Visual Basic

Why Do Visual Basic Users and Developers Choose Servoy?
There are a number of reasons:
  • Servoy is as easy to learn and even more productive to code with than Visual Basic. Unlike VB, you are working with and delivering enterprise-level Java applications. If you are an ISV, acceptance of Java applications is much higher than VB-based applications; and you will be able to deploy your Servoy applications to other operating systems, including Linux and Mac OS X.

  • Servoy has extensive built-in support for SaaS (Software as a Service), the future of software. Without having to code for days, you can seamlessly add SaaS support to your applications; and then deploy your Servoy applications over a LAN and the Internet -- all from a single code-base. Servoy allows you to deploy both as a Servoy Smart Client and as a Servoy Web Client!

  • Servoy easily connects to any of the popular SQL databases in the marketplace -- or to multiple databases simultaneously -- including: Oracle, DB/2, MS SQL Server, Sybase, iAnywhere, PostgreSQL, MySQL to name a few. Although Servoy ships with Sybase iAnywhere as a convenience for new developers, Servoy is not a database -- meaning Servoy does not store your data. Servoy simply provides the interface and an easy way to add, edit and delete your data. With Servoy, you can join data between multiple data sources in different physical locations; and/or between SQL databases from different vendors. Reliability issues due to "corrupted" databases are gone forever!

  • Deploying over a WAN or LAN is painless. You can deploy your solution using a rich Java Servoy Smart Client, and/or through a pure HTML Servoy Web Client from a single code base -- with no additional coding required. Servoy Smart Client uses Java Webstart technology to provide you and your users with a zero-deployment experience. NO more need for Citrix! No more need to "update" all your client versions manually - Servoy handles client updates automatically.

  • Servoy is based entirely on industry standards such as: SQL, JDBC, Java, JavaScript, XML, TCP/IP, etc. There are NO proprietary languages or protocols! -- so the Servoy learning curve is much shorter. Over 75% percent of your existing Visual Basic skills will transfer directly to the Servoy Developer tool. There is no need to know Java or SQL to "talk" to backend SQL databases -- Servoy handles that for you. To make your applications more powerful, Servoy includes a large built-in library of functions; a drag-and-drop JavaScript script editor; and a fully-featured advanced script debugger. You can extend Servoy's built-in functionality further by: writing your own in-line Java; using JavaBeans and Java applets; or connecting to webservices using the free SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) plugin that ships with Servoy.

  • Servoy is truly cross-platform. Servoy runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, BSD, HP UX -- in short, any platform that supports Java 1.5 or higher.

  • With Servoy, the logic and data of your application are completely separate! Having an application where logic and data are separated, enables you to update your solutions quickly and efficiently -- WITHOUT importing data or saving clones. You can import new versions WITH clients attached to the "old" version -- WITHOUT the necessity to first "kick them off" (unless you want to). Separating data from the user interface (UI) means that you can have multiple versions of your Servoy solution, and easily roll forward or backward to different releases -- with or without clients attached to any particular version.

Upscale your Visual Basic applications
With Servoy, you will be able to get rid of the Visual Basic data islands and integrate seamlessly with enterprise environments. Since Servoy is entirely industry standards- based, you will gain an immediate acceptance from enterprise IT. Servoy is a Java-based environment -- the most used programming language and platform in enterprise IT -- and will connect to any SQL backend even if you have no knowledge of that back-end system. Even government and healthcare applications can be developed without the need for additional certification, because of Servoy's unparalleled stability; and built-in security features such as 128 bit SSL data encryption for deployment.

FREE Servoy Webinars
Please check out the FREE one-hour Servoy Webinar Series and other events at Servoy.com/events. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one Special Servoy Webinar or have specific questions, please contact us by email at sales@servoy.com.

Ready to Try Out Servoy?
Are you ready to lower your costs and increase your market reach? You owe it to yourself to try out Servoy today.

Click here to download the free Servoy Trial Version.

Do you have more questions about Servoy? Contact us by email at sales@servoy.com.

Additional Servoy Information
Read on for more information about some of Servoy's key features:

True SQL Front-end
Servoy is not a database. SQL databases have reached their current levels of quality due to many years of continued development and research by their respective companies. Applications that combine database and user interface in the same environment never manage to attain the performance and stability level SQL databases have achieved. Servoy addresses this limitation of "all-in-one" products by ensuring a strict separation of data and application design elements. There are already plenty of good SQL databases -- all the world needs is an easy way to make use of them.

Automatic Data Binding
Servoy is one of the only SQL front-end tools that offer automatic data binding. Imagine simply selecting columns from a SQL table and having them appear on your form -- ready for new records, data edits and deletions -- all WITHOUT having to know any SQL. Whether you use a form for data entry or reporting, Servoy handles the SQL queries for you automatically. If you prefer to write your own SQL, Servoy offers you this capability as well. You decide. You're in control.

Java Made Easy and Fast
Servoy allows you to harness the power of Java without the typical Java learning curve on two levels: First, you have the power of Java -- the most widely-used and accepted programming language -- without having to learn the intricacies of Java development. Second, if you want to program something in Java, you can still integrate your code seamlessly into the Servoy environment with inline Java code; Servoy Plugins; JavaBeans; and Java Applets.

Automatic Data Broadcasting
Servoy is the only SQL front-end tool that offers automatic data broadcasting. This unique feature means that if one user changes his/her data and a different user is viewing that same record, the second user sees the changes in real time. Data broadcasting is a default feature of Servoy. There is no need to program refresh and reload statements like you must in other SQL interface tools. Servoy pushes changed data only to the users that need it -- not to everyone all the time. Servoy knows which user has which data cached and will invalidate caches accordingly. There are additional benefits to data broadcasting: You can use fewer transactions than other development environments, and bandwidth usage is significantly reduced compared with 'manually refreshing the screen' in other applications.

Thin Client, Zero Deployment
Servoy is the only application that requires no network installation of client software -- whether you deploy your solution as a Servoy Smart Client, or Servoy Web Client. Servoy Smart Client is a "real" Java application providing a rich, event-driven user experience. Servoy Web Client combines Servoy's patented WebDirect&trade technology, together with Ajax capabilities, to provide a rich 100% HTML application in a web browser. Using a combination of compression (SSL) and caching technologies to keep bandwidth usage very low, Servoy applications can even run over dial-up and mobile connections (including GPRS and UMTS) -- without the need of additional software such as Terminal Services or Citrix.

Cross Platform, Cross Database
Servoy can connect to any SQL-based database and can be deployed on nearly any operating system including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Solaris. Servoy Server will run on server operating systems such as: Solaris, HP Unix, IBM AIX, AS/400, OS/390, Windows Server 2003, OS X Server, Red Hat Enterprise Edition, Novell SuSe, etc. -- and Servoy can be run on multiple platforms simultaneously. You are not locked into a particular database. You can easily move from one database to another -- Servoy will automatically re-create your schema when you move the data. For example: You could develop your Servoy solution on Windows using Sybase iAnywhere and deploy the application you built on Mac OS X using Oracle WITHOUT ANY recoding.

Easy Internationalization
Not only does Servoy offer you easy-to-use tools to translate your application seamlessly into any language -- Servoy also enables you to deploy your solutions in multiple languages simultaneously! Imagine running your Servoy application in English, Japanese, Arabic and Italian at the same time from the same server. Using the same code base!

Professional Programming Environment
Servoy Developer is a very easy-to-use integrated development tool. For your convenience, Servoy ships complete with a powerful, SQL database engine powered by iAnywhere from Sybase. Servoy Developer contains Servoy Server components as well -- so you can test your solutions (even networked) without the need to run the Servoy Server application separately.

Servoy offers a simple two-screen development environment -- one for designing user interfaces; and another for coding and debugging. Servoy's advanced integrated debugger allows you to easily spot any typing or coding errors and the Servoy scripting editor allows you to rapidly automate your solutions. Servoy also offers code-completion; tool-tips; sample code; color choosers; date pickers; and more to help you get your Servoy solutions built even faster.

Easiest To Manage Server
Servoy Server is the easiest application server to manage. Using a browser-based interface, you can administer all of the Servoy Server functions. From sending clients a message; to shutting them down; to uploading new versions of solutions or rolling back to an older version; to resolving locks and transactions; to even restarting the server. It's all done through a web browser from anywhere in the world.

Secure By Default
Servoy is secure by default. Right out of the box, Servoy uses 128-bit SSL encryption to secure all data that travels between Servoy Server and the client. Servoy also offers a point-and-click interface to build security into your solutions for limiting users based on pre-defined access rights. Security access can be defined both on a data level and on the user interface level. In Servoy, adding an audit trail -- to track any changes to data in detail -- can by turned on by checking a single checkbox.

Easy With No Limitations
Non-Servoy development and deployment environments are either easy-to-use with serious limitations, or have fewer limitations but are harder to use. Servoy offers you the best of both worlds. All the functionality you expect is already available. If you need more specific or specialized functionality, Servoy is extremely easy to extend via JavaBeans, Java applets, and the Servoy 100% Java Plugin API. With the Servoy Plugin API, you can easily hook-up existing Java code/classes to the Servoy environment; and control the overall application layer, as well as the data layer.

WYSIWYG And More
Servoy takes WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) form design to the next level. Not only will Servoy take care of all the corresponding SQL statements that must be executed to make your user interface function correctly -- Servoy also offers you all the components you need to easily design a rich user interface: tabpanels; portals; buttons; labels; roll-overs; images, tooltips; Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and much more. And if you require specific UI components that Servoy doesn't provide, you can simply add them in as JavaBeans. Here's the best part -- the entire user interface is scriptable! Using simple built-in JavaScript commands, you can control the interface of your Servoy solutions -- for example: making fields and buttons dim or hide based on user access; running scripts when the enter key is pressed; dynamically generating value popup menu lists based on a click; and much more.

Effortless Reporting
Designing a report in Servoy is a snap -- without the need to write any SQL. Simply place the fields you want to show on your report in the desired header; footer; body; summary; or sub-summary Servoy forms part. Depending on the context of your displayed data and your foundset -- Servoy will automatically execute the necessary SQL statements to your backend database, retrieve the data and generate your report.

Everything Is Included!
All of the features mentioned previously are standard in Servoy. There is no need to buy additional "packs", "enterprise editions", or "advanced versions". Servoy has a clear licensing scheme: You pay for the number of developers (Servoy Developer licenses) and concurrent users (Servoy Client licenses) in your organization. It's that simple!

Standards Compliant
Servoy doesn't introduce any new standards or any proprietary technology. Servoy uses industry standards:
  • SQL for data interaction
  • JavaScript for scripting and implementation of business rules
  • JavaBeans to integrate existing functionality into your applications
  • Java to extend your application
  • Webservices to interact with the outside world
  • XML for information exchange
  • RTF, HTML for text rendering and editing
  • PDF for forms output and storage options
  • POP, SMTP, MIME, and attachments for email functionality

The standards listed are the most recognized standards in their respective areas -- and Servoy makes it extremely easy to use them all. If you invest time in Servoy, you invest time in learning languages and standards that you will be able to use in many other contexts as well.

The Servoy features described above are just a few of the many benefits you will find when you start using Servoy. Visit the Servoy website and download the free Servoy Trial Version today!

Additional Servoy Resources
For more information on Servoy, click any of the following links:

NOTE: Servoy and the Servoy logo are registered trademarks of Servoy, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Visual Basic is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.