MODEL-BASED APPLICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT TOOL CUTS DEVELOPMENT TIME FROM MONTHS TO WEEKS

Visible Developer 2.6's new bi-directional interface with Visible Analyst enables round-trip engineering from data model to code to UML diagrams.

WALTHAM, MA -- October 23, 2001 -- Visible Systems Corporation enhanced Visible Developer to answer a common developer request: "Some products generate UML diagrams but little code. I want robust, executable code to make my job easier and I want diagrams the provide an easy-to-understand graphical representation of the code." With Visible Developer 2.6, developers can have it both ways.

The new Visible Developer 2.6 model-based code generation tool has a bi-directional interface to the Visible Analyst data/UML modeling tool. Users start by developing a logical data model using Analyst. A seamless interface transfers the data model from Analyst to Developer where the software application model is created. Visible Developer generates code required for a three-tier application based on the model and then uses the second interface with Analyst to generate UML diagrams of the code.

John Vosburgh, general manager of Visible's modeling tools division, commented: "With huge application demands and high staff turnover levels, companies seek shortcuts in software development without sacrificing quality. Visible Developer 2.6 meets that need. With a bi-directional interface between Visible Developer and Visible Analyst, programmers have the best of both worlds: diagrams that document database and application design visually, plus robust, well-documented, fully functional code."

One Visible Developer user, Glenn Watkins, president of Watkins Technology Group, commented: "Visible Developer is the most complete code generation tool I've ever seen. It is saving me large amounts of time which allows me to concentrate on growing my consulting business. With Visible Developer, I can accomplish in 3 days what would normally have taken 3 months. Visible Developer paid for itself the first month I used it.".

In simultaneous announcements, Visible announced a Spanish edition of its Visible Analyst modeling tool and new features for its Razor configuration management system.

New Features

Visible Developer 2.6's new bi-directional interface gives developers fast and accurate feedback on their business applications. Users can export UML class definitions of business objects from Visible Developer and import them into the Visible Analyst modeling tool, providing a standard representation of generated code. At the same time, users can export data model diagrams from Visible Analyst into Visible Developer, enabling them to generate 80 to 95% percent of the code needed to run the application.

Another new Visible Developer feature is extensible code patterns that enable developers to include custom code from a file or by specifying code to be inserted in generated modules. For example, developers can automate the insertion of their organization's security code, instead of cutting and pasting the security feature in the generated code.

Visible Developer 2.6 also now generates stored procedures for Oracle databases. The generated code uses these stored procedures to perform database transactions that are designed to run under Microsoft's MTS/COM+. The result is faster-performing, scalable applications.

About Visible Developer

Visible Developer 2.6 is a software component design and development tool that generates fully functional three-tier applications incorporating the latest technologies: XML, COM+, and ADO. It maps the physical database design to a single logical business object. Developers use design-time objects to express business requirements in Visible Developer's model. Code patterns translate requirements into the Visual Basic classes, modules, forms and stored procedures comprising the applications.

Visible Developer's model-based development results in reusable, technology-neutral business components. The current product includes code generation for Visual Basic. Future releases will include generation options for C++, JAVA, and C# from the same model. A synchronization feature keeps the business component design consistent with the underlying database.

About Visible Systems Corporation

Visible (http://www.visiblesystemscorp.com), headquartered in Waltham, MA, is a leader in application development tools, training, and consulting. Visible has over 100,000 users of its products worldwide. Besides Visible Developer, the company's products include Visible Analyst, a powerful software analysis and design tool that supports UML, XML, round-trip, and structured software engineering in one integrated tool set; and Razor, a full-featured configuration management system.

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©2001 Visible Systems Corporation. All rights reserved. Visible, Visible Advantage and Visible Universal Model are trademarks of Visible Systems Corporation. Visible Analyst and Razor are registered trademarks of Visible Systems Corporation. VBMentor is a trademark of 3t Software. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.