Integrating Commercial Off-the-Shelf Tools for Custom Software Development

Fourth-generation, object-driven languages 4GLs i.e., Hypermedia have been used effectively in requirements analysis prototyping and human-machine interface development and have served as a front end to more complex applications. This paper describes the process of evaluating, selecting, and integrating 4GL tools for specific applications running on a variety of microcomputer platforms. To explore these different options, we win present an example of a computer-based training system created in a 4GL and describe how numerous commercial off the-shelf software tools were integrated for added functionality. The logical extension to the current suite of Hypermedia products is tools capable of producing device-independent source code, which in turn is capable of being compiled into stand-alone applications. The impact of using a set of nonhomogeneous tools will be discussed in terms of source code control, supportability, and tool enhanceability.