New in version 2.2

Support of external databases

Until now Aware IM was only "aware" of the databases it managed itself. Connecting to existing databases required a specially written plug-in. Well, not any more! Aware IM 2.2 can now connect to any existing database (like PostgreSQL, Sybase, Informix, Oracle, etc.), in fact to any data source that has a JDBC driver to search, read and update data.

What's more, Aware IM does it in its signature simple and intuitive way. You just need to point to the existing database location and hit the Discover button - and that's it! Aware IM will automatically read the database tables and convert them into Aware IM objects and attributes. You can then add rules and choose presentation options as if they were native Aware IM objects.

So, if Aware IM can now work with existing databases, should you bother re-designing them and converting to native Aware IM objects? The short answer is yes. Why? Simply because Aware IM does not own the external databases and therefore cannot do some wonderful things as it can with the native objects. Things like changing attributes within objects, using multiple object types in a single query, controlling database transactions, and more.

So if you have an existing database used by a live legacy application, you can now access the database from Aware IM. However, if you are replacing a legacy application, you should seriously consider converting the database into native Aware IM objects to get full benefits of Aware IM automation.

Native charts in reports and presentations

Another eagerly anticipated addition to the powerful Aware IM reporting engine is the native support for charts. Just choose from the data shown in your reports and pick the desired chart style! It's all dialog-based and a handy preview instantaneously shows you what your chart is going to look like the moment you change any of the numerous presentation options.

What's more, you can insert charts into PDF reports (handy for printing and emailing) as well as display them in a browser page. As usual, no programming or scripting required!

A brand new sample application was prepared specifically to demonstrate how to work with charts in reports. Just run it to generate sample reports. You will also find a detailed description of the sample reports in the User Guide.