Tango Enterprise FAQ

What is Tango Enterprise?
How does Tango process a request?
What platforms are supported?
What is cross-platform scalability?
What databases are supported?
What Web servers are supported?
How does Tango integrate with other applications
What are run-only query documents?
What are variables?
How does Tango handle security?
How do I get more information and view some demos?
What are Tango system requirements?

What is Tango Enterprise?

Tango Enterprise provides a visual development interface for developing business-critical web/database applications. Create applications that allow users to query, insert and update information within all your databases, regardless of platform.

Tango Enterprise is the only completely cross-platform Web development tool for integrating your databases with your Web servers&emdash;regardless of platform. Develop your Web applications on Windows 95, Windows NT or Macintosh and effortlessly deploy them on Windows NT, UNIX or Macintosh Web servers.

Tango provides a whole new level of functionality, ensuring you deliver innovative solutions that are under budget and ahead of schedule.

Tango Components

Tango is comprised of two components:

Tango Editor is the graphical tool you use to create dynamic web pages. It allows you to define actions that search, insert, update, and delete data from your backend database. You can also specify HTML for the display and entry of data, and guide how Tango interacts with DLLs, UNIX executables and Apple Events.

The Tango Application Server makes the applications you create using Tango Editor available to users of your web server. Tango Application Server reads the query documents you create with Tango Editor, interfaces with databases, then composes the HTML used to display the information in the user's web browser. The resulting HTML is passed to the web server.

Understanding Tango Editor

The Tango Editor application creates query documents for your web site. A query document is a series of actions that allow a user to manipulate database interaction, all via the Web. When a query document is viewed with a web browser it appears as a series of web pages with searchable and/or updatable columns. Through these columns users query the database. The purpose of Tango Editor is to allow you to create any series of web pages which extend the functionality of your databases for use on your Intranet and the World Wide Web.

How does Tango process a request?

Here is how Tango Server interacts with your web server:

The user performs a query within a web browser.
Tango Server receives a message from your web server through a Tango plug-in or Tango CGI.
Tango Server reads the query document to determine how to respond to the message. If necessary, Tango Server communicates with the selected database server.
The results of the database operation are returned to the Tango Server, which uses your query document to format a response in HTML format.
The response is then sent to your web server and is viewed by the user in a web browser.

What platforms are supported?

The Tango Editor application can be used on:

Windows NT (3.51 or greater)
Windows 95
MacOS

The Tango Application Server can currently be deployed on web servers running on:

Windows NT 3.5.1 (or greater),
Macintosh,
Solaris SPARC (2.5 or greater)
SGI IRIX (6.2 or greater)
AIX (any RS/6000 or Apple Network Server running 4.1 or greater)

What is cross-platform scalability?

The applications you create using Tango are completely scalable across all platforms. You can develop your applications using Tango Editor on Windows NT, Windows 95 or Macintosh and deploy them on Windows NT, Macintosh, or UNIX web servers--without recompiling.

What Databases are supported?

Direct
Tango Enterprise connects directly to Oracle , FileMaker Pro (Mac) and Butler SQL (Mac). Future releases will include direct connectivity to Sybase, Informix and SQL Server.

ODBC

Tango Enterprise supports the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. You can connect to your Oracle, Sybase, Informix, Sybase, SQL Server, MS Access databases using an ODBC driver.

What Web servers are supported?

Tango Enterprise integrates with all web servers that support the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) standard. Tango will also operate as a plug-in, with support for ISAPI, NSAPI, and WSAPI.

How does Tango integrate with other applications?

Calling other applications is easy with Tango. You can integrate your existing applications with your Tango applications using DLLs (Dynamic Linked Libraries), UNIX executables and Apple Events.

What are run-only query documents?

Consultant Developers will appreciate Tango's ability to create run-only query documents. Run-only query documents can be executed by the Tango Server, but cannot be opened by Tango Editor. You can now create and transport packaged Tango solutions, while protecting your investment in query document "coding".

What are variables?

One of Tango's greatest strengths is the ability to use variables, instead of fixed values, in almost any action parameter. There are variables for accessing many different pieces of information, such as form fields, search arguments and CGI parameters like the authorized user name of the person performing the query.

When a query document is called, Tango substitutes the variable references in each action with the actual values.

Additional Variables that Tango can use include:

Client Name
Client IP address
Client Domain Name
Client Browser
Referrer Page URL

How does Tango handle security?

Tango integrates with firewalls and standard security methods of your web servers, such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) while respecting your database access privileges. Server-side logic provides controlled access to your most critical information--you define your users' privileges and control navigation within the application. Database commands are not exposed to your users, preventing unauthorized access to your data.