ProIV
ProIV is a RAD (Rapid Application Development) application originally designed by Suchil Garg and developed by his Uncle, Vijay Garg. It is written in C which means it can run on several platforms, and is driven by bytecode that contains the nuts and bolts of the developed application. The bytecode is generated when either a screen, menu, update or report is compiled (or "genned"). Complete systems can be built up quickly and cost-efficiently. ProIV has a client-server architecture so that implementations are scalable. It can be used to build a variety of applications types.
The look and feel of a ProIV front end can vary, as there are different editions supplying the retro look and feel of a 1970's data input screen, or it can be made to look "virtually" up to date, with windows, buttons and clickable icons on toolbars. However, the promise of the latest front ends do not measure up to their actual capabilities (see below). Its pre-compiled navigation and user interface makes ProIV unsuitable for an application that demands a more sophisticated graphical front end.
ProIV code can be built using a variety of tools like Pro-Aide, SuperLayer, or via the standard @MODX functionality. The only limitation here is that such tools are themselves built in ProIV, and the ProIV code is stored in Pro-Isam files. These are proprietary to ProIV and makes development and integration with non-ProIV derived tools virtually impossible. In spite of these problems, ProIV has been around for a long time, and is likely to survive for several more decades yet.
ProIV VIP
The latest edition of ProIV is called the "VIP" suite. Unfortunately this version of ProIV attempts to become a Windows compatible application. It is not. What’s more, the original straightforward architecture of ProIV (one of its strengths) has been replaced with a whole series of spurious toolbars and confusing screens. This front end is loved or loathed by those who have to use it.
A strange clue that VIP is a retrograde step was recognised as I built this site. It’s an anagram for P(ro)IV - in reverse...
Read more at the Pro IV resource centre for discussion forums and bug info. (This is an unofficial site).
