Quickly Identify Differences Between Program Encyclopedias
If you develop applications in COOL:Enterprise using program encyclopedias (e.g., one program per encyclopedia), you know that identifying and validating detailed changes made to modules, data areas, and data structures can be very time-consuming. And, because the underlying design encyclopedia structure is in many ways more complex than any other part of the meta model, performing change analysis is very prone to error when attempted manually.
Program Compare.
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For these reasons, ObjectWare has developed a focused comparison tool that greatly simplifies the change analysis process. If you have partitioned your application into program encyclopedias, Program Compare can greatly help you identify and review changes to your design models.
Program Compare gives you the ability to monitor changes from the perspective of a program by:
- Performing change analysis of master and a work-in-progress encyclopedias
- Highlighting textual changes to action diagrams, SQL statements and data structures via a side-by-side display
- Allowing you to rapidly output data structure diagrams and action diagrams for hard-copy review and documentation
Program Compare was developed in conjunction with one of the largest and most well organized COOL:Enterprise shops in the world. Its purpose is to provide a fast, comprehensive and user friendly report on any object or diagram that has changed in a program. It does so by first decomposing a program into its component modules, data areas and SQL and then performing a comparison of the components.
Know the Impact of Changes Before You Consolidate Encyclopedias
The consolidation utility available within COOL:Enterprise produces a comprehensive report detailing how the objects in two encyclopedias are merged. This report, a by-product of running a consolidation, is available only by performing the merge and can be quite lengthy to read at times. Program Compare provides well organized reports to encyclopedia coordinators that detail actual value changes without running the consolidation. Not having to run a consolidation to identify differences coupled with a very useful presentation of the information is a big time saver.
The compare reports let the COOL:Enterprise project manager evaluate the impact of proposed changes before they are migrated into production. The larger the project and the more widely shared the information, the more critical this task becomes, and the more you need tools to automate the comparison and tracking of change.
Program Compare can present changes either as diagrams highlighting the differences in color or as printed reports with changes indicated in the margin. Identification and validation of changes only takes seconds with the easy-to-use presentation format.
Easy-to-Use Program Compare Makes Change Analysis Manageable
Although the interface to Program Compare is simple, its analysis capabilities are extensive. Operationally, Program Compare reads a master and a work-in-progress encyclopedia, or developer encyclopedia and builds a decomposition of their components. Each module-referred to as a node in the program structure-is listed with one or more indicators that highlight the area in which there is a difference. Specifically, the following indicators are used to identify:
- * - a change in a called module
- Q - an SQL change
- P - a property change
- D - a data structure change
- M - a difference in an action diagram
- S - the component (module, data area, etc.) is only found in the master encyclopedia
- T - the component is only found in the developer encyclopedia
Compare Results.
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A detailed analysis of the changed component is viewed using a color-enhanced browser. Both versions of the components (from the master and developer encyclopedias) are displayed side-by-side to facilitate the review. Portions that are different are highlighted in color and are easily found. In this manner, Program Compare lets you traverse all program components and review the differences in a controlled manner.
Improve Your Control Over Encyclopedia Management
Tracking changes is a critical aspect of managing application definitions. Just as the traditional developer uses utilities to compare work-in-progress source code or other components prior to committing changes, the COOL:Enterprise developer must compare development encyclopedias before consolidating them. Program Compare supports your development efforts by assisting with:
- Change/Version Control. The project administrator can use detailed information on changes, deletions, and renames to identify and eliminate inappropriate changes before consolidation.
- Impact Analysis. On most projects, it's easy to lose track of all the changes made to an encyclopedia. Program Compare quickly highlights the changes so that team members can stay abreast of object modifications and can better assess the impact of changes on their own as well as other applications areas.
- System Synchronization. By automating the change identification process, consolidation times are reduced and post-consolidation problems are avoided. Migrating to new versions of production software can be better coordinated and synchronized.
- General Compare. Program Compare is also helpful to analysts inheriting an application who want to do a quick analysis of what's contained in the library of encyclopedias.
Who Needs Program-Compare?
It's the ideal tool for COOL:Enterprise users who:
- Build or maintain applications in COOL:Enterprise
- Need to understand changes to program encyclopedias before consolidation
- Want to automate the detection of change, reduce the possibility for human error, and minimize the overall time dedicated to the change analysis process
Compare Results.
