Conference heron::euro_swas_ai

79.0. "Trellis to be a Product" by LARVAE::TURNER (Mark Turner * DTN 849-3429 * SPYDER::TURNER) Fri Feb 10 1989 13:15

Folks,

   As Pat mentioned in 78.0, Trellis (an object-oriented language and
programming environment) is now planned to become a product.  It will
be developed by a data-base development group, rather than by AITG
(AI Engineering).

   The plan is to close phase 0 (Product Requirements) by 20-March.  
Here's a good chance to influence the product early -- if you send a message 
(see instructions in the Note below), please feel free to post it as a 
reply to this note, so that others will be inspired!

   Many of you know that a version of Trellis has been available internally
for some time, and some copies have been sent to customers for evaluation.
More information on Trellis can be found in the Trellis Notes:

			   PBSVAX::TRELLIS



							Mark

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           <<< PBSVAX::SYS$SYSDEVICE:[NOTES$LIBRARY]TRELLIS.NOTE;1 >>>
         -< Trellis/Owl language and Trellis programming environment >-
================================================================================
Note 76.0        phase 0 is now open -- send in those requests!!         1 reply
ERLPO::OBRIEN                                       198 lines   2-FEB-1989 13:39
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| d | i | g | i | t | a | l |			INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
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+---------------------------+

TO:	OBS_INTEREST.DIS			DATE: 2 February 1989
						FROM: Steve Coughlan
						DEPT: DBS Product Management
						EXT:  264-2834
						LOC:  TTB1-6/D05
						ENET: NOVA::COUGHLAN
CC:	DBS DMT
	DBS PMM


SUBJECT: TRELLIS V1.0 OPENING PHASE 0


The purpose of this memo is to announce the opening of Phase 0 for:

	DECwindows TRELLIS V1.0 for VMS
	DECwindows TRELLIS V1.0 for ULTRIX
 
Trellis will be Digital's first entry into the object-oriented systems 
market (see attached Product Description).

Our current goal is to close Phase 0 on Monday, March 20, 1989.  Your
input is appreciated.  To facilitate feedback, a Product Requirements
Input Form is attached.  Any requirements should be fully documented 
using the attached form, and submitted no later than March 3, 1989. 

Preliminary Product and Market Requirements for TRELLIS (Postscript 
format) are contained in PBSVAX::OBS$PUBLIC:TRELLIS_V1_PROD_REQ.PS.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

TRELLIS V1 will be Digital's first object-oriented system.  It will
provide an initial, aggressive position in the object-oriented system market. 
The product development of TRELLIS capitalizes on the Digital's research
investment in object-oriented systems.  

TRELLIS is planned provide a type definition language (TDL), an object
database, an interface to existing relational databases, an interface to
existing programming languages, an integrated DECwindows object-oriented
development environment (editor, compiler, debugger), and a rich
development support environment that includes a comprehensive type
library.  The TRELLIS object database should provide shared, secure
access to distributed, reliable objects. 

Workstations are the design center for TRELLIS.  Although TRELLIS
applications may be developed on character-cell terminals on
time-sharing machines, workstations are the primary environment. 
TRELLIS V1 will run on VAX/VMS, VAX/ULTRIX, and PMAX/ULTRIX. 

CAD, CIM, CASE, office, financial, and medical applications are areas
that need object-oriented systems like TRELLIS.  Certainly, these
applications can be built using existing 3GL and OLTP-oriented
relational database systems.  But TRELLIS provides a development
language and workstation development environment that yields better
programmer productivity, easier extensibility, and better performance in
key applications.  The end result is lower application development and
maintenance costs for the user. TRELLIS V1 will target the specific
requirements of the CAD, CIM, and CASE markets.  In other markets,
TRELLIS V1 may be useful, but all of their requirements may not be met. 

TRELLIS should not be a proprietary system.  It should be available for
third parties who are interested in porting it to other systems.  The
database interface should be open so that third parties may support
other object-oriented databases.  There should be a strong effort to
standarize the TRELLIS language. 

TRELLIS consists of the TRELLIS language, database, programming
environment, and various type libraries. 

The TRELLIS language is a strongly-typed object-oriented language with
multiple inheritance. It provides good support for abstract data types and
encapsulation of implementation details. The combination of features in the
language facilitates the design, implementation, and evolution of large
software systems. 

TRELLIS should provide four forms of object storage and data interface:
an object database that will provide shared access to persistent,
distributed objects; an object workspace that will provide the highest 
possible single-user performance for persistant object; shareable
objects (which are persistent as well) through an interface to a SQL
database; and the TRELLIS type library, which should provide interfaces
to the VMS and ULTRIX file system to allow programs to manipulate data
in files. 

The TRELLIS application development environment should consist of a
number of integrated tools that will provide assistance for browsing,
modifying, and debugging TRELLIS programs. It should be a highly
interactive, easy-to-use programming environment, providing various
programming aids, incremental compilation, and good debugging support.
The tools should have a DECwindows user interface and share a common
programming environment database. TRELLIS should be well-integrated but
also be open-ended: the tools should work in concert with one another
and the environment should be able to be easily extended or modified. 

The TRELLIS system should provide an extensive type library to serve as a
building block for application development. Primitive types such as integer,
strings, booleans, and so on should be supported. There should be a complete
set of collection types such as sets, sequences, queues, and  so on. 
TRELLIS V1 should include a DECwindows type library. The TRELLIS user
interface must conform to DECwindow standards. 


                    DECwindows TRELLIS V1.0 for VMS
                    DECwindows TRELLIS V1.0 for ULTRIX

                     Product Requirements Input Form

          (Send Input to NOVA::COUGHLAN no later than March 3rd)
                


1.  Submittor:

    DTN:
    Node:
    Loc/MS:
    Position:

2.  Engineering or Support Group issuing requirements request:

    Include name and brief description of group.

3.  Abstract:

    Include brief, single-paragraph description of requirement.

4.  Description:

    Include detailed description of requirement and an  indication  of
    expected result if requirement is included.

5.  Schedule:

    Note any schedule  concerns  caused  by  products  on  which  this
    requirement  would  be  dependent.  Include availability dates for
    specifications, protos, field tests, and FRS when appropriate.

6.  Benefit:

    Description of benefit, including substantiating data.

7.  Impact of not meeting request:

    Describe impact to Digital if  request  is  turned  down.   Please
    explain this in terms of lost opportunities and markets.

8.  Justification:

    Include here any other reasons for including this request.

                                                                Page 2


9.  Rating:

    Rate  the  importance  of  including  the  requirement  using  the
    following scale:

        1 - ESSENTIAL        2 - IMPORTANT        3 - DESIRABLE

     o  ESSENTIAL = Version 1.0 of  the  product  should not  be 
        shipped without  this  feature.   It is a critical feature that, 
        if it were missing, would cause most customers not to  purchase  
        the product  and would cause major damage to customers' perception
        of Digital's database strategies.


     o  IMPORTANT = Version 1.0 of the  product  should  include  this
        feature    unless   its   inclusion   would   jeopardize   the
        time-to-market goals.  The lack  of  this  feature  may  cause
        certain  customers not to purchase the product, either because
        it is a feature that is available and used  often  in  current
        products  or  it  is  a feature they have requested for a long
        time.  This feature should be included  no  later  than  
        Version 1.1.

     o  DESIRABLE = V1.0 of the product should include this feature
        unless its inclusion would jeopardize time-to-market goals
        or critical/important features.  Exclusion of the feature from
        V1.0 will not cause lost sales, but inclusion will make selling
        the product easier, and enhance desirability of the product for
	customers who otherwise would not have been expected to purchase
	it.  These features may be delayed until V1.1 or later.


10.  Known issues:

    Include statement of risks to either schedule or content.

11.  Support documents:

    Identify any documents that add detail to the request.

The following is an indication that, after being put on hold for some
    time, the productization of an Object-Oriented DataBase product
    (based upon Trellis?) is now under way. If you feel strongly about
    this kind of product, this is your chance to input during Phase
    0.
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
    
Subject: ANNOUNCING PHASE 0 OPENING OF THE OBJECT-ORIENTED DATABASE

*********
*digital*
*********

			I N T E R O F F I C E  M E M O

TO:  Object-Oriented Systems 		DATE:	10 JULY 89
     Interest List			FROM:	Lydia M. Bennett
					DEPT:	Database Systems Group
					NODE:   CREDIT::BENNETT
					EXT:	381-2893
					MS/LOC: ZK2-1/P05

SUBJ:  Announcing the opening of Phase 0 for the Object-Oriented 
       Database System V1.0



It is my pleasure to announce the opening of Phase 0 for the Object-
Oriented Database System V1.0.

Object-Oriented Databases, a complementary approach to relational systems, 
are characterized by an adoption of the key ideas of object-oriented 
programming into the world of persistent objects, where the establised 
features of DBMSs are required.  Thus, an object-oriented DBMS provides tools 
to allow method-based programming and incorporates support for the object 
concepts of types, hierarchies and encapsulation.  It is differentiable, 
however, by its capability to store a large volume of object instances in 
a shared environment, with all the associated features of security, recovery, 
resource contention management and data integrity.

Object-Oriented Databases currently available focus on providing a method 
for storing data outside of the traditional record-oriented realm of text 
and numbers.  In the past, the dominant users of complex data were in the 
engineering and design markets who found their own ways of dealing with 2D 
and 3D images, complex geometries and graphics.  Now with the growing influx 
of workstations and emerging technologies such as voice, voice-annotated text, 
and video, a more feasible and standardized way of dealing with the data must 
be found and made available.  Differences in access methods and performance 
needs also force us to look towards an alternative to RDBMs as they exist 
today.
 
If you would like to input to this process, please fill in the attached 
form and return it to me, no later than August 28, 1989 (CREDIT::BENNETT).  
We are interested in requirements from the customers (via field personnel) 
as well as from internal engineering and marketing groups.






           	Product Requirements Input Form

		OBJECT-ORIENTED DATABASE V1.0
		 (VMS, and ULTRIX/OSF/OzIX)
	
     (Send input to CREDIT::BENNETT no later than August 28th)

Submittor:

Designated Responsible Individual:

DTN:
Node:
Loc/Mail Stop:
Position:

Engineering or Marketing Group Supporting Requirements Request:

         Include name and brief description of group.

Abstract:

         Include brief, single-paragraph, description of requirement.

Description:

         Include detailed description of requirement and an  indication  of
         what you hope to achieve.

Schedule:

         Note any schedule concerns for dependent products, for example:

         Specification available (as much detail as is appropriate):
         Proto Available:
         Test Schedule:
         Planned FCS:

Benefit:

         Description of benefit, including substantiating data.

Impact of Not Meeting Request:

         Describe impact to DEC if request is turned down.  Please  explain
         this in terms of lost opportunities and markets.

Justification:

         Include here any other reasons for doing.

Rating:

         To be provided by Designated Responsible Individual.

         Ratings can be numerical ranking (1, 2, 3, and so  on)  or  evenly
         spread  across  total  list (as top 25%, middle 50%, and low 25%).
         Rating should indicate whether requirement is desirable, required,
         or  critical.  If more than one requirement is given, please state
	 the relative priority of each.

Known Issues:

         Include statement of risks to either schedule or content.

Support Documents:

         Identify any documents that add detail to the request.

Does anybody know if the Trellis-notesfile moved?
Easynotes.lis says its still PBSVAX::TRELLIS but
node is unreachable since january 29.

                                           Hans.

Hans,  they move the whole group (not unusual in DEC, I hear) and thus
PBSVAX moved into another area.

ruedi.