FAQ
Background
1. Who is Techné Knowledge Systems?
2. What is the JConvert/PB™?
3. How can Techné help my organization?
4. What do you mean it minimizes risk?
5. What is the PBT?
Application Migration Accuracy
6. How does Techné ensure the application
will perform correctly after conversion?
Conversion Process
7. How long does a typical conversion of a
100,000-line application take?
8. How does the conversion actually work?
9. What PB application conventions won’t
convert well and what circumstances could lead to problems?
10. Does PBT flag non-translatable items for
follow-up?
Resulting Java Code
11. Is the solution pure Java code?
12. Is the code readable to humans?
13. Will my current maintenance staff programmers
be able to maintain the new Java application?
Maintainability and Quality of Output Java Code
14. How maintainable is the generated code?
Will our developers be able to support the converted application
easily?
15. How do I maintain the resulting Java code?
16. What tools can I use?
Version Support
17. What versions of PowerBuilder do you support?
18. What JDK Version do you support?
Database Impact
19. What about database migration? What databases
are supported?
20. How does the ported application communicate
with the database?
Code freeze
21. How do you handle application code changes
that occur during the conversion period?
Testing
22. How extensively do you test the application?
Pricing and On-going Fees
23. Do you need all of the source code to
convert the PowerBuilder application?
24. What information do you need in order to
provide a fixed price quotation?
25. What fees are there after the conversion
is completed and successfully running in the Java programming language?
26. What is Techné’s process for
developing a fixed price proposal for my application(s)?
27. Is there any way to get a quick ballpark
estimate?
28. Can I buy JConvert/PB tool to do the migration
myself?
Support after Conversion
29. What support is provided with the converted
code and PBJ?
Miscellaneous
30. Is it possible to view sample code?
31. Can JConvert/PB convert my application to
Linux?
1. Who is Techné Knowledge Systems?
Since 1995, Techné Knowledge Systems has been focusing on
legacy software transformation and modernization, helping organizations
solve the business problems that arise from their continued reliance
on legacy systems.
The company’s elite team of R&D experts has developed
and refined its flagship offering: JConvert/PB—a complete
solution to legacy PowerBuilder application modernization. By using
JConvert/PB, Techné helps clients preserve the intellectual
capital invested in their legacy PowerBuilder applications, transforming
them into equivalent Java applications with minimal risk and guaranteed
results. As a testament to its success, the company enjoys a rapidly
growing roster of satisfied customers.
2. What is the JConvert/PB™?
Techné’s JConvert/PB is a complete solution to legacy
modernization. It is comprised of the Techné Migration Methodology—focusing
on a formalized process based on the key business drivers, principles
and requirements of every specific migration project—and PBT,
highly automated transformation technology that converts legacy
PowerBuilder applications safely, efficiently, and with significantly
reduced risk and cost than any other available alternative.
3. How can Techné help my organization?
Putting its vast knowledge and experience to work for every conversion
project, Techné’s aim is to ensure the goals of modernization
are achieved for each and every client, ensuring successful results,
the preservation of intellectual capital and investments, all with
minimal risk. Using its finely tuned and refined formalized process
as its cornerstone, the company is able to clearly outline, manage
and track the entire transformation process, setting key expectations
and managing deliverables to ensure the process is smooth and seamless
from start to finish.
4. What do you mean it minimizes risk?
Every development project faces a degree of risk. Part of the risk
of any such transformation project is that the business rules will
not be replicated in an exact fashion. Without the use of highly
automated technology, there is a tremendously high risk that they
will not be captured or that they will be captured with a severe
level of misinterpretation. The cost of not capturing the business
rules exactly is failure of the transformation project and that
is an extremely high cost for anyone to endure.
JConvert/PB offers a unique value proposition in that it captures,
converts and preserves all of the business rules and logic inherent
within the original applications, with an extremely high level of
automation, and without any human interpretation. This guarantees
the results of the transformation project.
5. What is the PBT?
The PBT is the highly automated, compiler-like translation engine
that captures and converts the business rules inherent in legacy
applications without any human interpretation, guaranteeing an accurate
transformation of all business logic with significantly minimized
risk. It produces a Java equivalent of the original PowerBuilder
application in terms of look, feel, functionality—right down
to the original bugs—and application design.
6. How does Techné ensure the application
will perform correctly after conversion?
Techné has gone to great lengths to ensure that JConvert/PB
produces a functionally equivalent application in Java. As part
of the migration process, Techné ensures that the Java application
passes all test suites that were created for the original application.
These in fact form the basis of the formal Acceptance Criteria that
are part of the contract.
7. How long does a typical conversion
of a 100,000-line application take?
The actual automated conversion is measured in minutes. However,
there will always be some amount of handwork required and the application
must be tested thoroughly before re-deployment. Ideally, one should
to allow a minimum of 3-4 months for the entire project from start
to re-deployment.
8. How does the conversion actually work?
Every line of user-written PowerScript code and DataWindow specification
is automatically translated into corresponding Java code. All PowerBuilder
(PB) objects – including DataWindows – are converted
into corresponding Java classes. A pure Java library, PBJ™
is supplied by Techné to offer the PowerBuilder features
missing in the Java programming language for the converted application.
9. What PB application conventions won’t
convert well and what circumstances could lead to problems?
All PB applications that we have tested to date have converted well.
We do not expect to find any PowerBuilder applications that we cannot
convert. Certain features of PB applications that do not map well
to the Java programming language will require workarounds via semi-automated
methods or, in some very rare cases, localized application re-design.
For example, OLE or DDE-specific functions that have no Java equivalents.
In addition, JConvert/PB is being continuously developed and enhanced
to deal with these areas as we uncover them, in order to increase
the application conversion coverage.
10. Does PBT flag non-translatable items
for follow-up?
Yes and Techné’s staff manages the semi-automated transformation
of the code. The solution to the previously non-automatically translatable
code will be input into the continuing refinement of the JConvert/PB
tool.
11. Is the solution pure Java code?
Yes, the solution is pure, well designed, Java code. There is no
emulation involved.
12. Is the code readable to humans?
Yes, the original PowerBuilder code structure and design are maintained.
All variables, classes, and method names are preserved, as is the
entire code structure (organization into classes, control flow,
etc.) There are no identifiers with incomprehensible names, like
‘var12764’ or similar. All original comments are preserved
in the translated code. Any developer who understands the original
PB code will have no problem understanding the translated code.
You can also download sample code for your review. Please see Q30
for more information.
13. Will my current maintenance staff
programmers be able to maintain the new Java application?
Since the original PowerBuilder code structure and design are maintained,
the resulting Java code will be highly recognizable to your current
PowerBuilder programmers. And since they retain the in-depth knowledge
and intricacies of the original applications, the recognizable code
will greatly simplify their Java technology learning curve while
they undergo some Java training.
14. How maintainable is the generated
code? Will our developers be able to support the converted application
easily?
This is a very important question and addresses the core of our
philosophy on software transformation. We believe that only developers
experienced in the business requirements of an application should
modify it. Outsourcing these modifications to developers who are
unfamiliar with the intricacies of your business logic and application
design would be a very high-risk approach. This would be equivalent
to allowing a developer new to your team modify the application
with little or no training.
We designed JConvert/PB to address precisely this concern. Our
approach differs from all others in that we offer a fully automated
conversion of all input source code. The only manual work required
is to handle any non-portable features used in the PowerBuilder
application (e.g. DLL calls or the use of DDE, etc.). This work
is always very well bounded and therefore very limited in scope
and is clearly defined through specific APIs. These changes can
be safely accomplished without knowledge of the underlying business
context.
With this background in mind, we designed PBT, our highly automated
conversion engine that produces a highly maintainable application
since it preserves the original application design. Developers already
familiar with the existing application will be able to move immediately
into supporting the new application in Java. By adopting this approach,
we guarantee complete and correct migration of all business logic.
Techné’s JConvert/PB service accomplishes this through
the use of PBT, our state-of-the-art technology that automatically
converts all of the original source code (including DataWindow specifications)
into equivalent Java objects. PBT maintains the naming conventions,
etc. of the original application and, as stated above, the internal
application design. (Please request sample code—see Q30) The
application maintenance team then uses an industry-standard Java
IDE – for example Eclipse, JBuilder, WSAD and JDeveloper –
to visually edit the application, similar to the way they maintained
the application in PowerBuilder.
PowerBuilder programmers learning the Java programming language
will find that this approach will greatly accelerate their Java
training since they will already be intimately familiar with the
Java application. In fact, comparing the JConvert/PB approach to
any other, we feel that your in-house developers will be in a much
better position to continue to maintain the application efficiently
and quickly be able to move forward. In sum, JConvert/PB not only
preserves the large investment in terms of all the intellectual
capital in the application, but also offers an accelerated approach
to upgrading your staff’s development capability.
15. How do I maintain the resulting Java
code?
The resulting Java code is high quality code that is easily maintained
and supported. Your PowerBuilder programmers will move readily to
Java technology since the application design is very similar to
the original. Developers can do forward development with PB-like
abstractions or by using any other standard design patterns deemed
suitable.
16. What tools can I use?
Since the application is written solely in the Java programming
language, all Java tools will be applicable to the transformed application.
In addition, the applications will be editable in industry standard
IDEs. Full visual editing is provided for JBuilder, Eclipse, WSAD
and JDeveloper.
17. What versions of PowerBuilder do you
support?
We support all PowerBuilder versions. 18.
What JDK Version do you support?
JDK version1.4
19. What about database migration? What
databases are supported?
JConvert/PB™ converts only the client application code. No
database changes are required. JConvert/PB supports all databases
supported by PowerBuilder.
20. How does the ported application communicate
with the database?
The Java application communicates with the database via standard
JDBC. Another option is to use a J2EE-based remote connection object
which enables clients to centralize all database access in any standard
J2EE Application Server.
21. How do you handle application code
changes that occur during the conversion period?
We designed our technology and processes to be highly automated
and very repeatable. If an application requires specialized handwork
we apply these changes to the input PowerBuilder source in the form
of specialized instructions to JConvert/PB. These are easily merged
into new releases of the application as we receive updates. Because
of this the freeze date for an application to be converted can be
delayed until just before the final testing phase at Techné,
typically 1 month before delivery back to the client. In cases where
even this delay is problematic, we will adjust our process to meet
the timing needs of Clients.
22. How extensively do you test the application?
Extensive testing is critical to the success of the project. This
is why we make a point of insisting on defining extensive and in-depth
Acceptance Criteria at the outset of the project. Extensive testing
includes pre-delivery testing, system and business-flow testing,
automated test scripts and more. Additionally, we work with clients
to ensure that their test plans and scripts exercise the target
applications sufficiently to ensure there are no surprises once
deployed to their user community.
23. Do you need all of the source code
to convert the PowerBuilder application?
Yes, in order for to make use of our JConvert/PB service, all source
code for an application is required.
24. What information do you need in order
to provide a fixed price quotation?
We need the complete application source along with our JConvert/PB
Assessment Questionnaire (available online at www.techne.ca/assessment.htm)
in order to do an accurate Code Assessment. We can give pricing
guidelines upon request.
25. What fees are there after the conversion
is completed and successfully running in Java?
There are no continuing fees for the transformed code. It is pure
Java code with the necessary run time libraries (PBJ) supplied by
Techné as part of the transformation. Maintenance for PBJ
for one full year after conversion is included in as part of the
transformation contract; afterward, should it be required, a maintenance
contract is available on Techné’s standard terms. (Available
upon request).
26. What is Techné’s process
for developing a fixed price proposal for my application(s)?
Generally speaking, the process for obtaining a fixed price proposal
is quite simple.
You just sign an NDA and send us your application. Our developers
will review your source code to generate a written, fixed cost proposal
that includes any required handwork. Our service is priced based
on the number of lines of PowerBuilder code converted, plus a cost
for handwork to deal with non-portable features and testing.
The best way to proceed is to contact us directly to discuss your
needs. Our transformation experts can help you with all aspects
of your modernization project including providing you with an overall
assessment, an objective point of view and all the answers you need
before you begin. Just give us a call at 613-476-7960 to get
a better understanding of our service and methodology
27. Is there any way to get a quick ballpark
estimate?
Yes, you can quite easily generate an estimate cost for your review.
To develop an approximate cost:
• Download our line counting Tool from www.techne.ca/pblexport.zip
.
• This tool will establish accurately the number of lines
of code you have for conversion. Multiply the result by our list
price/line as outlined in the attached Cost Estimator Excel sheet.
• The result is your approximate project cost.
28. Can I buy JConvert/PB tool to do the
migration myself?
Code transformations of legacy applications are complex. We have
chosen to adopt a factory-based service model that we know will
safely and accurately transform the PowerBuilder applications in
the fastest, most cost-effective and risk-free manner. Experts in
transforming PowerBuilder applications into Java applications deal
with your applications. You benefit from this focus.
Once all your applications are translated to Java technology, there
is no further need for the tool. We deliver the application working
correctly in Java, leaving the customer to focus on application
maintenance and support going forward. We sincerely believe this
approach optimizes results, reduces risk and actually minimizes
cost.
29. What support is provided with the
converted code and PBJ?
The converted code comes with a six-month warranty. For six months
following acceptance Techné will fix (or provide a “work
around” for) all bugs in the Converted Application provided
that PBJ™ has not been modified (except by Techné).
After the warranty time frame elapses, Techné will fix (or
provide a “work around”) for all reported bugs in the
Converted Application on reasonable terms and conditions to be negotiated.
30. Is it possible to view sample code?
Yes, we have sample code available for you to download and review.
Just visit http://www.techne.ca/samplejavacode.zip.
The ZIP file you receive contains an explanatory document entitled
Code Structure that details the Java code design.
31. Can Jconvert/PB convert my application
to Linux?
Yes we can migrate the application to run on a Linux platform, although
there may be more handwork involved. Please contact us for details
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