Aubit project status

Last updated on 25/06/2005, by Andrej Falout

This page attempts to keep track on progress of various Aubit compiler functionality and components, and quantify there maturity. It's main goal is to help set appropriate level of expectations for the end user, and at the same time provide a common place of reference for developers. As it catalogues all components of the project, it may also serve as a good starting point for exploration, both end users and developers. For folks that prefer bullets to sentences (and therefore probably are not reading this anyway):

Purpose of this page:

• keep track of progress
• quantify maturity
• set expectations
• common place of reference
• catalogue components

Aubit compiler is a work in progress, and by the very nature of OpenSource development process, it will remain in such state for foreseeable future. This means that some components may be fully production ready and extensively tested, but some other may be not much more then a prototype. For readers unfamiliar with OpenSource software, this is common, if not universal occurrence. Same is true for most commercial software products, it is just that end user rarely has the chance to see any parts of internal, proprietary development process.

Thanks to the fully modular architecture of Aubit compiler, where practically all functionality is implemented in a form of plug-ins, this varying status levels do not have to be a cause for concern, but has to be understood. Additionally, Aubit provides a full automated regression tests suite of over 800 tests, so it is easy for user to verify functionality of all components (or only components developer wants to use) on every Aubit release, in less then 30 minutes.

TO-DO:

• Add link to current regression test results for general 4GL features (Mike?)
• Add links to regression test result for database features/SQL for each database supported (Andrej)
• Make this page a Wiki home page; create link for each feature/module into its own Wiki page, to enable developers to easily share information specific to functionality/module with users and other developers, especially between the manual releases. This repositories of information will then represent a base to migrate information on new functionality into the manual. (Andrej)
• Add status for tools in tools/ directory
• Add list of directories to be removed or renamed/moved in CVS
• Create links for directories to Aubit CVS web browser interface
• Create links to manual or other documentation entry for it
• Crate links from classes of components to architecture diagram section, and vice versa
• Group entries in this table by class (database access, user interface, RPC, etc...)

All components of Aubit project

Name	Description	Current maintainer	Source code location (from CVS root)	Status	Work needed	Notes
Aubit4GL Compiler	Contains x4GL programming language compiler(s) , run-time libraries, and tools	Various	aubit4glsrc		see todo list	Overall status is an estimate of maturity of most commonly used components.
Aubit project web site	Pages and files that make Aubit project web site	Andrej Falout	aubit4glwww		To be migrated into CMS framework in next few weeks by Andrej	New web site priorities: * CMS based * Wiki * FAQ management * Downloads management * Web discussion ONLY if it has transparent gateway to the mailing list * Articles management * News management * Enables easy migration to other CMS if needed * Will work on SF server
adbschema	Replacement for Informix dbschema. Re-creates SQL statements needed to re-create an existing database. Also creates schema files for "schema-in-file" plug-in and can help in porting database data by creating data export-import scripts	Mike Aubury	aubit4glsrc/tools/adbschema
Miscellaneous	General tools, written in, or for 4GL	Various	aubit4glsrc/tools			A catchall project for things that don't fit anywhere else
x4GL programming language reference	Documents syntax of x4GL programming language	Andrej Falout	aubit4gldoc/4glreference		Add SQL syntax as per Informix dialect; add Aubit and other extensions; convert current format (HTML) into DocBook	Currently contains only 4GL statements, and NOT any SQL statements and related information. It provides almost exclusively only base I-4GL syntax, and does not document Aubit, 4JS or any other language extensions
Aubit4GL Compiler Documentation	Contains Aubit 4GL compiler manual and other documentation	John O'Gorman	aubit4gldoc/manual		Re-format, re-write significant parts, update, complete missing chapters, create PDF and set-up online HTML version with reader comment functionality (ala PHP manual). Add source to CVS Project Plan and Quick Start documents need to be written; clean up docs on SF doc. manager	Manual is currently being rewritten by John O'Gorman. Work in progress can be found here
pcode	PCODE version	Mike Aubury	aubit4glsrc/compilers/pcode
ace	Aubit ACE compatible compiler	Mike Aubury	aubit4glsrc/compilers/ace
4GLworks	4GL application framework; Message driven, Object oriented, written in 4GL	Marco Greco (?)	appframework		Use amake to compile to enable compilation with all x4GL compilers	Manual is in aubit4gldoc/4glworks-manual. Also see Marco's site
x4GL libraries repository	Collections of generally useful and reusable libraries of functions fort use in x4GL programs	Andrej Falout	lib4gl		Use amake to compile to enable compilation with all x4GL compilers	See Sub-projects. Note: most makefiles are currently i-4gl only; code itself should work with any x4GL compiler
Doc4GL	x4GL and database documentation tools originally written by Sergio Ferreira	Andrej Falout	doc4gl		Use amake to compile to enable compilation with all x4GL compilers; complete automatic makefile generation testing on OneMaxx; enable database meta-data (data dictionary) input and maintenance via web interface	notes
FGLBLD	Jonathan Leffler's data driven application generator	Andrej Falout	gen4gl		Use amake to compile, enabling compilation with all x4GL compilers	i-4GL only makefiles. Manual in aubit4gldoc/fglbld-doc
Hy4GL	Experimental 4GL compiler written by David Prieto	Not maintained	hy4gl		None	Not developed or supported - primarily of historic interest
x4GL regression tests	Fully automated framework of regression tests for x4GL compilers	MA AF	aubit4gltest		Expand Aubit features coverage	Some documentation in aubit4gltest/docs folder.

Status legend:

• - Mature; feature complete, fully tested, mission critical production ready
• - Feature complete; not sufficiently tested for mission critical production
• - Mostly Feature complete; somewhat tested
• - Beta; Somewhat usable in particular environments and with limited scope
• - Alpha; of interest only to developers, experimental, not more then a  proof of concept

Maintainer legend:

• MA - Mike Aubury
• AF - Andrej Falout
• SF - Sergio Ferreira

    Note: Please always use Aubit project mailing lists to contact developers.

Other symbols used:

• N/A - Not Applicable
• ? - Unknown

Notes:

• Testing column uses "mostly" for cases where automated testing coverage is extensive, and not "complete", simply because coverage was never explicitly quantified. Keyword "complete" is reserved for functionality where we have defined list of all features, and all tests performed, like we do, for example, for SQL and database features. Therefore, meaning of "mostly" should be interpreted as: As far as we know, most if not all features are tested, but we never explicitly checked that, and there might be some less used features that are not covered by tests.
• When "Depends on" column refers to a 3rd party package, in most cases both the standard package and development package are needed to compile the functionality. Aubit Autoconf script, "configure" checks for all prerequisites.
• "Build command" column is usually just "make" in home directory, assuming that all dependencies are satisfied. Unless "configure" declares them found, make will probably not work.
• Aubit Autoconf script ("configure" and its source file, configure.in) by default attempt to detect ALL dependencies for ALL Aubit components. All components that are found to have necessary dependencies satisfied, will automatically be included in default build. Therefore, user is not expected to build components individually.

Aubit 4GL compiler home page