Frequently Asked Questions

Do you support Magic eDeveloper and uniPaaS?

Yes, we support converting business logic developed in Magic eDeveloper and uniPaaS.

Do you convert all our Magic Record Main logic?

Why is it that M2J can convert all the Record Main logic, while MSE can't?

No. You do not need a runtime license to deploy your application. Furthermore: the resulting code does not use any third party software either. This means that you are free to duplicate, and distribute your application as you see fit.

How does the converter work?

The M2J converter reads and parses your business logic from the export file and your environment files. The fully automated conversion process converts your business logic into native Java code. All you have to do is specify where the input files are and specify where you want the output to go. We do not convert or duplicate Magic's development or deployment executables. Before the conversion, your business logic needs to be interpreted by Magic's deployment environment. After the conversion your business logic has been translated into native Java code which no longer needs to be interpreted by a proprietary runtime environment.

The automated conversion process takes less than an hour to perform its Magic to Java conversion for even the largest applications.

Absolutely. After all, we only convert your  business logic. We have been very careful not to infringe on MSE's copyright. This was easy: We did not need MSE's products or proprietary information to build the converter nor do you need any of MSE's products or proprietary information during deployment for that matter. We do not convert any of MSE's products. We simply let you use Java's standard runtime environment to deploy the application logic we generate. Java's standard runtime offers us a superset of capabilities compared to Magic's runtime. There was no need to reinvent or reverse engineer the wheel.

Is the resulting code 100% pure Java?

Yes. And 100% open source as well. You decide how you want to deploy your application.

Can I use Eclipse to maintain the resulting Java code?

Yes. You can maintain the resulting code in the Java IDE of your choice. There are many great Java IDE's available, and most of them are free, including Eclipse, NetBeans, jDeveloper and many others. You will see the same task hierarchy in these Java IDE's as you used to design your business logic in Magic eDeveloper, as nested Magic tasks have become nested Java classes.

Will my entire Magic Client/Server application be converted?

Yes. All your business logic, all your models, programs, tasks, operations, event handlers, GUI forms and their controls, your menu systems, and your database definitions will be converted to a fully functional Java application.

There are two main reasons:

• The application logic you develop with Magic eDeveloper and uniPaaS is very structured, and very high level, with clean separation between data access, business rules and GUI. Converting this type of application logic is easier than say converting from RPG or COBOL.
• The Java target platform offers a superset in functionality of what is offered in Magic eDeveloper and uniPaaS. This means every part of the conversion can be automated.

How do you handle access to Btrieve files? 

We automatically convert Btrieve definitions and access found in your application into HSQLDB definitions and access for the generated Java application. HSQLDB is a very fast, free, widely used, Java database, that provides SQL and JDBC access to your data. As part of our deliverable we will provide a Magic application that allows you to export data from Btrieve to ASCII and a Java application that allows you to import that ASCII data into HSQLDB. Some possible use of Btrieve files is not supported in a SQL environment. If your application accesses Btrieve files via logical names or path names, then this will have to be redesigned in Magic before the first conversion.