By replacing the OpenEdge platform with FWD, you get the business benefits of eliminating perpetual Progress license fees. There are also numerous technology benefits that accrue when you deploy your application using FWD, whether you use the ABL or Java as your development language going forward.
Conversion
100% automated conversion of entire ABL application into the Java equivalent
Projects of any size are handled, whether 100 lines or 20 million lines
Runs as a batch in seconds to hours, depending on project size
NO hand editing required, NO post-processing needed
Compiles immediately (using javac) after the conversion run completes
Re-run conversion at any time for part or all of a project
Improvements and refactoring are applied uniformly
Custom conversion rules are simple to do
Easily integrate with hand-written Java and third party technology
Implications
- High leverage approach; effort for a conversion project directly depends upon FWD's level of support for the ABL features in use.
- Projects can be done in minutes or hours if the ABL features are supported.
- Projects needing new ABL support will take days, weeks, or months, depending upon the complexity of the features needed.
- Multiple orders of magnitude less work and elapsed time, compared to a rewrite.
- Combined with runtime compatibility, automated conversion minimizes risk.
- Easily handles ABL code changes during the project.
- Develop in ABL and deploy in Java.
- Switch to Java development when ready.
- FWD conversion and refactoring is continually improving; re-run to pick up changes.
- Standardized output.
Runtime
Direct-to-WebTM deployment for GUI and ChUI applications
Embed converted UI screens in a web application
JavaScript interface to converted business logic
Compatible legacy features and behavior
Portable across software and hardware platforms
Better technology integration options
Deployment-time choice of databases
Multi-tier architecture
Open source software stack
Implications
- Instantly web-enable an application without rewriting its UI, using a virtual desktop in a browser.
- Instead of rewriting your user interface to implement a from-scratch web application, selectively re-use converted screens and business logic from the web.
- Converted applications behave as the original: user interface, data access, transactions, control flow, resource scopes, math and logical operations, etc...
- Users don't need retraining; business processes remain the same.
- Built on Java to run on many platforms, FWD provides a wide range of hardware and software deployment options.
- As Java software, the FWD runtime integrates naturally with thousands of readily available software tools.
- Database can be chosen at deployment time; no application code changes are needed. Support for a new database can be added incrementally, if it supports FWD's requirements.
- Database, server, and clients can run on the same or separate systems; specialized hardware can be selected to best match each tier's purpose.
- Open source makes licensing and deployment less expensive, debugging simpler, and self-sufficiency possible.
Java Development Benefits
While it is not necessary to switch to Java development to achieve the above benefits, if you do switch some or all future development of your converted application to Java, you have the opportunity to realize additional technology benefits which accrue from the vast investment the software industry has made in the Java language.
