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251:. Query allowed read-only access by users and developers to a systems database backend. Where this seemed a desirable facility, allowing users to create "use once then throw away" reports without calling on developers this had a nasty habit of causing performance issues. Users often did not understand the database structure and could send large queries to the processing queues causing system-wide issues.
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editing of menus and data relationships in CorVision. In 1993 a client-server version was released, but not widely adopted. In 1997 ISG's work on CorVision-10 which was to herald the rebirth of CorVision onto the IBM PC platform stopped. CorVision-10 was proving very difficult to port and ISG finally
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It is not essentially true to consider a procedure as a program. In fact, a procedure is a set of instructions (BUILDER Commands) which build a program. A program in BUILDER is actually called a
Process not a program. A Procedure therefore is a set of BUILDER commands which instruct BUILDER to build
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Because the structure and key structure files are kept separate, the dataset definitions can be altered during development. This is a major strength of CorVision allowing for a prototyping environment where both code and data structures can be changed throughout development then brought together at
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Used for data entry and updating, can be accessed from a menu and is navigatable. A Procedure of this type consists of the Menu selection and any key screens and data screen. These are generated and compiled together. You can look upon the screen procedure as the MAIN procedure which is called MAIN
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CorVision still exists in a handful of companies that have not yet found the time or money to upgrade their existing mainframe systems. As CorVision runs on the VMS environment it is very stable but the search for CorVision developers and contractors to support these ageing systems is a problem.
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The structure and key structure files are loaded before the process is compiled. This is done by the load file. BUILDER makes the assumption that the data structures are already loaded when it compiles a process. It is at this point that the compilation "binds" the data structures to the code.
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In 1984 Jim Warner encapsulated INFORM in a repository-based development tool and called it
Application Factory. INFORM's PROCESS procedural language became known as BUILDER within Application Factory. In 1986 the name of Application Factory was dropped in favor of the name CorVision.
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To provide complete specification details in hardcopy form, CorVision has the Run
Reports option. Over 80 different types of report can be produced. Component Specification Reports (CSRs), as they are known, can also be produced for tentative, unreferenced and unresolved items.
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CorVision keeps the information behind the Status Screen up-to-date so that it indicates the current state of the development process. The left hand side indicates specification tasks that need doing. The right hand side indicates generation tasks that need doing.
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Hand coded procedures in BUILDER. These procedures can perform any function that the BUILDER code will allow. A Procedure of this type is written entirely in BUILDER, the CorVision 4GL. It too is generated and compiled separately from the other two
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CorVision provides a useful feature called Field Search. Field Search allows you to investigate and analyze the use of fields in different aspects of the application. This allows developers to assess the impact of changes before they are made.
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Usually the default values for these parameters are satisfactory. CorVision however allows for these setting to be changed at any time during development. The parameters file (WP) is accessed at runtime so the latest setting are always used.
197:. They called this new tool INFORM-11. Cortex was founded in 1978 by Sherm Uchill, Craig Hill, Mike Lowery, and Dick Berthold to market INFORM-11. INFORM-11 was first used to deliver a 20-user order entry system at
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and Temple Barker & Sloan. By 1972 SIS had offices in Los
Angeles, Garden Grove, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, New York City, District of Columbia, Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta and Phoenix.
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In 2005 CorVision guru
Michael Lowery, now president of Order Processing Technologies, attempted to revive the CorVision franchise with CV2VB, a process to convert CorVision applications into
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server. CV2VB is OPT's third generation CorVision conversion and replacement modeler/code generator. It is in commercial service at former CorVision clients. Information is available at the
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CorVision keeps the data structure files separate if they are to be manipulated by BUILDER. BUILDER keeps a structure file and a key structure file for each dataset used by the application.
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company
Standard Information Systems (SIS). INFORM contained some of CorVisions basic utility commands such as SORT, REPORT, LIST and CONSOLIDATE. Some of the first users of INFORM were
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When a process is compiled, the data structures are "bound" to the process at that time thus "binding" of data structures takes place at the precise moment the process is compiled.
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Presentation of data as a report. A Procedure of this type consists usually of one step to produce a report. It is generated and compiled separately from the screen procedure.
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The first step in developing an application with CorVision is to fill in the parameters which control the miscellaneous aspects concerning application-wide functions.
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CorVision-10 which was generated for PCs but CorVision itself stayed anchored on VMS. CorVision-10 proved more difficult than hoped, and was never released.
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refused to spend any more money on the now-dated system. 1994 saw the last innovative CorVision release: V5.11. The extra-fee
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Run-time parameters which affect run-time execution of the application (including Batch & Print Queue control).
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Since around 1999, companies have started appearing offering conversion tools to convert BUILDER code to compiled
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Between 1986 and 1989 CorVision experienced its heyday. It quickly became known as a robust and capable tool for
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The key to CorVision is PROCEDURES. The procedures in CorVision eventually become
Executable Images (.EDO's).
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CorVision can be traced back to 1972 when Lou
Santoro and Mike Lowery created INFORM for the newly formed
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546:.LOA :Generated BUILDER for controlling the loading of all required datasets used by the procedure.
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141:) currently owned by Attunity, Inc. CorVision was developed by Cortex Corporation for the
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a process and save this in the program library as a compiled file with a .SAV extension.
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support attracted major accounts. Cortex quickly became an international company.
540:.DO :Generated BUILDER for controlling the running / compiling of the procedure.
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Between 1976 and 1977 Ken Levitt and Dick
Berthold of SIS ported INFORM from the
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201:, and to deliver an insurance processing system for Consolidated Group Trust.
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line. In 1994, International
Software Group Co. Ltd. (ISG) purchased Cortex.
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As early as 1987, Cortex recognized the growth in the popularity of the
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Changes or Additions to Specification and what they cause changes to.
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Development parameters which affect the CorVision working environment.
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216:. INFORM-11 was promoted by both Cortex and Digital as a pioneering
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Between 1981 and 1982 Cortex received significant investment from
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A brief explanation of application development using CorVison.
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Define any other processing before the procedure is run.
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Heading, Title and Menu Information for the application.
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501:(Progressively) Construct the application components
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significant multi-user applications. The addition of
208:. Using this new investment, Cortex ported INFORM to
537:.DFS :Define (.DEF) files used within the procedure.
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The parameters fall into five groupings as follows:
572:The following files are created after compiling:
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292:release, V5.12.2, marked the end of development.
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43:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
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549:.SCS :List of all screens used in the procedure
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243:In 1992, CorVision Version 5 was released with
534:.DEF :Define fields used within the procedure.
518:(Progressively) Generate the compilable files
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614:Developers Guide To CorVision Version 5.11
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74:Learn how and when to remove this message
498:Add / Change the procedure specification
645:Fourth-generation programming languages
553:The following files can also be added:
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275:The beginning of the end for CorVision
359:Application-wide standard menu items.
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616:. CORTEX Corporation. February 1994.
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356:Application-wide navigation options.
218:rapid application development system
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630:CorVision History on CV2VB web site
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530:The following files are created:
254:In 1993 Cortex started supported
621:Stephen Pickett (October 2001).
563:Define specific CorVision logic.
560::DIGITAL command language file.
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212:'s new VAX/VMS, adding compiled
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623:CorVision Training Course Notes
440:Three types of procedures are:
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526:After generating the procedure
1:
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453:Jobstream / Report Procedures
380:Dictionary, Datasets and Keys
210:Digital Equipment Corporation
148:environment. Although Cortex
405:Generate *.SCR, *.RPT, *.JOB
296:CorVision as a legacy system
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395:Screens, Reports, Dataviews
385:Generate *.CRE, build Links
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543:.IOS : the procedure.
390:Dictionary, Datasets, Keys
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448:by default in CorVision.
433:Procedures and processes
29:This article includes a
600:_TV.EDO (after vesting)
597:_TV.HIF (after vesting)
594:_TV.SAV (after vesting)
328:Application development
133:is a fourth generation
58:more precise citations.
336:Application parameters
181:Establishing CorVision
161:The birth of CorVision
521:Compile the procedure
316:applications using a
171:New England Telephone
493:Creating a procedure
238:relational database
102:First appeared
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228:CorVision's heyday
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31:list of references
474:Data independence
444:Screen Procedures
285:wikt:diagrammatic
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400:Screens, reports
247:and support for
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167:time-sharing
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50:Please help
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513:Custom Code
214:executables
199:Eddie Bauer
150:beta tested
135:programming
64:August 2023
56:introducing
607:References
577:VAX 32 bit
206:A. B. Dick
193:/70 under
262:Digital's
156:Lifecycle
131:CorVision
93:Developer
87:CorVision
639:Category
187:CDC-3600
175:Polaroid
510:Reports
507:Screens
257:vesting
189:to the
143:VAX/VMS
107: (
52:improve
465:types.
281:IBM PC
266:64-bit
191:PDP-11
137:tool (
123:Inform
97:Cortex
504:Menus
410:Menus
269:Alpha
245:Query
37:, or
584:.EDO
581:.SAV
558:.DCL
314:.NET
307:Java
305:and
264:new
249:Unix
146:ISAM
109:1986
105:1986
318:SQL
290:Y2K
260:to
195:IAS
139:4GL
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324:.
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