Do you need a database development tool?
February 26, 2007 4:26 PM
Filed Under: Eclipse and Open Source WorkSpace
Over the past 10 years or so we have seen majority of developers moving from simple text based editors to full-featured graphical development tool popularly known as Integrated Development Environment (IDE). IDEs offered lot of value to developers of various sects (Java, C/C++, J2EE, etc) by meeting their needs in the areas such as visual development, code generation, building, deployment, configuration, testing, and debugging.
However, suffice to say none of the IDEs supported database development at the level for example Java development was supported. Support for activities such as writing SQL queries, stored procedures and triggers, tuning queries, debugging, and manipulating objects such as tables, views, etc. was not there or very minimal. Developer was therefore relegated to using some text editor or an commercial tool outside of their preferred IDE. Even that had minimal features and experience was not the same as an IDE.
Sybase WorkSpace is built to precisely address those needs. It combines the power of Model-Driven Development (MDD) and Rapid Application Development (RAD) for databases, integration, data federation, web application, among others.
Specifically, WorkSpace database developement tooling gives developer similar IDE features for database development in SQL that they enjoyed while coding in Java or some other language. Besides multi-objects/sessions editing, execution, deployment, and debugging support, several features are added to support server-specific features of our database servers (ASE, Sybase IQ, and ASA).
Since WorkSPace is built on built on Eclipse, it packages Eclipse's powerful Java Development Tooling (JDT), and other Eclipse free tools can be easily installed. Our developers can adopt Sybase WorkSpace without concerns of being locked in. Most developers work in a heterogeneous environment. Third-pary Eclipse tools can be installed in WorkSpace and used side by side. Simply put, it is now possible to use tools from multiple vendors in a single IDE.
With blurring of boundaries between various roles and technologies, Sybase developers of all breed (analysts, architects, Java/C/SQL developers, and testers) have WorkSpace now they all can share as their common development platform enabling much better team development, and sharing of artifacts and their meta-data.
Ask any developer if they would ever go back to using "vi" or "emacs" for Java development? That thought itself is sure to give them a chill. After trying out Sybase WorkSpace, developers (particularly the ones doing database activities) would feel the same if that question is asked.
Posted by Samir Nigam on February 26, 2007 4:26 PM
