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REALbasic To Add Linux support

Posted by timothy on from the awoogah-awooooogah dept.

__past__ writes "REAL software just announced that the next version of their REALbasic IDE will add support for building native Linux applications, in addition to the Windows, Mac OS classic and OS X targets. Given that it will include a converter for existing Visual Basic projects, this could be a usefull tool for migrating existing apps written in everybody's favourite language to free platforms, something that other projects like Gambas or KBasic don't address."

3 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. Why is it... by MattCohn.com · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why is it 'Everyone's favorate language' once it's on Linux, but a steaming pile of shit that's infested the computing platform when it's on Windows?

  2. Being a VB Developer Myself... by thecampbeln · · Score: 4, Interesting
    (Pausing for the boos and hisses...) ...that is very interested in Linux on the desktop and beyond, this kind of development tool would be excellent! I looked a number of months ago when I realized that there were other *Basic providers but was unable to find anything that would compile to Linux (or even translate VB into a "real" language for later compilation).

    Even though I despise VB (I program ASP/VB for work and PHP for my own stuff, wishing I knew another app-dev language replace VB), it's what I know best and what pays the bills, so ANYTHING that will allow me to use those skills on *nix is a welcome one!!

    --
    "1984" was ment to be a warning, not a guidebook. You hear that Kim Jong-il!? BushCo?!
  3. I doubt it will make a big difference by vadim_t · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Visual Basic is often described in VB books as the "system glue". This means that you usually don't write huge amounts of code in it, you use it to put components together. A database app would usually be made of standard controls, ADO objects, data bound controls, perhaps some third party spread/grid control and often Crystal Reports or something similar.

    Having a VB compiler won't help much, unless they also plan to make Linux versions of ADO libraries and other useful things that are used often. And then there are the tons of WinAPI calls many VB programs are full of, because VB's capabilities even in version 6 aren't very impressive.

    I'm currently considering how to move from VB to Linux, and my current best idea is to isolate the evil parts, like Crystal Reports by moving them to a separate program. This way I could use just one Windows computer to print reports, and rewrite most things in Linux more easily.