. FEATURE:- Concurrency options BENEFIT:- Concurrency control options allow maximum throughput for multiple concurrent users in a workgroup application environment. FEATURE:- Flexible locking options BENEFIT:- ONTOS locking options allow applications to minimize unnecessary locking conflicts and minimize locking overheads according to specific application needs. - This maximizes throughput of multi-user workgroup applications. ONTOS combined with Sun provides a very powerful object-oriented solution for the developer or the end user environment. ONTOS' extensible object design provides a strong foundation for integration requirements and is flexible to meet both today's and tomorrows needs. ------------------------------------------------------------------ VENDOR NAME: ILOG ADDRESS: 2523 31st Avenue San Francisco, CA 94116 TELEPHONE: (415) 753-3830 FAX: (415) 664-3208 PRODUCT NAME(S): Aida / Masai Smeci Pecos Agel K-Station SALES OFFICE(S): France (ILOG Headquarters) (33)(1) 46.63.66.66 United Kingdom (Signal Computing) (44) 483.57.99.00 Benelux (E2S) (32) 91.21.03.83 Spain (ILOG) (34)(1) 372.95.51 Singapore (ILOG) (65) 773.06.26 CONTACT: Hugh Farges (415) 354-0270 PRODUCT SUMMARY: ILOG offers advanced software tools to developers of object-oriented applications. ILOG's palette of modular software components provides a high level of abstraction for many complex programming problems: building graphical interfaces, solving constraint-based programs, developing rulebased applications, and programming reactive systems. Developing applications with ILOG tools is a highly interactive process, yet final applications are delivered in C or C++ code, ensuring efficiency and speed of execution in production. ILOG tools are extensible and portable across a variety of UNIX and VMS workstations. ILOG has installed over 4,000 licenses. A partial customer list includes the following organizations: Aerospatiale, the French Air Traffic Control Center, Alcatel N.V, Anderson Consulting, British Telecom, Bull, Credit Lyonais, Elf-Aquitaine, France Telecom, IBM, Matra Aerospace, Matra Datavision, Michelin, Ministries of Defense of France and Singapore, PTT of Switzerland and The Netherlands, Renault, Thomson, and the French National Railway. BENEFITS SUMMARY: (Masai) FEATURE: Graphical Applications Development Environment BENEFIT: Build Advanced Graphical Applications FEATURE: Object-oriented BENEFIT: Extensible, reusable components FEATURE: 100 widgets, including Motif widgets and high level widgets: (chart editor, text editor, grapher, spreadsheet widget, etc.) BENEFIT: Rapid development of complex interfaces FEATURE: Dialog Manager BENEFIT: Sharp reduction in the manual programming of call backs; intuitive management of screen transitions FEATURE: Interpreted and compiled mode BENEFIT: Support for all phases of product development, from rapid prototyping to production (Pecos) FEATURE: Object-oriented constraint-based programming library BENEFIT: Solve resource allocation, planning, and scheduling problems FEATURE: Object oriented design BENEFIT: Extesible libraries, generic constraints FEATURE: Constraint propagation BENEFIT: Rapid Execution (Smeci) FEARURE: Multi-paradigm expert system BENEFIT: Develop knowledge-based programming library FEATURE: Object-based data representation (typed slots, inheritance, demons, active values) BENEFIT: Rich data representation FEATURE: Graphical user interface; natural language syntax for rules BENEFIT: Ease of use FEATURE: Tasks, states, multiple worlds BENEFIT: Powerful control strategies FEATURE: Robustness (applications with up to 10,000 objects, 2000 rules, 5000 states) BENEFIT: Production quality applications (K-Station) FEATURE: Knowledge acquisition and validation tool (K-Station) BENEFIT: Formalizes expert knowledge (Asquell) FEATURE: SQL Link to Informix, Ingres, Oracle, RDB and Sybase BENEFIT: Simplifies database access; provides DBMS independence (Agel) FEATURE: Development workbench for industrial automata BENEFIT: Builds reliable automata FEATURE: Single model carries throughout the development process, from specification, simulation, verification and documentation BENEFIT: Consistency of data model and application reliability COMMENTS: All tools are modular and tightly integrated. They are available on Sun Sparcstations, HP 9000 series, IBM RS/6000, DECStations, VAXStations. Applications developed on a host machine are directly portable onto another target machine. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, paris.cs.miami.edu, uunet.uu.net, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770. TRACE: To: sunflash@suntri Errors-to: owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com