Elemental Software Ships Drumbeat 2000

Adds Major Enhancements for Building Web Interfaces to Databases and Applications

The web browser may yet realize its destiny as a universal interface to business data and applications. The pivotal technology turns out not to lie in the browser but the application server, where Microsoft's ASP and Java are vying to dominate. Tool vendors are forced to take sides in this contest, with Java RAD environments on one phalanx and visual ASP generators on the other. Solidly in the Microsoft camp is Elemental Software, which this week launches Drumbeat 2000, the third major release of its flagship Web development product. [Background: IDM's review of Drumbeat 2.0]

Created specifically to meet the requirements of enterprise developers building data-driven Web applications, Drumbeat 2000 uses a visual drag-and-drop interface and sophisticated application Wizards to reduce the time and skill required to build dynamic Web sites.

IDM confirmed in a pre-release briefing the vendor's claim that Drumbeat 2000 simplifies development of versatile and robust Web interfaces. New features include an expanded DataForm Wizard; Point-and-Click Interactions support for server-side COM and ASP objects; VBScript support; and additional prebuilt dynamic application templates.

"The value to users from a Web User Interface (WUI) is its ability to integrate multiple information sources into a familiar, content-centric interface," said Mike Gotta, Program Director of Workgroup Computing Strategies at META Group. "However, web systems are becoming more complex. Authors and developers are moving away from hand-crafting pages and increasingly will assemble pages from pre-defined components.

"We believe tools such as Elemental Software's Drumbeat 2000 exemplify an emerging category of tools that enable application developers to construct rule-based components to be used by other users to create rich user interfaces," Gotta added.

Codeless development

Drumbeat 2000 was designed for Web developers who need to speed the deployment of departmental-level, data-driven Web applications that access and update data in real time. The tool automatically generates ASP code, enabling applications to run on standard Microsoft and other Web servers without recourse to proprietary application servers.

Developers can use Drumbeat to expand the reach of existing databases and client-server applications; to add new database-driven functionality to existing Web sites; and to develop new data-driven applications for the Web.

Drumbeat 2000 Features Drumbeat 2000 builds upon industry-leading Drumbeat 2.0 capabilities such as Point-and-Click Interactions, DataForm Wizard, Layout Inheritance and Smart Pages to offer greater depth for building Web interfaces to applications and databases.

New features include:

• Enhanced DataForm Wizard allows developers to create Web pages - without writing code - that include dropdown lists, list boxes, edit boxes, radio buttons, check boxes, sliders and more than 20 other UI elements to browse, search, view and update databases.
• Beyond simple queries, the Drumbeat SQL Wizard now takes advantage of stored procedures, views and parameterized queries. A new DataLoop element displays multiple detail records per page.
• Point and Click Interactions Support for ASP and COM enables Drumbeat developers to create Web pages that access and update server-side applications without hand-coding. The new Interactions Center includes hundreds of new Point-and-Click interactions to simplify building Web applications with database access and filtering, password protection, profile-based access, data validation and state management. As well, Drumbeat 2000 fully supports all Microsoft Visual InterDev 6.0 Design Time Controls.
• VBScript Support is now available in addition to JavaScript for creating server-side interactions.
• Starting Points are pre-built application templates that can readily be modified to meet custom requirements. Starting Points bundled with Drumbeat 2000 include dynamic applications for employee directory, corporate intranet, asset management, guest book and visitor registration.
• DrumNotes provide pre-built examples and how-to documentation for the most-requested application functionality and techniques. Bundled DrumNotes explain how to use cookies, email form data using ASP components, create multi-page forms and validate data entry.

Beyond specific features, significant improvements have been made in Drumbeat 2000 to improve performance and memory utilization and to accelerate Web-application development. A number of bugs in the 2.0 release have also been squashed.

"Drumbeat 2000 can do in a few mouse clicks what often takes days of programming," said Dr. Lawrence Sellin, business technology manager, Astra Pharmaceutical Corporation. "There is no other product on the market today with a similar range of capabilities for producing interactive and e-commerce Web sites. The ready-made dynamic elements, pixel-perfect positioning, cross-browser capability as well as easy database connectivity allows us to produce dynamic, data-driven applications for both Internet and intranets in a fraction of the time and cost. Drumbeat 2000 is indeed the 'Mother of all Web Development Tools.'"

Pricing and Availability

Drumbeat 2000 is available immediately for $399 through the company's Web site, by calling 1-877-DRUMBEAT or through major software resellers. Elemental Software will offer a special introductory price of $249 through March 1999.

About Elemental Software

Elemental Software develops and markets software that enables developers to build Web applications in less time and use fewer technical resources. The company's flagship product, Drumbeat, offers IT departments and Web developers the fastest way to create powerful Web interfaces to databases and applications without having to write code. Carlsbad, Calif.-based Elemental Software is principally funded by Microsoft Corporation, AT&T and venture investors Accel Partners, CSK Corporation of Japan, JK&B Capital, Crystal Internet Venture Fund, L.P., and Sorrento Ventures. For product information, please call 877-DRUMBEAT or email info@drumbeat.com.

SOURCE: Elemental Software, 14 January 1999