Plex has always been a valuable tool for ISV’s or systems integrators. With the patterns, multi-platform code generation and dynamic application partitioning good integration and logical separation can be achieved very quickly out of the box.
Numerous technologies are supported to allow Plex to integrate/interoperate with other applications and platforms. See the main ones below.
- COM Connectors and COM Import
- ActiveX
- EJB Connectors
- .NET WCF Service generation
- Handcrafted Source Code Support
- Websydian TransactXML
Plex has always had the capability to separate the business, database and presentation logic aka a MVC pattern should you wish to implement your projects that way.
I have become aware of an exciting new development here in New Zealand where a project utilising the skills of ISA Ltd http://www.isa.co.nz/ for Plex consultancy coupled with an industry leading business rules engine from Idiom Software http://www.idiomsoftware.com/ to create a funds management application.
In summary Plex is being used to create the database, the UI and the database Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD) logic. Idiom’s code generator is being used to implement the business rules. The synergy between Plex and Idiom is fantastic. Both support Java and .NET (C#).
Idioms’ principal focus is on the business rules that automate decision making. Many of us are aware of the effort required by developers to amend business rules in any application, and we know that Plex and 2E with their model based development paradigms makes this very easy. But it is still a developer task that involves changes inside the core application - that is, it is still a techie task that the business perceives to be 'over the wall'.
Now the fusion of these two technologies allows a developer to build the core application and the business consultant to build the key business rules.
Idiom offers something new - an ability for the business (or at least a business analyst/consultant) to take direct ownership and custody of this decision making logic. The IT developers lose a whole bunch of complexity and responsibility that significantly improves their productivity, while the business willingly takes on this load. The bottom line is that the business logic is now being managed as content within the IT managed core application. IT keeps the ultimate control and delegates out selected components for business control. The business delivers fully tested decision models to be called dynamically by the application.
It is a win-win.
At last, is this finally fulfillment of the original promise of CASE technology!!!!! IT developers AND business users creating the software. I am aware that the development of the application and rules are being done in parallel thus reducing the overall timeline to deliver the project.
However, enough from me. The guys at Idiom have decided to blog about their experiences using Plex as the application builder and Idiom for rules execution. The results make excellent reading and you can track their progress as they move through their project.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Until next time.
Thanks for reading.
Lee.
