Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cumrec-l
Date:         Fri, 13 Nov 1992 09:24:59 LCL
Comments:     Converted from PROFS to RFC822 format by PUMP V2.2
Comments:     Resent-From: Lance Taylor <LTAYLOR@UNF1VM>
From:         Lance Taylor <LTAYLOR@UNF1VM.BITNET>
Subject:      NATURAL Information

From:    Lance Taylor
         Computing Services
Here is a response to Earnie from the University of North Florida.

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Lance Taylor, Director            | BITNET: ltaylor@unf1vm.bitnet
University Computing Services     | Internet: ltaylor@unf1vm.cis.unf.edu
University of North Florida       | PHONE:  (904) 646-2820
Mathews Computer Science Building | FAX:    (904) 646-2895
4567 St. Johns Bluff Rd           |
Jacksonville, FL 32224-2645       |
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*** Forwarding note from RSP     --UNF1VM   11/13/92 08:50 ***
To: LTAYLOR --UNF1VM   Taylor,  Lance

From:    Rick Powell, Associate Director
*** Resending note of 11/12/92 16:28
To: .       --UNF1VM

From:    Rick Powell, Associate Director
        Computing Services
Subject: NATURAL Information
Earnie, this is in response to your CUMREC note regarding NATURAL.
At the University of North Florida, my application development
staff has been using NATURAL (and associated Software AG products)
for about two years.  Here's how we would respond to your
questions.

1.   The learning curve was not too bad. NATURAL is in many ways
     very COBOL-like, so it does not appear too alien to the
     typical COBOL programmer.  The majority of learning time
     involved the enhancements that NATURAL has over COBOL (of
     which there are many).  I was able to train my entire
     applications staff with just 2 one-week onsite classes (i.e.,
     beginning and advanced classes).

2.   We use NATURAL with IBM's SQL/DS RDBMS (DB2's "kid brother")
     under native VM.  However, as a state agency we also use
     Florida's statewide accounting system (known as "SAMAS"),
     which uses NATURAL and ADABAS under MVS.

3.   The improvement in productivity has been enormous, not only
     in the shorter length of time required to implement an
     application, but also in the quality and functionality of that
     application.  If you think about the amount of time it would
     take a COBOL programmer to code such user-friendly, "PC-like"
     features as pop-up and pull-down menus, field-sensitive help,
     and the like, you'll see what I mean (not to mention how easy
     it is to include edit and validation logic routines in the
     maps, thereby offloading some of your mainframe's CPU cycles).

4.   So far, we have not tried to train end users in NATURAL.

5.   UNF uses PREDICT quite heavily, and it is a very useful data
     dictionary.  However, our use of CONSTRUCT has been somewhat
     limited thus far.  We have found that while CONSTRUCT may be
     excellent for "grinding out" typical CICS mainframe
     applications at an enormous rate, it is not so useful when it
     comes to the PC-like, user-friendly, interactive applications
     we have been developing.  We also found it to be of limited
     use in generating applications with extremely complex logic.
     However, we do plan to take a closer look at CONSTRUCT once
     Software AG finishes developing its OS/2 Upper CASE tool
     (which will require CONSTRUCT as its code generator).

6.   As mentioned above, we use NATURAL with SQL/DS under VM, and
     with ADABAS under MVS.  We have also experimented with the
     OS/2 version of NATURAL on a Token Ring LAN.

7.   Overall impression:  excellent.  In our opinion, it is by far
     the best 4GL on the market.  And, since it combines online and
     batch functionality with a superior report writer, I can
     consolidate training by not having to train my staff in a half
     dozen different products so they can do their job -- NATURAL
     just about does it all.  Combined with Software AG's
     impressive array of integrated companion products, adopting
     a NATURAL application development platform would be a wise
     choice.

If I can be of any further assistance, please give me a call.

University of North Florida
Computing Services
(904) 646-2820     FAX: (904) 646-2895
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU