General
What is AlphaSimple?
AlphaSimple is a web-based tool for rapid and solid application development. AlphaSimple is a model-centric tool: once you model your solution, you can write acceptance tests, generate a prototype for early evaluation, and generate code for your target platform.
Who is AlphaSimple for?
Teams building custom enterprise applications that want to do it fast and right!
Modeling
Why the emphasis on domain models?
The business domain model is the blueprint of an enterprise application. Inaccuracies in the domain model are the most expensive to address as they percolate to all parts of the application. Functional prototypes driven by domain models allow all stakeholders to validate early in the project how requirements are going to be addressed by the application to be built.
Why a textual notation, what is wrong with the graphical one?
Short answer: AlphaSimple is a tool for creating well-formed detailed models that are fully executable. A textual notation works better for describing and showing the details, whereas the graphical notation is more suited for providing an overview of the system. Long answer: please read this.
Why not use UML?
AlphaSimple models are UML models.
Prototoyping
Why would I need a functional prototype? A wireframe prototype is all I need!
Wireframe prototypes are great for defining the look and feel of an application, the interaction flow. It is a good step on the right direction, but that covers only one aspect of enterprise application development, and not the most critical one.
Why would I need a functional prototype? A requirement specification document is all I need!
Requirement documents are written in free prose. It is just too easy to write requirements that are ambiguous, inaccurate, incomplete, or incompatible with other requirements. Those kinds of mistakes will often go uncovered until a developer tries to implement the software, and sometimes are only noticed after delivery. AlphaSimple brings requirement analysis and solution design close together, greatly reducing the gap between intended and actual solutions.
Why would I need a functional prototype? We use UML diagrams!
The main problem with UML diagrams is that customers cannot read them, so they do not help uncover inaccuracies that only end-users would be able to notice. Non-technical stakeholders have no problem figuring out whether an application satisfies their requirements once the application is up and running. Functional prototypes are the closest thing to the complete application, and with AlphaSimple, you can build them at a tiny fraction of the cost and time. And, by the way, AlphaSimple models are UML models.
Code generation
What target platforms does AlphaSimple support?
At this time, there is some preliminary support for Java POJOs and JPA DAOs. If you are looking for support for other languages, let us know! (see how at the bottom of this page)
Can I add support for my own target platforms?
Yes! All target platforms are implemented as AlphaSimple projects. Any “built-in” platforms are not really built-in and were created using AlphaSimple.
What template language does AlphaSimple use?
AlphaSimple uses StringTemplate, a simple yet powerful open-source template framework.
Still have a question? Speak your mind! Head to the community site and start a thread, or send a message to support. Choose the venue you prefer, and you will get a response soon.