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Omnis 7 | Omnis Studio 11

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We have worked with thousands of developers on converting their applications, allowing them to achieve even greater success in their business (our case studies demonstrate this, and are available on request). We have a deep knowledge of how to manage the required conversion process and what is the best approach, and we have built up a comprehensive set of conversion tools for different aspects.
We understand that such a conversion may be your first project of this kind. We have a team of consultants who have vast experience of working on many different conversion projects and can also recommend a group of Omnis developers in different regions who are specialised in conversion consultancy.

We help you with:

  • Omnis 7 to Studio conversion
  • Omnis DML to SQL conversion
  • Omnis V2 DAMs to V3 DAMs conversion
  • Omnis Studio 4 or earlier to latest version (incl. Non-Unicode to Unicode)

A typical conversion project

Well to be honest, there is no ‘typical’ conversion project as each application and each set of code is different. However, these are the recommended steps for migrating your application:

One of our conversion experts will analyse your application in 1 – 2 days with regards to the desired target, contents, size, code etc. Of course we are prepared to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with you and will treat all your information confidentially. If possible this work should be performed onsite as it may require a lot of background information from you and your engineers.
Based on this analysis, we will provide you with a rough estimate of the conversion project (resources required, duration, general approach) on which you can base your business decision.
Of course our estimate is without any obligation for you. You can decide if, when and how you want to convert.
Conversion cannot be done by pressing a button and getting a fully converted library. It is a step by step process. It may also require some changes to your code in your existing version, before conversion, and other changes later in the new version. And special issues require special tools; that is why our conversion tools have grown over the years and over many successful conversions so that we now have a solution for – almost – every issue.

If you want to start the conversion based on the results of step 1 + 2, it depends entirely on your business decision whether you would prefer to work on it with your existing team of engineers, with project management from one of our senior consultants, or whether you decide to use your existing resources and have our consultants or one of our partners do the actual conversion work, and afterwards hand it over to your team to enable them to maintain and enhance the new code in the future.

You do not necessarily have to convert your entire application in one big project. Under certain circumstances, you could also convert module by module as Omnis Classic and Omnis Studio libraries can access the same database.

At the end of the conversion process, and prior to your beta test, we recommend you have another session with our consultant to check whether some code optimisation is possible, and to advise you about the future handling of any obsolete commands and other parts that have been converted to the latest Studio version but do not, as yet, use the Studio approach. Our consultant can also give you an outline of a strategy to integrate Studio features, such as making full use of object orientation, or adding the Omnis JavaScript Client to modules or your entire application.

We know conversion can be a daunting prospect, but together we can migrate and greatly optimize your application, leading to further business success well into the future.

What next?

  • If you have an Omnis 7 application and would like to discuss your conversion options, please contact us and we would be delighted to discuss your requirements.
  • If you’re thinking about converting your Omnis 7 app, but would like to know more about Omnis Studio first, please register for one of our free, online Webinars.
  • Or if you still have further technical questions, you might like to read our Conversion FAQ.

Omnis 7 Conversion FAQs

So what are the main differences between Omnis 7 and Omnis Studio?

Omnis Studio is object-oriented, has a completely new and very productive Method Editor, a new and integrated design environment, full support of the latest operating systems and, most important, it includes the Omnis JavaScript Client technology for the efficient development of web and mobile apps including standalone mobile solutions. All the improvements in Omnis Studio mean more attractive and user-friendly UIs, a shorter learning curve, faster and more productive development, multiple deployment options, and easier maintenance: these all add up to lower costs and a shorter time to market.

Can I convert my Omnis 7 version 3 applications to Omnis Studio?

Yes you can, but the conversion has to go in two or three steps: Omnis Studio (v3 or 4 only) converts Omnis 7.3 applications automatically, you need to open your old Omnis 7.3 library in Omnis Studio v3 or v4 and the converter is launched automatically. For this conversion step we will provide you with a free (time-limited) Studio 3 or 4 Trial version.
The majority of simple applications will convert, and they will function in the same way as before. However some large or more complex applications will require some attention following conversion. The effort involved in the conversion process must be weighed against the longer term benefits of upgrading to Omnis Studio and taking advantage of its new features.
You can even convert applications created with Omnis 7 version 2 or earlier to Omnis Studio by first converting them to Omnis 7.3. A similar case applies to converting Omnis data files: Omnis Studio v3 or v4 will attempt to convert Omnis 7.3 data files automatically, while you must convert data files created with Omnis 7 version 2 or earlier to Omnis Studio by first converting them to Omnis 7.3. For very old Omnis data files, such as those created with Omnis 3, Omnis 5, or in some cases Omnis 7 version 1 or 2, it may be worth exporting the data from your old data file and importing it into a new Omnis Studio data file.

Once your application is converted and running on Studio 3 or 4, it can be converted easily to the latest Omnis Studio 10.21 release. However, at this stage you also have to take care of the conversion to Unicode as Studio 5 and higher releases are Unicode-only.

What type of things can I convert?

You can convert your old code that accesses Omnis Datafiles (called the Omnis Data Manipulation or DML) to generic code that can access any type Relational Database using SQL. If you are already using SQL code in your app, but what we called the old “V2 DAMs”, then we will help you convert to the new DAM technology, what we call the “V3 DAMs”, which use special object based methods which are more efficient, secure and suited to modern databases. And your old app might be accessing old Non-Unicode data, but again we can help you move your application to Unicode, so you can support a larger range of languages, character sets and symbols.

Can I convert really old Omnis applications to Omnis Studio?

Yes you can but the fewer conversion processes an application has been through the more successfully it will convert to Omnis Studio. For very old Omnis applications, such as those created with Omnis 3, Omnis 5, or even Omnis 7 version 1 or 2, it might be worth converting a library containing your file formats only (called file classes in Studio), then in Omnis 7.3 creating basic windows and reports based on those file formats (file classes), and then converting the new library to Omnis Studio, or alternatively doing all the GUI design work in Omnis Studio.

Will Omnis Studio break my old code?

The majority of code in your Omnis 7.3 application will continue to work in Omnis Studio (v3 or 4 only), and the converter will convert some pieces of code as necessary and highlight any potential problem areas. We recommend that you convert your old application and, when time permits, rewrite parts of it to take advantage of the new objects and OO features in Omnis Studio.

Do I need to use OO programming in my converted Omnis 7.3 application?

No. All the OO features added in Omnis Studio are there to be used if you want. The majority of code in your old library will continue to work in Omnis Studio v3 or v4. For example, Omnis Studio has a new event handling mechanism, but your old event handling code (If #CLICK..End If) will continue to work. Of course we recommend you use the new OO way of doing things in Omnis Studio when adding new functionality, or if you’re starting from scratch, then you and your customers get the benefits from the new OO and component technologies in Studio.

Do you provide help for conversion projects?

Yes, we do. Both Omnis Software and several Omnis partners provide professional services to help you get a reliable estimate and project plan for the conversion, project management and direct development for your conversion step. We have worked on hundreds of conversion projects successfully, so we will be able to give you valuable advice about the required resources and the best approach and to support your project directly.

For more details on converting from Omnis 7 to Omnis Studio, please Contact us to arrange a free consultation to discuss your conversion options.

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