Creative Soft- & Hardware

CARA Script-Engine / Script-Interpreter

CARA is the scripting language for developing database applications for the Windows operating system.

CARA is made available through the Creative Software & Hardware GbR (CSH) to GNU General Public License, the responsible developer is Dieter Dasberg.

The 4GL scripting language CARA is developed since 1992, first in Pascal, Delphi, and is the successor to the predecessor engine, that was the basis for database software on the DOS operating system.

CARA (create any relational-database application) presented a RAD environment (rapid application development) and with whose help it is possible to build applications and database changes - even made during productive state - very quickly.

Among many other things, repeating functional requirements for database applications are done by the interpreter and do not require complicated programming. CARA provides comprehensive support for embedded SQL, ie. database querys can directly entered into the script code.

Moreover, the scripting language provides some points of abstraction layers that allow the programmer to develop his application, regardless of different conditions in the customer premises. An example is the linking of databases. To this end, the scripting language offers ANSI SQL, expanded to several features, adjusted by the interpreter according to the connected database. This layer is optional for protocol purposes and is used for database usage profiles. CARA is currently supporting the databases DB/2, Informix, Oracle, MS SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Interbase, Sybase, iAnywhere, PervasiveSQL, Paradox, dBase, Foxpro, MS-Access and all by ODBC and ADO drivers addressable SQL databases.

On the server side, the system is not tied to any platform, because the software will be provided on a network drive that is available for every need and popular system of the supported databases. By IBM Enablement (successful) test for the X-Series, P-Series and System-I, including AS400 before.

The interpreter itself is available for all current Windows operating systems (from Windows 95 to Windows Vista and even Windows 7).

Top special features:

CARA provides for datastorage SuperUniqueRecordIDs, which automatically create a reference list of all records of all tables with an absolutely one by one record ID on the entire application.
The automatic logging of all changes of data from user dialogues can give information on date, time and user of the process anytime.
VirtualDelete makes it possible to log deletions in the application and to undelete too. The deleted data can either be viewed via the standard dialogs and also give information about the date, time and user of release of the deletion.
The built in managing-modules for notes, document management and appointments are available for each dialog element or all of the records of all tables with no additional programming needed.
Wildcard search, text search and phonetics search must not be explicitly implemented by the developer in any dialogue element, as these are integral elements of the user dialogs.
All GUI user settings are automatically saved and loaded on restarting.
The application logs all log on and log off operations of the user. Although remote accesses to the database. This local time differences can e.g. offset due to different time zones.
The interpreter can run an SSH encrypted tunnel for MySQL databases eg. to build a central server.
With enabled client administration an application can automatically keep up to 42 clients in parallel and exchange data interactively with each other and can even participate either on the same data.
The Export tool allows users to export from all SQL queries to the following formats: XLS, DOC, PDF, DBF, XML, HTML, RTF, TXT, CSV, DIF, SQL, SYLK, LaTeX, and of course the clipboard. The export tool can also be raised from the scripting language and enables the output of data in these native formats.
The Query-configurator allows the user to access the data made available by the programmer lists (SQL Views) freely and adjust according to their own needs, without compromising the functionality.
Database applications can access multiple databases at the same time.
With the Easy Setup Tool CARA applications can be installed easily and quickly.
By CARA Smtp mailer serial mails can be sent directly from applications.
CARA applications are delivered with the CARA License Manager, a concurrent client that allows to manage any number of installations that are shared by the licensed number of users. In the multiple-launch the application is detected on a client and not double counted. So the license model can be used for on-demand and SaaS approaches (software as a service).
The model implemented in CARA rights management is immediately available in any application and can represent models, groups and individuals' rights systems to each application menu. It can define write, read, update and deletion are rights, hierarchical models, as well as export and configuration rights defined in each case independently of one another.
With the specially for the script interpreter engine developed CALI interface (CARA link) can external programs trigger scripts and processes of a CARA application directly and bring a simple and unproblematic interaction. This is achieved through the application of CALI Watchdog files.
With CATA (create any telnet application), an in house project developed by Joseph Brauer, can telnet applications be created that interact with CARA applications. An example is the control of WiFi barcode readers with Telnet client, which will be paired with a database application.
With CAWA , (create any web application), an in house project developed by "the UNI team", Manuel Bandmann, Joseph Brauer, Benedict de Lauso, Marc Deusser and Acun Gursoy the consistent and uncompromising development of CARA engine for its realization of Web applications has been done. This is a PHP web class library, which indirectly by CALI in hybrid and native or terminal can communicate solutions with a CARA application.
The telephony solutions "OSITRON CTI" (http://www.ositron.com) by Ositron and "CATS" (http://www.cats.ms) by SPUeNTRUP exist interfaces that can be addressed directly from a script in the application.
In the CARA a graphic print engine is implemented, which include can be used as a report generator.