SuperCede has a picture of a man that resembles the comic book character Flash'. This character is highly representative of the SuperCede development environment and SuperCede Flash Compiler' technology that allows the developer to modify the code of a running application. This Java development environment allows the user to generate standard Java classes for portability or native executables for Intel-based PCs. SuperCede comes in three flavors: the Java Edition, the Java/Active X edition and the Database Edition. This review concentrates on the Database Edition. The Database Edition is not just a well-written and well-packaged development environment for the Java developer, but also opens the door for Visual Basic and PowerBuilder developers to develop applications in Java that can not only generate enterprise-wide applications for the Intel platform but for any platform the Java Virtual Machine is developed for.

Product Contents
The Database Edition comes on CD with all of the documentation included on the CD. SuperCede, Inc. also included references and advertisements for other SuperCede/Java-compatible add-ons and tools.

Documentation
SuperCede comes with three softbound manuals: a User guide, a First Look manual and a New Features guide. In addition to the manuals, SuperCede Inc. included two tutorials in the form of Adobe Acrobat files. And like most Windows programs, SuperCede came with a context-sensitive Windows Help file. They also have added the "Java Quick Reference Manual" in the form of a Windows Help file to shore up that Java syntax. As far as documentation is concerned, SuperCede has added enough documentation to help the new Java developer become productive and for the experienced Java developer to stay productive. The only additional documentation I would have added is more detailed explanations of the included examples. Although SuperCede does include a Read Me file in the subdirectory of each example, a more detailed step-by-step explanation could help.

Installation
The installation process ran, as expected, without a hitch. Installshield was used to handle installation. The installation process was broken down into three parts: SuperCede Database Edition; MindQ Learning Java with SuperCede; and Starbase's Versions version control software. The process was intelligent enough to trigger environmental values on and off depending on the values. SuperCede Database was installed on both Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. Both install processes ran without a hitch. except that with the NT install the option to install the Visigenic VisiChannel for JDBC was available.

IDE
The integrated development environment is made up of the project manager and the main integrated development environment (see Figure 1). The project manager is used to show all the components' of a given project and their given file location. With the project manager, you can change properties on how a certain component' will be generated or extracted; i.e. class, DLL, exe, from Web page applets to full applications. The project manager also allows the developer to set up two environments to program for, one for debugging and the other for release. For example, a developer may want to have one environment to use one set of classes for debugging and another set of classes for the actual release version. SuperCede uses the idea of the components' metaphor loosely to describe the various parts that make up a project.

SuperCede's main integrated development environment, shown in Figure 1, is designed for at your fingertips' ease of use capability. As you can see, the menus and toolbars are well laid out in a methodological order similar to other Windows programs for user familiarity. The main environment comprises three major sections: the object browser, the form editor and the source editor. The object browser on the left side of Figure 1 allows for easy organization and visibility of the components' that make up your current project. Organization ranges from forms, source files, classes, external files, imported DLLs and content files to compilation order. Of particular interest to you OO people, the class browser will display all of the object's components in alphabetical order or hierarchy order along with the object's members (methods and properties). See Figure 2 for the object browser under Classes section.

The form editor is made up of the form and two palettes. It uses the drag and drop metaphor to allow for drag objects from the palettes to the form. The form includes two palettes: Java Components and Active X Components. Under the form, properties are accessible by doubleclicking on the form or right-clicking and selecting the properties, options for styles, color and size (see Figure 3). The property window is of particular interest because it allows you to modify the properties of all of the objects on a form without having to close and reopen the property window. The file editor also includes easy-to-use navigation rulers and margins on the form with properties set up for uniformity.

The source editor is very easy to use. The actual code can be color coded to the developer's liking along with other options from a document level, display, colors (reserved words, comments, etc.), and find-and-replace. The editor is well integrated with the debugger. In fact, SuperCede, Inc. has added two well known features that Visual Basic users have come to love: toggling breakpoints while editing and adding code during a debugging session. Imagine all the times you were debugging and you have come across areas where it would be nice to add some code and keep going from that point. We will talk more about the debugger's capabilities in the next section. Because the environment is so flexible, SuperCede allows the developer to use an external editor.

Debugger
I once read somewhere in a C programming book for Windows that developers spend 70 percent of their time debugging and 30 percent of their time doing the actual development. The interactive debugger included in SuperCede's Database Edition helps decrease that debugging percentage time greatly by allowing the developer to edit while debugging. The interactive debugger also takes advantage of SuperCede's Pop' Technology and the fast compilation of source code. I rank this debugger up there with Visual C++ and Borland C++ as well as Visual Basic. The debugger includes various windows to view variables, watch specific variables, memory and registers. The debugger also includes a call stack to watch order of function calling. Unique to SuperCede, the Pop' Technology within the debugger allows the developer to restart a function from the beginning. With Pop' technology and editing while debugging alone, SuperCede can potentially double Java development.

Active X
The Java/Active X edition and the Database Edition of SuperCede include support for using Active X controls as components within a SuperCede project. Visual Basic developers will be right at home with using Active X controls here. In fact, to test this capability, I decided to use VB 5 to create a simple label control with masking capability. It worked like a charm. Just like VB, SuperCede supports drag and drop of the Active X control and custom property pages. Unlike VB, SuperCede does not support writing Active X controls, letting a Java program become an Active X document or the data-aware property possessed by some Active X controls. The New Features guide provides a step-by-step guide to using and registering Active X controls. In addition to this, an Active X tutorial is included.

Database Access
Although SuperCede's strong points are its IDE, debugger and Flash Compiler Technology, it also shines when it comes to database access. SuperCede Database Edition supports standard Java Database Connectivity. In fact, SuperCede includes the INTERSOLV JDBC-ODBC Bridge driver and the Visigenic VisiChannel JDBC Driver. In addition, SuperCede, Inc.'s includes a five-simultaneous-user version of Visigenic for JDBC Server for NT, which opens the door to three-tier programming and database access. With these capabilities, the developer can access not only desktop databases like Access and FoxPro but also enterprise databases like Oracle, SQL Server and Sybase. The New Features guide provides a step-by-step guide to using database capabilities. Aside from this, a database tutorial is included, along with other database access examples. SuperCede uses a special version of the jdbc.sql package that includes all the capability of the original jdbc.sql package and more. The jdbc.sql package includes support for the VisiChannel JDBC driver and Bridge driver. And if that was not enough, SuperCede Inc. added support for high-level database interfaces based on Microsoft's Active X Data Objects (ADO) specifications. The form editor's current Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) is data-aware. Furthermore, a database source control (DSC) has been added to allow for easy set up of database connectivity.

Extras
SuperCede Inc. has added a lot of extras to make a great product even better. Some of them are Versions version control by Starbase and ObjectStore PSE for Java, which allows for persistent data storage. In addition, SuperCede includes a number of Java components such as tab controls, status bar, toolbar, masked edit, progress meter, slider, spinner, outline control, charting and many more Java components that can be used in SuperCede projects. And, SuperCede includes a number of Active X controls ranging from memo controls to time controls and many more.

To get the average programmer coming from other languages acclimated to Java, SuperCede, Inc. has included MindQ's multimedia Java training. Other makers of Java development environments should take notes from SuperCede's ability to make the transition from other languages to Java. In fact, for VB programmers, the jump to Java has been made even simpler with integration of TV Objects VB to Java conversion tool in to the SuperCede IDE. SuperCede includes the basic edition of the converter, with a discounted upgrade path to the professional edition.

The current version of SuperCede is version 1.2, which supports Java 1.0.2. However, by the time you read this review, SuperCede will have a free upgrade path available which includes two major upgrades. One is support for Java 1.2 and the other is support for JavaBeansª. You will find information about the free upgrade at www.supercede.com.

Examples and Tutorials
SuperCede, Inc. has included two major tutorials; one is on using the controls that are included and the other is a database tutorial that shows how to use the database feature in SuperCede. The examples included range from basic text manipulation, Active X and OLE to simple game programming, appointment calendar, sorting, fantasy draft and many more. Although the two tutorials were very helpful in becoming familiar with SuperCede, I would have liked to see more detailed step-by-step explanations of the included examples.

Wish List
How can you improve on an already great product? Being the perfectionist, I found a couple of ways. One is to include a simple way to add properties, methods, and events to objects. Along the same lines, a more detailed graphical display of objects would be useful. Another improvement would be an easier way to modify menu objects, maybe a simple graphical menu editor that generates code within a form. And finally, an easier method for creating the SQL code to the database control would be very useful, maybe in the form of a simple SQL Editor that can not only be use in the database control but also to preview and test SQL code.And while we are talking about a wish list, how about an integrated way to create add-ins? For example, developers may want to create wizards to use in their Java development endeavors.

Summary
SuperCede Database Edition includes everything a Java developer may need. The Flash Compiler Technology, Active X support, great debugger, JavaBeans support and at your fingertips' ease of use raises the bar not only for just Java application tools but other Rapid Application Development environments as well. I highly recommend this tool. In fact, I