2. Features

What Niles is

* A tool to build database based applications
* Multiplatform
* Simple
* Pike based
* Reasonably powerful

What Niles isn't

* A RAD
* An IDE
* A language
* A code generator
* A generic tool
* The right tool for every case

Software Niles relies upon

* Pike: A fast, dynamic, object oriented, C based language. Niles is written in Pike, and hopefully you should use Pike in your Niles-based application. Learn more about Pike in its homepage.

* Database engine: Any DBMS supported by Pike (virtually most popular free and propietary ones).

* GTK+: Graphic stuff is resolved using Pike's support for GTK+ v.1.2.x.

What can be done with Niles

Niles's target is to allow developer to build common database events without worring about the dirty stuff. Basically there are four areas covered by Niles:

* Main window: SDI-style single window containing a main menu and/or a toolbar, to launch Niles modules or your own code.(work in progress)

* Data entry forms: You can create forms including fields for an arbitrary number of tables, as long as those tables are related to each others.
Niles manages all the database operations, you just need to control the very specific behaviour of your data event.(work in progress)
The final version of Niles should allow different form styles, field layouts, and programmatic stuff like invisible fields, virtual fields and event routines.

* Data query forms: Just define search and order criteria.(still just ideas)

* Reports: Text, and maybe PostScript based reports.(still just ideas)