IBM Cross System Product
| Company type | Software product |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer software |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | IBM |
| Products | Application generator for IBM mainframes |
| Parent | IBM |
IBM developed the Cross System Product (CSP) as an application generator aimed at building interactive online applications on IBM mainframe systems. Launched in 1981, CSP provided source code generation tools that allowed programmers to define, test, produce, and run application software in an interactive manner. The product consisted of two main parts:
- Cross System Product/Application Development (CSP/AD) - the environment for application creation
- Cross System Product/Application Execution (CSP/AE) - the environment for running applications
The release of CSP version 3 in 1986 introduced several important enhancements:
- Integration with DB2 within CICS/OS/VS and MVS/TSO
- Support for SQL/DS on VSE and VM/SP
- Compatibility with MVS/XA featuring 31-bit addressing
Following the 1987 announcement of the SAA, concerns emerged regarding IBM’s future backing of CSP, which led to its gradual de-emphasis.
The last iteration, version 4.1, received official support until late 2001.
In 1994, IBM launched VisualGen, a next-generation tool designed to facilitate client/server application development incorporating graphical user interfaces (GUIs), access to multiple vendor data sources, and functionality extending beyond mainframe environments. This product was rebranded as VisualAge Generator in 1996, discontinued in 2009, and eventually replaced by Rational Business Developer.