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Paint to Program
Canvas

Components

Component Palette

Component Builder

Wizard

Advantages:

APPGALLERY takes the difficulty out of programming. Thanks to its "paint-to-build" approachand a helpful wizard, you can use APPGALLERY without previous development experience or knowledge of a programming language. Less time spent on programming means more time to concentrate on your primary work.

Canvas
In APPGALLERY's visual programming environment, applications are created on a canvas. To the user, a canvas appears as a work area which accepts and arranges component icons. Programmatically, a canvas represents a module of program code. An application may consist of as many canvases as needed.

Components
Components are the essential building blocks of application development. APPGALLERY's standard components greatly simplify the conceptual work of program creation by presenting the user with familiar and easily understood functions. APPGALLERY supports OLE2, so all components are OLE2 objects. This expands the scope of their use to a variety of other programs. OLE2 compliance also means the functionality of off-the-shelf software such as Microsoft Excel 5.0 and Microsoft Word can be seamlessly linked to APPGALLERY components. What's more, such components are easily reused in future application developments.

Component Palette
Building an application is as simple as selecting component icons from the component palette, then dragging and dropping them onto a canvas. Since components are naturallyorganized into categories, each sheet of the palette displays components with similar functions. Palette organization is customizable, allowing user-defined categories such as frequently used components or project specific groups. The palette also has an extended display mode that shows detailed information about the component.

Component Builder
To enable the easy creation of new components, a component builder that complies with the OLE2 automation interface is available. The component builder can contribute to enhanced software reusability by serving as a means for producing and distributing components to end users. Components can be made to specification, thus giving physically separated users the same set of custom building blocks. Such standardization of components makes it possible to direct application development in a positive direction, and avoid the chaos of incompatible local software.

Wizard
In addition to graphical tools for program development, APPGALLERY's components come withan intelligent guidance facility called the wizard. At times a user may be faced with a decision, yet not know how to proceed. The wizard anticipates these situations, offers advice and focusing the user's attention, or intervening automatically to make connections.Users can simply drag one component over another, and then answer the questions asked by the wizard, which will make the connection for them. The wizard is a collection of special program routines provided by as a part of APPGALLERY's standard objects. The wizard is extensible, and new routines can be added as needed.

At each step of the application building process, APPGALLERY's wizard guides the analyst by providing expert advice and offering easy-to-understand options on how to connect components. The analyst, with a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished, works interactively with the wizard to rapidly create an application that performs as required.

Finally, the reports are linked to a component that provides an interface to the enterprise-wide electronic mail system. By simply connecting components, the analyst has built an application that not only continuously monitors and analyzes market fluctuations, but also automatically outputs both periodic and special reports. The end result is that traders in New York and Tokyo have detailed information on important events in London as they occur.

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