From: newsbytes@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.nb.ibm
Subject: New PARTS Turns Existing Code into Objects 10/09/92
Keywords: Bureau-LAX
Date: 9 Oct 92 19:52:02 GMT

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 9 (NB) -- Los
Angeles, California-based Digitalk, developer of Smalltalk/V,
says it has come out with PARTS Workbench, a product for
object-oriented programming that can turn existing code in
languages like Cobol into an object that can then be used to
build an application.

Newsbytes saw the Parts Assembly and Reuse Tool Set (PARTS)
technology and like most object-oriented programming
applications, the programmer draws lines between icons,
"parts," that represent functions to build a program. The main
difference between PARTS and other object-oriented languages is
PARTS has parts for "wrappering" existing code, such as Cobol
code on a mainframe, so it can be turned into an object and
addressed by an object-oriented front end such as IBM's OS/2 or
Microsoft Windows.

While none of this capability eliminates the need to know how
to design a program, the need to know what the Cobol function
does, and the information about where the variables in the
program get their values (from user screen input or passed from
another Cobol program), PARTS does allow for less technical
expertise in the mechanics of program building.

Custom parts can also be built in Smalltalk/V for addressing
specific needs, such as "wrappering" Fortran, Basic, or Pascal
code; talking to certain types of modems or networks; or
performing repetitive functions or calculations done by certain
organizations such as insurance companies.

Digitalk says the parts can be built by a programmer with
expertise in the particular application and then used by
everyone in the organization, so code building is consistent
and a function is the same across the organization. Currently
code is often built by different groups in a large company who
don't talk to each other and nothing is standard. When a change
has to be made to a certain function, say the company alters
its form design, the entire suite of programs for addressing
those forms has to be rewritten by each group.

The actual PARTS Workbench itself is an impressive product,
elegantly designed, and it takes advantage of the object-
oriented environment. Newsbytes saw a dial connected to a
slider on a graph and the slider and graph were both connected
to an Excel spreadsheet using dynamic data exchange (DDE) under
OS/2 2.0. The sample application reflected any change the user
made using the mouse and sliding the slider on the graph in
real time on the dial and in the spreadsheet. The reverse was
true as well, meaning a change in the spreadsheet moved the
slider and dial, and movement of the dial moved the slider and
reflected the values of the dial in the spreadsheet.

The PARTS Workbench uses the notebook metaphor with "pages of
icons and tabs to indicate the sub directories. Icons on each
page can be moved to the "workbench" were they can be "wired"
together or connected to form applications. The connections are
intelligent and will let the programmer know if something has
been left out or undone that will create an error, Digitalk
said.

Digitalk offers parts with the PARTS Workbench, including the
module to wrapper Cobol code and is encouraging third party
vendors to build and offer parts. A search utility is included
in the PARTS Workbench to find parts based on their
description.

The downside of the PARTS Workbench is it is only available now
for OS/2 2.0 and only in a 16-bit version. Digitalk is
"married" to IBM as a partner in IBM's AD/Cycle program and so
serves IBM's interests first. Company representative and
founder Barbara Noparstak said a 32-bit version for OS/2 2.0 is
on the way and those who purchase the 16-bit version now will
be upgraded free when the 32-bit version arrives.
Also, Noparstak said a Windows version is planned as well.

While the PARTS Workbench itself doesn't require Smalltalk V,
it does require a 386 or higher IBM or compatible personal
computer with 12 megabytes of memory for development of PARTS
applications. The same horsepower PC but with 8 MB of memory is
required to run the finished PARTS applications.

The PARTS Workbench for OS/2 2.0 is available for a retail
price of $1,995 and includes an online tutorial, sample
applications, and three user manuals; a user's guide, a
language guide for the scripting language, and a reference for
developers currently using Smalltalk/V. The right to distribute
unlimited runtime applications and deliver components or
modules is included as well, the company said.

Current Smalltalk/V users can get the PARTS Workbench for $595
until the end of October, Digitalk added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921009/Press Contact: Barbara Noparstak,
Digitalk, tel 310-645-1082, fax 310-645-1306)
-- 
****  Tom Landrum
****  tel1568@tamsun.tamu.edu
****
****  The perversity of the universe tends toward a maximum. - Niven
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc