xCase2VPM 1.99 for xCase 7.5 and VPME9
As the title says... get it at the update site.This will be the last version for VPME9 (there might be builds to correct bugs, but there will be no enhancements leading to major or minor version changes). The reason for this is VPME91, which will be released in a few days. Here are our (Frank and Hank) plans for VPME91 and xCase2VPM, and the reasons why:
First, VPME91 changes the way a lot of things work: we need to take advantage of these changes. This includes how business rules are implemented, and the ability to develop directly into client-server databases.
Second, we need to make xCase2VPM easier to use in two areas: User Interface (UI) and speed (of generation after model changes). This means a) we build our own interface, using xCase for the things it does best (design entities, fields, relations, indexes, views), while using our interface for everything else. It also means incremental generation (and avoiding generation in many cases, through the uses of dynamic cursoradaptors) of xCase model into VPM and into the actual data.
Third, as a result of First and Second, above, Frank and I confirmed over the past two days our earlier notions that we would put our information that was additional to VPM into separate data tables that would be distributed with the application. This was an early thought we had, and became even clearer when we realized that to take advantage of some of the new power in VPME91, we would have to extend the VPM metadata through additional child tables.
So, that all said, we are looking at 1) an entirely new xCase2VPM: it will be a VPM application; and 2) a refactoring of the PSP Libraries into the VPME91 context.
The new xCase2VPM will be twice as efficient as the old one if you are working on small to medium models; it will be even more efficient if you are working on large models.
The new PSP Libraries will give you unbelievable power and control over what happens in your VPM programs. ProMatrix has gotten even more stuff right, and we're in a position to use what they have delivered to give you even more. Well, to be honest, it's really for us (as I told Frank and breakfast today, "we've never done anything just for the xCase2VPM users that we didn't want anyway, so why start now?" <g> ), but everyone gets to benefit.
So, there will be an upgrade price for xCase2VPM, which in the tradition of such things will be 60% of the current price, which we expect to stay the same ($699). We have, however, added two ways to get free xCase2VPM upgrades: the two video+online Training Subscriptions which we have created from the 4 courses (xCase2VPM Jumpstart; ActiveX/COM/.Net; VPM2Web; PSP Libraries) currently described on our website and offered for purchase on the ProMatrix website.
The two courses will be xCase2VPM Jumpstart, which will be exactly what it is now. The other will be a combination of all 4 courses into a reconfigured PSP Libraries. The current courses are online videos, support through Groove (you buy the Groove from Groove.net, Professional version), and occasional online sessions to make new videos. There will be two Groove spaces: the xCase2VPM Jumpstart space, and the PSP Libraries space. The latter will handle all non-xCase2VPM matters. Frankly, it was too tough to separate out the PSP Libraries issues from COM/.Net and from VPM2Web. Those who sign up for the PSP Libraries support, will get both Groove spaces.
Pricing for the training has decreased (that is not a typo -- we want people to use this stuff, because the more people that use it, the better it becomes as a result of feedback):
xCase2VPM Jumpstart: $499 ($299 within 30 days of purchasing xCase2VPM); $199 annual renewal.
PSP Libraries: $1099 ($899 within 30 days of purchasing xCase2VPM); $499 annual renewal.
The xCase2VPM Jumpstart course gets a Library refresh once per year.
The PSP Libraries course gets Library refreshes as needed (we intend to tie in the Change Log with incremental refreshing).
So that's the news from Southwest Florida, where I put down the convertible top in the hope that Frank will get something of a tan before he returns to Weert, NL.
