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Borland Linux Poll: Take Two

Posted by Hemos on from the let's-try-and-not-crash-this-time dept.

A fair number of you probably voted in the recent poll about Borland exploring Linux development. As the other article touched on, they are looking to hire people, and are running a poll to test the waters. However, the prior poll's server got slashdotted, and they missed a lot of people's comments. If you didn't make it at first, head over again and make your voice heard.

8 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Demand by kijiki · · Score: 2

    The fact that their server got slashdotted should tell them something about the demand. Heres to C++ Builder and Delphi on Linux!

  2. Who needs Open Source ? by doog · · Score: 2

    I answered, "Open Source Makes no difference to me" on the questions about the importance of GPL. I hope they port their products and sell them and make money on the Linux platform. There are a lot of programmers out there like me that don't care about GPL or "Free" software, but use it because its a cool environment and it provides a level playing field that isn't inundated and overwhelmingly dominated by Microsoft.

    1. Re:Who needs Open Source ? by dattaway · · Score: 2

      I remember TC++ as a quick way to learn and produce useful programs. It was lean and did the job quite well. There was something about the environment that just made it great to start with. It had everything there within reach of menus, from examples, help, debugging, watching variables, compiling, editing, etc.

      My mistake was sometime after that I wanted to write something with a graphical interface and fell for the Visual C++ from Microsoft. Having purchased Microsoft C since the 5.0 verson, I thought it would be just as productive. Wrong. Somehow VC++ 1.0 caused my brain to rot. A few years of this torment and fustration of being unproductive and then I discovered Linux. It was with great joy that this free software encouraged me to think of my computer as hardware that can be programmed to my desire. I now have control over my computer once again...

      If Borland came out with a design environment that was even half as good as Turbo C++, I'd certainly check it out. TC++ was inspiring and worked for me. It would be great if the can extend that legend to Linux.

    2. Re:Who needs Open Source ? by dirty · · Score: 2

      I think a closed source compiler is fine, provided it is 100% source compatible with gcc. Ie, you write a program in bcc for linux, then release the source, i can now download it and compile it in gcc. Maybe it won't run quite so fast, but it will still run. What use is a GPL'd program if you need a proprietary compiler to compile it?

      --

      -matt
  3. assorted thoughts by banky · · Score: 2

    1. Didn't /. run a story about how Borland was getting rid of OWL and become another MFC compiler? Doesn't that mean that Borland/Inprise is going in too many directions at once? As much as I want Delphi and Jbuilder, I want it to be *quality*. I don't want the port to suffer because too many of the staff were diddling with MFC garbage.
    2. The IDE must let me use whatever editor I want. Once the rest of the world realizes this their products will sell (in the Linux sphere). Likewise, the compiler suite must mesh with whatever I have, ie useful command line tools.
    3. It must work out of the box, and not be crippled of useful functionality. Right now most Windows IDE's are slanted toward Windows functionality, obviously. If all I got was a toolbar and some graphics libraries, well, no thank you. I want things on that CD that will do for me, a Linux developer, what MFC does for the Windows guys.
    Wait. Maybe I should rephrase that.
    I want it to really improve on the coding, I want it to really do some of the work for me, I want it to help me develop better software. Thats a tall order as I see it.

    --
    ZOMG I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS ON MACINTOSH VERSUS WINDOWS, VI VERSUS EMACS, AND HOW YOU'RE NOT A DORK
  4. Link the Delphi IDE to Python by LegalEagle · · Score: 2

    I've been a Delphi user since the 1.0 version. However, all of my development work is now in Linux. I've had difficulty adjusting to building GUI applications on this newer (and much better) OS.

    I've noticed the comments many people have made about ObjectPascal as a language. Pascal, and particularly Borland's implementation in Delphi, leaves a lot to be desired from an OO perspective. I suggest that Borland take another fork in the road a bit and develop an IDE that has Python as its underlying language. Admittedly, Python is a scripting language, but is is running very well on Linux and Windows. Furthermore, using Python would relieve Borland of porting ObjectPascal immediately. Moreover, Python is easy to learn and it works well in both Linux and Windows -- making the transition phase from Windows to Linux that much easier.

    I also suggest that the things that most novice and "corporate power users" liked about Delphi was that the IDE relieved the developer from a lot of tedious overhead issues that are necessary for making programs run. All Borland needs to do is apply their tried and true formula (i.e., making it easy to write good programs quickly) and simply port that over to Linux. No matter what language they use, if Borland puts a familiar façade in front of all those Windows developers, hide the gory details (heresy, I know) and make that functionality work in Linux, Borland will make money and the Linux world will be better for it.

    Simply creating an IDE for python would be less work than porting ObjectPascal (with all of its concessions to the Windows OS). Thus, Borland could make its corporate splash onto the Linux scene quickly and take the pressure off of getting a quick Delphi port out the door. Hopefully, Borland would take the opportunity to clean up ObjectPascal and make it a truly object oriented language (particularly in the area of object collections, TCollection sucks).

  5. Re: RHIDE... was Re:Mmm... Borland... by Steelehead · · Score: 2

    RHIDE is also available for Linux!
    I found a URL for y'all:
    http://www.tu-chemnit z.de/~sho/rho/rhide-1.4/rhide-linux.html
    I think it's one of those apps that's in a perpetual beta stage [kinda like ICQ for winbloze...]
    I used RHIDE it when I was still looking through Windows. I was happy when I discovered I could use it in the Open [source that is]. It came with my commercial copy of the SuSE[5.3 or 6.0 or 6.1- I canna remember] distro...
    HTH,
    Steelehead

    --
    -- 100% MS-Free as of 4-4-1999, 11:47:38 PST. "The lapdance is always better when the stripper is cryin'" Free Kevin,
  6. Re:$125M no strings attached by shadrack · · Score: 2

    You are right, here's a thought.

    Wouldn't be a kicker if Inprise/Borland uses the money from MS to finance their Linux development?:).