Development-X : Developers of Business Software

1. Can X-Sheet connect to a database?

Yes : X-Sheet will connect to most of the databases on the market today. Access to the database(s) is a simple task within X-Sheet. Some examples of Databases that can be accessed are :

Any ODBC Compliant database
Oracle Database
MS SQL Server
Informix
FoxPro
MS Access
Interbase or Firebird
Also many application specific databases

2. Can X-Sheet link to my MS-Office applications?

Yes : X-Sheet can link to MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-Outlook and MS-Access through inbuilt scripting language. Examples of how to do this are supplied with X-Sheet.

3. Can X-Sheet read from and write to my accounting application?

Most likely Yes : X-Sheet requires that your accounting application is running on a database that is SQL compliant and has an ODBC driver available. If you are not sure about this please refer to your application provider who will be able to clarify this.

4. Does X-Sheet support email?

Yes : There are many ways that X-Sheet supports email, some of these are :

Email the current screen direct from the X-Sheet viewer
Integrate with the MS-Outlook application
Built-in email functionality within scripting

5. Do I need to be a programmer to use X-Sheet?

No : When you first start using X-Sheet you will notice that the environment is in essence a drawing editor, and although the power of X-Sheet is far greater, developing can be as simple as drawing a picture.

6. Does X-Sheet replace any of my existing applications?

No : The beauty of X-Sheet is that it is a complementary product, it works with and along side your existing applications. Think of X-Sheet as a wrapper that sits over your system.

7. What are the operating systems that X-Sheet will run on?

X-Sheet will run on the following operating systems :

Win95B
Win98
WinME
Win2000
XP
Win2003

8. Are there different Versions of X-Sheet?

Yes : X-Sheet comes in 2 versions :

X-Sheet Editor : The Editor Edition is the full developers edition and allows for creation of X-Sheet solutions
X-Sheet Viewer : The Viewer Edition is the runtime version and is required on every machine running an X-Sheet developed solution.

9. Can I include digital pictures in X-Sheet applications?

Yes : X-Sheet supports multiple image formats, included are as follows :

JPEG (*.jpg)
Bitmap (*.bmp)
Metafiles (*.wmf)
GIF Files (*.gif)
Enhanced Metafiles (*.emf)

10. Can I run more than 1 instance of X-Sheet on my PC?

Yes : X-Sheet is licensed per workstation and on that workstation multiple instances can be run.

11. Can I use X-Sheet to develop and sell vertical solutions?

Yes : If you develop a vertical solution with X-Sheet you can then sell and deploy this to customers, ensuring that one run time version (X-Sheet Viewer) per workstation is licensed. Please feel free to contact Development-X if you require clarification on this.

12. What happens when upgrades are released?

All minor upgrades within a major release will be available to licensed users free of charge and available as downloads. Major releases are planned every 12-18 Months and licensed users will be offered special upgrade pricing.

13. Will there be more samples available and how would I receive them?

New samples will continuously be added for licensed X-Sheet developers (An X-Sheet developer is the purchaser of X-Sheet Editor edition). These samples will be free of charge and downloadable from the web site.

14. What if I need help developing a solution, what options are there?

Development-X provides free email support and will endeavor to provide advice and tips on the approach you could take. If further support or training is required other options will be available based on your location and the exact need required.

15. How big are the X-Sheet files?

X-Sheet files are run from either the X-Sheet Editor or Viewer, so once either has been installed on a workstation, the X-Sheet (*.xst) file will just run. Therefore the *.xst file is very small (typically from 30-200kb). This means that emailing an X-Sheet solution is lightning fast and can make deployment or upgrades a painless exercise.

16. Does X-Sheet support Business Intelligence?

The term "Business Intelligence" applies to software tools that enable information within an organization to be more easily accessed and understood. Therefore the answer is a definite Yes

17. Do we need to replace our existing computer systems?

No : X-Sheet works by using data in your existing computer systems. It can combine data from a number of sources e.g., legacy systems, ERP systems, text files, or spreadsheets to give a complete view of the organization.

18. Can I add functionality not currently in my existing system(s)?

With X-Sheet you:

Can access multiple databases in addition to adding functionality to make that data more meaningful.
Can create that independent functionality you always wanted

19. Will X-Sheet allow me to interrogate my data warehouse?

This is one of the main features of X-Sheet. A data warehouse is simply a repository for company data. Before being written to the data warehouse the data is corrected, standardized and may be summarized. A data mart is a small data repository and usually is targeted at a particular section of the business e.g. sales. X-Sheet's data Analyzer is probably the most flexible, simplest and fastest method for analyzing, drilling down and outputting information on the market today. You have the facility to:

'Filter' the extracted records based upon your own selection criteria.
Sort any displayed column into ascending or descending sequence
Move columns to their required position by simple drag and drop
'Customize' to hide unwanted columns
Group Records with common field content
Multi-Level Grouping allowed
Can have User-Defined totals at Group and/or full document levels
Option to Save and Recall Configured Report format
Option to output report to Excel ®, HTML, XML, CSV, Printer
Option to configure output format in List and/or Card View formats

20. How will X-Sheet improve information flow within my business?

X-Sheet allows you to develop your own presentation and data extraction routines using the Developer's version of X-Sheet. The completed X-Sheet function can then be made available to as many people as need the information. They will have a 'View Only' version of X-Sheet that allows them to run the function on a computer network. This means that everyone will use the one version thus bringing to an end conflicts caused by different people using different data sources.

21. Don't these things take months to develop?

No : Because X-Sheet is a graphic presentation tool the end User can design their own presentation format at the beginning. Then, using X-Sheets development Wizards, you can produce the desired results in minutes or generally in a few hours - depending upon the complexity.

22. Why does my Company need to implement X-Sheet?

In today's fast-paced digital economy, it is more important than ever to have access to all the information before making a business decision. With X-Sheet you can start making informed decisions. X-Sheet allows access to "big picture" information that previously was almost impossible to get without extensive development, cost and time. The "big picture" information provided by X-Sheet allows you and your company to make better and faster decisions. By making informed decisions based upon up-to-the-minute information you can save time and money by lowering costs and increasing profits across your enterprise.

23. Is X-Sheet an overkill for my company?

No : All companies still require their objectives to be clear and concise. Even for small companies the purchase cost can very quickly be recovered by improvements generated as a result of using X-Sheet.

24. Give me 10 reasons why I should consider X-Sheet?

Samples Our pre-built samples can immediately deliver what you need to put you ahead of your competition.
Graphical X-Sheet uses graphics as the foundation to its development process and, as we all know, "A picture speaks a thousand words".
Rapid Results The very nature of X-Sheet allows you to be up and running in hours, not months.
Future Direction X-Sheet's ability to be (a) a Business Intelligence Tool, (b) a Data Mining tool, and (c) a Development Tool means it is ideally placed to be the product to support your future direction
Linkage X-Sheet has the ability to access databases across the entire enterprise to provide a single picture
Low Risk As X-Sheet uses data from your Legacy system(s) the integrity of those systems in not compromised.
Low Cost The very low initial cost and low total cost of ownership is far below comparable products. Indeed X-Sheet can give you immediate payback.
Scalable X-Sheet is extremely scalable and can suit Small, Medium and Large Companies. The complexity is only governed by your imagination
Compatible X-Sheet will address most of the databases on the market today. Access to the database(s) is a simple task within X-Sheet. Examples of Databases that can be accessed are: (Any ODBC Compliant database, Oracle Database, MS SQL Server, DBase, FoxPro, Microsoft Access, Interbase / Firebird)
Internet Data entry. X-Sheet can react to, and process, data entered via a web page (Sample supplied).