Eclipse

Gen and the JAVA API for addins

Picking up on something that was said in the 2nd Gen Gathering, a Java API for addins to the Gen toolset. The current API is C based, which, in some ways limits the amount of development that can be done, simply because of the proliferation of Java programmers available these days.

having a Java API would extend (yet again) the reach of the toolset – this time in a different direction. Many Java programmers could be introduced to the tool via the Java API.

Again, maybe there are tools out there which are already written in Java (editors, syntax checkers, diagramming tools, model tools) that could use the Java API to connect to the tool’s model repository and manipulate it.

In development now are tools which allow this sort of activity (ModelCVS for example) and more besides – in fact, full model transformation capabilities.

The introduction of a Java API would be a boon to the Gen community – I don’t even know if its on any roadmap yet, but it seems like a good idea !

aefc tcp/ip interface proposal

One of the largest gripes I have with the current version of the toolset is that when using the TE in a unix environment, the aefc interface is not particularly good i.e. it’s block-mode only.

I have been toying with the idea of building an Eclipse-based Rich Client Platform application which can control it in a better way.

To do this I need to understand the data that flows between the aefc process and the TE daemon itself, i.e. when you type /aeenv at the aefc prompt, what is actually sent to the TE daemon ?

I have never seen any documentation detailling this anywhere at all.

Does anyone know if/where this information is publicly available or not ? 

Eclipse roadmap

I read recently that the plan for Gen r8 (in the context of the Eclipse Technology) is that there will be a few diagrams offered (the ERD and new webView diagrams) initially, in order that the users get used to developing in the new interface. The existing interfaces will remain for the forseeable future.

I think that this is a good thing, since it offers the seasoned developer the option of “sticking with what he knows” and also the newbie (possibly coming from an environment where he has used Eclipse previously) will find that the learning curve is not so steep.

Of course, none of this is set in stone until Gen r8 goes GA! – it could all change – but for the moment it seems a sensible step – offering a choice of interfaces, introducing them slowly, over time.

Hopefully, though, if the Eclipse-based diagrams are a success, more will be rolled out over coming releases.

Can’t wait !!!

CA Gen and ASP.NET at EDGE EMEA 2007

Tuesday morning commenced with a look at the positioning of Gen with respect to Microsoft’s ASP.Net technology with Dalia Soliman, from CA.

She introduced Microsoft’s .Net technology and reminded us that the .Net web clients are 100% Gen-generated, use C# for the application logic and can also communicate with COBOL, C and .Net servers. Since the business logic is in the action diagrams, it can be shared between different deployment technologies (long a strength of Gen).

Going over the enhancements in Gen 7.6 for .Net in terms of performance, better support for the dot notation, and native .Net support for MQSeries as a a transport set the scene for what might be in r8. At this stage, these are candidat enhancements and may or may not reach the final product.

Such things as AJAX, themes and skins, tabbed browsing support and particularly support for WiX, the installer engine used to create MSI deployments all point to a product which is enabling developers to craft end-to-end systems (even to the point of generating installer packages) from the same tool.

Beyond r8 are more exciting development potentials, such as modernising the toolset interface and using 3rd party tools as a framework for the toolset.

Gen is being taken forward (particularly in the web-type arena) and has at last got some functionality that puts it on a par, if not better, than the comparable Microsoft tools in the interface game. What the Microsoft tools lack is the cross-platform capability that we now take as read !

ModelCVS and Legoland – EDGE EMEA 2007 report

The last session on Monday evening was a presentaion by Mustafa Arikan and Xiaoxia Lin from the Arikan Productivity Group, of the ModelCVS productivity tool This tool allows CA Gen to be integrated into the Eclipse Modelling framework. This integration is in two directions, which means that models modified in Gen’s tools can be integrated into Eclipse (or other) modelling tools, and modifications made in those other tools can be recorded within a Gen model. This integration goes further than this, as code from a Gen model can be taken and put through some processes (which Xiaoxia demonstrated) to create some Java code. Effectively this means that there are tools out there now which are effectively 3rd part generators for Gen! This is what I proposed in a previous post!
At the moment, the tool is in a state where it needs a small amount of work, and it is ready to be commercialised. Mustafa and Xiaoxia will be at EDGEucate 2007, and the tooling will be in futrher state of development by then, and hopefully will be commercialised in 2008.

After the ModelCVS session, all of us delegates climbed aboard our coaches and headed for Legoland, but due to an unfortunate incident, was closed and we were transferred to the Copthorne Hotel, which did us proud with a very small amount of time to spare, cooking fantastic food and providing us with a function room.

We held a Lego building competition, to build a Lego “Gen Developer” which was won by the Danish table, and after much further laughter and mirth, we all headed back to our respective hotels (and bars!!!).