Borland International Inc has entered the Windows 3.0 market to try and swipe more dBase users – to this end it has come up with a product called ObjectVision, a neat moneyspinner that it describes as an innovative, new visual programming tool that enables non-technical professionals and managers to easily create interactive business applications for Microsoft Windows 3.0. In another age the product might have been described as an expert system, but the buzz word now is Object and the product offers visual programming techniques to enable users to stipulate objects and processes via drawings. ObjectVision uses decision trees and automatic intelligent prompting like other expert systems for personal computers. The product has three main components: a what you see is what you get drawing tool interface, decision trees to represent visually the application’s logic, and data links that create visual connections between fields on the application and database fields. Multiple links within applications can read and write data to dissimilar databases, either locally or in a multi-user network environment. ObjectVision supports Paradox, dBase, Btrieve and ASCII data files, enabling an easy database migration path to Paradox from competitive products. It also supports dynamic data exchange to other Windows 3.0 applications. No prices or availability date were given: cheap and one day is likely.
