twitter analytics twitter analytics

Rational Business Developer

  1. Home >
  2. Technologies >
  3. Rational Business Developer >

Rational Business Developer simplifies the development of modern business applications with the open source EGL technology.

Rational Business Developer is a rapid development workbench for delivering modern, cross-platform Web, Web 2.0, and service-oriented applications.

  • A powerful, flexible, extensible Eclipse-based workbench for EGL, an innovative, easy to learn business application programming language.
  • EGL compliments the breadth and depth of Java and COBOL technology with a simplified programming model and deployment to the most popular environments.
  • Modern and flexible. RBD’s platform-neutral development approach eliminates skills silos, creating a unified pool of business-oriented developers.
  • Rapid development of Web 2.0 and SOA solutions.
  • Shortens the technology learning curve by shielding developers from the complexities of JavaScript™, HTML, Ajax, JSON, and other Web 2.0 technologies.
  • Deploy to a variety of platforms including JEE™ application servers, traditional enterprise environments such as CICS and IMS or IBM i, and modern Web browsers.
  • Visit the EGL Cafe, the official online community for users of Rational Business Developer. Use this community to get help, build connections, share your experiences, and see how others are developing EGL applications with Rational Business Developer.
  • What’s new in the latest version:
  • Improved tools for speeding development of Web 2.0 rich UIs with Dojo™ .
  • New capabilities to simplify integration of existing Web services.
  • Enhancements to integrated debugger and test facility, including conditional breakpoints and watchpoints.
  • Other usability, capability, and performance enhancements.

Features and Benefits

Integrate or extend existing mainframe application investments (such as COBOL applications) to meet the changing business needs or enable SOA business transformation

Service enabling legacy allows business to respond faster to change from market needs, competition, etc. A leave and leverage approach can be taken when addressing legacy code since EGL can coexist and easily call out to these applications. If required, older 4GL code can be migrated to EGL, which then allows you to deploy the application to the most appropriate environment – Java™/J2EE™ or COBOL. In addition, support is provided for legacy databases such as mainframe VSAM fields and DL/I hierarchical databases.

Simplified and rapid service creation, shielding developers from technical complexity of SOA

Achieve SOA benefits (business flexibility, responsiveness to change, etc) faster and at lower costs. EGL built-in Service constructs in the language and service generation facility allow business-oriented developers to create SOA-based applications without extensive training. Features include: All Web Services tools provided by the hosting base product (e.g. Rational Application Developer); Create EGL Services; Automated generation of Web Services from EGL Services; Consume EGL local or remote services; Consume Web Services; Deploy EGL Services to CICS, IMS and IBM i; Automated generation of EGL Services from UML models, such as those from Rational Software Architect, or relational database schemas.

Ability to define and create services implementations independently from target execution platform

Easier alignment of business services requirement to actual IT implementation.

Freedom to deploy application and services to many platforms, including traditional environments, either as web services or natively

Exploit available environments, no need for new technology investment to achieve business flexibility. Leverage trusted environments QoS. Allows developers to work within the same IDE, leveraging development skills across platform boundaries. Provides support for development and deployment of traditional green screen applications for IBM i and System z, as well as, services to WebSphere Application Server on multiple platforms.

Integrated with other IBM solutions, such as Rational Developer for System z, Rational Developer for i for SOA Construction, and Rational Software Architect

Seamlessly integrates with IBM Rational software solutions empowering teams to easily plug in to the established software development lifecycles and communication channels. Extends Eclipse v3.4 offerings and includes: Common User Interface; Project management; Available views: Task list, Navigator, Outline, Links, etc; Customizable Perspectives; Local and Team Resource management; Desktop and Help frameworks; Extends Eclipse Debug Framework.

Model-Driven Development with UML and Database schemas

UML to EGL transformations (for IBM Rational Business Developer and IBM Rational Software Architect) allow architects to model complex applications graphically and implement EGL services or full CRUD applications with no manual coding, increasing productivity and reducing errors. Automated Transformation is also possible starting from relational database schemas.

Eclipse based EGL IDE with powerful editing, code templates, code completion, refactoring, browsing and searching etc

Advanced development environment features create a high productivity environment for EGL coding. Build rich EGL applications using visual editors, wizards and code generation, merging and re-factoring tools: Integrated EGL Development Environment; EGL Code Re-factoring; EGL templating for logic and data parts; EGL Code Assist; EGL Debugging services; Visual code modeling with auto-synch of code and models; Simplified language with polymorphic verbs; Ability to create batch applications; Support for local and remote calls to other languages and legacy programs.

Familiar Programming Model using EGL development and generation capabilities, with extensive help

EGL is easily adopted by business-oriented developers reducing learning curves and training expenses. Includes extensive productivity enhancements: Cheat sheets for common development patterns; Application samples library; How-to and scenario-based tutorials; Getting started and installation guide.

Quality of generated code

EGL code generation automates the creation of repetitive and commonly needed application infrastructure coding with significant reduction of manually injected errors.

JSF page development; dynamic modification of JSF control properties and ability to integrate EGL control and logic behind JSF pages

EGL provides state-of-the-art Web development tools that support all levels of UI interactions and user requirements. High productivity and reduced skills requirements for creating sophisticated Web solutions. Includes: Complete support for JSF development as specified in hosting product (e.g. Rational Application Developer) features; Page Data View and EGL palette for easy drag and drop of EGL atifacts in addition to standard JSF development; EGL integration with JSF Page Designer; EGL Page Handler; JSF rendering of EGL componentry; EGL Data visualization in JSF controls; Automatic generation of Java artifacts required to deploy Web application; Automated generation of JSF pages to support CRUD applications generated from UML or RBDMS data schemas.

Database Development: Wizard-based generation of CRUDs, wizard-based specification for database connectivity, optimization of SQL as required

Data access programming and database connectivity are time consuming tasks, EGL simplifies these tasks giving greater flexibility and productivity to the programmer, including: All Database Development tools provided by hosting base product (e.g. Rational Application Developer); Full CRUD EGL application generation from Database Schema; Automatic EGL record and data item creation to database schema; Generation of DDL from UML Class Diagrams.

Automated conversion tool for VisualAge Generator

Easily reuse and extend valuable IT assets, including automated conversion of IBM VisualAge Generator applications to EGL, including CICS, IMS, batch and 3270/5250 applications.

Team Development – Integration with a wide range of change management options

Integration with IBM Rational ClearCase® and Rational ClearQuest® enables developers to perform change management operations directly from within your development environment, provides an integrated view of projects and increases both collaboration and team productivity.