| Functionality | What do usual systems offer | What does ObjectGears offer on top of that | Why it is important |
| Class/table properties | Name, table description | Mass operations, various delete operations, RSS, sorting, paging, inheritance, scripting | Concept of data store as group of tables often hits the limits of this approach and does not correspond with demands laid on today systems. Data are represented by classes in ObjectGears featuring number of properties necessary for an easy and effective work with data. Object approach to data is reflected also in class inheritance principle. In certain situations customer will appreciate support for multiple columns, that can contain various data presented depending on their type. |
| Relation between classes | Relations of the foreign key type Simple references to a single record from another class | Relation of the parent and child type (inheritance) References to N records References to user | Relations of parent-child type enable first single definition of common properties for child classes and second referencing data from all the child classes in a single column. If other standard software needs e.g. referring to configuration items in the entity Incident, they have to implement references to Servers, Applications,Databases, Data centers and tens of other entities or they use reference to a single class without detailed properties for all the items.
Reference to N records enables easily to link one record with many other records without forcing the user to create artificial records in association tables. User is a special ObjectGears entity that is fully integrated with entities defined by the customer. |
| Column types | Column types corresponding to the given database | Special types - e.g. Colour, Picture, Reference to the class list, Reference to user, File | These special column types enable user to display easily what would be elsewhere coded in a difficult way. |
| Data display | List of records, record detail | Display in form of calendar, time line, scheme, chart, pivot table... | If we have data of From - To type in records, we can easily display them in calendar or time line form. This makes possible e.g. quick identication of collisions or missing resources possible. Scheme displays transparently relations over many types of entities and discloses dependencies. Chart, pivot table and other reporting tools clearly displays trends, data distribution and summary statistics. |
| Queries | Queries joining several tables | Whatever query, that is supported by MS SQL Server
Access rights to queries
Reference to a class or user in query
Display of N values in one record and one query column
Special column types in query (e.g. picture) | Queries enable to realize complex views over many entities, data summarization etc.
It is necessary to manage access rights also within queries.
ObjectGears enables to create easily queries with navigation into the background tables.
Also columns with references to N values can be easily displayed in the query. This enables business user creating a query that would be otherwise difficult for programming.
You can use special column types in the query and easily display e.g. pictures or icons in a column.
|
| Filters | Filtering in the list of records | Filters are present in a row of other places (web services, imports, exports, lookup forms etc.)
Filters can be also applied by means of scripts or http request and saved by the user. | User needs to be able to create a filter without knowledge of programming or SQL syntax, he/she needs to "click it". ObjectGears offers number of operators and comparisons for creation of whatever filter.
Filters can be also created in code in order the user has to filter available on a button or after clicking a http link sent by email. |
| Pages and webparts | In most cases it is not solved at all | Designer can create own pages in the application by using appr. twenty types of webparts (e.g. HTML text, Grid, Calendar, Timeline etc.) | Predefined screens do not suffice. It is necessary to provide the user with own dashboards, overviews or signposts that can be modified in order efficient work in the application is boosted. |
| Organization structures | In most cases it is not solved at all | Three types of organization structures capturing relations of users and teams/departments | To manage access on data only according to roles does not often suffice today. Sales manager on the corporate level needs another access than Sales managers on country level and those different access than particular regional Sales managers. All of them have the same role in the system but vary in position in the organization structure and therefore e.g. in range of contracts and other data that they can access. |
| Data exports | Exports of particular tables | Exports of queries/data views
Filtering | The system has to be able to transfer the data not only in form of particular tables but also various views of data.
Filtering and sorting enables to get those records that are necessary. |
| Data imports | Data imports of particular tables
Often only basic support of csv file | Imports with value mapping
Complex support both for csv and xml file
Imports of unique value combinations into master data tables
Support of scripting | In the real operations it is necessary to take over data also from other systems. In this situation there is a challenge of appropriate mapping of the incoming records to the records already present in the system. It is not possible to force other systems to send the data in form that is present in our system. This is why ObjectGears supports wide possibilities of mapping data to its own data.
It is necessary to be able to work both with csv and xml files.
In order to ensure mapping external data to the ObjectGears data, that can have different data model, it is necessary to take care of updating master data. The user can perform also complex parsing without necessity of complex xslt transformations.
ObjectGears supports wide import possibilities so called "on click". If there is something really special that should be solved with imports, the user can step in particular phases of data processing by means of scripting. |
| Notifications | Sending email in situations defined in advance („hard-coded“) | Support of both plaintext and html in email, support of SMS
Notification templates
Distribution groups
Notifications can be tied to many ObjectGears events
Notifications can be easily configured by "clicking" and in case of need extended by means of scripts | There is number of situations when it is necessary to send notification to a user. Sofisticated applications require various notification types for various types of users (SMS, plain text in email, html in email) and more complex logic determining, in which situation to send which message to which users.
In larger organizations an efficient notification management requires notification templates, use of distribution groups or support of notification localization in order the message is sent to the user in his/her language.
It is necessary to have support for scripting for solution of more complex situations when sending notifications. |
| Workflow | Hard-coded sequence of steps or only several types of actions and insufficient management of workflow course | Users can create the workflow themselves in form of a graf/scheme.
Number of actions and full workflow course management including synchronizations and cycles.
Workflow versioning
Task queue and delegation | Sofisticated applications and enterprise processes require workflow that can handle sufficient possibilities for set up of such processes in the application, that will be both effective and user friendly.
Complex workflow is difficult to manage without grafical display of the workflow course, versioning support, various activity types and complex workflow management.
User needs to have a queue of tasks at disposal, in which he/she can always see status of all his/her tasks.
In the daily operations it is necessary to solve the situation when the user delegates his/her tasks to somebody else (e.g. due to holiday). At the same time user needs to be able to delegate various types of tasks to various deputies (assistant, superior, subordinate, colleague…) |
| Jobs | In most cases not supported | Batch operations for start of in advance defined operations
Time operations performed on records depending on date and time values in records | There is need for batch data processing in every system which is given by process or performance reasons.
It is possible to define jobs in ObjectGears, that will ensure e.g. data synchronization, check of data status and sending notifications or execution of other processes. |
| Web services | They are often missing or support only basic reading
They often do not respect access rights | Both data reading and update
Data filtering
Web services can be used for starting workflow, imports, exports, event activation | Web services are standard modern and effective way of on-line system integration with other systems.
This integration is in practise necessary not only for data reading but also for other data operations and management of the system from another system.
When systems interact it is necessary to ensure appropriate access rights management and an effective data processing (e.g. filtering) like in case of user interaction. |
| Localization | Language mutations of the application (application is e.g. translated into English and Czech) | Localization of applications created by designer (names of tables, columns, descriptions, help tooltips...)
Localization of messages from scripts
Support for a mass localization | All the names, descriptions, messages, notifications need to be presented to the users in language that they prefer.
ObjectGears offers creation of an application with an easy localization to particular languages.
This transalation of all texts created by users can be performed step by step during their creation or in bulk whenever it is necessary to revise/update the translations. Texts can be easily exported from ObjectGears, pass to an external translators` company and after translation uploaded back to ObjectGears. |
| Users | Users with in advance given properties | Customer can extend user properties according to the needs
User can be used as a special column type (reference to one or many users)
The user object can be used in scripts
The relation to user can be displayed in master-detail relations and clearly display e.g. user responsibilities | User (as represented in the system) is a special entity, that needs to be adapted to customer needs. ObjectGears enables to extend this entity with number of properties of various types according to company needs.
All other entities can refer to the user and solve e.g. responsibility, ownership, superiority, membership, affiliation to groups…
It is possible to work with the user object also in scripts or rules and solve complex situations when assigning tasks, sending notifications, access rights etc. |
| Access rights | Often only distinguishing between Read and Write access rights | Distinguishing between reading list of records, reading record detail, inserting, updating, deleting, mass operations
Access rights on record level by means of organization structures
Access rights on attribute level
Support for scripting | Daily system operations usually come with need of more detailed access rights structuring on particular classes/tables/queries, no matter if it is type of performed operations, columns that they shall apply to, or records to which they relate.
ObjectGears supports several detailed operations, that can be combined, solve access on records in a systematic way by means of organization structures and enables to handle acces rights in more complex situations also by scripting. |
| Scripting | In most cases it is not available | Wide possibilities of adapting functionality exactly according to customer needs | Scripting support and providding access to objects and model of the ObjectGears system represents a huge potential for adapting the application to the customer needs and providing an effective solutions. |
| Menu | Menu created according to the application logic | Customer can create tailor made menu according to the needs | Menu provides user with a fast navigation and is a key to the acceptance of any application by users. ObjectGears supports creation of the menu by designer of each application created on this platform and at the same time enables every single user to create his/her own favourite menu with often visited pages. |
| Application appearance | Application appearance is defined by vendor of the system | Adaptation of styles and colour schemes
Creation of own customer screens | Adaptation of application appearance is important from the Corporate Identity perspective. Application appearance should reflect company culture, project or application purpose. |
| Easy upgrade | Upgrade often represents de facto reimplementation because the new version of the application brings a lot of changes in the business logic | Complete separation of platform and business logic. Platform upgrade only creates prerequisites for the logic upgrade – usage of new possibilities. Business logic can be kept completely as it is or modified by using new features.
Platform upgrade for ensuring compatibility and support is very easy. | Companies need to maintain up to date versions of applications in order to ensure vendor support. Another reason for new versions of software is ensuring compatibility with changing environment – new versions of operating systems, applications and other software.
Benefit of ObjectGears consist in the fact that the company does not have to change its system just because the vendor changed implementation of the business logic.
ObjectGears separates platform and business logic. New versions of platform always support previous business logic and therefore it is only customer`s decision wheather they start using new functions immediately, later on or not at all. |