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[REBOL] Re: Windows GUI apps: Rebol/SDK vs. Visual C++ 2003

From: tim:johnsons-web at: 24-Jan-2003 11:32

* Gregg Irwin <[greggirwin--mindspring--com]> [030124 10:59]:
> Hi Jose, > > j> I am considering writing some Windows GUI apps for > j> profit and would like to get input from you on which > j> platform is best for the job. >
Let me add my perspective to Gregg's with a couple of twists: I came from the windows environment with a little *VBA* (as opposed to VB) and a lot of Borland C++. My last work in a strictly Microsoft environment was with C++ Builder, which is at least as proprietory as Visual C++, IMHO. I do primarily web programming these days with rebol, but we do have some desktop gui requirements, and my partner whose name is Greg (with 1 'g') is primarily a perl programmer. It is our policy to avoid windows-specific programming. We charge a premium for anything windows specific. Example: rebol,perl,python and Tcl/Tk all offer gui solutions that are easily cross-platform. Perl and python have similar interfaces to the Tk environment. This approach allows me to build and test in the linux environment, test and deploy in the windows environment on the same machine at the same time - no rebooting or switching computers. I recently rebuilt one of my major services (winemarketjournal.com) I transitioned from C++ with compiled-in database services to rebol using Mysql via a TCP/IP connection. You might expect the earlier approach (given C++ performance edge and the compiled DB modules) to be faster. The answer is no. The rebol to mysql connection is faster, because I'm using rebol to drive the Mysql monitor via DocKimbel's mysqlprotocol. Maintenance and turnaround is faster and easier too. Really a marriage made in heaven! Now, if a client request a desktop/gui service, and if it were a small one, I'd just do it in python using TkInter (the python interface to TK, and perl has a similar on) However, if it looked as if we would be doing a *lot* of windows-based (or *nix-based) GUI programming, we would probably build a "GUI monitor", using Python or Perl or TCL and "drive" it via tcp/ip in a similar approach to Mysqlprotocol I mentioned above. In my case, I have to accomodate a valued partner and gifted programmer that loves perl. That would be our workaround. Given the it is implementable, which I'm sure it is... -- Tim Johnson <[tim--johnsons-web--com]> http://www.alaska-internet-solutions.com http://www.johnsons-web.com