LANSA (development environment)
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LANSA is an integrated development environment for building software applications that can run on IBM i, Windows and Linux. The features of the LANSA development environment are:
- High-level programming language
- Business rules and data definitions metadata repository [1]
- Data management services
- Application framework
- Integrated-development-environment (IDE) [2]
Contents
High-level programing language (RDML)
RDML is an abbreviation for Rapid Development and Maintenance Language. The RDML programming language follows the syntax of IBM Control Language (CL), a "scripting language" used by the IBM's OS/400 operating system. RDMLX is the extended version of RDML and includes extra features, commands, data types, and functions that are used in component development.
Business rules and data definitions repository
The LANSA development environment includes a metadata repository which is an enhanced type of data dictionary.[3] The repository is a database that contains data and file definitions, business rules, application templates, and RDML code.
The repository stores information about fields (or data elements) in the application including descriptions, column headings, edit codes, visualizations, default values, help text, and prompt programs. It holds information about files and application database including physical files, logical files (or views), relationships, file definition attributes, file validation rules, trigger programs, multilingual definitions, virtual fields, and predetermined join fields. Objects and components used for event-driven Windows applications also reside in the repository.
Applications share objects and logic from the repository and the repository is an active participant with the applications as both the custodian of the data and business rule definitions, and the rule enforcer.
Data management services
The data management services provide a data abstraction layer [4][5] that separates the physical data from applications that use the data.
Applications access data using data management programs generated from data definitions and business rules held in the repository. The data management programs know about the structure and relationships of the database and the business rules that control create, read, update and delete actions. When definitions and rules change the data management programs require regeneration but the applications that use the data require no change.
Applications are independent of data structures,[6] formats and locations and access the data by issuing requests to the data management programs.
Application Framework
The Visual LANSA Framework (VLF) is a visual application framework that minimizes the effort required for designers and developers to create highly graphical Windows and Web applications or a combination of both. The VLF allows developers to assemble commercial grade applications rapidly without coding, by generating Windows and Web applications with a consistent appearance and behavior. The learning curve is short, productivity is high and the resulting applications are of high quality. It’s like having an experienced mentor sitting next to your developers. The VLF is part of the Visual LANSA development tool.
References
- ↑ Metadata repository
- ↑ Integrated Development Environment
- ↑ Data dictionary
- ↑ Abstraction as used in computer science
- ↑ Data access layer
- ↑ IBM Redbook SG246393, Chapter 5, decoupling the database from application programs
