Rational tool works with .NET Studio and IBM's Java IDE -- ADTmag

Rational tool works with .NET Studio and IBM's Java IDE

By Enterprise Systems Staff
February 6, 2002

[February 7, 2002] -- Rational Software pushed forward in its efforts to better integrate its design tools with key development environments as it announced XDE Professional v2002. The product runs as a plug-in within Microsoft's .NET Studio and IBM's WebSphere Studio Application Developer. The latter version relies on the open source Eclipse Platform, acting as a tool information bus.

Rational's double-barrel announcement represents a big step toward meeting developers' complaints about moving between design and development disciplines. The company admits that, with IDEs and design tools living in separate environments, the requirement to switch between environments has hindered developers.

The announcement also betokens a form of ecumenism, as it covers both of today's big development architectures -- Java and .NET.

Within the tool itself are a customizable pattern engine, including so-called "Gang of Four" patterns, as well as Instant UML, which enhances UML visualization and documentation support, forward- and reverse-engineering, and a choice of automated or on-demand roundtrip engineering synchronization.

Rational XDE Professional v2002 will be made available at no charge to all users of Rational Rose Enterprise, Rational Suite Development Studio, and Rational Suite Enterprise with an active support contract. Rational Rose models can be imported directly into Rational XDE Professional v2002.

Additional information on Rational XDE Professional v2002 is available at: http://www.rational.com/products/xde/index.jsp