Radically simplifying COM and CORBA development

Only Borland C++Builder 4 masters data-intensive distributed applications
Borland C++Builder 4 solutions are robust, easy-to-use, and secure
Borland C++Builder 4 delivers unrivaled support for distributed application debugging and deployment

Only Borland C++Builder 4 masters data-intensive distributed applications

Since most distributed applications involve data manipulation, Borland C++Builder 4 has unrivaled facilities for accessing, aggregating, analyzing, and displaying distributed data.

Borland C++Builder 4 is the fastest route to data wherever it lies

The foundation of the Borland C++Builder 4 data facilities is a flexible, high-performance database engine.

• Borland C++Builder 4 includes powerful innovations in distributed database management. With thin-client database support, application can be deployed without hefty DLLs. The innovative briefcase model means that users can work on data, without a direct connection to the database. Borland C++Builder 4 automatically manages synchronization, so these advanced features can be added to an application for minimal development time.
• The Borland C++Builder 4 intelligent data packaging dramatically improves the performance of distributed database applications. Constraint propagation, nested tables, deferred Blobs, and maintained aggregate facilities combine to ensure that database clients function quickly, regardless of the speed of the network connection.
• Borland C++Builder 4 uses custom-tuned, high-performance native database drivers to access all the latest file formats and database servers, including Access, Paradox®, dBASE®, DB2, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle. Borland C++Builder 4 also provides direct support for ODBC.
• Borland C++Builder 4 includes support for the very latest Oracle8 features. C++Builder 4 display components will automatically respond to the new features delivered in Oracle8. (For example, the Borland C++Builder 4 grid component can display nested tables). Particularly useful features of Oracle8 for developing distributed applications include: Abstract Data Types, Nested Tables, Variable Length Arrays (VARRAYs) (Borland C++Builder 4 has a special data type to support these), Object Pointers, and External File References.

Borland C++Builder 4 is the only C++ development tool that includes all the facilities required to develop distributed database and Oracle8 applications.

Borland C++Builder 4 provides the most powerful capabilities for high-performance data analysis and decision support.

Borland C++Builder 4 includes BusinessInsight, a collection of highly sophisticated data-aware decision support components (such as graphs, grids, and pivots) that are proven to save weeks of work when building first-class information applications. Every component can automatically function without change, regardless of the data format or source, reducing development time when updating applications to include new information.

An example of the power of the BusinessInsight components is the new grid component, which will intelligently morph itself to display data in the most intuitive way. All the features normally found only in reporting tools (such as aggregates, banding, and subtotals) are now features of this grid.

Only Borland C++Builder 4 includes BusinessInsight for delivering the most powerful and easy-to-use decision support applications.

Borland C++Builder 4 applications scale gracefully to handle many users and large volumes of data with a lower cost of development

It's ironic, but the more successful an application becomes, the more the chance there is of it failing. Increased clients and sessions place stresses on the system that may not have been anticipated at the time of specification.

As applications become dependent on live connections and data from legacy systems, unanticipated system loads can have a 'knock-on' or 'domino' effect on the whole IT infrastructure. For example, a Web-based application that links directly into an order entry system and database might receive an unusually large load after a publicity campaign. This could potentially overload the database and legacy system. A distributed architecture ensures that Borland C++Builder 4 applications scale gracefully.

• Borland C++Builder 4 Server code is portable to other systems. Since Borland C++Builder 4 is fully ANSI C++ compliant with ANSI C++ Template and Standard Template Library support, server code can be recompiled and deployed on systems other than Microsoft NT for more scalability options.

  Borland C++Builder 4's C+ and CORBA server code is directly compatible with Unix development tools, giving developers the opportunity to scale application logic to large servers. Unix C++ developers can also take advantage of Borland C++Builder 4's productivity tools.

• Borland C++Builder 4 supports load balancing through MTS, or Inprise's Transaction Server (ITS). Application processing can be carried out in components on the server. At times of heavy demand, more instances of the component can be started on different servers to manage the demand.
• Borland C++Builder 4 advanced distributed database architecture means that the database-oriented parts of application can scale very easily. For example, data processing can be moved simply from client applications to servers, without having to rearchitect the application. This is especially important when some application clients are Web-based. (Borland C++Builder 4 also packages data intelligently for distributed applications so that the network infrastructure is not overburdened and remote users are not left idle, waiting for information).
• The Borland C++Builder 4 optimizing compiler delivers the highest-performing native code. This means that applications remain responsive to the end user, even when processing large amounts of data. Multi-threading capabilities mean that developers can build applications easily that perform processing in the background.

Only Borland C++Builder 4 includes all the facilities required to ensure that applications can scale to handle many users and large volumes of data.

Borland C++Builder 4 solutions are robust, easy-to-use, and secure

Borland C++Builder 4 applications are easy-to-use and always available

As more and more of an organization's applications become 'customer-facing' either through the Internet or extranets, the user interface to IT infrastructure becomes an extension of the corporation's brand. For the same reasons companies keep their delivery trucks clean and new, their applications need to be great-looking and easy to use. Moreover, the service applications must be available for use on a 7 x 24 basis: downtime on customer-oriented services results in lost revenue and low customer satisfaction.

Borland C++Builder 4 provides stability in a number of areas to ensure that applications are robust, easy to use, and secure:

• Advanced fail-over capabilities. In combination with application server middleware such as ITS, MIDAS, and MTS, Borland C++Builder 4 can ensure 7x24 availability. If one of the servers performing some of the application processing becomes unavailable (perhaps through some kind of hardware failure), Borland C++Builder 4 can automatically detect the problem and perform the required processing on a different server, avoiding customer dissatisfaction, processing backlogs, and expensive call-out costs.
• Robust error trapping mechanisms. Borland C++Builder 4 object-oriented component architecture has strong error-handling capabilities built in from the bottom up. Errors are handled very gracefully by default, ensuring ongoing system and data integrity.
• Strong transaction monitoring and support. Distributing application components adds to the complexity of managing transactions and security. When developing a distributed application, it's important that the different application components and databases are always left in a stable state. A single transaction (say credit card billing) may require a number of subtransactions (debiting one account and crediting another). If any part of a transaction fails, then other elements of the transaction can be rolled back to leave the system in a stable state.

Borland C++Builder 4 delivers the most robust distributed C++ applications.

Borland C++Builder 4 operates sophisticated pan-enterprise security

Enterprise Development teams must not only ensure that all parts of the application are secure, but the security measures do not overburden the end users. Even though the information delivered by an application might come from a number of different systems, the user should only be required to login once.

Borland C++Builder 4 provides full support for transaction management and user authentication across distributed systems by providing seamless support for middleware such as ITS and MTS.

Borland C++Builder 4 delivers an elegant solution to total distributed application security.

Borland C++Builder 4 delivers unrivaled support for distributed application debugging and deployment

Many application development projects fail while being tested, or while being deployed. This is partly because any design and performance problems are likely to become an issue at this stage. Also, in many circumstances, the application has 'show-stopping' bugs that simply cannot be tracked down, let alone be eradicated.

Borland C++Builder 4 delivers the best debugging capabilities for quickly delivering the highest-quality applications

Developers building Borland C++Builder 4 applications typically spend less time debugging, speeding the time to application deployment (and keeping the morale of development teams high). This is because:

• Borland C++Builder 4 is designed to minimize the number of bugs introduced into an application at development time. The compiler, components, Two-Way-Tools, and CodeInsight facilities all combine to steer developers away from mistakes and blind alleys.
• Borland C++Builder 4 includes the most powerful C++ debugger available. It delivers incredibly powerful break, trace, watch, and view facilities, that are years ahead of other development tools.
• Borland C++Builder 4 includes a number of unique capabilities for tracking down and fixing bugs in complex distributed enterprise applications. With powerful remote debugging, developers can debug application components that could be running on a different server, or even in a different country. Multi-threaded debugging facilities allow developers to easily isolate insidious concurrent processing problems.
• Borland C++Builder 4 helps teams work together and communicate to build high-quality applications and bring applications to production standard. Built-in PVCS version tracking, combined with the Advanced Project Manager, allow distributed project components to be tracked easily and, if necessary, modifications can be rolled back with the minimum of administration overhead.
• Borland C++Builder 4 includes everything needed to build, test, and deploy distributed applications, including the InterBase. SQL Server and the VisiBroker ORB.

Borland C++Builder 4 reduces debugging time required to deploy quality applications.

Borland C++Builder 4 applications are easy to deploy and cost virtually nothing to manage

Borland C++Builder 4 makes it easy to deploy and manage applications on a global and distributed basis. It delivers the full spectrum of client and server applications, ranging from zero-maintenance thin-client applications to powerful Web server applications. In particular, there are a number of capabilities within Borland C++Builder 4 that can dramatically reduce application deployment and maintenance costs.

• Borland C++Builder 4 distributed architecture in combination with VisiBroker, Entera™, MIDAS, or another application server means that new business functionality (for example, new tax calculations, discount structures, or regulatory checks) can be deployed without having to touch a network client.
• For zero-maintenance Windows-based intranet applications, Borland C++Builder 4 can convert any form into a fully-functioning ActiveX control that can be deployed via a Web browser to the desktop, on demand. If the client application needs to be changed, a new ActiveX control is downloaded automatically. Borland C++Builder 4 advanced data architecture and MIDAS application server mean that the most sophisticated database applications can be deployed with no setup required on the network client machine.
• Borland C++Builder 4 fully integrates with Inprise AppCenter™, which provides a visual user interface for the deployment, monitoring, and management of distributed application components. It also provides sophisticated modeling capabilities to analyze the potential effects of different application loads. AppCenter provides the bridge to make the handoff of applications from development team to support teams significantly smoother.

Borland C++Builder 4 makes deploying low-maintenance thin-client applications easy.