July 14, 2021

Alex woodie

IBM i stores that use data and development tools from Altova will be happy to hear that the software vendor has added support for the latest version of Db2 for i among several of its tools.

Altova is a Beverley, Massachusetts-based company that develops a series of software tools and utilities for developers. The company is arguably best known as the creator of XMLSpy, an IDE that allows developers to build XML-based web services using standards such as WSDL; it then added support for JSON data and modern SOAP.

In 2010, Altova added support for IBM i in MissionKit, its comprehensive suite of tools that includes XMLSpy, UModel (for UML modeling), StyleVision (for forms and reports), and MapForce (mapping and conversion graphical data for databases, EDI and other types of data), among others. Then, in 2012, it enhanced its support for IBM i with support for Db2 for i database logical files, which it has supported across its MissionKit line.

Last week, Altova announced a new version of MobileTogether, its rapid application development platform for iOS, Android, and Windows. The offering, which includes a visual programming environment with a built-in debugger, enables developers to build native applications for mobile platforms that can access data residing in corporate databases, such as Db2 for i ( among others).

New features in MobileTogether include support for the latest version of Db2 for i version 7.4, which IBM unveiled in spring 2019. The big new database feature in IBM i 7.4 was Db2 Mirror, which Altova customers could use. But more likely, MobileTogether customers will benefit from the ability to access the collection of pre-built database services called IBIM i services (which IBM previously called SQL Services).

In addition to Db2 for i, MobileTogether supports Db2, Informix, MariaDB, SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Sybase, SQL Lite, Progress OpenEdge and Teradata.

Altova also includes support for in-app purchases with MobileTogether version 7.3. The vendor claims that giving developers the ability to enable in-app purchases in native iOS, Android, and Windows apps they create using MobileTogether provides a powerful way to monetize apps.

Customers can now integrate their Windows MobileTogether client into their own Universal Windows platform. A UWP, of course, is a new feature Microsoft launched with Windows 10 that allows the same development and app effort to spawn apps for Windows Mobile, Xbox One, and HoloLens, the software giant said.

Altova also brought tooltip support to MobileTogether. The company says tooltips can be assigned to buttons, labels, checkboxes and other elements, giving users the ability to get information by hovering over the UI element (or by performing a “long click” in a mobile environment).

MobileTogether also supports Android 11. MobileTogether subscriptions cost approximately $ 1,000 per user per year, giving customers unlimited access to the product.

In March, Altova quietly updated a number of other products that also support Db2 for i 7.4, including the 2021r2 versions of MapForce Server, StyleVision, UModel, and XMLSpy. DiffDog Server, its diff reporting tool, and Authentic, its XML forms tool, have also been enhanced with support for Db2 for i 7.4. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.altova.com.

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