[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