NoticiasiPhone.net

Archive for the ‘Software’ Category

Historically Great Plains Dynamics was architected in Dexterity – programming shell and integrated development environment. Somewhere in the very beginning of the XXI Century, when Great Plains Software was acquired by Microsoft with following acquisition of Navision Software, Microsoft announced so-called Project Green. In the consulting fresh air rumors we were expecting all acquired Corporate ERP to be recoded in something like C#.Net with interoperability and connectivity. GP was traditionally strong in Financial modules (GL, AP, AR), Human Resource and Payroll. Solomon was probably strong in time in Project Organization Accounting. Axapta was positioned to create a suit in Process Production (food processing, mining industries, etc.). If this scenario would be realized, then by today Dex would be long time gone. However it remains one of the dominant tools and we are really excited to monitor Microsoft Dynamics family of the Corporate ERP application coexistence, despite to the expectation that they are likely to compete with each other.

This small paper is not intended to be precise software development guide. We are rather coming out to get some fresh air and share with you our long time consulting and programming experience. Let’s take a look at Dexterity in some details:

1. Shell written in C++. In late 1980th there was popular believe that such programming language as C, which is very close to processor Assembler, and at the same time realized on the majority of PC, Macintosh, Unix, Solaris blends should provide operating system and graphical user interface neutrality. And the idea is understandable. If you were programmers in old-good-days 1980th you probably remember the fight for the market share between Microsoft Windows, Mac Operating System and Unix (Solaris, Mainframes and Mini Computers) and the born of Java (where the idea was also to provide neutrality via Java Applets and Enterprise Java Beans, while deploying programming language syntax very close to C++ and C blends).
Later on Microsoft in its .Net paradigm probably played similar card by introducing C# (which is in essence also close to Java and C++, but it is tweaked to include .Net instruments). SAP deployed similar concept and introduced its own shell ABAP. Great Plains Software introduced Dexterity shell with its semi-proprietary coding language Sanscript (probably the name is associated to Sanskrit – ancient language in India with potential links to European ancient nation)

2. Dex constructions. It is reasonably flexible in building Windows graphical forms and scrolling windows. In older versions you were able to build graphical custom user interface on Mac platform. C and C++ programming languages initially had very little support to database access methodology. Dex resolved this problem by adding cursor based DB access methods. Plus, later on direct SQL stored procedure call (as well as raw SQL statement) was incorporated. There was the reason for Dex architects to be reserved to SQL methods. As you remember in late 1990th MS SQL Server Transact SQL and Oracle PL SQL were competing and these two database access instruments were not really compatible. Dexterity had to play the cards to keep Dynamics on several DB platforms, such as Microsoft SQL Server 2007/2000 (Dynamics CS+ and eEnterprise), Pervasive SQL Server 2000/Btrieve and Ctree (GP Select)

The popularity of the mobile phones is constantly on the rise like a snow ball. There are numerous reasons for that and they are well beyond mere communicating with each other.

The development of the cell phones and technology in the past decade along with social and cultural processes as well as sharp decrease in prices contributed to their phenomenon success.

Cell phones have long become a symbol of status as well as a fashion statement. Some manufacturers have started to produce special designed phones for women. Other models are designed with interchangeable facades to cater for the youngsters. A lot of young people are transferring their instant-messaging habits to their cell phones.

The integration of so many different functionalities and technologies into the cell phones is more impressive and beneficial than the all-in-one office devices that integrated a scanner, a copier, a fax and a printer into a single compact space saving multifunctional machine.

The current generation of G-2.5 technology as well as the very near future G-3 units that are starting to emerge right now will carry in it so many functions which are mind blowing. These new Cell phones are going to be a multimedia center, a mobile office, a navigation device GPS (Global Positioning system), a computer with fast Internet access, a text messenger, a high resolution camera and video, a watch, a calculator, a PDA, an MP3 music player, TV and a Wallet! Yes, we will be able to pay with it for things we today pay with coins like vending soda or coffee machines as well as for parking space, trains and buses tickets etc’. It has become our “Swiss Army Knife”…

In Israel they used the cell phone to send SMS message and approval for one dollar donation payment for needy children. I guess that in the future it will be a legitimate tool for voting in contests and may be even in Elections.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, an executive for a wireless company noted that “in Slovakia, people are using mobile phones to remotely switch on the heat before they return home,” and in Norway, “1.5 million people can confirm their tax returns” using cell phone short text messaging services. Paramedics use camera phones to send ahead to hospitals pictures of the incoming injuries; “in Britain, it is now commonplace for wireless technology to allow companies to remotely access meters or gather diagnostic information.” Construction workers on-site can use cell phones to send pictures to contractors off-site. Combined with the individual use of cell phones—to make appointments, locate a friend, check voicemail messages, or simply to check in at work—cell phones offer peoplean unknown level of convenience.