TCB - 21st Century Software
Introduction
TCB can create and run computer solutions (programs) for most common business and personal computer solution applications. The programs and systems created with TCB are created without any computer program coding. A screenclip showing four TCB programs on screen is below. At the top is a task bar. The menu window overlays a Contacts program window and a Calendar program window.
These applications can be fully database capable using the industry standard SQL database query language and standalone, server-less, SQL databases. SQL, the databases, queries, all of that is completely transparent to the end user. The solution designer has complete control of all objects that appear in a TCB program window and how the process window and the objects it contains behave.
TCB is a new technology. Only two other companies ever seem to have seriously tried to create programs without coding. The Competition section has a brief description of them. Although TCB is programmed in Windows, it is designed to run on Apple, Linux and other comparable systems.
TCB can be used to create programs that function like any hard-coded computer program. The terms process and TCB program are used interchangeably throughout these documents. TCB programs can be stored as disk files but TCB is designed to store and run TCB programs from a database. Most of the processes used in this distribution are stored on disk to make it easier for the initial user of the system to modify them while developing a system.
Below is a graphic showing a TCB development system screen with four open TCB program windows in it. They include the top task bar and the other three open windows.
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The TCB programs can stored in a database after the application is complete. The complete TCB system is comprised of a a development system for creating TCB programs and a run-time system for running those TCB programs.
The development system consists of several hard-coded computer programs and a set of TCB programs that aid the development effort and help set up an enterprise.
The run-time system consists of tcb.exe, a single hard-coded program, and a small set of special purpose utilities to facilitate running a target application or system. Of course there is/are the TCB program(s) and the set of methods that comprise an application or information system designed for a particular purpose. A TCB application may only require the main TCB run-time and a single process that is the application.
Furthermore, since the end user can have the ability to modify a TCB program, the responsibility for maintenance and support shifts to the end user when he/she customizes the application you sold them. They own it! A TCB program can be a document viewer, a calendar program, an address book, a graphics library, a video and sound console. TCB programs can be used to create an entire accounting system or a retail store system,.
TCB is for most anything you can think of wanting to do with a computer. So maybe you want your address book to be able to dial a phone number or compose and send an email. Maybe you want to create some custom task bars, track your medications, track current files and folders. Whatever!!
This means that the database is never really opened in TCB at all! Even a power interruption will not cause data corruption using this method of data access.
Except for the development processes, most of the almost 100 TCB programs included were not developed as part of anything in particular. They were developed to test TCB and provide useful applications for myself. Except for cross-industry software such as a word processor, all of the software I use to manage my personal data is TCB. And that has been for about 3 years now and no problems.
Note: An entire application, a Personal Information Management Systsem is contained within this distribution and is available from several development menus. The PIMS was not created using the development system at all! It was created entirely with notepad!
Below is a graphic showing an XP screen with seven TCB program windows from PIMS start-up in it. The include the top task bar program, a menu program in the center of the screen, a message program and four more programs shown as icons in the top right of the screen. Those icons will toggle open the program window it controls. That toggle is initiated by simply passing over one of the icons with the mouse cursor.
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Note that when the PIMS is run, it terminates all TCB programs currently running before it appears. The only way to get back to the development system is to run xmenu.exe or tcb.exe.
TCB Avatars are implemented using bootable media with a selection of operating systems, including a PE version of Windows XP. The primary operating systems used are versions of Linux.
It is anticipated that the existing Java version of the TCB run-time will be scaled to add Android and iPhone based systems to the list of systems TCB runs on.
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TCB Runs On
TCB runs on any computer system running a MS Windows operating system. TCB is designed to be extremely portable and runs on Linux, Apple and other systems with WINE, Bordeaux, Crossover, PlayOnLinux or simular emulation software installed. TCB runs on:
TCB Avatar
An Avatar doesn't even need a hard drive installed in a system. Everything needed to access and run all your programs and data is "in the box." The target system only needs to be able to boot from an external drive and have a monitor, mouse and keyboard. Alternatively, copy two folders from the Avatar to a hard drive and the entire system will run from your hard drive with no changes.
TCB Avatars are free. Pay postage and handling, and the cost of the Avatar device ($12 - $$$) itself. Send us a device or we will purchase for you.
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New Technology
TCB is truly new technology. It will change the way specific areas of computer usage will be programmed for end users. The first over-riding premise of this technology is no coding.
Another premise is that any system developed must be portable, i.e., not unduly bound to any hardware or operating system. A third premise is that end users should be able to use any development system without special training. A fourth premises is that systems must be end user extensible, that is the owner of a TCB system can change it at will without coding.
Start-ups using TCB can create vertical market software solutions that the VM biggies such as IBM, Cielo and Accenture will find it extremely difficult to compete on a cost and support basis.
Schools and universities will find they can teach Information Technology without the distraction of students first having to learn a set of programming languages. And, TCB will spawn a universe of copy-cats. More importantly, TCB presages the creation of other such generators for specific information processing universes. For example, we are developing COPS (Community Organization and Practice System), a system that does the same thing for Governmental and non-governmental organizations that TCB does for personal and business systems.
On August 9, 2009, I completed a search of the Internet looking for any technology that allowed a computer to be programmed for most business and personal applications without program coding. That search can up empty and I decided to revisit a system I created in the early 80s for the PCs that existed at that time. That old system was successful and I became a millionaire froma single license.
New development consisted of revisiting a theory I developed to create my old product. The resulted in adding two more postulates to the theory. I first ported a columnar report writer to the new system. Then I created the menu structures I would need.
Early in 2010 the first TCB run-time was completed. TCB has gone through several incarnations resulting in this distribution. TCB is being made available for interested parties to evaluate the TCB run-time's capability to provide a tool that lends itself to running custom, user created "processes" that provide solutions to common business problems.
There really is no competition because TCB is a new technology! The only systems today that lend themselves to some what efficient programming are things like Agile Software Development, six sigma management, zero defects coding, and Total Quality Management, all filled with expensive convoluted garbage. These systems almost always introduce new (read dangerous) code into a system. There are programming tools such as integrated development environments (IDEs) to speed up the coding process. These also introduce new code into a system. New code is how bugs are introduced into an existing running system.
We have found two softwares that claim to create computer solutions without coding. One is Microsoft with its Project Siena. It only runs on Win8 tablets (as of 2014). It was introduced in the last quarter of 2013. However, Siena is more of an idea than something that can create an information system or a really serious business accounting application. Siena is tightly bound to Windows and proprietary Microsoft functions that require significant expertise. Siena has its own "language" and an xml structure that is virtually un-readable.
The other is something called PWCT or Programming Without Coding Technology. The Technology part is just another complex programming language! It says without coding when, in fact, PWCT is a proprietary programming language that produces code. In my opinion, the minimum level of knowledge to use PWCT is at least a batchelor's degree in computer science! PWCT has to be installed. The PWCT installer is 55mb. TCB's distribution ZIP file is less than 5 mb. PWCT uses 396mb installed. TCB resides in less than 10mb on disk and doesn't have to be installed.
None of the softwares described above come anywhere near the power and flexibility of TCB. Certainly none can compete with TCB on a cost or value of utility basis. Because TCB can create so many different applications, it is really the most powerful computer program ever written.
As you can see from the comparison sheet below, TCB stands far above everything else when it comes
to creating customized, extensible computer solutions. Certainly the price can't be beat.
Excel is by Microsoft, dBase I0 is from dbasellc.com,
Project Siena is by Microsoft, PWCT is from Mahmoud Fayed, IDEs represent various integrated development environment software.
FEATURES COMPARISON SHEET ___________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | FEATURES | TCB | dBASE | Excel | Sienna| PWCT | IDEs | _________________|__________|_______|_______|_______|_______|______| RETAIL PRICE | free* | 499 | 109.99| free | free | 2-400| PORTABLE | Y | N | N | N | ? | N | INSTALL REQUIRED | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | RAM REQS (mb) | 1 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 16 | 32 | OPERATING SYSTEM | W/A/L/S/F| W | W | W | W | ? | MAX RECS (mb) | disk | ? | disk | disk | disk | n/a | NO OPEN DBs | 255 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | COLUMNAR REPORTS | Y | N | N | N | N | n/a | WEB OBJECTS | Y | N | N | Y | N | n/a | DB MANAGER | Y | N | N | N | N | N | PASSWORD PROTECT | Y | N | N | N | N | N | SQL DB LANGUAGE | Y | Y | N | N | N | n/a | SHELL DRIVEN | Y | N | N | N | N | N | MENU DRIVEN | Y | N | N | N | N | N | COMMAND DRIVEN | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | USER EXTENSIBLE | Y | N | N | N | N | N | STANDALONE | Y | N | N | N | Y | n/a | SCRIPTING SUPPORT| Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | CODING REQUIRED | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | LANGUAGE | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | VIDEO SUPPORT | Y | N | N | Y** | N | N | SOUND SUPPORT | Y | N | N | Y** | N | N | LIVE OBJECTS*** | Y | N | N | N | N | N | PROGRAM FORMAT | TEXT | BINARY| BINARY| ASCII | BINARY| n/a | ACCESS METHOD | H/R | I/S | SEQ | B/T | ? | n/a | PERFORMANCE | H | F | P | F | F | P | INTEGRITY | H | F | H | G | ? | H | NON-DB ACCESS | Y | N | N | N | N | n/a | ___________________________________________________________________| Legend: DB: H/R = hashed random, I/S = indexed sequential, SEQ = sequential, B/T = binary tree RATING: H = high, G = good, F = fair, P = poor, Y = yes, N = no, ? = unknown OPERATING SYSTEMS: W = Windows, A = Apple, L = Linux S = Solaris, F = FreeBSDfree* - free for non-commercial use, single commercial run-time license $10 Y** - only specific Microsoft supported media LIVE OBJECTS*** - all individual window objects may be interacted with in multiple ways
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Contact: Fred Pierce, makpiya@aol.com, makpiya@gmail.com, 831.240.9969