Building Databases With PowerJ 2.0
By Nancy Hickman
Web development often starts out as small, proof-of-concept projects that bloat as clients realize the potential of the medium. Quite often the tools used for prototypes are unable to scale with new demands, leaving project teams faced with redesign, reengineering, and retooling. Choosing the right set of tools up front will help avoid many problems as your project grows.
This month, I'll take Sybase/Powersoft's entry in the Java integrated development environment (IDE) market,
PowerJ 2.0, and try it with a real-life project. Even if you're not new to PowerJ, you're likely to find some interesting tips and tricks I discovered during my adventure. Many of you may be familiar with Sybase/Powersoft's PowerBuilder. To clarify, PowerJ is solely a Java development tool, separate from PowerBuilder, although PowerBuilder will include some Java support in future editions.
The Client's Web Needs
The client in my example is a veterinary group, Cat Calls, which provides the local feline community with house calls for routine needs. Currently, charting and bill creation are largely done on paper in the patient's home. The veterinary group wants to transfer charting and billing to a Java applet. The applet will update the clinic's database and spare the clinic's employees from keying in visit information from paper forms. The completed applet is shown in
