The CogniX framework is a Web application development library based on the popular perl programming language. It is completely object orientated. CogniX is a tool for creating, modifying and maintaining dynamic database-enabled web applications.

The library is praxis proved and is used in large and mission critical environment such as CMS, CRM, Book keeping.

Key features

• fast setup of web based database maintenance
  • keep database classes separate from presentation logic
  • build basic database classes fast
  • generate default presentation classes for instant use
  • have multilingual support from start on
  • automatical implement of referential integrity
  • granting permissions based on tables to groups and users
  • the default application: table browser
  • browse through all table contents
  • follow foreign key relationships by hyperlink
  • use search criteria to refine query
  • insert, update, delete (consistently) on row level
  • activate cascading delete on table level
• develop large db applications for the web
  • configure presentation classes to your needs
  • translate to other languages without coding
  • inherit from database and presentation classes
  • add business logic where it belongs
  • add user/session handling easily (Apache::Session)
  • easily add complex DB view support and complex interface behaviour
  • reuse business logic from other projects
• perl
  • use object orientation of perl
  • use existing perl libraries (i.e. CGI, CGI::FastTemplate, DBI, HTML::Mason)
  • use mod-perl and Apache::Session
• planned further development
  • support of other DBD connections (currently Postgres, Informix, Oracle and MySQL is supported)
  • interfaces to data dictionaries/repositories and db-design tools
  • adding a new presentation layer based on HTML::Mason
• documentation
  • A combination between POD documentation and automatic generated documentation for best technical documentation of a project (including automatic drawing of ERM)
    

The framework has a standard tableBrowser to browse and maintain all data constantly, following all referential integrity links defined in the database classes. This is usable right away, once the database classes are implemented.