The excitement at BASIS generated by the latest release of BBx® is truly infectious. Customers ranging from self-programming end users to large vertical market software houses are enthusiastic about the major new features available with BBj® 6.0. This release incorporates improvements and additional functions to each of the major areas of the BASIS product components; language/interpreter, DBMS, IDE, and system administration. This hardcopy issue and the extended online version overflows with articles that introduce and explain these new capabilities.

The language received a major improvement with the addition of full object-oriented functionality. This functionality gives our community the ability to attract and retain new human resources for enhancement and support of existing application solutions by providing syntax familiar to modern programmers. Read the article by one of our most respected Java specialists where he “outs” himself as a BBj fan by expounding on why he would choose BBj over Java for business application development.

BASIS embellished our DBMS, long the solid foundation of tried and trusted business solutions, with new advanced table types including a high performance exclusive SQL table type, and eXtended it with the industry standard database management features, triggers and stored procedures. Additionally, we took triggers and stored procedures to new heights by infusing the full power and functionality of the BBx language to these DBMS capabilities.

The new AppBuilder component of the IDE integrates with the existing FormBuilder module to deliver a powerful rapid GUI application development tool. This GUIBuilder replacement is able to read and write the existing .gbf file type while delivering a far more intuitive interface with extended functionality.

Take time to read the tongue-in-cheek introduction to the system administration and language article on resolving record-locking ‘whodunit’ puzzles with new enterprise management objects.

This issue also highlights BASIS’ commitment and support of 64-bit operating systems for PRO/5® 6.0 and BBj 6.0 ports while bringing the Windows XP and Vista look and feel to Visual PRO/5® 6.0. These two features can bring enhanced performance and a new look to your applications with little or no effort. Moving your application from CUI to Classic Windows GUI took a lot of programming effort, but moving your application from Classic to XP or Vista is simply an upgrade!

The latest version of the BASIS product set is truly a major milestone in BASIS’ vision of the delivery of modern language, database, and development tools. There is no time like the present to launch your application development efforts and blast into orbit with BASIS and the 6.x product line.

	Nico Spence Chief Marketing Officer			Dr. Kevin King Chief Information Officer