[GLLUG] Best Web/Desktop Programming solution (...) & RSVP

[hamptone]

Jason Green wrote:

> Thanks to everyone for all of their input on this topic.  Sorry it 
> started a bit of a flamewar, but I guess that's to be expected.  I 
> plan on researching each option and re-prioritizing our "needs".  As 
> soon as we make a decision, I'll post the results and how we are going 
> about the migration.
>
> Also, I plan on attending tonight's meeting.
> _______________________________________________
> linux-user mailing list
> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
> http://www.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user
>
This post from MDLUG caught my eye so I'm reposting it here.

Thanks,



Rodney Hampton
http://www.hamptonandassociates.net
==============================================

What follows is GreyGeek's talkback to a Linux Today link to "NewsForge:
Kdevelop vs. Microsoft Visual Studio .Net" by Olaf Piesche.

You only have to read GreyGeek;s "An alternative ..." to find the GUI RAD
tool I have fallen for.  If you like reading, then go to the links.

Linux Today link http://linuxtoday.com/developer/2005041901826RVSWDV

Newsforge link
http://programming.newsforge.com/programming/05/04/12/1357202.shtml


Linux Today is not responsible for the content of the message below.
GreyGeek - Subject: An alternative ... ( Apr 19, 2005, 17:48:46 )

In our constant move towards platform independence at work we have been focusing on web-based applications working against our Oracle backend. Over all this approach has been successful, but there are times when we needapps that keep track of State, or we need blazing speed on the user interface. Data entry folks don't use the rodent and shouldn't wait for the keyboard to catch up. Web-based apps have difficulting in those areas.

We began using FoxPro 2.5 for our GUI design tool in 1992 and progressed through versions of that tool until we decided, after acquiring VFP 6.0, that we didn't want to depend on one OS vendor any more. VFP is a powerful GUI RAD tool, but it works against a mediocre DBF backend. Using VFP asa front end GUI designer against Oracle is limiting at best.

JAVA turned out to be too difficult to design GUI apps with. At the base code levels where you needed to put your functionality there were "do notedit signs". There were too many parts and pieces... Beans, Ants, Struts, SWT, etc... and all had version compatibility problems. One was always twisting their code into pretzels to fit the tool. Then there is the speed problem, even with JIT, and the looming Sun problem. Working with one evil empire is enough.

Another replacement tool that seemed promising was Boa-Constructor, whichis based on Python. Python is a marvelous language, but Boa requried toomany parts and pieces which gave vension number conflicts and it was slow in development. And, while application developed against PostgreSQL were developed very rapidly, and the results were in ASCII files easy to port, there were problems finding fonts that would give the same look and feel under both platforms. Also, versions would change on one platform and not the other, which intefered with development on both platforms. Another problem was finding reliable database drivers. Once the makeup was removed Boa had too many warts to be consider a "beautiful' GUI RAD tool. Python was great and had great support. Boa was an amlagamation of poorly supported parts. I really like Boa as a tool but, sadly, had to let it go. It was not Enterpise quality.

TrolTech recently announced that they were releasing their toolkit for Windows UNDER the GPL !!! I had tried the Linux version of QT 2 three yearsago just before version 3 came out, but I had no more desire to hand code Qt apps than I did to hand code Java apps. I wanted a GUI designer whenI designed GUI interfaces, and I wanted my designer to take the app to the compile stage. This morning I completed a test application using the latest QT-Designer for Qt 3. I tested it against a PostgreSQL backend running on a remote server. I am more than thrilled with the results. I must say that the POWER IS BACK!! Working against PostgreSQL I was able to design a GUI app quickly, even though this was my first experience using theDesigner for real, and when I ported the project (three ASCII source files) from Windows to Linux and compiled it the look and feel were identical. Mid-moring I decided I needed a popup dialog to query for the database, user and password, instead of hard-coding it in. Before the Catholic church had a new Pope I had a new dialog that worked perfectly and requireda minimum of hand coding.

Like VFP, QTD also requires the programmer to add code fuctionality to skeleton methods that QTD creates via the Connections dialog. Like VFP it is easy to do. Unlike VFP, I am not constrained to work on only one Platform. It looks like we'll be purchasing a QT license and QT Oracle drivers. 


Nicholas Donovan's response to GreyGeek's talkback:

Like yourself, I've found the lesser QT restraints the easier it's made for the conversion of enterprise applications from the Windows -> Linux/freeBSD.

When you match postgreSQL with the nice toolkit like QTD it's a great combo and enables companies to get off of the Microsoft perpetual cost merry-go-round forever!

Good Call!


Rick Staff here (again).
Those two quoted people above have lots more Linux street cred then me.
After all, I am a stupid Windows user.  So please give them a deep listen/read.
All that said, I have a very good intuitive sense for GUI API development, and
my programming skills are on the positive side of adequate.
I like Qt 3 Designer.  Plus it is multiplatform.  Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, etc.
Hope this helps.
Rick    :-D