Me: I am Michael M. Gorman (a.k.a., Mike Gorman). I have been a Clarion user since the late 1980s. Just touch and casual coding for a bunch of years, watching Clarion for DOS evolve until Clarion for Windows 4. Then I became a serious Clarion database application developer.
My background is engineering, math (BA), and Technical Education (MA). I have been programming since 1967 (just this side of the transistor). In 1969, I worked for the System Development Corporation (SDC). They, MITRE, and the Lincoln Labs, were the inventors and developers of the first Database Management Systems (DBMS) in the early 1960s. It was called ADAM, Advanced Data Management.
My work background has been nearly 100% in database and data management with U.S. DoD consulting organizations including the MITRE Corporation. Starting in April 1978, while employed by the Computer Sciences Corporation, I attended the founding meeting of the INCITS ISO/ANSI X3H2 Database Languages committee, and became its Secretary, a role which I have performed ever since--46 years, but who's counting.
The committee, now just called Data Management (ask and I'll tell you the lineage), is the creator of three database language standards: NDL (Network data language (a.k.a., Codasyl)), SQL's (Structured Query Language) specifications, and our newest, GQL (Graphics Query Language). Work on the SQL specifications was started in 1980 by IBM's Phil Shaw (Phil #2). SQL has been implemented world-wide by organizations we all know well.
During my consulting years, I was continuously involved in high-level enterprise management architecture, implementation, and management. That led me to begin development of a system called Metabase. It contains the Metadata about enterprises. It's really an "about" database as opposed to an HR, Payroll, etc. which are "operational" database application systems. My clients are listed in the wiscorp.com website.
The Metabase System now has over 500 tables and nearly 2000 of what we in Clarion call "procedures." It represents about 30 staff years of effort, is big, complex, and something that not even an army of developers could have programmed. That is, until they discovered and used Clarion. To me, Clarion is THE 90% no-coding business information system generation development platform.
During Metabase system development, I discovered the critical need for two data structures that Clarion did not have. The first is what I call Single File (really, a table) Recursion (SFRs): Oranization contains Organization, etc. The second is the traditional Bill of Materials (BOMs) multi-table networked data structure. If you look on any "parts-listing" for any complicated device and you will "see" a parts list and part counts. These are commonly next to what appears to be a parts explosion diagram. "Bill" here means list and "of Materials" is the "of parts." Hence, BOM. Simple to see, very difficult to program.
Well, never to be undaunted, this math-based engineer programmed one in Clarion. It only took about 200 hours of architecture, design, programming, and endless debugging; Clarion-all with scads of Procedure Routines.
As I purused my stack of "to be implemented" Metabase system data model diagrams, I fell into deep dispair as there were, even at that time, nearly 75 SFRs and about 50 BOMs. The calculation of the vast quantity of hours to accomplish that effort was daunting. Then somebody, probably Russ Eggen said, "Heard of UltraTree?" Likely I said, "What's that?" Russ probably then said, "The savior of your life and of the Metabase!" AmEx card in hand, I called; I charged! After hours of trying, success happened. Thereafter, "Phil#1" and I became fast friends.
Now, here's two things you probably never knew. Phil Carroll (Phil #1) was a key inventor and implementor of BOM applications at IBM New York in late 1960s. SQL's BOM specifications was one of Phil Shaw's (Phil#2) great accomplishments within IBM California's Santa Theresa Labs in the 1990s.
Over the years, I shared what our "Phil #1" was doing with SQL's "Phil #2." And vice versa. I sort of served as their "intersection record."
Ok. enough history. What is Whitemarsh Ultra Tree? Well, simply put, it's the continuance of Phil Carroll's life's work. Ok you say, but why do I need Technical Support for a product that is essentially bug free, and what happens when a real bug is uncovered? I hope that my answer to these two questions will suffice.
First, as stated above, I've been in database and data management for nearly 55 years. Done a lot and learned even more. Now, while we're all about developing business applications with Clarion, I submit that what's really common across us all is data model creation, database development, data management, and business information system architecture, implementation and evolution.
So, all my books (near 30), close to 200 technical papers, about 75 courses in database and data management, as well as Clarion & UltraTree based materials, are being loaded into a set of pages on the WhitemarshUltraTree.com website. The listings of all these items are within the sections of "UseSupport."
If you are not an licensee of UltraTree et al, or you do not have an active UseSupport subscription, you can procure these on this website.
Most of these UseSupport items are generally independent, however, from having to own and/or purchase UltraTree et al, or even being a Clarion licensee. As a result these UseSupport items are of significant IT value to all manner of UseSupport subscribers.
Finally, these and other items such as podcasts and training presentations will be posted and updated. Read about all this on the website's section on UseSupport.
Second, Bob Zaunere has agreed to incorporate the UltraTree templates into Clarion. Certainly NOT before C12 is released, however.
When Bob asks, all the material on this WhitemarshUltraTree website will be transferred to SoftVelocity, and will be of value and benefit to us all, and through you, to all our customers. Essentially then, all this is just about "continuing."
