News

Magic Software Gears Up to Charm Developers

• By Kathleen Ohlson
• June 21, 2005

Magic Software is preparing a new version of its eDeveloper app environment for release on Aug. 1, with added features such as capabilities for XML handling in applications, support for Unicode and functions for date-time support.

The eDeveloper II toolkit now supports project-based development, including a folder with XML files representing all objects involved in a project. Other toolkit features include new and enhanced capabilities in the task container, expression editor, gateway log and tab controls. Any SCC API 1.01 compliant version control system can now be used.

The new version of eDeveloper II also enables programmers to create composite apps based on existing business logic. The tool features either a GUI or Web-based client interface. Magic Software’s Rapid Application Development and Deployment features in eDeveloper II now include subforms, and open directory and user-defined functions.

eDeveloper II is available for beta testing for Magic Software customers. Steve Blank, an independent programmer consultant, started testing the conversion utility to ensure existing applications can be migrated into eDeveloper II, and Blank likes what he sees so far.

“It’s going surprisingly well considering the major changes made in eDeveloper II, in terms of the developer toolkit and the user interface,” Blank says. “It’s more intuitive. “You can see more [programming] on one screen. You can spread out on a desktop and look at more things at once, instead of closing one window and opening up another.”

eDeveloper II offers a more consistent way to access documents via Web services, so that various sources of data come into apps in similar ways, according to Blank. “Developers don’t need to be SOA gurus to make use of Web services,” he says.

He currently uses eDeveloper to develop business apps, including financial and human resources apps, for a variety of customers. The key for Blank as an independent consultant is creating apps without dealing with underlying complexities and spending time doing mundane activities.

“I’m competing against another consultant and another company, and if I can build an application in one-third of the amount of time, I essentially undercut the competition’s price,” Blank says.