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Accelerator for Visual LANSA

Accelerator for Visual LANSA is an essential framework and toolkit for LANSA Developers. With it Developers can create very rich, robust Windows and Web applications within the Visual LANSA development technologies.

Advanced - To Connect to Everything

Every user, every application, every system, every data bit, all seamlessly interwoven into elegant Business Solutions. The Accelerator™ architecture is designed from the ground up to support a Service-Oriented Architecture. Built-in features like Business Objects, Frameworks, Bus Interfaces, Plug-Ins, XML, Dashboards, and Wizards simplify deployment.

Agile - So It Adapts to Changing Needs

For companies with legacy IBM i software, a key business goal is extending system life, and when possible, expanding capabilities. The Accelerator's code-generating System Wizard enables point-and-click application assembly and simplifies future changes, enhancements, and maintenance. Its standardized framework architecture enforces good, repeatable design and is the basis for long-term application durability.

Software - That's Productive for Users and Developers

Not only does The Accelerator™ speed up development, users report it can increase their productivity as much as 25% or higher. Many user interface details are automated, assuring operability whether deployed in Windows or the Web.

Video Demonstration: Develop a complete Visual LANSA based system in 4 minutes

This demonstration illustrates how The Accelerator for Visual LANSA works and what it can do. Of course this brief demo cannot show all of The Accelerator's comprehensive capabilities, so contact us for more details.

Watch as a developer steps through the Accelerator Wizard to create a feature-rich system in both Windows and Web around LANSA's Personnel system.

Accelerator Business Objects and Services (BOS)

Business Objects and Services, BOS, enables you to quickly and easily provide integration and interoperability with your own business processes and data.

BOS implements a framework that is a part of Surround's Envision Service-Oriented Architecture. The framework consists of server-side Business Objects, Presentation and Data Service Buses, and Service Adapters.

With BOS it is possible to produce a loosely-coupled, modular, dynamic (data driven), single underlying (standardized), service-oriented architecture around your data and business processes, out-of-the-box, through a step by step wizard.

Interoperability

Built-in service adapters provide the necessary interfaces to integrate with other applications, business partners and customers. It is also possible to interoperate, or plug in, parts of your system into other software such as MS Office, SharePoint, and reporting solutions.

Of course, as with all Surround's software, the framework also provides the back-end operational management, security, and authentication.

Reporting

Quickly and securely build custom reports using any reporting tool that can use XML including MS Office (Word, Excel), Crystal, Altova, etc.

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)

BOS provides a true Service-Oriented Architecture for your back-end data and business processes. This architecture allows you to quickly respond to industry trends and needs with adapters for XML, SOAP, REST, Active-X, .NET, XAML/WPF, etc. Because of SOA, BOS functions under IBM i, Windows, LANSA – virtually any server.

The Accelerator™ for Visual LANSA offers hundreds of features that Surround built and delivered over 10 years from 1999 to 2009 when LANSA, Inc. put technologies and licensing costs in place that made it impossible to continue to enhance further. While LANSA no longer provides licensing for the solution to integrate directly with the LANSA proprietary IDE, the generation wizards can still be used outside of the IDE to generate powerful Visual LANSA based applications. Below are just some of the great features and benefits provided through the solution.

In 2008, we evaluated other technologies such as Java, PHP, and .NET to replace LANSA for our software architecture and generation. It became very clear that .NET was the best choice for long term development. Be sure to check out our latest Accelerator solution to see how far that has come. .NET is a vastly superior development platform than LANSA. If you would like to understand why, please contact us at (239) 405-8427 or by email at info@surroundtech.com

General Development Features

Standardized Framework Architecture – The Accelerator and its code-generating Wizard provides a base framework that helps assure consistent and repeatable programming structures that are the foundation of solid application development standards. This puts Programming Teams in sync and allows any member to step into a development effort mid-stream and be productive, as well as simplifying future maintenance or system enhancements. An intuitive interface for the developer to work from shortens new developer learning curves and provides a comfortable environment that makes even advanced developers more productive.

Open System and Source Code Provided – It's an open systems architecture that's fully LANSA compatible and comes with full source code access. While we strongly recommend that the Base Components not be modified, we do encourage advanced developers to review the code when they wish to duplicate similar functionality.

Windows-on-the-Web (WOW) – Surround has integrated Windows-style handling and features within a browser, enabled through AJAX, delivering performance levels that rival native desktop applications. The Accelerator Wizard simultaneously builds apps that can be run on Windows desktops in addition to zero-deployment Web apps, allowing one application to support users in either environment without added training.

Rapid Prototyping – A developer or analyst can easily put together an entire system prototype in a matter of minutes without creating or generating code. The shell of an entire system can be created right in front of the users for their immediate feedback. The project is road-tested and improved during this development evolution.

Reduce Pilot Deliverable Time – After the prototype is completed, a developer can create a functional pilot system using our wizards and templates. Pilot projects can be launched in a fraction of the time. Since modules from other systems and applications can be easily integrated into a new system or application, it is possible to provide fully functional pieces of an application without coding.

Reduce Custom Development Time – The Accelerator for Visual LANSA an object-oriented architecture system that is fully configurable and very flexible, making it easy to customize components for specific requirements without affecting the rest of the application.

Simple to Code – A Code Generator is used to easily generate the code that is required to customize an application to fit your data. The code generated is well documented and accessible for review and modification if needed.

Productivity features

Too many to list, but here are some of them

Development Features

  • Use the System Wizard to develop full functioning prototypes and systems in minutes
  • Use the Object Development Develop Wizards to create common system objects
  • Use existing Image Collections or create your own to centralize icon and bitmap usage throughout your system
  • Access Accelerator Wizards, Object Development Wizards, and Framework Maintenance directly from the VL IDE
  • Enable the entire team to develop, update, and configure multiple systems and system versions at the same time with server-based frameworks
  • Make it simple for developers to use and adhere to customizable sets of naming and development standards for component and program names to coding techniques and formatting
  • Provide soft delete, recycle bin type support for information throughout your system
  • Include ready to use Modules and Components to provide additional functionality and perform other development task faster
  • Mix and match your applications and module to make multiple systems without needing to code
  • Share/Purchase applications and modules to extend your own system
  • Use pre-built wrappers to integrate with the Windows Systems, System i, MS Office Applications, Web browsing Crystal Reports, and other Active-X Controls
  • Use a Wizard framework to simplify and ease the learning curve for complex workflow and business process scenarios

Performance Features

  • Provide systems with built in support for both small and large transaction volumes
  • Deploy systems that are designed to have minimal impact on the network
  • Deploy systems that are user scalable from high bandwidth local access, to low bandwidth remote dial up access, to disconnected synchronized access
  • Develop systems that are optimized for thick and thin client/server interfaces
  • Provide systems that utilize optimum performance and memory management
  • Retain data and display integrity throughout the multiple uses and instances that the same information and data are used
  • Use client and server side processing power for what it is best suited
  • Provide server side administration of the Framework with client side synchronization and execution

Security Features

  • Utilize your existing security software within the Accelerator Framework and Systems
  • Integrate with Accelerator's pre-built, robust security system throughout your own applications

User Interface Features

  • Common and expected UI elements such as Window Layout, Titles, sizing, mouse operations, etc.
  • Beginner to Expert User Interface Support
  • Record locking and Data Integrity controls
  • Navigator – Quickly and easily move around the system
  • Wizards – Simplify complex business functionality and procedures
  • Dashboards – View critical business information and processes
  • Search – Find information needed, discover other relevant information
  • Task Panes – Get back to and organize information and tasks
  • Preview Pane – See information fast & make business decisions faster
  • Multiple Windows – effortlessly compare information or multi-task
  • Windows-on-the-Web, WOW – The look, feel, and benefits of a rich Windows User Interface through a Web Browser
  • Web 2.0 – Modern, future-ready, rich Internet Web 2.0 technologies
  • Ajax – The basis for Web 2.0, AJAX allows the browser to only refresh the part of a page that has been modified.
  • Zero-Deployment – Provide your application to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Subject to proper authorization of course!
  • Multiple open window support, navigation, and management
  • Centrally managed, security driven, data sensitive command controls with dynamic and user customizable menu bars, toolbars, and dialog bars
  • Support for high speed, heads down navigation and data entry
  • Ready to use components and controls
  • Robust System Browser
    • Multiple Browsers open at one time
    • Definable, end–user customizable navigator
    • Multiple definable Explorer Bars with position to and filter search selection
    • Multiple pre-defined and definable Task Panes for History, Hot List, Favorites, and Folder level access to the system
    • List and grid view Content windows with Configurable View searches and Column displays
    • Other pre defined and definable content windows such as Web Browser, 5250 access, image browsing, custom business content, etc.
    • Multi–level Preview Pane support for detail data display and sub-browser access to related data
  • Multi–window Detailer with built in record navigation and sub-browser access to related data
  • Search and selection browser

Included Modules Features

  • Remarks Module
  • Job Logging and Record Locking Module
  • Security Module

Additional Modules Available

  • Fully compatible with all the other Envision Application Modules, like Contact Management, Zip/Postal Code Management, Team & Project Management and more