New topic: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?
<http://forums.realsoftware.com/viewtopic.php?t=29240> Page 1 of 1 [ 9 posts ] Previous topic | Next topic Author Message Mo_Funds Post subject: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:20 pm Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2005 3:29 pm Posts: 597 While reading some Objective-C I read that Java can be used to develop for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux and if the developer's intent is to build for all three of these operating systems Java might be a good choice instead of Objective-C for desktop applications. I haven't developed with Java, was what I read accurate? I've been looking into developing for Mac OS X with Xcode 3 and Objective-C 2 - which has new improvements like automatic garbage collection. The Objective-C language doesn't look very hard but the Cocoa framework calls look like they'll take more time to learn. Since reading that about Java, maybe Java is what I want to use since the goal is to support three or more operating systems. Can Java be used to develop desktop applications for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux without much code changing? _________________ Intel MacBook Pro OS X 10.5.7 RB Pro. Top Jason_Adams Post subject: Re: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:48 pm Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:10 pm Posts: 467 I'm not a Java professional, but when I first looked into developing cross-platform software I compared using various solutions, Java included. What I found is that Java is indeed cross-platform -- in its own right -- but is better suited for server and network management, not GUI design. The most immediate issue is that, to paraphrase other Java developers, the API is absolutely massive, and it's often difficult to find what one's looking for; and almost, in fact, would take as much time to find it as it would to develop it yourself. Compilers such as RealBASIC, for example, make it so creating a new window is as easy as clicking the 'Window' button in the IDE; then adding native controls is as easy as drag and drop. Then it's incredibly easy to either create -- and introduce -- a new class or subclass to a project. What RealBASIC effectively accomplishes is a quick communication between the OS and the developer, so the developer can focus on the goal of the project itself; rather than developing ways just to introduce new controls, classes, and such to the project. So, to answer your question, yes, Java can be used to create cross-platform applications; but the workload is exponentially larger. Hope this helps! _________________ Vista Home Premium RB Pro 2009r3 "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." - G.K. Chesterton Top jjb Post subject: Re: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:50 pm Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:08 am Posts: 127 +1 to what Jason says _________________ RB 2009 r3 Personal edition (Windows) Top npalardy Post subject: Re: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:55 pm Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2005 8:18 pm Posts: 5130 Location: Canada, Alberta, Near Red Deer As a former Java guy I'd I'd agree Can you do it ? Yes Is it easy ? No Java is quite nice for back end server side stuff but for GUI's - blech _________________ My web site Great White Software RBLibrary.com REALbasic learning Top sphauck Post subject: Re: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 5:51 pm Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:35 pm Posts: 48 I DO NOT LIKE Java at all but....... Adobe AIR is a nice environment and runs on all three platforms and has SQLite built in and does AJAX and ........... Oh yeah, it runs on all three platforms (With no GUI changes as it is HTML or FLASH based UI) and is being ported to phones and the like. All that being said I treat Adobe AIR like I treat RB, it is a technology I keep up with and use for internal applications and some small projects but I believe that NEITHER is ready for large scale corporate SYSTEMS development and I would be hesitant to deploy commercial applications in volume with either tool at this time. Top Jason_Adams Post subject: Re: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 6:24 pm Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:10 pm Posts: 467 I just noticed this on the Real Software website; pretty relevant, I'd say: http://www.realsoftware.com/realbasic/j ... lopers.php _________________ Vista Home Premium RB Pro 2009r3 "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." - G.K. Chesterton Top paulg Post subject: Re: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:12 pm Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:45 pm Posts: 440 Location: Planet Earth:North America:California I'll give you my perspective as an end user, on this one. I don't like Java apps. I can always tell when an app I download is a java app, before I even look into the package. They are usually sluggish, have non-standard GUI elements and you would have far more things to pick apart then a Carbon App written in RB. Adobe AIR has some decent stuff that is lightweight and webcentric, but again you have a completely different UI, and sluggish performance. None of these are traits I would accept for a desktop application. I simply would never purchase it. I have several apps that were written in RB, as well as a few of my own, and they all run great. I'll leave my Java in the cup, not on my desktop! -Paul _________________ This message made with 100% recycled pixels. MacBook CD2.0/2GB/OSX 10.5.7 / RB Pro 2k9R3 Top sphauck Post subject: Re: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:41 pm Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:35 pm Posts: 48 I started to construct a response but I had to stop and start over because it can be boiled down to a single issue..... Software development tools and programmers are not what they could be today because of one thing...... What is the one thing you ask that keeps IDE's from being better and frameworks from actually working and tools being infiltrated with wizards instead of substantive features........ MARKETING Top polonius Post subject: Re: Is Java a three OS supporting language for desktop apps?Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:56 am Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:19 am Posts: 193 Location: Switzerland paulg wrote:I'll give you my perspective as an end user, on this one. I don't like Java apps. I can always tell when an app I download is a java app, before I even look into the package. They are usually sluggish, have non-standard GUI elements and you would have far more things to pick apart then a Carbon App written in RB. It may sound strange to you but I've come to the conclusion UI is not the most important aspect to me. I use four Java-based desktop products on a regular basis. It is true, you can often tell it is a Java app but what do I care if they do their job well. And with Eclipse, which is based on SWT, the appearance and performance of the UI are close to native. paulg wrote:Adobe AIR has some decent stuff that is lightweight and webcentric, but again you have a completely different UI, and sluggish performance. I tend to find these Flex/AIR UIs even worse than Java Swing GUIs. And, when I tried Flex last year I was not at all pleased by the environment: a weird combination of XML and ActionScript (which is JavaScript-like). As for the development of Swing UIs: compared to RB, it is very time consuming and the API is complex. But you might take a look at the Griffon framework (which is based on the JVM-based Groovy programming language) whose goal is to simplify Java desktop development: http://griffon.codehaus.org/ _________________ Running RB 2009r3 on Mac OS X 10.5.7 Top Display posts from previous: All posts1 day7 days2 weeks1 month3 months6 months1 year Sort by AuthorPost timeSubject AscendingDescending Page 1 of 1 [ 9 posts ] -- Over 1500 classes with 29000 functions in one REALbasic plug-in collection. The Monkeybread Software Realbasic Plugin v9.3. http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/realbasic/plugins.shtml [email protected]
