AppMaster Builder lets you work in whatever sequence you choose. For example, you can define the user interface before you think about the program logic. Or you can first define the global data that all programs must use. Whether you decide to work top down, bottom up, or middle out, AppMaster AMB lets you proceed from the step you just completed to the one you want to do next. And, if you are maintaining or redeveloping existing applications, AppMaster Builder lets you focus on only those components that must change.
It's often best to begin by defining your application's run-time or target environment. When you select an environment, AMB handles the necessary implementation details when it generates the application. AMB supports the following targets:
If your application must access more than one kind of database, AMB can generate code to accommodate this. You can also perform prototype testing on multi-target applications.
You can next prototype the look and feel of an application so that end users can review it early in the design process. As you create the user interface, you and your end users run the interface - without leaving AppMaster AMB - to ensure that the application user interface meets end user expectations. You can enter data into data entry fields to ensure that they capture all of the required information. Because it is so easy to create, run, and change these prototypes, you can work closely with end users to refine this aspect of an application before you move on to design the underlying details.
AppMaster Builder also simplifies the task of defining an application's processing logic. You can generate online applications from high-level designs using the default logic that AMB produces, or you can tailor the logic to your particular requirements. For example, you can tailor the way that AMB processes database calls, error routines, or other program actions.
You create batch applications using whatever combination of AMB specifications, COBOL syntax, or user-defined logic modules that you prefer. You can combine online and batch programs as you like within a single application.
When you generate an application, the result is consistent, high-quality code, ready to be compiled on the mainframe, or on the PC. You can also generate AMB code directly to an Enterprise Developer project where it is automatically compiled into run-time modules.
Once you generate an application, you can debug it from either the COBOL or the S-COBOL level, depending on your preferences.