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= Visual Expert = |
= Visual Expert = |
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Visual Expert is a [[Static program analysis|static program analyzer]], extracting design and technical information from software [[source code]] by [[Reverse engineering|reverse-engineering]], used by programmers for software maintenance <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a213470.pdf|title=The challenge of software maintenance costing|last=Dr Kankey|first=Roland D|date=19 October 1989|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> |
Visual Expert is a [[Static program analysis|static program analyzer]], extracting design and technical information from software [[source code]] by [[Reverse engineering|reverse-engineering]], used by programmers for software maintenance <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a213470.pdf|title=The challenge of software maintenance costing|last=Dr Kankey|first=Roland D|date=19 October 1989|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> , modernization<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerweekly.com/essentialguide/Essential-guide-to-application-modernisation#guideSection2|title=Essential guide to application modernisation|last=|first=|date=|website=Computer Weekly|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> or optimization. |
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== Features == |
== Features == |
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* Code exploration: [[Call graph|call graphs]], [[Create, read, update and delete|CRUD matrix]], [[File comparison|cross-references]], [[Dependency graph|dependency graphs]] <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://guru-powerbuilder.blogspot.fr/2008/10/visual-expert-for-powerbuilder.html|title=Visual Expert for PowerBuilder|last=|first=|date=15 October 2008|website=PowerBuilder Guru|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>. |
* Code exploration: [[Call graph|call graphs]], [[Create, read, update and delete|CRUD matrix]], [[File comparison|cross-references]], [[Dependency graph|dependency graphs]] <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://guru-powerbuilder.blogspot.fr/2008/10/visual-expert-for-powerbuilder.html|title=Visual Expert for PowerBuilder|last=|first=|date=15 October 2008|website=PowerBuilder Guru|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> <ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.powerbuildertv.com/index.php/en/2014-01-09-07-56-51/powerbuilder-product-reviews/719-become-familiar-with-a-new-application-with-visual-expert|title=Become familiar with a new application!|last=Mikhailovsky|first=George|date=|website=www.powerbuildertv.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>. |
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* Software documentation: a [[documentation generator]] produces [[Software documentation|technical documentation]] and [[Low-level design|low-level design descriptions]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://billgreen.sys-con.com/node/42481|title=Visual Expert v4.5 Review|last=Green|first=Bill|date=1 September 2002|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=September 1, 2002|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>. |
* Software documentation: a [[documentation generator]] produces [[Software documentation|technical documentation]] <ref name=":3" /> and [[Low-level design|low-level design descriptions]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://billgreen.sys-con.com/node/42481|title=Visual Expert v4.5 Review|last=Green|first=Bill|date=1 September 2002|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=September 1, 2002|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>. |
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* Code comparison: [[File comparison|finds differences]] between several versions of the same code. |
* Code comparison: [[File comparison|finds differences]] between several versions of the same code. |
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* [[Automated code review]]: calculates [[Software metric|software metrics]] and [[source lines of code]]. Finds [[Unreachable code|unused objects and methods]]. Identifies [[Duplicate code|duplicate objects]]. Controls [[Naming convention (programming)|naming conventions]]. |
* [[Automated code review]]: calculates [[Software metric|software metrics]] and [[source lines of code]] <ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://powerbuildercentral.com/index.php/en/powerbuilder-resources-blog-forum/product-reviews/item/603-visual-expert-product-review|title=Visual Expert In the Real World|last=Aumen|first=Bill|date=9 May 2005|website=www.powerbuildercentral.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>. Finds [[Unreachable code|unused objects and methods]]. Identifies [[Duplicate code|duplicate objects]]. Controls [[Naming convention (programming)|naming conventions]]. |
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== Usage == |
== Usage == |
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* 1995- 1998 - Prog and Doc - Initial version distributed on the French market <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web-beta.archive.org/web/19970707152457fw_/http://www.eurelys.com:80/fr/prog&doc.htm|title=Prog & Doc (french page from Web Archive)|last=|first=|date=7 July 1997|website=Eurelys|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> |
* 1995- 1998 - Prog and Doc - Initial version distributed on the French market <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web-beta.archive.org/web/19970707152457fw_/http://www.eurelys.com:80/fr/prog&doc.htm|title=Prog & Doc (french page from Web Archive)|last=|first=|date=7 July 1997|website=Eurelys|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> |
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* 2001 - Visual Expert 4.5<ref name=":0" /> |
* 2001 - Visual Expert 4.5<ref name=":0" /> |
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* 2003 - Visual Expert 5 |
* 2003 - Visual Expert 5 <ref name=":4" /> |
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* 2007 - Visual Expert 5.7<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chrispollach.sys-con.com/node/365638|title=Visual expert 5.7 released|last=Pollach|first=Chris|date=April 23, 2007|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brucearmstrong.org/2007/04/visual-expert-57-build-7420.html|title=Visual Expert 5.7|last=Armstrong|first=Bruce|date=April 27, 2007|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> |
* 2007 - Visual Expert 5.7<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chrispollach.sys-con.com/node/365638|title=Visual expert 5.7 released|last=Pollach|first=Chris|date=April 23, 2007|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brucearmstrong.org/2007/04/visual-expert-57-build-7420.html|title=Visual Expert 5.7|last=Armstrong|first=Bruce|date=April 27, 2007|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> |
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* 2010 - Visual Expert 6.0<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dbta.com/Editorial/News-Flashes/Novalys-Introduces-Visual-Expert-60-54481.aspx|title=Novalys introduces Visual Expert 6.0|last=|first=|date=23 April 2009|website=DBTA|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> |
* 2010 - Visual Expert 6.0<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dbta.com/Editorial/News-Flashes/Novalys-Introduces-Visual-Expert-60-54481.aspx|title=Novalys introduces Visual Expert 6.0|last=|first=|date=23 April 2009|website=DBTA|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 13:22, 24 May 2017
Template:New unreviewed article
| Developer(s) | Novalys |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 1995 |
| Written in | C# |
| Operating system | Windows |
| Available in | English, Japanese, Spanish, French |
| Type | Code analysis tools |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | https://www.visual-expert.com/ |
Visual Expert
Visual Expert is a static program analyzer, extracting design and technical information from software source code by reverse-engineering, used by programmers for software maintenance [1] , modernization[2] or optimization.
Features
- Code exploration: call graphs, CRUD matrix, cross-references, dependency graphs [3] [4].
- Software documentation: a documentation generator produces technical documentation [4] and low-level design descriptions[5].
- Code comparison: finds differences between several versions of the same code.
- Automated code review: calculates software metrics and source lines of code [6]. Finds unused objects and methods. Identifies duplicate objects. Controls naming conventions.
Usage
Visual Expert is used in several contexts:
- Change impact analysis: evaluating the consequences of a change in the code or in a database. Avoiding negative side effects when evolving a system.
- Program comprehension: helping programmers understand and maintain existing code, or modernize legacy systems. Transferring knowledge of the code, from one programmer to another.
- Software sizing: calculating the size of an application, or a piece of code, in order to estimate development efforts.
- Code review: auditing source code, in order to discover issues, such as dead code, code causing poor performances or violations of programming conventions.
Limitations
- As a static code analyzer, Visual Expert is limited to the programming languages supported by its code parsers - Oracle PL/SQL, SQL Server Transact-SQL, PowerBuilder.
- A preliminary reverse engineering is required, with a duration depending on the size of the code parsed. Users must wait for the parsing completion prior to using the features, or schedule it in advance.
- Visual Expert is based on a client/server architecture: the code analysis is running on a windows PC - preferably a server. The information extracted from the code is stored in a RDBMS, communicating with a client application installed on the programmer’s computer - no web client available. This implies that the code, the parsers, the RDBMS and the programmers’ computers are connected to the same LAN or VPN.
History
- 1995- 1998 - Prog and Doc - Initial version distributed on the French market [7]
- 2001 - Visual Expert 4.5[5]
- 2003 - Visual Expert 5 [6]
- 2007 - Visual Expert 5.7[3][8][9]
- 2010 - Visual Expert 6.0[10]
- 2015 - Visual Expert 2015 - Server component added to schedule code analyses[11]
- 2016 - Visual Expert 2016 - New Oracle PL/SQL code parser[11]
- 2017 - Visual Expert 2017 - Code comparison, CRUD matrix, SQL Server T-SQL code parser[11]
References
- ^ Dr Kankey, Roland D (19 October 1989). "The challenge of software maintenance costing" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Essential guide to application modernisation". Computer Weekly.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b "Visual Expert for PowerBuilder". PowerBuilder Guru. 15 October 2008.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b Mikhailovsky, George. "Become familiar with a new application!". www.powerbuildertv.com.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b Green, Bill (1 September 2002). "Visual Expert v4.5 Review".
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=requires|archive-url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b Aumen, Bill (9 May 2005). "Visual Expert In the Real World". www.powerbuildercentral.com.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Prog & Doc (french page from Web Archive)". Eurelys. 7 July 1997.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Pollach, Chris (April 23, 2007). "Visual expert 5.7 released".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Armstrong, Bruce (April 27, 2007). "Visual Expert 5.7".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Novalys introduces Visual Expert 6.0". DBTA. 23 April 2009.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b c Novalys. "Visual Expert Update List". Visual Expert.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help)