Vision Software offers Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 developers a solution to ease the pain of documentation; Vision StoryBoard 4.0 leverages OLE and Visual Basic 32-bit development environment to meet team developers' needs

Business Wire, Jan 29, 1996

to ease the documentation pain of millions of Microsoft Visual Basic developers, Vision Software announced today that it has begun shipping Vision StoryBoard 4.0 for Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0.

Vision StoryBoard 4.0, the award-winning documentation and specification tool, is a welcome solution to developers faced with the arduous task of writing documentation. The new tool takes advantage of the Visual Basic 4.0 32-bit architecture as well as its Add-In feature that extends the Visual Basic development environment through OLE.

Using Vision StoryBoard, development team members can improve communications and save significant time and resources in the development process. Vision StoryBoard is recommended for Visual Basic project managers, corporate MIS developers, departmental application specialists, independent consultants, quality assurance engineers, and documentation and training personnel.

"Vision StoryBoard is the only tool that offers Visual Basic developers an easy and accurate way to document their application during each step of the development process," said Steve Kruse, vice president of sales and marketing for Vision Software. "Developers who are already taking advantage of Visual Basic 4.0's new features now have a tool that will develop standard reporting and communicating mechanisms, allowing them to write more accurate code and thereby shortening time to deployment."

Vision StoryBoard 4.0 is the world's first visual specification and documentation tool for Visual Basic developers. It repeatedly captures application specifications and requirements as well as generates current project documentation and training materials. Vision StoryBoard 4.0 has been re-engineered to have a "generic messaging" engine, which will allow the company to easily port to new platforms and to other commonly-used development tools.

The tool is designed to benefit the entire development team by producing end-user requirements, developer functional and internal specifications, quality assurance test acceptance requirements, user documentation, training materials, and any other customized development communication needed. Vision StoryBoard 4.0 also allows developers to run multiple copies of Visual Basic 4.0, allowing programmers to work on several projects simultaneously.

Program Features

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Vision StoryBoard 4.0 offers several unique features including:

-- SpecMaker. This feature captures any project information including requirements, design descriptions, testing, and end-user notes. It provides space for programmers to comment, increasing communication between members of development teams. SpecMaker records the hierarchy of controls as they relate to each other. It can be easily configured and is seamlessly integrated into Visual Basic.

-- SlideShow. SlideShow visually communicates development flow using a slide metaphor. By specifying and illustrating Visual Basic form transitions and flow, SlideShow may be used for a variety of purposes including bringing programmers and end-users up to speed quickly and preparing client presentations. Each slide contains an annotated image of a form, which is easily generated. Unlike normal presentation software, SlideShow slides can be dynamically linked through hot spots, creating an event-driven slide show.

-- Generate. Generate creates development communication custom reports including requirements documents, updated project documentation, training materials, or the complete application specification document for sign-off.

Architecture

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Vision StoryBoard is designed to run within the Visual Basic graphical user interface (GUI) development environment, and to store the specifications it captures as part of the project environment of Visual Basic. This patent-pending architecture makes the creation and maintenance of project documentation as easy for the developer as changing Visual Basic code. It provides immediate access to both the form and the project documentation from within Visual Basic. Vision StoryBoard's feature set combined with its architectural approach makes it uniquely qualified to capture and maintain project requirements and specifications across the entire development life cycle.

System Requirements

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Vision StoryBoard 4.0 requires a 386-based PC or higher, with a minimum of 8 MB of RAM, Microsoft Windows 95 or NT, and Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0.

Availability and Pricing

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Vision StoryBoard 4.0 is priced at $249 (U.S.) and is available direct from Vision Software by calling 1-800-984-SOFT or through special order at Egghead. It is also available direct through VBEXTRAS and Programmers' SuperShop, Programmers' Paradise and Stream International. For developers still using Visual Basic 3.0, Vision StoryBoard 3.0 is available through the same channels.

Vision Software Tools Inc., the Oakland-based developer of Vision StoryBoard, is an innovative developer of client/server development productivity tools. Vision StoryBoard, which received a 1995 VB Tech Journal Techie Award for product excellence, is the first tool in the Vision Software family of application development tools. The product is also the world's first visual specification and documentation tool for Microsoft Visual Basic applications.