Search inside of the table and field proprties?

[smart.Object]

Hello, me again...

Is there are a way to search inside of the table and field properties, as well as search for table and field names. In general I am having a difficulty in understanding how this Encompix application is organized and was wandering if there are any tools out there that can help me to see the database and all of its attributes as a WHOLE, not just a collection of weired names and brief descriptions.

 

[tamhas]

If you really want to grub around in the innards, look here http://www.peg.com/techpapers/monographs/schema/schema.html for a description of the meta schema. If what you really want is a big picture, you probably want either a ERD tool or to go all the way to something like my ABL to UML work here http://www.oehive.org/UMLFromABL or Phil Magnay's work here http://www.oehive.org/node/989

 

[smart.Object]

Thanks for the reply Thomas.

Your "DEV-35: Modeling Existing ABL Systems with UML project" looks like something that would be very useful to me once its complete. I skimmed through the pdf file on the oehive and signed up for the usergroup as well.

Also what kind of ERD tool would I be able to use on progress 9? And is there any instructions on how I would go about using it. I really liked the prolint tool, it had very detailed instructions on how to set it up on the oehive.

Although Phil's work looks like something I could use, I don't have Archetect installed, only appbuilder.

Thanks again.

 

[tamhas]

There are a couple of ERD tools that support OpenEdge. I believe that Erwin and PCase are two, but I don't know a lot about them. I am not very interested in them because they model only the data structure, not the code.

There are actually two "Architect" products involved in Phil's work. The reverse engineering stuff which he is doing right now is linked with OpenEdge Architect, the Progress tool ... should you ever get past version 9. But, the UML modeling tool he and I use is Enterprise Architect from Sparx Systems http://www.sparxsystems.com It is very inexpensive, but very capable. Phil's MDG technology will build a UML model from a .df file. When I get my stuff published, it include ABL code that will build a more detailed UML model from the dictionary directly.

 

[smart.Object]

Thanks again Thomas,

I will start trying MDG on monday, once I figure out how to build .df files out of my database. I will also see if I can get my hands on Erwin, as I need any tools I can use to understand how to manage this huge ERP program, including data structure. I just got into Progress and am very overwhelmed by everything. I hope your project gets published soon, I wish it would support progress 9 as well...

 

[tamhas]

My ABL2UML tool depends on tools from Joanju ... the people who brought you Proparse and Prorefactor. You should check out the demo of their Analyst software at http://www.joanju.com/analyst/index.php . It will work with version 9. The code which I have written uses a "bill of materials" file produced by Analyst or a smaller tool which you can get from me to create the UML. There is one aspect of my code which depends on 10.1A ABL, but it would not take much to remove that dependency. It also wouldn't take a lot to hack out the piece from mine that only deals with the dictionary, but I don't know how soon I would be likely to do that since the main point is building a richer model, not a simpler one.

 

[smart.Object]

Doesn't progress 9 uses dictionary as well? And what exactly is "bill of materials"? Also do you by any chance have any idea how much would Analyst cost, it doesn't really say on the website, but looks like something that I could use.

thanks

 

[tamhas]

I believe the dictionary code should be compatible with V9, but even if it isn't it would take little effort to adapt it.

The "Bill of Materials" is a XML file which gives the breakdown of the code down to the IP and function level, who calls who, what tables and fields are accessed, where clauses, shared variables, table and field access modes, etc.

Drop me a line at thomas@cintegrity.com and I can tell you about pricing.