Software Product Description ___________________________________________________________________ PRODUCT NAME: VAX COBOL GENERATOR, Version 1.4 SPD 27.16.05 DESCRIPTION VAX COBOL GENERATOR is developed by Touch Technologies, Inc. and dis- tributed under Digital Equipment Corporation's standard terms and con- ditions. VAX COBOL GENERATOR is a screen-oriented program generator that pro- duces VAX COBOL source programs. Commercial programmers use the VAX COBOL GENERATOR as a productivity tool for the creation and maintenance of data processing applications. The programmer can create or modify a program by choosing icons that represent the components making up the program (menus, screens, etc.). From this input, the VAX COBOL GEN- ERATOR produces a VAX COBOL source program that can be used like any other source program. Also, the VAX COBOL GENERATOR can be used for rapid prototyping to produce a program that can later be expanded and refined to become a production application. Thus, programmers can pro- duce and maintain VAX COBOL programs in much less time than by tra- ditional hand coding. The VAX COBOL GENERATOR runs under the VMS Operating System. The VAX COBOL GENERATOR can produce programs that call subprograms written in other VMS languages, as well as many Run-Time Library routines and sys- tem services. Similarly, programs produced by the VAX COBOL GENERA- TOR can be called by other VMS products adhering to the VAX Calling DIGITAL July 1992 AE-HK89F-TE Standard. The default screen interactions utilize the VAX COBOL ex- tensions to the ACCEPT and DISPLAY statements. However, the VAX COBOL GENERATOR can produce screen applications that use other screen pack- ages, such as VAX FMS (Forms Management System). These VAX COBOL source programs can be debugged by the VAX Symbolic Debugger. To define an application in the VAX COBOL GENERATOR environment, the programmer selects and places icons (representing various parts of the application) in the screen work area for expansion. Data and proce- dural flow are specified by connecting these parts together. The VAX COBOL source code generated is then compiled by the VAX COBOL language pro- cessor and linked by the VAX Linker. These applications can then be executed on any valid VMS Operating System. Features The VAX COBOL GENERATOR lets the application be defined in a "top-down" manner. The programmer defines and manipulates the high-level design of the program parts (nodes) and the relationship between those parts (connections) and supplies more detailed information by using inter- active forms and editors. There are icons for each of the following data type nodes that rep- resent the data used in the application: o File - Defines a file (any RMS file or Rdb database accessible from VAX COBOL) to be accessed in the application. o Form - Defines the layout of a form to be used in the application. o Report - Defines the layout of a report to be generated by the ap- plication. o Local Storage - Defines data used in the application, but not stored in a file. There are icons for each of the following procedural type nodes that represent the specific functional tasks performed in the application: o Menu - Creates a menu in the application. 2 o Procedure - Defines a procedure to be executed in the application that can be either predefined (for example, SORT) or customized VAX COBOL source code produced by the application designer using an ed- itor. o Data Movement - Defines the movement of data from one data node to another (for example, accepting data from a form into a file). A group node (icon) is a structural node that represents a complex func- tion at a high level as a single node. Later, in the application de- sign, the node is expanded to include the specific data type and pro- cedural type nodes for that particular complex function. The VAX COBOL GENERATOR provides a data dictionary that allows the pro- grammer to store common data definitions. This provides a single point of control so that data elements used in a single, or multiple, ap- plication need only be changed once. The applications can then be re- generated to incorporate the changes. Optionally, VAX CDD record def- initions can be used. Libraries are another single point of control for changes. Form, file, local storage, report, and procedure node definitions (with the ex- ception of SORT and MERGE procedures), as well as data dictionary, can be stored in a library and referenced from multiple programs. In a DECwindows environment, VAX COBOL GENERATOR can be executed un- der the DECwindows Terminal Emulator. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Processor and/or hardware configurations as specified in the System Support Addendum (SSA 27.16.05-x). SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS For Systems Using Terminals (No DECwindows Interface): o VMS Operating System 3 o VAX COBOL For Workstations Running VWS: o VMS Operating System o VMS Workstation Software o VAX COBOL For Workstations Running DECwindows: o VMS Operating System o VAX COBOL Note: VAX COBOL must be on the system used to compile the generated code. Refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA 27.16.05-x) for availabil- ity and required versions of prerequisite/optional software. ORDERING INFORMATION Software Licenses: QL-365A*-** Software Media: QA-365A*-** Software Documentation: QA-365AA-GZ Software Product Services: QT-365A*-** * Denotes variant fields. For additional information on available li- censes, services, and media, refer to the appropriate price book. SOFTWARE LICENSING This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of Digital Equipment Corporation's Standard Terms and Conditions. For more in- formation about Digital's licensing terms and policies, contact your local Digital office. License Management Facility Support This layered product supports the VMS License Management Facility. 4 License units for this product are allocated on an Unlimited System Use basis. For more information on the License Management Facility, refer to the VMS Operating System Software Product Description (SPD 25.01.xx) or the License Management Facility manual of the VMS Operating System doc- umentation set. SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES A variety of service options are available from Digital. For more in- formation, contact your local Digital office. SOFTWARE WARRANTY Warranty for this software product is provided by Digital with the pur- chase of a license for the product as defined in the Software Warranty Addendum of this SPD. [TM]The DIGITAL Logo, CDD/Plus, CI, DEC, DECwindows, LA, LA50, LN03, LN03 PLUS, MicroVAX, Rdb/VMS, TK, VAX, VAXcluster, VAXft, VAXserver, VAXstation, VAX CDD, VAX COBOL, VAX COBOL GENERATOR, VAX FMS, VAX RMS, VMS, VT, VT330, and VT340 are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. 5