The Roscoe on-line program development system produced by Applied Data Research of Princeton, New Jersey, has, as reported briefly (CI No 966) been enhanced through the use of techniques that will be used in the Enterprise System Architecture version of TSO. Roscoe Release 5.6 is designed to increase MVS programming performance with the help of a caching mechanism to control data managed by its library system, enabling it to operate at greater speed in the MVS and MVS/XA environments. The caching facility keeps index and data information in memory so as to speed things up by reducing disk input-output. Repeated accesses, even by multiple users, are processed directly. The company claims an average reduction of 39% in input-output activity and an equal improvement in response time for applications developed using the Roscoe Programming Facility. The new library cache is like IBM’s Virtual Lookaside Facility with TSO/E 2, except that it will not be restricted to those who have implemented Enterprise Systems Architecture. Release 5.6 also provides a Cobol and PL/1 program development facility for IBM’s new flagship database management system, the relational DB2. It enables users to execute SQL statements dynamically, bind application plans, generate language specific structures from DB2 tables for inclusion in source programs, process DB2 commands and execute DB2 applications interactively, all from within Roscoe, according to ADR. Users have complete control over application plans. The company has also incorporated an Application Programming Interface into the new release of Roscoe’s time-sharing facility, so that users accessing other products such as IBM’s Graphical Data Display Manager or SAS Institute’s SAS System, can get direct access to native Roscoe and the Roscoe Programming Facility. Roscoe costs $60,400 for MVS environments, while the MVS/XA version is $63,400 with leasing options of six months, three years and six years on offer.