Sales:
How is TransForm Licensed?
TransForm is licensed on a per form basis. Retail price at $100 per form. Starter packs are available to help get your feet wet, get to learn the toolkit and assess its capabilities. Add-on licenses can be procured thereafter.
What are Starter Packs? How can I order them?
Starter Packs are conveniently packaged in 2 versions
SP10: Starter Pack with 10 Licenses for migrations, comes with ½ day online training and assistance is priced at $1000.00
SP30: Starter Pack with 30 Licenses for migrations, comes standard with 1 full day online training and assistance is priced at $2,500.00
Starter Packs can be ordered directly and using a secured process from the Release3 website. Payment is made via Paypal. Alternatively, Starter Packs can also be procured by contacting Release3 at sales@release3.com.
How can I get starter packs?
Once the payment is made, A form is made available to the user to fill-in their details. A link to download Starter Packs is provided to the customer immediately. Starter Packs can be requested by contacting Release3 at sales@release3.com.
How are the license generated?
Once starter packs are obtained, users generate a definition file based on information for the Forms being considered. The users send this definition file to Release3 at sales@release3.com, against which the licenses are generated and sent back to the user. This license file is used for activating the toolkit and migrating those specific forms.
What are add-on packs? How are they priced? How can I order them?
Add-on packs are additional licenses that can be procured by the customer in addition to the starter packs to help them migrate their Forms to Java. The retail price per Form is $100. Volume discounts are available.
Technical:
What is the migration process with TransForm - Forms to Java migration toolkit?
TransForm follows a simple yet powerful process for Migrating your Oracle Forms based applications to Open Source Java. TransForm allows users to perform migration in 3 simple yet distinct steps: Pre-Migration which involves
- Clean-up (removal and replacement of OLB references and dependencies), and generate license files
- Migration of Forms Application to Java, and perform customization using a easy GUI based helper
- Post-Migration where users move automated generated PL/SQL packages to the database, apply CSS and preferences, menu etc, compile and deploy their application in Java.
What are the technologies involved in the migration to Java using Transform?
TransForm migrates to an MVC architecture, a standards based design pattern. The technologies involved are EJB3, Toplink essentials, Java 5, JSF and IceFaces AJAX.
What application Server can the generated Java code be deployed on?
The generated application can be deployed to any Java web application Server including Oracle Application Server (OC4J), BEA Weblogic, IBM Websphere, GlassFish or jBOSS.
What Java IDE can I use for the generated code?
While we use jDeveloper as a default, any Java IDE can be used including Eclipse, MyEclipse etc..
Are there any dependencies or proprietary code or libraries that are generated while using TransForm?
There are no dependencies or proprietary code in the generated application. Release3 has developed powerful components that include functions similar to Oracle Forms such as Grids, LOVs, Master Detail. These components and the library source codes are available to any customer if they wish to modify the same for their use.
What skills do I need to perform migration of my Forms application to Java? Do I need Java skills in my team to perform this migration?
There are no special skills required to perform migration. Remember, TransForm has been built keeping in mind Forms developers and their knowledge of Oracle Forms. Forms developers can easily perform migrations using TransForm with much ease. For large projects we do recommend that a Java resource be available as a part of the migration team.
What assistance or support do I get from Release3 while migrating the application to Java?
TransForm as a product is very easy to learn and use. Release3 has made easy to follow, step-by-step tutorials to help users learn and use the toolkit very quickly. However, keeping different requirements and available resources in mind, Release3 provides project and staff augmentation resources. Release3 has established a Forms Migration Center which can be utilized at cost effective prices by customers looking for resource augmentation or turn-key migration assistance.
What about my business logic? How is the business logic taken care of during this migration process?
However, keeping different requirements and available resources in mind, Release3 provides project and staff augmentation resources. Release3 has established a Forms Migration Center which can be utilized at cost effective prices by customers looking for resource augmentation or turn-key migration assistance.
How maintainable is the generated code using TransForm? Do I need special skills to maintain the generated application code?
The generated application code is standards, non-proprietary, MVC architecture based open source java with EJB3, JSF, java based AJAX (Open Source Icefaces) that can be deployed on any Java Web application server and be edited on any Java IDE. The skills needed to migrate the application should have knowledge of Oracle Forms and PL/SQL, basic knowledge of Java in above technologies is helpful. Once the application is migrated to Java, it would be good to have certain skills with Java knowledge familiar in technologies mentioned above.
How does TransForm help in skills transition to Java?
One look at TransForm and you will quickly realize that TransForm has been created keeping Forms developers in mind, where the need to know Java from the beginning is not a must. It is helpful to have some resources in Java initially to help with the transformation. A typical Forms developer can slowly transition their skills to Java during this migration process.
What about my Oracle Reports?
We are currently working on developing a reports migration toolkit. Talk to us if your need is specific.
Does TransForm migrate the menu module also?
The menu migration is a semi-automated process. We provide the tools and a script that allows users to quickly put together the menu for the new Java application. Also consider the new application may change during the process of migration, and so a fully automated menu migration may nee manual handling in any case.
What happens to the code in the PLL libraries and Program Units?
Program Units are migrated along with the Forms into DB Packages. Similarly, PLL libraries would need to be put into the DB Packages by the user.
How are triggers migrated?
Transform handles most triggers automatically. Since Java has its own limited events that can be mapped to the existing Forms triggers, we have tried to retain as many of the events and made them available in Java. During customization, these mappings between Forms and Java are applied by the user.
General
Is TransForm a product or a service?
TransForm Forms to Java Migration toolkit is a product that is geared towards customers buying the product and being able to perform migration themselves.
Though migration with TransForm can achieve high levels of automation, manual handling of PL/SQL package is unavoidable currently. Speaking conservatively TransForm provides 70-80% automated migration. The manual tasks may include PL/SQL packages handling, mapping in the helper using the GUI interface, applying CSS and Menu.
Does Release3 offer project augmentation?
Release3 has established an off-shore Migration centre for customers looking for project augmentation. Being off-shore allows us to offer economical options for augmentation or turn-key services. The resources can also be deployed on-site if the customer so desires.
How is the TransForm Forms to Java migration toolkit different from the other available toolkits?
TransForm is completely different from the other migration tools available in the market currently. Basic differences lie in
. Product vs Service
. Move logic to DB as Packages
. Open Source Java (we do not migrate to ADF)
. Meant for Forms Developers
. Deploy on any Java Web application server or use any Java IDE.
. Price Advantages with TransForm over others
How does TransForm help in saving costs? How much can I save over migrating manually?
TransForm provides savings of approx 50-60% over manual migration methods.
Since TransForm achieves a high level of automation, and the tasks are repetitive which allows users to attain high speeds once the knowledge is gained, TransForm can help cut down migration time significantly. Contact us for an ROI for your scenario to see how much you can specifically save for your application.
My needs are very specific, How can TransForm cater to my scenario?
TransForm is template based and modular in design, and thus easily and quickly customizable. If there is a situation to address specific needs, we can quickly customize the toolkit to fit most unique scenarios.
