Re: Should CodeGear adding Ruby support soon?

It works for us writing technical desktop apps.

yes as long as you use TDataset and the respective db controls. Delphi has no peer when it comes to building C/S desktop apps. If i needed to build a 2 tier client/server app, no question which environment I would use. I have built many c/s apps in delphi and have been very satisfied with the solution. Of course I had to spend $500 for 3rd party controls to build it, but that's ok.

The cracks start to form for me when you step away from TDataSet and try to build an OO based solution.

Ah yes, shades of "I'd pay $1000 for something that would let me build Linux apps". Please Codegear, don't take this as an invite to produce Rylix!

I'm sitting here right now figuring out where I want to go with all of my future development. My choices have come down to:

1. C#/.net
2. Java
3. Ruby

The problem with ruby is that while it's a powerful dynamic language, it lacks a strong all encompassing library. Especially a standard GUI toolkit.

The thing I like about .net and java is they come with a built in library that will do 95% of what I want to do out of the box and it has been battle tested by millions of people. I know I won't be going to a language/platform where I have to buy a bunch of components from different vendors with varying levels of quality who may go out of business tomorrow.

I also want to go with a language/environment with a sound WEB platform that I don't have to once again buy 3rd party components to use.


..Net is a wonderful environment but it's changing at a blistering pace and they are deprecating things as fast as they are creating them. WPF is revolutionary though and you can create some beautiful desktop apps with it. Too bad there wont be any tools for it till next year.


Despite my past encounters with java, I gave it another shot and downloaded NetBeans. The IDE is excellent and the language has improved tremendously. Swing is powerful but a pain to code for becomes usable with netbeans and looks dam good if you ask me. Java is becoming my frontrunner because I want to be able to run my back end on linux. I know about mono but I also know m$ will crush it at some point. Take a look at the swing JTable and then go back and use StringGrid.
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