What is Information Migration?
Information Migration is a solution for LINCII sites wishing to move their application to open platforms. Running your application on NT/UNIX using LINC is a viable solution. To ensure the most successful means to migrate both specifications and data, Information Migration automates much of the process and can provide results in less than 25% of original time estimates while lowering costs and risks. The IEG products and services, known as Information Migration, apply to both NT/UNIX and LDAIII PC LAN development and test migration.
The Approach
The Information Migration process addresses both application data movement and LINC source code. Information Migration creates LINC report programs, specifically for the user’s application, to unload data from the existing repositories in a platform independent format and then reload the data into the target repository. LINC specifications are evaluated and re-created to replace reserved words, remove control sequence highlighting, and propose/change LDL verb inefficiencies in DETERMINE and LOOK.UP constructs.
Business Advantage Technology Features
|
· Provide accurate project sizing |
· Portfolio analysis |
|
· Reduce labor costs |
· Renovation of LINC accessing constructs |
|
· Lower risks |
· Detection of UNIX/NT limits and restrictions |
|
· Return results quickly |
· Conversion of production and test data |
|
· Audit changes |
· Detection of “dangerous” constructs |
|
|
· Replacement of control sequences and NT/UNIX reserved words |
What is Interface Builder GUI Paining?
Interface Builder, or IB, generates GUI attributes directly from the LINC LCIF model. A new GUI Model is created containing EAD (LDA) GUI painted ISPECS automatically painted from a user-defined set of standards. The user can select data items and associate them with any presentation type (push button, list box, etc.) available in the EAD (LDA) painter. IB then applies these GUI setting consistently throughout the model.
The Approach
Interface Builder (IB), an LDA based application, allows the evolution of GUI screen development. Evolutionary GUI painting is developing screens in small batches normally 5 to 10 screens at a time. Attributes defined for a data item are automatically applied to other batches when that data item is used again in other screen batches.
Using the evolutionary approach in
GUI development can help determine the best presentation type (listbox, buttons
etc) to apply to a data item. This will
take experimentation. A suggested
approach is to take screen batches, (5-10), and begin to define GUI
standards. Several iterations of GUI generations
may take place to “learn” the best GUI standards to use. As the GUI attributes
begin to become consistent, standards defined for one batch can be applied to
subsequent batches automatically.
If GUI standards are changed in
the future, all screens could be repainted quickly and consistently by applying
the Interface Builder to the entire specification.
Business Advantage Technology Features
|
· Consistant look and feel of GUI forms |
· Menu-driven selection and processing |
|
· Evolves GUI standards |
· Dictionary
Value Logic smartly applied |
|
· Reduces the labor costs |
· Quick implementation of massive changes |
|
· Builds GUI forms compatible with Power Client (PCE) and Active LINC. |
· Applies presentation types (button, list boxes) consistently to each data item. |
|
|
|
What is Interface Builder – ASP/DHTML generation?
Interface Builder, or IB, generates ASP or DHTML forms directly from the LINC LCIF model. The output forms are equivalent to the GUI painted screens the user maintains in LDA. The forms can be used with Unisys ActiveLINC or IEG’s IE-WEBS product.
The Approach
Interface Builder (IB), an LDA based application,
uses an LDA model that contains GUI records as input.
GUI attributes are converted into ASP
or DHTML pages. Features are automatically
detected from your LDA specification in order to build:
o Text
Areas by combining multiple fields
o Drop
down combo boxes
o Hover
text generated from field level help
o Client
Side scripts generated for local validation of required fields, numeric fields,
signed fields, etc
o User
Defined Field Level Client Side scripts generated for data manipulation at one
of three processing
points: form rendering, form
submission, and error processing such as: date manipulation, etc
o Cursor
positioning (IE-WEBS only at this time)
o Flexible
and user modifiable templates
o Multi-language
forms
Business Advantage Technology Features
|
· No DHTML or JAVA skills are necessary |
· Template driven generation |
|
· Open architecture allows for user modification |
· User maintainable
templates |
|
· Use of Cascading Style Sheets to apply quick web page changes with no generation required |
· Generated forms are equivalent to the LDA GUI screens - WYPIWYG – what you paint is what you get |
|
· Reduces the labor costs |
· Client side JAVA scripts that match LDA GUI data attributes |
|
|
|
Experience and Resources
Information Exchange Group, Inc. (IEG) was founded in January of 1995 with a goal of providing clients a means of effectively and appropriately applying information technology to their business problems. IEG provides a wealth of CASE/4GL knowledge and experience with over 60 years of experience in the areas of business analysis, LINC design and development methods, the use of graphical end user interfaces, information retrieval from enterprise LINC systems into Windows applications, and migrations between platforms.
Contacts
Information Exchange Group, Inc. assists organizations of all sizes by combining technical skills with the knowledge of business functions and processes in order to help them effectively identify and solve their problems. For additional information, you may contact Information Exchange Group, Inc. through any of its Directors.
Dennis L. Schmidt
Lynn
H. Wilson
Philip
F. Kauffman
8151 Indigo Ridge Ter
4380 Evans Farms Drive
3103 Cobb Lane
Bradenton, FL 34201
Cumming,
GA 75006
Steward, IL 60531
Office (941) 306-5066
Office (770) 886-7969
Office
(815) 824-1461