OF INTEREST

The recently released Cogent Prolog 3.0 features a Logic Server API that enables Windows programmers to add rule-based Prolog modules to conventional applications. This capability is especially relevant for programs that involve problem diagnosis and resolution, configuration/tuning, planning and evaluation, intelligent advice, and language parsing.

Cogent Prolog 3.0 is designed to provide plug-in, rule-based services for C, C++, Visual Basic, PowerBuilder, Access, dBase, and many other development tools. For example, you can add functions to retrieve records from an SQL database, or functions that invoke features of the Windows SDK.

The Cogent Prolog development system for Windows and DOS sells for $298.00. Both 16-bit and 32-bit (extended) DOS modes are supported. Cogent Prolog is also available for the Alpha under OSF/1 or OpenVMS.

40 Samuel Prescott Drive

amzi@world.std.com

WexTech and Mainsoft have teamed up to create the WexTech Hyperformance Viewer, a UNIX version of the WexTech Doc-To-Help extensions for the Windows Help Engine. The viewer helps authors using the Doc-To-Help tools to publish for UNIX workstations the same content files that support PCs. Additionally, Hyperformance Viewer will display any standard Windows Help file created with RoboHelp or ForeHelp.

WexTech Systems

310 Madison Ave., Suite 905

New York, NY 10017

ArchiveLib 1.01a, a Windows-compatible data-compression and archive library for C/C++ programmers from Greenleaf Software, has begun shipping. The toolkit, which is described as an object-oriented data-compression run-time library, consists of about 100 functions that let programmers compress ASCII or binary data for storage. Under Windows, ArchiveLib, which is also available as a language-independent DLL, sells for $279.00.

Greenleaf Software

16479 Dallas Pkwy., Suite 570

Dallas, TX 75248

The NAG Numerical PVM Library, a collection of numerical routines designed for distributed-memory parallel machines, has been released by the Numerical Algorithms Group. The library uses the Basic Linear Algebra Communication Subprograms (BLACS) and PVM for message passing, and includes ScaLAPACK routines for solving linear equations, symmetric Eigenproblem and SVD routines, sparse linear-equation solvers, multidimensional quadrature routines, data-distribution support routines, and more. The library is initially available for SunSPARC, IBM RS/6000, Silicon Graphics IRIX 5, DEC Alpha, HP 9000/700, and similar platforms.

Numerical Algorithms Group

1400 Opus Place, Suite 200

Downers Grove, IL 60515-5702

InfoPower 1.0, a set of data-aware VCL components for Delphi-based database development, has been announced by Woll2Woll Software. The InfoPower components include a super database grid, lookup combo box, advanced filtering, table sort, auto-expanding memo, incremental search, and a table-lookup/locate dialog-box component. According to Woll2Woll, the toolset is composed of native Delphi components which are automatically linked into compiled EXE files. InfoPower 1.09 sells for $199.00.

Woll2Woll Software

1032 Summerplace Drive

San Jose, CA 95122

Ryan McFarland has announced the release of RM/CodeBench, an integrated Windows-based development environment for RM/ Cobol. RM/CodeBench lets RM/Cobol developers seamlessly edit/compile/debug applications. The interface includes pull-down menus, a toolbar, dialog boxes, status prompts, MDI, and execution animation.

8911 N. Capital of Texas Hwy.

Austin, TX 78759

Young Minds has begun shipping an updated version of CD Studio, its CD-ROM recording system. CD Studio is a UNIX-based system for recording CDs at the desktop or across a network. The system supports the extended UNIX file structure by creating ISO 9660/Rock Ridge formatted discs. The new version supports writing at up to 900-Kbytes/second. Additionally, CD Studio now supports a comm port that sends recording information back to the workstation.

1910 Orange Tree Lane, Suite 300

Redlands, CA 92375

Racotek has released the Keybuilder SDK for wireless communication application development. The Windows-hosted Keybuilder environment includes a GUI code generator, sample apps, online help, testing tool, and support for PowerBuilder and Visual Basic. Keybuilder sells for $995.00.

7301 Ohms Lane, Suite 200

Minneapolis, MN 55439

The Nucleus PLUS real-time kernel from Accelerated Technology provides advanced kernel support for the PowerPC microprocessor. This support includes multitasking capabilities such as task communication, task synchronization, memory management, and application timers. Nucleus PLUS supports both the Diab Data D-CC/PowerPC-optimized C compiler and the SDS SingleStep source-level debugger.

Accelerated Technology

P.O. Box 850245

Mobile, AL 36685

Simply Solutions has introduced Visual DLL, a Visual Basic add-on that lets you create Windows DLLs without resorting to tools such as a C compiler or the Windows SDK. DLLs created with Visual DLL can be called from languages such as C, Pascal, and Fortran. Visual DLL automatically creates C header files and Basic Declare statements for access from third-party applications. In addition, Visual DLL creates binary library modules for distribution to customers and third-party developers.

Simply Solutions

3337 Bristol, Suite 143

Santa Ana, CA 92704

simply@netcom.com

The Development Group for Advanced Technology has released Sql Index Coverage Analyzer for Microsoft's SQL Server, Oracle, and Sybase SQL Server. The Sql Index Coverage Analyzer, which identifies potential performance problems before application deployment, analyzes all dynamic-SQL, stored-procedure, and trigger-SQL statements for index coverage in the table selection and joint criteria.

The Sql Power Tools suite consists of seven tools: Sql Index Coverage Analyzer, Sql Inspector & DeadLock Predictor, Sql Relationship & Impact Analysis Browser, Sql Data Base Documenter, Sql Stored Procedure Encapsulator, Sql Data Base Migrator, and Sql Application Data Base Diff for Data Base Administrators and SQL Developers.

The Development Group for Advanced Technology

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

http://www.nis.net/sqlpower!

SQA has released SQA TeamTest 3.1, an upgrade to its Windows automated client/server testing tool. Version 3.1 supports PowerBuilder 4.0 and provides enhancements to SQA's object-oriented recording technology.

SQA TeamTest 3.1 integrates six major testing areas: test planning, test development, test execution, results analysis, defect tracking, and summary reporting and analy-sis. SQA TeamTest can be used to test any Windows product or application, and offers special integration with PowerBuilder and other client/server development tools. SQA TeamTest 3.1 sells for $2495.00 per seat.

10 State Street

Woburn, MA 01801

Visigenic Software has released a set of ODBC tools for developers needing access to multiple databases. Based on Microsoft's Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) spec, Visigenic's suite of products includes the Visigenic ODBC DriverSet, Visigenic ODBC SDK, and Visigenic ODBC Test Suites. Additionally, Visigenic has licensed Microsoft's SQL Server middleware technology to develop and market Microsoft SQL Server ODBC drivers for several UNIX platforms, Macintosh, PowerMac, OS/2, and other non-Microsoft operating environments.

The Visigenic ODBC DriverSet lets you provide cross-platform access to multiple SQL databases by using a single, standard API. The ODBC DriverSet is composed of drivers that offer application access to Informix, Ingres, Sybase SQL Server, and Oracle, with Microsoft SQL Server soon to follow. The Visigenic drivers, based on the ODBC 2.0 specs, are compliant with all Core, Level 1, and key Level 2 API functions.

The Visigenic ODBC 2.0 SDK allows you to write database-independent C/C++ applications or database drivers, and deploy them across any platform. With ODBC, an application can communicate simultaneously with multiple databases from different vendors all through a single, standard interface. The ODBC SDK comes with a Driver Manager, header files, programmer's reference, and sample programs. The ODBC Test Suite includes individual C test programs for all Core, Level 1, and Level 2 API calls in the OBDC 2.0 specification.

The Visigenic DriverSet, currently available on Windows, Solaris, SunOS, HP/UX, and IBM AIX, starts at $395.00 for Windows and $595.00 for UNIX. Visigenic's ODBC 2.0 SDKs are available for Solaris, SunOS, HP/UX, and IBM AIX at a cost of $995.00 per developer. The ODBC Test Suites, available on Windows and UNIX, sell for $25,000 per platform.

Visigenic Software Inc.

951 Mariners Island, Suite 460

San Mateo, CA 94404

Delrina has begun shipping the Delrina FormFlow SDK, which allows developers to incorporate electronic-form features into new or existing applications. Users can quickly and easily add the database connectivity, e-mail integration, and forms- routing capabilities of FormFlow to their client/server applications.

The SDK includes more than 300 external calls specific to Visual Basic and C, and includes an API for e-mail, fax, and data messaging, sample code, and extra utilities such as a forms auditor. With the FormFlow SDK, users also receive Delrina WinComm Pro online communication software and the Delrina WinFax Pro Phonebook Server API. The FormFlow SDK sells for $249.00 and includes one year of technical support.

6320 San Ignatio

San Jose, CA 95119

Revision Labs, a software-testing lab, has released a report entitled A Guide to Test Automation Tools for GUI Software. The report includes articles and tables relevant to testing-tool evaluation and selection. In particular, the report covers AutoTester, WinRunner, Microsoft Test, QA Partner, SQA TeamTest, Hightest, Evaluator, Auto-matar QA, and others. The report evaluates the testing tools on a set of more than 90 feature criteria, including recording, verification, programming, execution, report generation, maintenance, portability, and support. The report sells for $95.00.

15220 NW Greenbrier Parkway, Suite 305

Beaverton, OR 97006

rli@teleport.com

Common Lisp/CLOS has been officially approved as an ANSI standard, making it the first object-oriented programming language to achieve ANSI standardization. X3J13 is the X3 technical committee responsible for drafting the ANSI Standard for Common Lisp. Committee chairman is Guy Steel, who was joined by representatives from Apple Computer, Chestnut Software, DEC, Franz, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Sun, Xerox, the University of Utah, and Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan. Major Common Lisp/CLOS vendors include Franz, Digitool, Harlequin, Gold Hill, and Venue.

1250 Eye St. NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20005

x3sec@itic.nw.do.us

The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) has released for licensing its HARC-C image-compression software that's based on wavelet technology. HARC claims that the software has a compression ratio of 300:1. Implemented in C, HARC-C contains a number of kernel modules so that applications can be developed by calling function libraries. It is available for UNIX (including Linux), DOS, Windows, OS/2, and NT. (For background information on wavelet technology, see the article "The Wavelet Packet Transform," by Mac A. Cody, DDJ, April 1994.)

Houston Advanced Research Center

4800 Research Forest Drive

The Woodlands, TX 77381

Teletech Systems is launching a contest for help-file developers who can create the best help file of 30 topics or less using VB HelpWriter, Teletech's help-authoring tool for Visual Basic. Entries will be judged on entertainment value, originality, presentation, creative use of Winhelp features, and integration with a VB program. The winner gets a $1000.00 shopping spree of programming tools from the VBxtras tools catalog. Runners-up receive copies of VB HelpWriter Professional. Enter by June 15, 1995. A free copy of VB HelpWriter Lite is available on CompuServe in the MSBASIC forum and on the Internet at ftp.cica.indiana.edu.

Teletech Systems

750 Birch Ridge Dr.

Roswell, GA 30076

API Vision 1.0 is a new Windows API-level debugging tool from Berkeley Toolworks. API Vision dynamically displays calls to the Windows API, including those from inside Windows itself. Parameters passed to the API calls are decoded and displayed using symbolic names from the SDK help file whenever possible. Additionally, the tool includes filtering by task, module, segment and address, filtering for message and message-like APIs, logging, timings, driver and multimedia support, and an API file finder. API Vision 1.0 sells for $199.00.

Berkeley Toolworks

2600 Tenth Street, Suite 415

Berkeley, CA 94710

apivis@berktool.com

Copyright © 1995, Dr. Dobb's Journal