PowerHouse (programming language): Difference between revisions

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'''PowerHouse''' is a trademarked name for a family of byte-compiled programming languages originally produced for the ''[[HP3000]]'' mini-computer built by [http://www.hp.com ''Hewlett-Packard Corporation'']. It comprised three products, ''Quiz'' - a report writer, ''Quick'' - an interactive character based screen generator, and ''QTP'' - a batch transaction processor, all dependent upon a central Data Dictionary, ''QDD'' and later ''PDL''. The company that developed and marketed these products is now called [http://www.cognos.com ''Cognos Corporation''].

'''PowerHouse''' is a trademarked name for a family of [[byte-compiled programming languages]] originally produced by [[Quasar Corporation|Quasar]] for the [[Hewlett-Packard]] ''[[HP3000]]'' mini-computer built by [http://www.hp.com ''Hewlett-PackardIt Corporation'']. Itwas comprised of three products,components: ''Quiz'' -, a report writer, ''Quick'' -, an interactive, character -based screen generator, and ''QTP'' -, a batch transaction processor,. All three components allwere dependent upon a central Data Dictionary, ''QDD'' and later ''PDL''. The company that developed and marketed these products is now called [http://www.cognos.com ''Cognos Corporation''].

''PowerHouse'' was introduced in 1982 by ''Quasar Corporation'' and bundled together ''Quiz'' and ''Quick'', both of which had been previously available separately, with a new batch processor ''QTP'', now sold as a single product. In 1983, ''Quasar'' changed its name to ''Cognos Corporation'' and began porting their application development tools to other platforms, notably the ''[[IBM]]'' ''series 400'' (later rebranded as the A''S/400''). They also began extending their product line with add-ons to ''PowerHouse'' (''Architect'') and end-user applications written in ''PowerHouse'' (''MultiView'').

== History ==

An early move to the Intel platform in 1988 (''PowerHouse PC'') proved abortive. Nonetheless, Cognos eventually produced Axiant (c.1995), which effectively ported PowerHouse-like syntax to an ''Intel'' based MS-Windows style visual development environment and linked it to SQL aware [[DBMS]] running on these machines. On the mid-range systems attempts to extend the useful life of ''PowerHouse'' in an age of [[World Wide Web|web-aware]] applications led to the development of ''PowerHouse Web'' (c. 1999).

''PowerHouse'' was introduced in [[1982]] by ''Quasar Corporation'' and bundled together ''Quiz'' and ''Quick'', both of which had been previously available separately, with a new batch processor ''QTP'', now sold as a single product. In [[1983]], ''Quasar'' changed its name to ''Cognos Corporation'' and began porting their application development tools to other platforms, notably the ''[[IBM]]''s ''series 400'' (later rebranded as the A''S[[AS/400'']]). They Cognos also began extending their product line with add-ons to ''PowerHouse'' (for example, ''Architect'') and end-user applications written in ''PowerHouse'' (for example, ''MultiView''). {{fact}}

In its day ''PowerHouse'' represented a considerable achievement. Compared with languages like ''[[Cobol]]'', [[Pascal programming language|''Pascal'']] and ''[[PL/1]]'', ''PowerHouse'' substantially cut the amount of labour required to produce useful applications on its chosen platforms. It achieved this through the features provided by a central data-dictionary, a compiled file that extended the attributes of data fields available in native DBMS with freqently used programming idioms such as display masks, help and message strings, range and pattern checks, help and information texts. To accomplish this PowerHouse was tightly coupled by design to the underlying database management system that predominated on each of the target platforms. In the case of the ''HP3000'' this was the ''Image'' shallow-network DBMS and the entire language reflected its origins.

InThe itsPowerHouse day ''PowerHouse''language represented a considerable achievement. Compared with languages like ''[[Cobol]]'', [[Pascal programming language|''Pascal'']] and ''[[PL/1]]'', ''PowerHouse'' substantially cut the amount of labour required to produce useful applications on its chosen platforms. It achieved this through the featuresuse provided byof a central data-dictionary, a compiled file that extended the attributes of data fields natively available in nativethe DBMS with freqently used programming idioms such as display masks, help and message strings, range and pattern checks, help and information texts. To accomplish this PowerHouse was tightly coupled by design to the underlying database management system that predominated on each of the target platforms. In the case of the ''HP3000'' this was the ''Image'' shallow-network DBMS and the entire language reflected its origins.:

However, even at its introduction and throughout its life, ''PowerHouse'' was not without its detractors. Like all [[virtual machine]] languages, PowerHouse had an extraordinary appetite for CPU cycles. On machines that usually ran at speeds considerably less than 40MHz this commonly produced a visibly negative impact on overall transaction performance, frequently necessitating hardware upgrades of considerable expense. It did not endear ''PowerHouse'' to its users that this expense was usually exacerbated by ''Cognos''' own voracious appetite for licence fees tied to hardware performance metrics.

* display masks

* help and message strings

* range and pattern checks

* help and information texts.

In order to support the data dictionary PowerHouse was tightly coupled to the underlying database management system on each of the target platforms. In the case of the HP3000 this was the ''Image'' shallow-network DBMS, and the entire PowerHouse language reflected its origins.

Regardless, ''PowerHouse'' was eventually overtaken by events. The radical changes wrought by the PC revolution, which began just at the time ''PowerHouse'' was introduced, eventually brought down the cost of host computers to such an extent that high priced software development tools, and ''PowerHouse'' was very high priced, became a hard sell. Although ''PowerHouse'' is still available and continues to receive occasional minor updates, by 1999 ''Cognos'' had all but ceased further development of ''PowerHouse'' on mid-range computers in favour of newer product lines. Products like ''Business Intelligence'' and ''Axiant'' that run on commodity architectures as well as high-end ''Unix'' servers now form the core of ''Cognos Corporation'''s business.

Like all [[virtual machine]] languages PowerHouse is CPU intensive.{{fact}} On machines running at speeds considerably less than 40MHz this produced a visibly negative impact on overall transaction performance, frequently necessitating hardware upgrades. ''Cognos'' practice of tying license fees to hardware performance metrics resulted in high licensing costs for PowerHouse users.{{fact}}

== Migration to the PC ==

AnCognos earlyattempted to move to the [[Intel]] platform in 1988 (''PowerHouse PC'') provedbut abortivewas unsuccessful at that time. Nonetheless However, Cognos eventually produced Axiant (c.1995), which effectively ported PowerHouse-like syntax to an ''Intel'' -based MS-Windows[[Microsoft styleWindows]] visual development environment and linked it to [[SQL]] aware [[DBMS]] running on these machines. On theThe mid-rangeradical systemschanges attemptswrought to extendby the usefulPC liferevolution, ofwhich began just at the time ''PowerHouse'' inwas anintroduced, ageeventually ofbrought [[Worlddown Widethe Web|web-aware]]cost applicationsof ledhost computers to thesuch an extent that high-priced software development oftools such as ''PowerHouse Web''became (c.unattractive 1999)to customers.{{fact}}

Regardless, ''PowerHouse'' was eventually overtaken by events. The radical changes wrought by the PC revolution, which began just at the time ''PowerHouse'' was introduced, eventually brought down the cost of host computers to such an extent that high priced software development tools, and ''PowerHouse'' was very high priced, became a hard sell. Although ''PowerHouse'' is still available and continues to receive occasional minor updates, by 1999 ''Cognos'' had all but ceased further development of ''PowerHouse'' on mid-range computers in favour of newer product lines. Around [[1999]] ''Powerhouse Web'' was released in order to support the development [[World Wide Web|web-aware]] applications.{{fact}} Products like ''Business Intelligence'' and ''Axiant'' that run on commodity architectures as well as high-end ''Unix'' servers now form the core of ''Cognos Corporation'''s business.

==External links==