Four Js technical FAQ

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A

Abstract User Interface (AUI) Tree AUI tree describes the state of the user interface as an XML tree. The Dynamic Virtual Machine, also known as the runtime system (fglrun), maintains an AUI tree with elements of a program at a given time. Ref 1 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)

B

Back-end In the Genero program model, the back-end is where the user interface and the business logic is implemented, responding to user requests and fetching data from the database. The back-end typically consists of the Genero Business Development Language operating within a Dynamic Virtual Machine or runtime system (fglrun) to execute Genero programs, the Genero Application Server managing the communication with the front-end via a web server, and, if the application is generating a report, the Genero Report Engine delivering a report to a printer or Genero Report Viewer on the client side. Ref 1 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)
Business Application Modeler (BAM) BAM is a graphical tool for generating code that extracts data and creates data models in Genero Business Development Language. It generates the logic and source code for an application to query, add, update and delete rows in database tables. It can generate desktop, web, and mobile applications. The BAM is a component of Genero Studio and Genero Report Writer. Ref 1 GENERO COMPONENTS
Business Development Suite (BDS) BDS is the precursor to Genero Business Development Language. GENERO PRODUCTS

D

Deprecated feature A feature, design, or practice whose use is discouraged although not prohibited. Typically, a deprecated feature has been superseded or is no longer considered safe, but it is not yet removed from the system. Four Js provides support for deprecated features. Bugs will be fixed but enhancements will not be made. GENERO BDL CONCEPTS
Desupported feature A feature, design, or practice that is no longer supported. A desupported feature may still exist, but bugs will not be fixed. The code supporting the feature may be removed without notice. GENERO BDL CONCEPTS
Dynamic Virtual Machine (DVM) The DVM - also known as the runtime system (fglrun) - is the software that manages the execution of Genero programs Ref 1 GENERO COMPONENTS

F

FGL FGL is the technical term for Genero Business Development Language. Originally, the term was inherited from the fourth generation programming language developed by Informix, Informix-4gl (I4GL). Four Js developed its Genero Business Development Language as a superset of I4GL, and kept the FGL term for its many tools and environment variables that begin with "fgl", such as fglrun, fglcomp, fglform, FGLDIR, and so on. Ref 1 GENERO BDL CONCEPTS
FGL p-code P-code stands for portable code, also know as pseudo code. It represents a machine-independent encoding of a set of instructions that form the compiled binary of a program. Genero has its own specific implementation of p-code that is executed directly by a Dynamic Virtual Machine, also known as the runtime system, instead of on any specific hardware architecture. Ref 1 GENERO BDL CONCEPTS
FGLGWS FGL is the technical term for Genero Business Development Language (BDL) and GWS stands for Genero Web Services. The combined term generally refers to the installation package that provides the components of BDL. GENERO BDL CONCEPTS
File types and extensions (BAM) Business Application Modeler has a program file type (.4prg) and a business application diagram file type (.4ba) in addition to several form file extensions for different types of CRUD forms, including CRUD forms for SOAP and JSON web services with the .4fd* extension. Ref 1 FILE TYPES AND EXTENSIONS
File types and extensions (BDL) The Genero Business Development Language (BDL) uses various file formats for storing a large variety of raw information from text (.4gl), binary (.42m), form specification file (.per), XML type resource files (for example, .4st, .4ad ), database schema (.sch), and so on. Ref 1 FILE TYPES AND EXTENSIONS
File types and extensions (GRW) Genero Studio for Report Writer uses several file formats for source files, report design (.4rp), report data schema (.rdd), report schema transformation (.rst), report template (.4rt), and so on. Ref 1
Ref 2		 FILE TYPES AND EXTENSIONS
File types and extensions (GST) Genero Studio uses several file formats with the .4pw* extension for project management. For meta-schema manager files it uses the .4db* file extension. In addition it uses form designer file extensions for Business Application Modeler (BAM) with the .42fd* extension. Ref 1
Ref 2		 FILE TYPES AND EXTENSIONS
Four Js Licensing Manager (FLM) The FLM is a license server that centralizes the management of licenses for Genero products installed on the same machine, or on machines or docker containers in the same network as the FLM. The FLM gives you a centralized view of license usage across the network. It uses a command line program, flmprg, to install and manage licenses. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Front-end The front-end is the technology that is used to provide the user interface for users interacting with the application on the client-side. User input is received through the front-end and processed in the back-end, or server-side. Genero provides different front-end solutions for browser, desktop and mobile - Genero Browser Client (GBC), Genero Desktop Client, Genero Mobile for Android, and Genero Mobile for iOS. Genero has developed a rendering solution, based on the GBC interface, called Universal Rendering, which standardizes the way applications are displayed across its front-ends. Ref 1
Ref 2		 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)

G

GAS Dispatchers Dispatchers are components of the Genero Application Server responsible for launching applications by forwarding request from clients to a proxy, and the proxy in turn processes the request by launching a Dynamic Virtual Machine or runtime. The GAS provides dispatchers for different web servers: Apache, IIS, and so on. A standalone dispatcher is available to simplify testing and development without a web server. Ref 1 GENERO COMPONENTS
GAS Proxy
 The proxy is the component of the Genero Application Server that performs the role of starting the Dynamic Virtual Machine, or runtime, and handling the connection with the front-end for the application requests and responses. Ref 1 GENERO COMPONENTS
Genero Application Server (GAS) GAS is an engine that plugs in to a web server to deliver Genero web applications and services. It uses dispatchers and proxies to optimize reliability, performance, and integration in web servers. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Application Server for Java (JGAS) JGAS is an implementation of the Genero Application Server that is written in Java. It can be used for the development, testing, and deployment of applications on Java Enterprise Edition server (J2EE ), such as Apache Tomcat, Jetty, or Glassfish. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Browser Client (GBC) GBC is a front-end user interface that delivers Genero applications in a web browser on the client device. It is a JavaScript client that works with Node technology. A default version of the GBC is bundled with the FGLGWS package. GBC project sources (JavaScript, HTML, and CSS) are available to download. You can modify and adapt these to customize your UI's look and feel. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Business Development Language (BDL) BDL - also known by the technical term FGL - is a 4th generation programming language developed by Four Js under its Genero brand. The low-code language closely resembles a natural language and is easy to learn and use. It has built-in support for SQL, a report writer language, a form language, a web service extension, and so on. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Desktop Client (GDC)

 GDC is a multi-platform, graphical front-end for delivering Genero applications.
It can run under Windows®, macOS® and Linux® systems.		 Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Ghost Client (GGC) The GGC is a Java framework for testing components of a program such as functions or methods. The GGC acts as a front-end that tests for values in the AUI tree of a running program by sending actions recorded in a scenario file - a program in BDL or Java with a set of simulated user interactions - back to the DVM. The GGC has tools for automated unit testing, using a guilog to record, save, and replay tests without needing to manually code them. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Identity Provider (GIP) The GIP is a service that supports Single Sign-On for securing access to applications. The GIP manages users, groups, tokens, and can help deploy and secure applications. It is provided as part of the FGLGWS installation package. Ref 1 GENERO COMPONENTS
Genero Mobile for Android (GMA) The GMA is a front-end installed on an Android device. It provides an environment to display different types of Genero applications: standalone applications, partially-connected applications, and client-server applications. The GMA includes an embedded Dynamic Virtual Machine (DVM) or runtime system to execute applications on the device. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Mobile for iOS (GMI) The GMI is a front-end installed on an iOS device. It provides an environment to display different types of Genero applications: standalone applications, partially-connected applications, and client-server applications. The GMI includes an embedded Dynamic Virtual Machine or runtime system to execute applications on the device. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Report Engine (GRE) The GRE streams data in XML format from the report application to the Genero Report Viewer to display the report. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Report Viewer (GRV) The GRV is a web viewer that displays reports using the SVG format. If you are running applications in the Genero Browser Client, the report displays in your web browser using the Genero Report Viewer for HTML5. This is a lightweight report viewer based on pure HTML5 and JavaScript technologies. The GRV is a component of the Genero Desktop Client. Ref 1 GENERO COMPONENTS
Genero Report Writer (GRW) The GRW is a multi-platform, reporting solution. It provides a user interface for the creation, management, and deployment of business reports. It has a Genero Report Designer component for creating the report design document and it integrates with a Genero Report Engine to stream the report output. It has tools to facilitate migration from existing reporting solutions. Ref 1 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Studio (GST) The GST is a graphical integrated development environment for developing and managing Genero applications. It has tools for designing interfaces, writing and debugging programs, and deploying applications. Learn the basics of Genero Business Development Language using its form designer, code editor, business application modeler (BAM), wizards, and so on. The GST installation comes with the FGLGWS, GAS, GRE, GBC, and GDC in the package. There is also a server version, “Genero Suite Server (Studio Server + All server components)”, for working remotely on development. Ref 1
Ref 2		 GENERO PRODUCTS
Genero Web Services (GWS) GWS is an extension of the Genero Business Development Language for implementing SOAP and RESTful web services. The GWS is provided as part of the FGLGWS installation. Ref 1 GENERO COMPONENTS
Genero widget Widget describes a user interface object with which the user can interact. Widgets range from simple objects that have one value or operation, such as checkbox, combobox, and so on, to a set of objects grouped in containers, such as tree, grid, table, and so on, that contain many managed sub-objects. In Genero BDL there are specific form item types, such as CHECKBOX item type, COMBOBOX item type, and so on, and CONTAINERS such as Folder, Group, Grid, Table, and Tree that implement widgets. Ref 1
Ref 2		 GENERO BDL CONCEPTS
Graphical User Interface (GUI) A user interface designed to display application windows and forms as graphical elements, and to allow users to interact with the application by directly manipulating these elements. GUI is used for desktop workstation, web browsers, and mobile front-end platforms. Ref 1 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)

M

Material design Material design is an open-source design language developed by Google that is widely used to define a specification for the material elements of user interface (UI) design: line, direction, shape, size, texture, value, and color. The specification helps a developer choose design aspects such as color schemes, shapes, patterns, textures, and layouts that achieve visual unity. The Genero Browser Client is designed based on Material design principles that can be applied to customize its UI to give a distinctive look & feel. Ref 1
Ref 2		 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)

N

Node.js Node.js® is an open-source and cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment capable of executing JavaScript programs outside of the browser. Its JavaScript engine executes and compiles JavaScript into native machine code. Node.js is widely used to develop both front-end and back-end applications. Genero uses Node.js to allow developers to build customizations of the Genero Browser Client user interface by adding JavaScript and HTML code and modifying CSS. Ref 1
Ref 2		 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)

O

OpenAPI The OpenAPI Specification is an API description, written in YAML or JSON format, for defining the structure of REST APIs. The format is readable to both humans and machines. Genero web services implemented with the REST high-level framework are designed to conform to the OpenAPI specification. Ref 1
Ref 2		 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)

R

REST high-level framework Genero Web Services provides APIs for creating high-level and low-level RESTful web services. RESTful web services implemented with the high-level framework use BDL function attributes to define web services, from which the service is generated. These web services are designed to conform to the OpenAPI specification. An OpenAPI document that describes the endpoints and operations of a web service can be output from a browser. Ref 1
Ref 2		 GENERO BDL CONCEPTS
REST Low-level web services Genero Web Services (GWS) provides APIs for creating high-level and low-level RESTful web services. Low-level RESTful web services are implemented using standard HTTP classes. Ref 1
Ref 2		 GENERO BDL CONCEPTS

T

Text User Interface (TUI) A user interface designed for character-based terminals. TUI mode can be used to run your application on a text terminal hardware or in a terminal emulator. Ref 1 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)

U

Universal Rendering (UR) The Genero native front-ends: Genero Desktop Client, Genero Mobile for Android, and Genero Mobile for iOS typically use native widgets to render applications. With universal rendering, native front-ends can use an embedded WebView component to render applications using the Genero Browser Client (GBC) interface as the rendering engine. Universal Rendering standardizes the way application are displayed across Genero front-ends. Ref 1
Ref 2
Ref 3		 GENERO BDL CONCEPTS

W

WebView WebView is a browser component embedded in an application that allows web content to be displayed within the application window. Genero native front-ends: Genero Desktop Client, Genero Mobile for Android, and Genero Mobile for iOS embed a WebView component to support Universal Rendering (UR). When native front-ends are run in UR mode, applications are rendered by the Genero Browser Client loaded in a WebView. Ref 1 INDUSTRY TERMS (USED BY GENERO)