Accelix's Enterprise Software Development Accelerator (ESDA) is a
revolutionary new tool for developing database-oriented applications for
the web. During the testing and development of ESDA Accelix has been able
to cut ninety percent of the time traditionally reserved for the development
and testing phases of several software projects.
How ESDA Works
ESDA starts by using design data that is produced during the detail
design phase of a software development project. This data includes
the database schema for the application, program information, field
types, and other relevant information. A web interface is used to
specify program attributes and the type of output required. When the
specification is complete, ESDA writes the specified software in a
form that can be easily downloaded and installed on the server.
What ESDA Does
ESDA writes software that can list, view, modify, add, and delete
information from tables in an application database using standard HTML
forms with industry-standard programming languages. Designers have
full control over the sequencing of programs, the content displayed on
the each form, and other attributes. Because ESDA writes software in
industry-standard languages, its output does not use run-time modules
and is royalty free. Programmers that use ESDA are productive immediately
because they are able to work in a language that they already know.
Depending on the size of the application, it can take from five minutes
to several hours to enter the specifications into the tool. Once the
output phase is reached, ESDA writes fully commented, structured, code
very quickly. ESDA can write more software in two seconds than a human
being can write by hand in five years. As a result, applications are
produced much faster than traditional means. The economy yielded by this
approach reduces cost, provides high-quality code, and reduces the amount
of time required to place new applications into production. Here are
just a few of the features of ESDA:
- Supports industry-standard languages, including Perl, Java, C, C++,
C#, and ASP. Early releases of the tool will support Perl, with
support for additional languages following.
- Supports industry-standard database management systems, including
MySQL, Oracle, IBM DB/2, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, and Postgres.
Early releases of the tool will support MySQL, with support for
additional databases following.
- Software is fully-commented and structured to allow programmers to
customize programs by hand (if necessary) and support ongoing
maintenance.
- No royalties required on generated code. No runtime modules
required.
- Industry-standards allow your existing software engineering staff
to use the tool without having to retrain them in proprietary
languages and methodologies.
- Supports HTML templates, allowing your web designers to update
the look and feel of the application without having to modify the
program code.
- High quality code created by ESDA is free from programming errors,
reducing overall testing time.
- Software created by ESDA includes code to prevent cross-site
scripting vulnerabilities, SQL injection attacks, and other common
hacker exploits.
- Web interface allows programmers to use the tool regardless of the
development platform they use (Windows, Mac OS, Linux, or UNIX).
- Reduced development and testing time means lower cost and faster
time to market, resulting in a substantial competitive advantage
to developers that use the tool.
- Application design data is stored in a database and can be modified
at a later date to incorporate design changes and other edits.
- Project data can be imported and exported in XML format, allowing
other tools and applications to interface with ESDA.
- Schema definitions can be standard SQL DDL statements, or XML-based
database schemas.
While ESDA is a powerful development tool, there a few things ESDA can not
do (yet). ESDA does not write the business logic for your application.
For example, if you were writing an application that calculated variable
rate interest for a loan, a programmer would need to write the interest
calculation logic. Fortunately, ESDA produces very structured, well-written
software, so it is easy to add logic to the programs it creates. ESDA also
does not create code to read or write sequential files. Finally, ESDA
does not provide a report writer. All of these capabilities will be
addressed in subsequent releases of the product.
Code Generator Technology
ESDA is an actual revolution in software engineering, not just a code
generator. Early code generators required people to write in one language
in order to yield code in a target language. The frequently forced the
developer into having to specify the program flow, relied upon proprietary
closed-source runtime code, and generated "spaghetti code" for the output.
Later attempts at code generation appeared as "screen painters" that were
too basic and ignored the underlying structure of the database. And some
modern productivity tools actually require your developers to write code
in a proprietary, non-portable language, such as Cold Fusion or
PowerBuilder.
ESDA utilizes special technology that writes perfect software. Developers
do not need to learn another language, specify detail logic flow, or be
forced to use closed-source, proprietary API's to perform their work.
In short, ESDA is a revolution in software engineering.
Obtaining ESDA
ESDA is not scheduled for production release until early 2005. The
product will be released in two forms; as a software engineering
appliance for larger development groups, and as a tool that can be
accessed and used over the Internet by small companies and individual
developers. Pricing on the ESDA software engineering appliance will be
based on the number of languages and databases required. Pricing for
the use of ESDA over the Internet will be based on a per-program cost
for each program written by the tool. More information on these products
will be released at a later date.
Accelix is also looking for a few select companies to participate in a
beta program for our upcoming release. If you have an interest in
participating in this program, send email to
. There is a cost for the
program, and it requires participants to provide comprehensive feedback
on the tool. You can also direct questions regarding the tool to
.
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