Hi Ted,
Carl mentioned in December (was it in December?) that he expected Beta
testing of the GUI version will begin in the middle of January. We are
currently in the third week of January. Don't you think it is a little
early to start looking at your watch?
Let Carl share his expectations and plans with us, without turning
everything he says into the equivalent of a contractually binding product
announcement, with shipping dates, price schedule, and reseller discounts.
Whether the beta ships this week or next week, let us not lose from sight,
what it is that we are talking about. We are not talking about extending
REBOL with a GUI interface!
We are talking about adding REBOL to GUI applications. GUI applications
become programmable in REBOL! This is GUI applications with Internet
processing programmable in REBOL! This is Internet applications with GUIs
programmable in REBOL! Big difference!
The people, who have so far adopted REBOL, have done so, because they did
not need to deliver REBOL based GUI applications. Those people who have to
deliver GUI applications have had to stay away from REBOL, because REBOL
does not support GUIs. So the remaining people here on the list, for the
most part, are people, who have to accomplish many tasks that do not
require GUI interfaces.
But can you imagine what will be happening on the market, when people, who
have to deliver GUI based applications, will be able to implement the whole
thing in REBOL? The revolution this will cause? What REBOL did for Internet
programming - look at how easily you can create a CGI script, donwload and
parse a Web page - REBOL will be now doing for GUI programming.
Don't you recall the waves of discussions we had on the list, where people
were bashing REBOL for not having GUI support? The people that announced
the early demise of REBOL for lack of GUI support? Now that GUI support is
about to arrive, you want it published just for the sake of there being
something new out there?
People who announced that they were leaving the list because REBOL didn't
support GUI programming?
Do you recall people on this list asking whether there were any jobs
available for REBOL programmers (jobs, i.e. with pay!). Can you imagine
what will happen to REBOL job availability, when applications that require
a GUI - and most paid for jobs target applications that do you require a
GUI - will be deliverable in REBOL.
Imagine all the people who look at REBOL and say, well, it'd be cool to so
easily access resources on the Internet, download them, store them,
post-process them, but my client wants a proper GUI interface. Shucks, I'll
have to implement it in
a) Java
b) Tcl/Tk
c) Visual C++
d) Visual Basic
because I can't afford to present an application without an industry
standard GUI.
Now they can afford to use REBOL, for the language, for the built-in
Internet support AND have a fully functional GUI Interface!
What REBOL/View will do is take our scripts and make them useful for
people, who run away, when they see a console window, whose nightmares
consist of command lines that require cryptic commands to be entered in
order to accomplish anything.
There are millions and millions of people out there, who are comfortable
with a mouse and who expect that they can start up an application and make
choices from menus in order to accomplish their tasks. These people will be
able to use our scripts. This is important!
;- Elan >> [: - )]
