Decades of innovative ideas (Part I)

The 90's:
 
In the history of computing, and particularly that of programming languages, you'll find how, from the '90s, few programming languages that managed to be popular or stand out to date. Most of those who became popular, are related more to the simplicity, generality and portability with an account of abstraction, patterns, knowledge management or specializations in areas such as Business Logic Management, Database, Artificial Intelligence , or related to Case or languages Functional languages.

Few languages "exotic" who survived and those who succeeded, was mainly thanks to support from universities or research centers in the aeronautics, astronomy, medicine, genetics and chemistry (among others).

But in the early 90's began to emerge in several branches investigations that resulted in what today is known as "domain-specific languages", "Domain Specific Modeling" and "Model Driven Architecture (Domain Specific Language - DSL , Domain Specific Modeling - DSM, Model Driven Architecture - DMA).

While the ideas associated with the languages of the fourth and fifth generation started in the 80s and 90s, the use of metamodels, patterns, and domain languages, there have been no use "popular" worldwide.

In the region (Latin America) there is an exception, GeneXus, a language (and a programming environment), which since the 90s has revolutionized the way business applications programming.

- GeneXus (1989) - A tool with real solutions.

I leave some reviews of the presentation by Artech about GeneXus in 1995 under the National Engineering Award (IAU - Association of Engineers of Uruguay).

"In any investigation, and more in a far-reaching as this, it is essential not to 'reinvent the wheel", not wasting time and effort trying to solve problems that others have already solved. In computer science, also tend to be a great error trying to develop software that can be purchased. It was therefore decided to work with PCs, including the necessary software and were accessible to the possibilities of a project that began with very little money. Accordingly, broke the " state of the art, the results published by other researchers, and the best tools that were in the market. It is almost impossible to be successful otherwise. With these assumptions in 1985 began a formal investigation. "
...
"With these results in view contacts were made with several major software companies in the world. No one had anything like that, no one had solved the problem of designing large databases.

Then there appeared to be an important opportunity to license this technology to some of these companies.

The commercial attempts ended in total failure for a number of reasons: the technology was more advanced than expected partners who did not have their minds prepared for it (did not consider it necessary or possible).

The country's credibility problem was (is) very seriously. It was very difficult for a high tech company in a developed country could understand that Uruguay would develop technology so advanced. "
...
"was still under investigation, was discovered in 1986 something very interesting: he had captured systematized knowledge of the views of users, so to enable the automatic design of optimal database, which met the original goals, however, refining the system process, could obtain a knowledge base that permitted in addition to the above, generate the programs needed to recreate visions "
....
"GeneXus is a different tool, however, struggle in much of the world by a segment of an extremely competitive market: the tools to improve productivity in the development and maintenance of applications."
...
"The success of this project involves a great deal of ongoing research. The commercial success is based on technological superiority, which is very difficult to maintain in a competitive market like this.

We believe this is only the beginning, probably GeneXus has been used in only 20% of the technology that has developed.

An existential doubt we've had since the principle is the understanding that the path we have followed is fairly obvious why we have not been achieved by competitors with more resources?. Perhaps the problem (and the unique opportunity) facing is that you are using a technology far more advanced than its competitors and, therefore, not fashionable. "

The full text is available from the following Link:

 http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aiu.org.uy%2Fgxpsites%2Fagxppdwn%3F1%2C1%2C4%2CO%2CS%2C0%2C61%253BS%253B1%253B13%2C&sl=es&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8O%2CS%2C0%2C61%253BS%253B1%253B13%2C&sl=es&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8
Thanks Google Translator!!!, original source: http://www.aiu.org.uy/gxpsites/agxppdwn?1,1,4,O,S,0,61%3BS%3B1%3B13,

I leave you some references for those who want to know a little more about these issues.

About GeneXus:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeneXus
http://www.genexus.com/
http://wiki.gxtechnical.com/commwiki/servlet/hwiki?La+historia+de+GeneXus
Translated: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=es&sl=es&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwiki.gxtechnical.com%2Fcommwiki%2Fservlet%2Fhwiki%3FLa%2Bhistoria%2Bde%2BGeneXus%20

On Domain Specific Languages, Domain Specific Modeling and Model Driven Architecture:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Specific_Language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain-specific_modelling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model-driven_architecture


Translated from : http://3dgiordano.blogspot.com/2008/10/dcadas-de-ideas-innovadoras-parte-i.html