Clarion Roadmap ![Rated Excellent [4.33 out of 5].](/community/Themes/default/images/Star4Half.gif)
The Clarion roadmap addresses a number of key areas based on consistent customer feedback. In future releases of Clarion, SoftVelocity will address customer requirements in the following areas:
Support for the Latest Microsoft Technologies and Platforms , including 64-bit Windows, .NET 3.0, ASP.Net, Compact Framework (CF), and Longhorn/Avalon/Indigo, and LINQ.
Ongoing support for the currently shipping Windows OS versions , The APIs and platforms of today (Win98 – Win2K and XP 32bit) will continue to be in use for quite a while into the future. SoftVelocity will continue to maintain and update Clarion product support for these platforms.
Reduced Migration Risk , Synchronized source code changes for fixes and changes between Clarion 6 and Clarion 7, a commitment to release updates to Clarion 6 for 12 months after the Clarion 7 RTM. Ongoing .Net and native code (Win32/Win64) development that shields Clarion developers as much as possible from changing Microsoft technologies and APIs.
An Integrated Development Environment , with consistent support and productivity enhancements across multiple technologies and OS platforms (Clarion Win32 and Clarion.NET and Native Windows 32-bit, Native Windows 64-bit, .NET 2.x and 3.0)
Performance Improvements , including Code Generation speed and overall IDE responsiveness and stability.
Enterprise Development , including enhanced project and build management, a cross-reference tool for .APP files, ability to search Embed code aggregated from multiple .APP files, Visual Diagrams for Data Dictionaries, ability to create virtual Dictionaries comprised of up to three independent Dictionaries, Version control support, Templates providing Code Generation for C# and VB.Net, state-of-the-art software installations using the SetupBuilder™ installer, and bug tracking that can be deployed on an intranet or internet web server.
Continuing high-quality Customer Service support , web-based problem tracking, newsgroups, interactive training, possibly extending to live web classes, and support and consulting services.
Here are a few notes on our current plans for the next few Clarion product releases.
Roadmap Legend:
Native Code Development Projects (Win32/Win64)
Spirit (2006)
Comanche (2007)
.Net Development Projects
Hidalgo (2006)
Blackhawk (2007)
2006 – “Clarion Spirit”
The next release of the Clarion Win32 product family, code named “Spirit” will further advance developer productivity through enhancements in Code Generation, Code Completion, Code Templates, Data Dictionary functionality, and support for Multiple Active Clarion Systems (MACS). Significant User Interface enhancements have been implemented in the Win32 RTL, including full XP Theme support for all controls, Office 2003 styled Menus, new support for Tabbed MDI windows, and improvements aimed at better support for Unicode (double-byte character sets). A phased approach to Unicode support will continue in the subsequent Comanche release. To see a live demonstration of some of the new UI improvements in Spirit you can view the video .
Performance optimization has been a focus item for this release cycle. You'll notice improvements in the Spirit IDE for Code Generation and compilation times. An all new high-performance non-blocking multithreaded Clarion IDE Applet task manager has been implemented.
Spirit is currently scheduled to be completed and released this year (2006). It will support development of Win32 applications using any version of Clarion from 1.5 to 7.0. We're considering releasing tech preview builds to Core Subscription users as we get closer to RTM, and before that organizing an Alpha release team, primarily to allow 3 rd party vendors to prepare new editions of their products.
2006 – “Clarion Hidalgo”
The release of the Clarion.Net product family, code named “ Hidalgo” is based on the .NET 2.0 Framework. Hidalgo will open a new world of productivity for .Net development through Code Generation, Code Completion, Code Templates, and Data Dictionary functionality. Hidalgo makes all of the functions of the current Clarion RTL including built-in Reporting and standard Clarion File access are available with the exception of Window structures and the ACCEPT construct. For development of desktop applications Window structures are replaced with .NET WinForms. Migration to WinForms is eased by new Template support to convert Window structures to WinForms, as well as additional tools to convert Windows that are not contained within the .APP format into WinForms.
The Clarion.Net compiler will support building applications using WinForms, WebForms (ASP.Net) and Mobile Devices using the .NET Compact Framework (CF). The IDE designer support for CF in this release will likely have some limitations.
The current plan is to release Hidalgo in calendar year 2006. Prior to the RTM for Hidalgo we're considering releasing Clarion.Net subscriptions and tech preview builds, but that will depend largely upon how quickly we can get the heap of new language syntax documented, and the new Template sets tested.
2007 – “Clarion Comanche”
The next Clarion native code product cycle after Spirit is code named “Comanche”. Comanche will be comprised of the ongoing work for Win32 support within Clarion, this is in recognition of the fact that the vast majority of computers deployed worldwide are based on 32-bit Operating Systems. However a good portion of the work in Comanche will be directed at supporting the Vista and the XP/Windows 2003 64bit OS releases, and towards implementing native 64-bit support.
2007 – “Clarion Blackhawk”
The next Clarion.Net product cycle after Hidalgo is code named “Blackhawk”. Blackhawk is based on the .Net 3.0 Framework. The Clarion.Net language will add support for generic types, partial classes, and nullable types, and will support the new technologies in .Net 3.0 (Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Communication Foundation, Windows Workflow Foundation, and Windows CardSpace (formerly code named "Infocard")). Blackhawk will also introduce support for LINQ styled data access.
Microsoft plans to ship .NET Framework 3.0 as part of the Windows Vista operating system. The latest news that I’ve read indicates Vista will be released in January 2007. In addition, Microsoft is making these technologies available on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
We intend to have complete IDE design surfaces for .NET Compact Frameworks up and running in Blackhawk, as well as support for developing Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF - formerly Avalon) based applications.
While the transition from .NET 1.x to .NET 2.0 is non-trivial, the next-generation presentation and communication technologies (“Avalon” and “Indigo” respectively) that Microsoft plans for their Longhorn release comprise much more significant changes for Windows developers. The Clarion.Net Blackhawk release that follows Hidalgo will ease migration issues by providing RTL and IDE support for Avalon, and by wrapping Indigo into a high-level API.
Both the Comanche and Blackhawk projects will continue to add and enhance IDE and Code Generation productivity features applicable to both products.
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As always, these plans are subject to change.
Final words:
I apologize for the tardiness of posting this roadmap. This post was originally drafted in January but was put on hold pending finalization of some complex product design decisions and co-related tasks. When those tasks were successfully concluded I was busy with other SoftVelocity business and this post sank into the depths of my hard drive. But finally after an overdue holiday break, the post has been found, updated, and released to the community! In upcoming posts we’ll take detailed looks at individual components and technologies, starting with a look at the technology that I demonstrated in Cambridge at the UKCUG meeting.