Midrange Stuff, OS/400 Edition

ClientSoft recently issued a new release of its ClientBuilder middleware application, for developing new Web, Windows, and wireless interfaces from traditional OS/400, Unix, and mainframe screens. With ClientBuilder 7.5, ClientSoft says it redesigned the Windows-based application server to be 40 percent faster. Other improvements include expanded support for Unix data streams, a new integrated development environment that works with all three levels of ClientBuilder applications, and new team development options.

With ClientBuilder 7.5, ClientSoft now allows developers to use the same ClientBuilder Developer program to develop applications that can run on the Runtime, Application Server, and AdvancedServer modules. All of the modules run under the Microsoft Windows operating system. ClientBuilder 7.5 also allows multiple programmers to work on the same development project while maintaining the integrity of the application.

ClientBuilder Developer uses a combination of JavaScript, Visual Basic Script, and ClientSoft's own SmartCode scripting language to assist developers in building new interfaces for traditional 5250, 3270, and VT100 applications, and integrating new technologies such as XML, WSDL, and SOAP into older applications.

As an upgrade to the base ClientBuilder Developer product, ClientSoft has added its Advanced Option Pack, which gives developers easier access to features such as the capability to run multiple asynchronous commands to both external databases and host applications, the capability to automatically translate ClientBuilder applications into XML, allowing the merging of disparate ClientBuilder applications, and an automated file clean-up utility to speed the development process.

ClientBuilder 7.5 also offers an improved version of ClientBuilder Application Server. ClientSoft says its engineering team has focused on reducing the path length in the host adaptor, bringing performance improvements of 30 to 40 percent when doing workflow modifications, compared with previous versions of the product. For customers that need higher performance, ClientSoft offers AdvancedServer, which provides load balancing across a distributed architecture.

In total, ClientSoft says it has added 25 new features with ClientBuilder 7.5. Some other new features that bear mentioning include a new Windows Services set-up wizard, tighter integration with Windows Services, and a new consolidated configuration console. For more information about ClientSoft's software, visit www.clientsoft.com.

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