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All,
I would be interested to hear from anyone who is using a Rapid Application Development tool for developing transactional websites.

Firstly, by transactional website I really mean the kind of website where users can perform 'self-service' type functions using web forms to view and update database information (eg take a page where prospective students might apply for course materials/prospectus - I don't mean a simple html form which users complete and an email is generated, but imagine a form which had advanced features such as dynamic, database driven picklists for selecting departments etc, had advanced features such as address checking based on postcode and eventually directly entered details of the request directly into our Enquiry Tracking database). Other examples would be viewing/amending personnel details, displaying/booking meeting rooms, displaying/selecting optional course modules etc

Secondly by Rapid Application Development I suppose I really mean tools which require close to zero programming. Although we could achieve the above with technologies such as ASP and JSP pages etc, I am looking to find a tool which provides an extremely graphical development environment where workflows, forms etc are dragged graphically and the resultant code is automatically generated.

A couple of products I have heard of which I think are the kind of tools I am interested in are Omnis Studio and Noetica CR, but have not yet investigated these.

I think I am looking for product names, a feel for how 'rapid' the application development really can be and examples of what have been achieved with such systems.

If I get a few replies, I will collate and send back to the group.

Thanks in advance,

Peter Kirk
Business Systems Team B Leader
IT Services
University of Surrey
Guildford, Surrey
GU2 7XH

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