📄️ Introducing USoft Modeller and Rules Engine
With USoft Modeller and Rules Engine, you can create data-intensive business applications rapidly. From a single source, three tiers of functionality are generated automatically:
📄️ Info windows
USoft automatically creates a form interface called info window for each database table you have defined. An info window allow the user to fill out a form with new data that are stored in the table, but also to perform queries that retrieve existing data from that table.
📄️ Shortcut keys
The USoft tools respond to a number of default shortcut keys, also referred to as function keys. They can be individual keys (such as the F2 key) or key combinations (such as SHIFT+TAB).
📄️ Defining and executing queries in info windows
Defining a Query
📄️ Wildcards and operators in info windows
When you define a query by filling out an info window, you can use ordinary operators such as >, >=, =, <, <=. Also, you can use the NOT, and the OR operator, which are represented by the exclamation point (!) and pipe symbol (\|) respectively, as described in the following table. Further, you can use the wildcards that are specified in the second table.
📄️ Manipulating records in info windows
You can use the buttons on the toolbar or the options from the Record menu to manipulate records. The Record menu only appears in the menu bar when you have a window open.
📄️ Lookup windows
A Lookup Window is a form interface that allows a user who is editing a foreign key field (in a child table) to lookup possible data for this field (in the parent table).
📄️ Related windows
When in a form interface for a parent table, the user can open Related Windows to query and manipulate related data from child tables.
📄️ Subtype windows
When in a form interface for a supertype table, the user can open Subtype Windows to query and manipulate data stored in subtype columns.
📄️ Dialogs
A dialog is a window that helps the user perform a specific task. Depending on the task at hand, a dialog may or may not contain data fields, images, buttons, helpful text or other elements.
📄️ The Objects List
You can open each standard Info Window by choosing it in the Objects List dialog:
📄️ The Transactions window
Every time that you execute a local save, the data manipulations since the last commit are added to the current transaction. At the same time, any checks that can be made on the data without actually committing it are carried out. Only when you commit your changes can all the checks be executed on the database, as one change may affect several other columns in other tables.
📄️ The Workspace
The Workspace option enables you to (view or) save your current workspace (i.e. open and/or cached windows). The next time that the application is started, the windows will then be restored on the screen, or cached in memory. Windows that are kept in memory are called resident windows. The maximum number of resident windows is specified with the Maximum Number of Resident Windows (application) property.
📄️ The Find In Repository dialog
The Find in Repository dialog, accessible from the Definer's Edit menu, allows you to search for an occurrence of a string in several areas of the repository.
📄️ The Toolbar
The Toolbar appears just below the menu bar, and contains the following icon buttons:
📄️ The Catalog
When you first start the Definer, the Definer window is displayed with a Catalog pane on the left-hand side. The remainder of the window shows an empty workspace.
📄️ Create Flat Files tool
Conceptual files (.CON), system messages files (.SMG) and application string files (.UMG) may be generated using the Create Flat Files tool.
📄️ SQL Command tool
The SQL Command tool allows you to execute ad-hoc, individual SQL statements or a script composed of such statements.
📄️ SQL Objects: Cross-reference information
When the SQL statement associated with certain objects is checked by pressing the Check button in their respective definition winnow, repository tables are filled with information about the tables, columns, relationships, methods and external sets that are used in the SQL statement.. These repository tables are called SQL Object tables. Whenever you make a change to an item that is used in the SQL statement for that object, for example: deleting a column, the cross reference feature uses the information in the SQL Objects table to set all objects (constraints, SQL Tasks, etc.) that use that item to incorrect.
📄️ Generate HTML Reports
The Definer allows you to generate reports showing the contents of your tables and columns, domains, and relationships in HTML format, so that they can be viewed with a browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape. This can be useful for documentation or presentation purposes.
📄️ Reserved Words list
What is the Reserved Words list?
📄️ Bridge Wizard
The Bridge Wizard can be used to import a selected set of tables into your USoft repository from any database that has a JDBC driver. Domains are automatically created with the correct data type. Relationships are also created automatically, with the same properties that were specified in the source database.
📄️ SQL Definer
The SQL Definer enables you to build SQL statements by manipulating a tree-like representation:
📄️ Rules Engine parameters
A Rules Engine has configurable behaviour determined by a fixed set of Rules Engine parameter settings determined at development time. All the parameters have USoft factory defaults.