Cross Platform Development

Hi there,

I know this has been debated before but I need a review (pointers for
further reading more than welcome).

With Kylix up in the air, what are the current options for Linux/Win32
development?  I'm just looking at the CrossKylix website right now.  Are
there other methods folks would care to comment on?

Regards,
Rob

"Robby Tanner" <robby_tanner@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:42e92626$1@newsgroups.borland.com...
> Hi there,
>
> I know this has been debated before but I need a review (pointers for
> further reading more than welcome).
>
> With Kylix up in the air, what are the current options for Linux/Win32
> development?  I'm just looking at the CrossKylix website right now.  Are
> there other methods folks would care to comment on?

In what language ? Pascal or C++ ?

Jonathan

> I know this has been debated before but I need a review (pointers for=20
> further reading more than welcome).
>=20
> With Kylix up in the air, what are the current options for Linux/Win32 =

> development?  I'm just looking at the CrossKylix website right now.  =
Are=20
> there other methods folks would care to comment on?

There are several routes:

- CrossKylix (this will only be a permanent solution if you trust =
Borland
to sooner or later pick up Kylix again for an update)
- CrossFPC (work in progress, will embed the FPC compiler targetting =
Linux
into the Delphi IDE, basicly the same as CrossKylix, but with an updated
compiler)
- Lazarus=20
- FreePascal
- Delphi 2005 + Mono

Depending on what your needs are, all these routes have advantages and =
drawbacks.=20

If you are doing server development (cgi, isapi, webservices, intraweb =
etc),=20
probably CrossKylix will be the best route to go, with the option to =
later switch to
CrossFPC.

If you want to do GUI applications and use the Borland-provided =
toolchain (dbexpress etc),
CrossKylix also is a possible route if you don't mind that your =
applications won't look
as good as recent QT3 KDE applications.

If you want to do GUI client applications, and don't need to use =
existing
commercial components or Borland database layers (dbexpress), Lazarus =
might be a route,
if you can live with beta software.

If the boxes you are deploying to are more or less under your control =
and you wish=20
to do GUI applications, you could also go the .NET route, using Mono for =
Linux and=20
Winforms on the Delphi side (not vcl.net). As most distros don't yet =
install a recent
stable version of Mono including Winforms support, without having =
control of the linux
boxes this will be a deployment nightmare.

Using FreePascal directly is a possible route if you want to do non-gui =
console
applications.

I guess to give you a decent advice we'd need more info on what kind of =
applications
you are after.

Simon

> CrossFPC.

When can we expect a first alpha version?

> > CrossFPC.
>=20
> When can we expect a first alpha version?

Well, a first alpha version exists since May, but it's only made =
available
to the CrossFPC team.

Currently the biggest show-stopper issues are missing Linux resource =
support and
a few issues in the variants support. This is needed to support visual =
CLX
and DBExpress. As soon as these parts are finished, CrossFPC should be
usuable for first projects.

Sadly I've been very busy with commercial projects during the last 2 =
month,
and there hasn't been much progress on the CrossFPC front. I'm planning =
to
back to it real soon now.

Probably a first usuable public version if the project will become =
available in
August or September, but don't nail me on it.

Simon

> There are several routes:
>
> - CrossKylix (this will only be a permanent solution if you trust Borland
> to sooner or later pick up Kylix again for an update)
> - CrossFPC (work in progress, will embed the FPC compiler targetting Linux
> into the Delphi IDE, basicly the same as CrossKylix, but with an updated
> compiler)
> - Lazarus
> - FreePascal
> - Delphi 2005 + Mono
>

As I suppose he wants to find an RAD environment to write
"Delphi-language", you can add

- Chrome (They seem to claim claim it works professionally: development
in Windows using  Microsoft's IDE "Visual Studio", create .NET
assemblies that run under Microsoft .NET on Windows, Mono on Windows and
Linux, and compact .NET framework on Windows CE.

-Michael

> Probably a first usuable public version if the project will become available in
> August or September, but don't nail me on it.
sounds good :-)

Simon Kissel wrote:

>Sadly I've been very busy with commercial projects during the last 2 month,

Sadly?  Congratulations, Simon, you're making money!  Something we all
hope to do!

I think it's amazing you work so hard on this project you donate to us as
it is.

-Brion

Either one, I guess.  I'm a Delphi programmer predominantly, but if
cross-platform means getting in to C++, I'll head that direction.

C++ has a lot of things to offer so it wouldn't be such a bad thing to get
in to.

Rob

"Jonathan Benedicto" <incorrect@no.server> wrote in message
news:42e92e4c$1@newsgroups.borland.com...
> "Robby Tanner" <robby_tanner@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:42e92626$1@newsgroups.borland.com... 
>
> In what language ? Pascal or C++ ?
>
> Jonathan
>

"Michael Schnell" <mschnell_at_bschnell_dot_de@aol.com> wrote in message
news:42e95176$1@newsgroups.borland.com... 
>
> As I suppose he wants to find an RAD environment to write
> "Delphi-language", you can add
>
> - Chrome (They seem to claim claim it works professionally: development in
> Windows using  Microsoft's IDE "Visual Studio", create .NET assemblies
> that run under Microsoft .NET on Windows, Mono on Windows and Linux, and
> compact .NET framework on Windows CE.

Thanks to both of you for the pointers.

Rob