Newsletter sign-up

View all newsletters

Sign up for our technology specific newsletters.

Enterprise Java

Email Address:

Oracle gets RAD with Linux

Forms Developer 6i for Linux aids with development of scalable Internet database applications with Java interfaces

By Todd Coopee, InfoWorld, 09/08/00

Seasoned software developers are always on the lookout for tools that might give them an advantage in the ongoing battle to produce fully functional, Web-enabled applications in Internet time -- a phrase that has become synonymous with yesterday.

TEXTBOX:

TEXTBOX_HEAD: The Bottom Line

Forms Developer 6i for Linux

Business Case
Forms Developer 6i fills a critical gap in the Linux market -- an application development tool optimized for Web development. Developers can use the built-in wizards to get up and running with limited training.

Technology Case
Forms Developer 6i integrates seamlessly into the Linux environment. Programming teams benefit from reduced development times when designing Java-based forms with hooks to backend databases.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Multiuser support
• Support for JavaBeans and PJCs

Cons

• Potentially cost prohibitive licensing scheme

Cost
,245 (part of Oracle's Internet Developer Suite)

Platforms
Development: Linux (also available for Windows NT and Solaris)
Deployment: Any Java-capable platform

Oracle Corp., Redwood Shores, Calif.;(800) 672-2531

:END_TEXTBOX

Many are turning to RAD (rapid application development) environments to reduce development time and maximize available resources along the way. Essentially, RAD environments give programmers a set of tools that help them build working programs quickly, especially when it comes to developing graphical user interfaces. Many also provide library facilities, which foster the reuse of existing code in team environments.

RAD tools have been available for Windows and Unix environments for quite some time, but they're now becoming available for Linux, too. (That sound you hear is the sound of Linux marching one step closer to the mainstream.) Oracle is continuing its support for the up-and-coming operating system with the rollout of its Forms Developer 6i RAD package. When coupled with Forms Server 6i (also available for Linux and sold separately), Forms Developer lets Linux developers build and deploy highly scalable Internet database applications with Java-based user interfaces.

In our tests, Forms Developer 6i for Linux proved easy to set up and start using. If you're currently using Forms Developer on another platform and you want to migrate to the Linux version, you shouldn't have any problem doing so. And for those users who are new to Forms Developer, Oracle has thoughtfully provided wizards that lead you step-by-step through the process of setting up projects, forms, queries, and backend connections.

Forms Developer provides a collection of seven integrated tools, called builders, to ease the Java development process. Each builder addresses a particular aspect of the application development process. For starters, the Schema, Procedure, and Query Builders let you create and modify database objects and test SQL queries to use within your applications, and the Translation Builder lets you repurpose existing applications in over 40 different languages, including French and Spanish. This "build once, use often" philosophy represents a huge potential cost saving to teams looking to deploy their applications on an international scale.

For more enterprise computing news, visit InfoWorld. Story copyright InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.

 

Improve efficiency with Visual Studio(r) 2010 Beta 2. - Microsoft

About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Terms of Service/Privacy

Copyright, 2006-2008 Network World, Inc. All rights reserved.