ASNA Visual RPG 4.0 (Classic)
AVR Classic is an RPG development environment for Windows that is based on COM (Component Object Model) technology; Microsoft's legacy programming model. AVR Classic is currently in use, in thousands of companies worldwide, and is primarily used for creating Windows applications that connect, without change, to IBM's System i (formerly known as iSeries, AS/400), Microsoft's SQL Server and the ASNA Acceler8DB database that resides on Windows desktops and servers.
ASNA Visual RPG 4.0 (AVR) is an integrated development environment for creating enterprise Web, Windows, and .NET applications. Transparent database access; an integrated editor, compiler and debugger; support for emerging standards such as XML and SOAP; and equally powerful Web or Windows deployment possibilities make ASNA Visual RPG a powerful application development environment.
Windows and the Web: for RPG programmers!
ASNA Visual RPG (AVR) is an enterprise application development system for both Web- and Windows-hosted applications. The Windows-based development environment uses contemporary compiler technology to provide an RPG compiler that produces native Windows executables (either EXEs or DLLs).
Applications developed in AVR connect, without change, to IBM's System i and Microsoft's SQL Server, as well as to ASNA Acceler8DB for deployment on local PCs or Windows NT/2K/XP Servers.
ASNA Acceler8DB
Acceler8DB (ADB) provides a System i-like database management system (DBMS) for Windows. This means that through ADB, the same Windows applications that can connect to the System i can also connect, without change, to Windows NT/2000/XP Servers and Windows desktops.
Acceler8DB provides platform-transparent database access for Windows and Web applications for both the System i and Windows. When the System i as the database server, Acceler8DB connects Web and Windows applications directly, with sub-second response time, to the System i. When Windows NT/2000 Server or Windows desktop PCs are the database server, Acceler8DB connects the same Web and Windows applications to a System i-like database on these platforms. Acceler8DB works equally well with both traditional client/server models and with robust, interactive Web development.
Acceler8DB (ADB) provides three essential services for Web and Windows developers:
- Database middleware. As middleware, ADB connects the System i and Windows platforms to Web and Windows applications written in ASNA Visual RPG. When connecting to the System i, the ADB middleware connects directly to the ASNA 400 host server (called DataGate), obviating any need for hard-to-configure ODBC or OLE DB connections.
- A DBMS. Where the System i performs as the primary data server, ADB connects Web and Windows applications to the System i built-in database (UDB for System i). ADB also provides an System i-like database management system (DBMS) for Windows. This means that through ADB, the same Web and Windows applications connected to the System i through ADB can also connect, without change, to Windows NT/2000 Servers and Windows desktops.
- A database administration tool. ADB provides an interactive database administration tool developers can use to add, delete, and change files. Through a native Windows interface, Acceler8DB Manager provides a single source of database management for files on the System i, or Windows platforms. Like all other applications that run through ADB, the Acceler8DB Manager obeys all OS/400-imposed user authorities.
ASNA DataGate/400
DataGate/400 provides fast, record-level DB2/400 database access from Windows applications to the System i. Client applications developed in Visual Basic, C, C++ or ASNA Visual RPG Classic can use DataGate/400 to get the direct file access needed for efficient Client/Server processing - without SQL and ODBC.
System i connectivity is supported for TCP/IP.
DataGate/400 retains all System i object authority and object locking. Its Remote Program Call support features automatic program initiation and activation, and allows character, numeric and indicator (boolean) parameter data types.
DataGate/400 provides full object control for the System i including: creating files; accessing file definitions; adding, deleting and initializing file members; renaming and copying files. It provides full access to CL commands and data areas, and it utilizes all System i CPF error messaging.
ASNA DataGate for SQL Server
ASNA DataGate for SQL Server provides RPG programmers access to SQL Server 2000 through native RPG file IO using familiar RPG operation codes such as CHAIN and SETLL. AVR programmers will not need to learn SQL to get effective access to SQL Server; the skills used today for System i file IO will work exactly the same way for SQL Server. And, the same AVR programs that connect to SQL Server will seamlessly connect to the System i and ASNA's Acceler8DB database for NT/2000/XP Servers and laptops.
ASNA support for SQL Server means that AVR programmers have native, transparent access to two of the most widely used business databases today: DB2/400 and SQL Server. Because SQL Server comprises the core of the Microsoft Database Engine, ASNA SQL Server support also means that AVR programs will also connect seamlessly, again using native RPG file IO, to Microsoft Access.
ASNA DataGate Component Suite
The ASNA DataGate Component Suite is an easy-to-use, object-based, application programming interface for accessing data in IBM's System i, Microsoft's SQL Server and the ASNA Acceler8DB databases on NT/2000/XP Servers and Windows desktops. The ASNA DataGate Component Suite works with ActiveX-compliant development environments such as ASNA Visual RPG Classic, Visual Basic, Delphi, Active Server Pages, and many others. For ASNA Visual RPG Classic programmers, ASNA DataGate Component Suite offers database functionality that exceeds that provided by AVR's standard "DG" prefixed operations (such as DGADDMBR). For Visual Basic programmers, the ASNA DataGate Component Suite provides record-level file access model that exposes field/column values via common Visual Basic data types and references, eliminating the need to use byte arrays.
Written to conform to Windows’ standard COM programming interface, the ASNA DataGate Component Suite provides a standard programming interface that uses objects, properties, methods, events, and collections. Virtually any Visual Basic or AVR programmer can be proficient with the ASNA DataGate Component Suite in a matter of hours.