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Competitive Cross-Platform Development?

Posted by Cliff on from the keeping-up-without-losing-compatibility dept.

Avalonia asks: "I work for a software company in the oil and gas exploration industry with a software development team of seven. Our software and development environment is cross-platform on Solaris, Irix, Linux and Windows. Most of our customers are on Solaris and Irix 64-bit systems, but Linux and Windows are increasingly important. Our environment is based around an elaborate command-line system of Makefiles controlling four different compilers (gcc 3.1, Sun Forte, Irix MIPSpro and Visual C++ 7). Needless to say, maintaining this system and producing modern multi-threaded C++ that will go through the four build systems is time-consuming in the extreme. A large proportion of our time is spent finding C++ code that just works rather than being creative and competitive with new functionality. What tools and strategies can we use to increase our productivity and regain our competitive advantage, without going for Windows only?"

"Our recent single-platform competitors (Windows only) can seriously outrun us in terms of productivity by using a single modern IDE development environment - such as C++ builder or Visual Studio - although we can scale onto larger multiprocessor Unix systems. With Windows 64-bit imminent we may lose our 'big-iron' scalability advantage. Java is not currently an option for the high-performance numerical and immersive graphical aspect of our applications."

5 of 410 comments (clear)

  1. Dear Slashdot, by PDHoss · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I am really in the mood for a religious flamewar. What topic do you suggest? I was thinking along the lines of "what language is best?", but I am not so sure. What do you think?

    PDHoss

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    Writers get in shape by pumping irony.
  2. There was an ad for Visual Studio under the blurb. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    How ironic.

    (BTW, is there anything better than Visual Studio?)

  3. Yes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Wait, no.

  4. Have you looked at SourceForge as a tool (AD) by Real+World+Stuff · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    VA Software Unveils SourceForge Project Management Console

    SourceForge 3.2 Delivers Development Intelligence

    FREMONT, Calif. -- October 29, 2002 -- VA Software Corporation (Nasdaq: LNUX) today unveiled SourceForge[tm] Enterprise Edition 3.2 -- the latest release of its flagship Development Intelligence application, featuring the new SourceForge Project Management Console. The Project Management Console provides real-time visibility into the entire application development lifecycle through an intuitive dashboard, enabling new levels of effectiveness in software development management.

    By automating status updates and delivering project metrics through a real-time interface, the SourceForge Project Management Console helps managers proactively identify, track and resolve potential problems before they impact schedules and budgets. The Project Management Console is an integral component of SourceForge Enterprise Edition 3.2.

    "The release of SourceForge Enterprise Edition 3.2 and the Project Management Console marks a fundamental shift in the way organizations can view and manage the application development lifecycle," said David Appelbaum, senior vice president of marketing, VA Software. "By centralizing information on development projects and providing real-time metrics and tools for analysis, SourceForge 3.2 delivers Development Intelligence -- the holistic view of code, content, communications and processes that helps organizations align software development with business goals."

    SourceForge Enterprise Edition is used by IT and software engineering organizations in a variety of industries including financial services, defense and aerospace, manufacturing, communications and government to drive quality and efficiency in software development. Current VA Software customers include companies and institutions such as Sandia National Laboratories, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Pfizer and LEGATO Systems.

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    If we don't fight for ourselves no one will.
  5. Re:Might I suggest.... by Fugly · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Working for an industry that isnt helping to destroy the world?

    In fairness, the oil industry has come a long way in the last 10 years, especially in Alaska. Plus, the computer modelling sofware has done great things to reduce the damage. They can take seismic readings and drill test wells at only the most promising locations. This has increased their hit rate from 1 in 10 test wells to like 1 in 3. At least that's what they say on the TV...

    In addition, they now use ice roads instead of plowing down to the tundra. Instead of drilling wells straight down to oil or gas deposits, they'll locate a drilling facility between several deposites and drill horizontally, lessening their footprint on the tundra. All good advances.

    Also, when it comes to depletion of fossile fuels, there are actually a few geologists who swear that fossil fuels are replenishing themselves very quickly and that we might be mistaken concerning their origin. Of course, these guys right now are largely considered to be complete nutcases but a couple of them have pretty impressive credentials so I'm reserving judgement myself.

    Oh, and of course, I still believe we need to dump this fossil fuel stuff and invest in cleaner, renewable energy sources regardless. Burning stuff for energy is so outdated.