Altova Adds Support for DB2/400 Logical Files in MissionKit
February 28, 2012 Alex Woodie
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Altova recently added support for DB2/400 logical files in MissionKit, its collection of XML, database, and UML tools used by developers and database administrators. Supporting the logical file construct, which is unique to the IBM i platform, bolsters Altova’s efforts to attract IBM i customers to its powerful data manipulation tools, and keep them happy. MissionKit includes eight handy utilities that allow IT professionals to accomplish a range of XML, data, and unified modeling language (UML)-related tasks. Anchoring the kit is its popular XML editor, called XMLSpy. MapForce, meanwhile, provides data conversion and related capabilities, UModel allows developers to visually design their application flows in UML, while DatabaseSpy allows users to design, query, and compare multiple databases. Rounding out the suite are StyleVision, DiffDog, SchemaAgent, and SemanticWorks. The latest release of MissionKit, called 2012r2, features updates to many of these components. In particular, support for DB2/400 logical files have been added to the XMLSpy, MapForce, UModel, DatabaseSpy, and DiffDog products, which already supported DB2/400. The support for DB2/400 logical files in XMLSpy 2012r2 will improve the product’s capability to integrate DB2/400 data with data in other databases, Altova says. Other new features in XMLSpy include support for the EPUB standard for creating e-books, support for Zip and OOXML file formats, and the capability to escape XML characters. MapForce also gains support for DB2/400 logical files, which Altova says will improve database mapping in IBM i environments. This tool (which is OEMed by IBM i software vendor LANSA for its business process integration tool) also gets new data sorting capabilities that will give users the capability to sort structured data and database input components. Support for DB2/400 logical files in UModel will bolster developers’ support for IBM i applications when sculpting application and data flows using this UML tool. This release also delivers the capability to generate program code from sequence diagrams for methods that describe class operations. DB2/400 logical file support is also part of DiffDog 2012r2, which will improve the product’s capability to compare files in DB2/400 and other databases. This release also gets new automation features, and the capability to hide empty folders. DatabaseSpy 2012r2 also gets support for DB2/400 logical files, giving developers and administrators more insight into their IBM i environment. This release also gets support for Oracle PL/SQL. It would seem, judging by the number of tools gaining support for DB2/400 logical files, that Altova is gaining traction in IBM i shops. In a 2010 interview with IT Jungle, Altova founder, president, and CEO Alexander Falk talked about an unexpectedly warm reception from IBM i shops when Altova first supported the platform and its unique database several years prior. “We are excited to launch this release, which incorporates an array of the new features most often requested by our customers,” Falk states in a recent press release. “We are always looking to incorporate the functionality that our users need to be more productive with the ever-changing standards landscape and shifting demands of this industry.” For more information and free trial downloads, see the company’s website at www.altova.com. RELATED STORY Altova Adds DB2/400 Support to XML Development Tools
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