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This documentation uses several terms that must be clarified for a good
understanding. Here is a short description for all these terms:
- Product
- The Product defines all software components that compose the
information system managing a given domain. Usually, the domains covered by
programs written in BDL are business oriented.
- End User
- The End User is the person that uses the Product; that
person works on hardware called the Workstation.
- Programs
- The Programs are the software components that are developed and
distributed by the supplier of the Product. Programs
typically implement business rules and processing, usually called Business
Logic. Programs are executed by the Runtime System on the
Application Server machine. These components are typically p-code modules, forms
and additional files.
- Developer
- The Developer is the person in charge of the conception and
implementation of the Product components.
- Application Data
- Application Data defines the data manipulated by the Product.
It is typically managed by one or more Database Systems. The Application
Data has a volatile state when loaded in the Runtime System,
and
it has a static state when stored in the Database System.
- Database
- The Database is a logical entity regrouping the Application Data.
It is managed by the Database System.
- Database System
- The Database System is the software that manages data storage
and searching; it is usually installed on the Database Server
machine and is supported by a tier software vendor. It is the
software managing the Data in the Three-Tier C/S model.
- Development Database
- The Development Database is the Database
used in the application development environment.
- Production Database
- The Production Database is the Database
used on production sites.
- Front End
- The Front End is the software that manages the display of the User
Interface on the Workstation machine. This component is
historically called "The Client", in a thin Client/Server context. It
is the software managing the Presentation in the
Three-Tier C/S model.
- Runtime System
- The Runtime System is the software that manages the execution
of the Programs, where the Business Logic is processed. It is
typically implemented by the Dynamic Virtual Machine (DVM) and historically
called "The Runner". It is the software managing the
Processing in the Three-Tier C/S model.
- User Interface
- The User Interface defines the parts of the Programs that interact
with the end user, including interactive elements like windows, screens,
input fields, buttons and menus. It is displayed on the Workstation.
This can typically be implemented by different kinds of Front Ends, based
on ASCII terminals, graphical platforms (MS Windows, X11) or
even through web protocols like HTML over HTTP.
- Graphical User Interface
- The Graphical User Interface (GUI) mode identifies the user interface
displayed on a remote machine via a Front End.
Genero GUI mode is active when the FGLGUI
environment variable is set to 1 (or when not set, GUI is the the
default).
- Text User Interface
- The Text User Interface (TUI) mode identifies the user interface displayed on ASCII
terminals (TTY on UNIX or Console Window on MS Windows). Genero TUI mode is
active when the FGLGUI
environment variable is set to 0.
- Workstation
- The Workstation
identifies the hardware used by the End User to interact with the
Product.
It can be an ASCII Terminal, a
PC, a diskless station or even a cellular phone, as long as a Front End
is available on that hardware.