Senior Clarion Expertise When the Situation Is Not Straightforward
Application Takeovers
Step into an established Clarion system when the original developer has retired, moved on or become unavailable. We review the source, dictionaries, data, templates, third-party products, build requirements and business rules, then restore technical continuity so the application can be supported and developed with confidence.
Difficult Troubleshooting
Investigate hard-to-find defects, intermittent failures, data problems, build issues, performance concerns and incomplete work. The goal is to reproduce the problem, separate symptoms from causes, identify the highest-risk issues and make corrections without destabilizing parts of the system that are already working.
Application Assessments
Understand the code, data, dependencies, build environment and business risks before deciding what to repair, modernize or replace. An assessment can establish what the application actually contains, which areas are fragile, what must be preserved and where investment will provide the greatest operational value.
Modernization & Support
Move proven applications forward through Clarion version work, SQL and data changes, web/API integration, reporting improvements and selective modernization. We can also stay involved after the immediate problem is solved, providing ongoing development and support so the organization does not end up in the same unsupported position again.
How a Clarion Expert Can Help
Take Over a Critical Application
Bring in an experienced developer to understand an inherited or undocumented system, complete unfinished work, restore continuity and provide a dependable path forward.
Discuss an Application Takeover
Diagnose & Stabilize
Investigate difficult application, database, build and performance problems; identify the cause; and concentrate first on the issues that create the greatest business risk.
Discuss a Difficult Problem
Plan the Right Way Forward
Assess what is working, what is fragile and what the business actually needs before committing to repair, version migration, SQL conversion, selective modernization or replacement.
Request an Assessment
When the Original Clarion Developer Is No Longer Available
A mature Clarion application can contain years or decades of business rules, data relationships and operating knowledge. The developer may be gone, but the value inside the system remains.
We can help you regain control by:
- Reviewing the source code, dictionaries, data and business processes
- Identifying templates, libraries, third-party products and other dependencies
- Understanding or re-establishing the build and deployment process
- Separating urgent operational problems from longer-term improvements
- Completing unfinished enhancements and resolving difficult defects
- Providing ongoing development, maintenance and technical continuity
The first objective is not to change everything. It is to understand what you have, protect the business and create a practical path forward.
REQUEST AN APPLICATION ASSESSMENT from a senior Clarion expert
What a Clarion Application Assessment Covers
A structured review that turns an unfamiliar or uncertain system into clear priorities and manageable next steps.
Business Impact
Understand what the application does, who depends on it, what is currently failing and which issues affect operations most.
Application Inventory
Review source applications, dictionaries, data files, SQL databases, templates, libraries, installers and supporting components.
Build & Deployment
Determine how the system is compiled, configured, installed and moved into production, and identify missing dependencies.
Code & Data Review
Examine application structure, business logic, database design, integrations, reporting and the areas most relevant to the current problem.
Risk & Opportunity
Identify fragile areas, urgent technical risks, quick improvements and opportunities to make the system easier to support.
Practical Roadmap
Prioritize stabilization, repairs, enhancements, migrations and modernization according to business need rather than technology fashion.
Repair, Modernize or Replace?
The correct answer is not automatically a rewrite. A working Clarion application may contain mature business logic that would take years to rediscover and reproduce.
Depending on the application and the business need, the practical solution may be to:
- Repair and stabilize the current system
- Move the application to a newer Clarion environment
- Convert TPS, DAT or other data to SQL
- Add web, API, reporting or integration capabilities
- Replace selected components while preserving proven logic
- Plan a new system only where replacement delivers clear value
Sheen Consulting can combine systems analysis, management guidance and hands-on development so the recommendation can also be carried through into implementation.
Common Clarion Situations We Can Help With
Developer Unavailable
The original programmer retired, moved on, became ill or is no longer able to support the application.
Unfinished or Unstable System
A partially completed project, unresolved defects or recurring problems prevent the software from meeting business needs.
Build Environment Problems
The application depends on an old machine, unknown settings, missing templates, libraries or deployment steps.
Older Clarion Version
The system still works, but compatibility, deployment or third-party dependencies make it increasingly difficult to maintain.
Data & SQL Problems
TPS, DAT, SQL, reporting, conversion or performance issues need someone who understands both the application and the data.
Existing Team Needs Senior Help
An internal or external development team needs additional Clarion depth, troubleshooting, planning or technical leadership.
Clarion Depth Backed by Broader Systems Experience
Sheen Consulting has worked with Clarion since the DOS and CFD era, including Legacy and ABC applications, third-party products, templates, TPS files, SQL-backed systems, reports, data conversions and integrations.
Our work can span systems analysis, design, development, QA, implementation, reporting, database architecture, data conversion, project management, technical leadership and ongoing support.
We primarily use SoftVelocity Clarion, Microsoft SQL Server and other database technologies, while incorporating C#, PHP, Python, web technologies and APIs where they are the right tools for the project.
Sheen Consulting has served clients since 1993 and worked for TopSpeed Consulting, with project experience across health, education, transportation, insurance, manufacturing, warehousing, construction, legal and other industries.
Request a Clarion Application Assessment
Also see: Clarion Development · Clarion Expert Help · Clarion Consulting