Service: custom software development
Solution type: desktop solutions
Business area: software development
Client: A company providing advanced software development solutions — application code generator, 4GL language, template system, highly optimizing compilers, database connectivity to both transactional and relational database systems, and related products and services for the development of application.
Period: 2002
Key problems
To meet the current requirements for database management, the Customer needed to develop a platform-independent application for easy management of SQL database queries from distributed applications. When activated from another software product requiring access to a database via SQL, the application should not cause any losses in functionality, performance, and reliability of that product.
To develop such application in a very tough timeframe, the Client had to expand its team. To avoid extra costs and to keep the project on schedule, the Client decided to outsource development of the product.
The Client had already had experience of working with Arcadia, ZAO and knew that Arcadia possessed all the essential knowledge and skills and was capable of inventing a modern solution for the problem. The Client was already familiar with Arcadia's transparent project management system. The previous projects, which the Client had outsourced to Arcadia, had demonstrated the convenience and flexibility of the Software Development Process employed at Arcadia and Arcadia's ability to develop projects on time and on budget.
Solution
Arcadia's team developed SQL Query Designer, a standalone application which supports creating, editing, reading, saving and executing SQL queries. SQL Query Designer was implemented as a cross-platform Java package, which could be used by other applications for SQL statements management. SQL Query Designer has a user interface supporting smart typing, SQL syntax coloring, online SQL syntax checking, and visualization of the result of SQL statement execution. This application is really efficient for SQL statements definition, even if its user is not familiar with SQL.
One of the main features of SQL Query Designer is that it can work with any SQL dialect because SQL Query Designer can upload SQL syntax description files from specially designed XML files. Arcadia's team proposed and developed the ad hoc structure for these files for SQL syntax description.
SQL Query Designer functionalities are available through user interface and API. SQL Query Designer API allows functionality customization. SQL Query Designer is i18n compliant.
Technologies used
- Programming language: Java 2
- Development environment: SUN JDK 1.4.0
- XML, JDBC, SUN JavaHelp, JUnit, Swing, Apache ANT
Duration and scope
6 months / ~18 person-months