Palo Alto, CA, May 11, 1992 -- Micro Focus is shipping version 2.1 of
Dialog System, a Human Interface Management System (HIMS) that enables
COBOL programmers to prototype and implement graphical or
character-oriented user interfaces that can be portable across many
operating environments. Dialog System allows programmers to develop a wide
range of user interfaces without impacting their application program code.
This maximizes the reusability of the COBOL program and reduces the size
of the actual application. Dialog System allows programmers to customize
user interfaces, making changes on an as-needed basis or creating multiple
user interfaces (on different machines and in different environments) for
the same program.

"While Dialog System is an OS/2 and DOS development facility, it is ideal
for creating user interfaces for a wide range of systems, including OS/2,
DOS, Microsoft Windows, UNIX or AIX," stated Karl Kramme, Micro Focus
product manager for Dialog System. "It also allows for cooperative
processing between various systems, by allowing developers to create their
user interfaces separately from the actual programs. Most importantly, it
allows customers to leverage existing developer resources to build new
applications. This enables applications to evolve naturally, from one
"world" or platform to another, with no new training needed."

"After working with other products, we quickly realized that if everyone in
our shop had to learn PM API CALLs, we would be years in a learning curve.
Dialog System eliminated that," said Larry Lowder, systems analyst at
Questar Service Corporation. "Dialog System is so simple to use that
programmers are able to learn it very quickly....Projects we're now
completing in 90 days would have taken one or two years in the past."

Ease of Use 

Dialog System allows companies to maximize their existing programming
investment; no specialized programming staff or training in new languages
or styles of coding are needed. Using existing COBOL development
resources, PC (running DOS, Windows or OS/2), UNIX or IBM mainframe MIS
departments can deliver sophisticated graphical- and character-based user
interfaces that meet the needs of all users. Dialog System eliminates the
complexities of graphical user interface programming, minimizing
retraining and increasing quality and productivity.

Dialog System lets developers prototype and create graphical and
character-based user interfaces independent of an application's business
logic. Isolating user interface logic from business logic reduces the
production application's size and improves performance. With Dialog
System, user interfaces can be prototyped, customized, changed or updated
without impacting program logic, reducing the time needed to develop
applications. When compared to other GUI tools, Dialog System
significantly minimizes maintenance efforts by reducing the amount of
COBOL code in applications.

New Features 

In addition to support for Microsoft Windows, the 2.1 release adds many new
Common User Access (CUA) controls. New features include Selection Boxes,
Bitmap Graphics under Presentation Manager and Windows, and Multi-Line
Entry fields. Multi-Line Entry fields offer users mini word processing
controls for adding memo-type text to the user interfaces they create. In
many cases, these features can be added to existing applications without
changing the underlying COBOL program, so developers can create new, more
flexible interfaces to existing applications with minimal effort.

GUI Development Mode 

Designed for use with IBM's OS/2 operating system, Dialog System 2.1
includes a Microsoft Windows 3.0 execution environment which allows
programmers to create GUI Windows interfaces from within the OS/2
environment. Dialog System's GUI development mode supports high-level
point-and-click development of user interfaces that can be portable
between OS/2 Presentation Manager, Windows and DOS, using Micro Focus' GUI
emulation functionality which allows graphical applications to run under
DOS.

Character Development Mode 

Dialog System's Character Development mode supports the development of user
interfaces that are portable between DOS, OS/2 Text, UNIX and AIX. Both
GUI and character modes are included with Dialog System 2.1. Development
and/or execution under UNIX or AIX requires the additional purchase of a
UNIX definition facility or UNIX execution environment.

Easier-to-Use Definition Facility 

The Object Palette and Desktop Option are new features in an improved,
easier-to-use definition facility. The Object Palette is an on-screen
"toolbox" containing the functionality of the Dialog System Object menu.
With the Object Palette, interface elements such as windows, radio buttons
or scroll bars can be developed rapidly without entering the menu system.
The Desktop Option allows the developer to create the user interface
exactly as it will appear to the user. Working on the OS/2 Presentation
Manager desktop, the Dialog System windows are removed, leaving only the
Object Palette (as the essential toolbox) on the screen.

Self-Documenting 

Dialog System 2.1 features a print utility that enables the developer to
print detailed descriptions of the user interfaces created with Dialog
System, resulting in essentially "self-documenting" applications. Screen
layouts, data definitions and dialog definitions can now be printed in a
single step, so developers can concentrate on programming, not tracking
their steps.

Dialog System Architecture 

The Dialog System architecture helps ensure the separation of the user
interface from the underlying business applications logic. In this manner,
the user interface is able to evolve and change according to the needs of
the user and the business without impacting any underlying COBOL logic.
This independence enables Dialog System applications to achieve a high
degree of COBOL code reusability.

Dialog System provides all the services required to create the interface
between the application and the user. It operates in much the same ways as
a database management system (DBMS). With a DBMS, the application is
insulated from changes to the data through interfaces like SQL. In a
similar manner, Dialog System separates the user interface from the
application program code through a CALL interface. The application program
knows only data, while Dialog System manages the way the data appears on
the screen, and how the user interacts with it. By reducing the complexity
of managing the user interface in a traditional program, the application
becomes smaller, simpler and more efficient, not only in the initial
development, but in production and continuing maintenance.

Pricing and Availability 

Dialog System is a user interface option under IBM's AD/Cycle framework.
Dialog System 2.1 for DOS and OS/2, and Dialog System Character Mode 1.1
for UNIX or AIX are available for immediate delivery. Dialog System 2.1 is
priced at $1500.

Micro Focus is the leading developer of COBOL compilers and programmer
productivity tools for business application development. Micro Focus
products are available on micro, mini and mainframe computer systems and
support many standard and proprietary operating systems. The company
developed the first National Bureau of Standards-certified ANSI'85 COBOL
compiler. Micro Focus COBOL also conforms to the IBM Systems Applications
Architecture (SAA) standard, the X/Open standard, and is FIPS PUB 21-2
compliant. Micro Focus is a member of the IBM International Alliance for
AD/Cycle.

Micro Focus Inc. 2465 East Bayshore Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303
(415) 856-4161    Fax: (415) 856-6134

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