When to Use kinodb
1. As a one-stop solution for application development
Use kinodb as a one-stop solution for the design,
construction and deployment of data-centric applications. Typical indicators
for using kinodb in this way are:
| Data-centric requirement |
Where the
required application is primarily concerned with the management, navigation
and interrogation of relational data sets. |
| Complex data model |
The more
complex the data model, the more time you will save in using kinodb rather
than conventional design and implementation tools. |
| Large number of entities requiring management |
Using traditional
methods, the complexity of implementation grows exponentially with the number
of links between data entities: a single change can require recoding of
a multitude of SQL statements, redesign of numerous forms and retesting
of significant portions of an application. kinodb removes the need
for SQL coding and forms design, and so makes the development of complex
applications far more manageable. |
| Requirement for iterative development |
kinodb
instantly accommodates changes made to your application's design, meaning
that you can make changes to the application without worrying about breaking
hundreds of lines of SQL code. Plus, you can see the results of each
change immediately. |
| Requirement for ongoing user involvement in design process |
Traditional
requirements-gathering techniques are time-consuming and can produce specifications
that are either inherently flawed or which are misunderstood by the users
or developers. kinodb enables very short development cycles, where
the implementation of a portion of an application's functionality can be
verified by users hours after a requirement is identified. This enables
users to be constructively involved in the process of system development
in a way not usually possible. |
| Need to support ongoing business change |
Developers
seldom work in a static business environment, as requirements for new systems
typically stem from business changes. At best, this can lead to missed opportunities for new systems to improve support for business processes; at worst to applications that fail to meet business requirements.
Whilst there is no panacea for uncontrolled changes in requirements, kinodb's
speed of development and flexibility in accommodating change means that
teams can identify and resolve areas where requirements are ill-formed or
poorly stated. |
| Pressing timescales |
Even for
small applications with fully documented user requirements and no need for
iterative development, kinodb greatly reduces design, development and testing
effort. For larger applications - and in real business environments
- where requirements may not be fully understood, and where users need to
be involved in approving parts of the solution during the development process,
the benefits are even more significant. |
| Flexibility in deployment platform |
You can
migrate any developed kinodb application to any supported SQL-compliant
platform as required at any time - during development, at implementation
or after years of production use. |
2. As an analysis and modelling tool
Use kinodb to design and prove complex data
models for implementation in other development environments. Suitable
where:
| Development in legacy environment is required |
Where you
are constrained to develop for a legacy environment that does not offer
sophisticated analysis and prototyping tools, you can use kinodb to produce,
test and refine a data model for implementation to the platform of choice. |
| Large
amounts of non-data-centric functionality required |
If the
required application has some data management functionality but includes
large amounts of application-specific functionality, you can use kinodb
to develop and prove the data model (and to produce the database and data
management functionality too, if required) and then develop additional application
functionality using whatever other tools best meet your needs. |
| Complex
data model to be implemented |
Conventional
CASE tools allow you to design a data model: kinodb lets you design it and
then immediately start entering data into it to prove that it performs as
required. And, if you are implementing to a SQL environment, it will
create the database for you and provide the SQL statements to create the
required views and implement the relationships between tables. |
3. As an aid to package selection processes
An important part of the package selection
process is in gaining an agreed understanding of required functionality, and
where candidate packages fail to meet these requirements. Used as a prototyping
tool, kinodb can help business and IT staff to understand the information that
is required, and can then be used to communicate these requirements to package
suppliers.
|
See Also
Other topics in this section:
- Typical uses of
kinodb for guidance on typical implementations of kinodb.
- Case studies:
Related topics:
Technical Overview
Back to kinodb
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