Midrange Stuff, OS/400 Edition--Aldon Tightens Integration to WDSc with Affiniti Change Manager

For OS/400 shops developing with the WebSphere Development Studio client tools from IBM, Aldon Computer Group late last week introduced Affiniti 4.0, a new version of its Java-based, software change management system. Affiniti, which debuted in 2001, was created to manage the development of the new class of multiplatform e-business applications--for example, a WebSphere Commerce store front application running on a Windows server and connecting to an OS/400-based order management application.

Aldon is targeting OS/400 shops that need a single tool to manage their traditional RPG and COBOL development work, as well as their new client/server, Java, and Web development projects that cross platforms and operating system lines. The Emeryville, California, based company touts Affiniti's capability to store the complete code repository of iSeries and non-iSeries code natively in an iSeries partition.

Affiniti 4.0 features a new interface that gives a single point of control over all application components, regardless of platform, as well as a new compare-and-merge feature. The plug-in nature of the tool lets developers take advantage of Affiniti's software change management, or SCM, capabilities from within the WDSc environment. This feature is possible because Affiniti functions as a "team repository" for Eclipse (IBM's development framework), which means that Affiniti's SCM functions can be accessed through any other tool that plugs into WDSc, Aldon says. So instead of switching back and forth between WDSc and Affiniti, developers can stay within WDSc, and Affiniti handles complex tasks such as security, multiple-user coordination, and versioning control, from behind the scenes.

Aldon has also expanded its cross-platform support in Affiniti 4.0 through a new interface. This interface provides a single point of observation and control over all application components, regardless of where the components might be stored or what platform they might target. The new interface resembles Windows Explorer, Aldon says, and is as easy to learn and use as that Microsoft program. A new navigation tree that's part of the interface lets users display their components in a way that is meaningful to them, Aldon says. Developers can assemble application components by logical groups (such as by system, development team, or project phase) or by standard directory views, if they choose. This navigation tree lets users browse through components based on releases, project hierarchies, Java packages, and other structures.

There is also a new "shadow environments" feature in Affiniti 4.0, which lets development teams store and access components across single or multiple remote machines. So Unix developers can see the components on their machine, Windows developers can see the components on their machines, and so on and so forth, for all supported platforms. The advantage here is that, while developers are free to work on their target environment, the development effort remains centralized, with backups occurring nightly and securely on the iSeries server.

Affiniti 4.0 also extends the product's promotion automation to the distribution process, Aldon says. With this new feature, developers simply need to know what they want to promote on a day-to-day basis, while Affiniti keeps tabs on the various components, and on which platform they're supposed to go.

The third and final new feature in Affiniti 4.0 is an automated compare-and-merge capability for parallel development. Programmers can get out of synch when they're working on the same piece of code at the same time, and merging the code would be a nightmare without some way to automate the process. Affiniti 4.0 features a three-pane window that displays the changed versions side-by-side, with the merged result displayed below. With these views, it makes it easier to see the differences and allows developers to easily modify the merged version. Aldon says this feature allows developers to proceed simultaneously because there's an efficient method for merging changes at the end of the day.

Aldon president, Daniel Magid, said Affiniti 4.0 demonstrates his company's commitment to simplifying any level of complexity for development teams. "We directly address the developer's desire to operate natively from his current tools, while continuing to automate overall change-management operations," he said. "When using the Affiniti navigation interface, anyone can instantly view and manage, from a single location, the processes, systems, and components that make up their development environment."

Affiniti 4.0 has completed beta testing and is available immediately. Aldon, which does not disclose pricing information, says Affiniti license fees vary depending on configuration. Go to www.aldon.com for product information.