One other *very* important thing I would like to add regarding Visual Pro Matrix: It has an add-on product that you can use to move your xCase based database design AND modifications *seamlessly* into your program's data dictionary. xCase is a great product for hashing out your data design. I would not even attempt to design any new systems without it, it is such a tremendous time saver.
It makes n-tier development pretty easy, too, because you can simply throw a switch and start working on SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, or many other backends, and VPM adjusts to the change on-the-fly. Getting all of the components together is not cheap (about $2,000.00 total), but neither is your time, and this system will pay for itself very quickly.
Pertti