Seeing The Way To Better ApplicationsSeeing The Way To Better Applications

Sybase Inc. last week debuted a "hybrid" visual-development tool for generating database and services-oriented applications through the combined efforts of business analysts and programmers. Called Sybase Workspace, the integrated development environment combines modeling, data-management, and service-creation capabilities through the graphical orchestration of messaging and other underlying code for a new Web service.

In its front-end modeling phase, Workspace will provide requirements analysis and design capabilities. Workspace, expected in September, will let a business analyst "visually create a workflow diagram of a new application," VP of marketing Kathleen Schaub says. It also will provide data and database replication modeling, object modeling based on Unified Modeling Language, and business-process modeling, Schaub says.

Beyond the modeling phase, Workspace assists with the graphical development of SQL statements and advanced editing of stored procedures, triggers, and database events. In the service-creation phase of a project, Workspace uses graphical tools to provide a messaging system for a new application. Existing systems may be tapped as services to work with a new composite application.

Workspace is a plug-in for the open-source Eclipse programmers workbench. It fits into a new category of tools designed to rapidly build applications as services. It's also designed to split the workload of application development between programmers and business analysts, Schaub says. Pricing hasn't been set.