[KLUG Members] Kylix Open Edition released

[Bryan J. Smith]

Adam Tauno Williams responded:
> There was a review in the most recent Linux Journal of this version.
> Suprisingly LESS than a sounding recommendation.

If you are talking about this article:
http://www2.linuxjournal.com/lj-issues/issue88/4781.html

I got the view that it might not be something that would get C/C++
developers to "switch over," but why would you if you are already
using C/C++?  There is a "little learning curve" for C/C++
programmers, but its all just differences in implemenetation.  Kylix
focus is the "learning curve" for VB or non-programmers, which is
far less than going to C/C++.

Kylix has been released for 2 reasons:

1.  Borland users asked for Delphi on Linux in order to port
applications.  Even though Delphi may only be used by ~5% of Windows
developers, it is responsible for probably 25%+ of the
shrink-wrapped applications on the shelf as it offers VC
compile/execution speed with VB's RAD, and uses a more strongly
typed/forgiving language than either.

2.  To bring a RAD to users who want one in Linux.  These users are
not necessarily programmers, but SQL DBs and other, internal
developers who just need a RAD tool.  I find the new dbExpress
implementation quite ingenious, although its still missing a
reporting tool at this time.

> Apparently the documentation is terrible.

I didn't think it was that bad.  I think the Object Pascal and
Delphi RAD environment _forces_you_ to read it.  Otherwise, you will
not get much done until you understand how it all works.

> Other than bieng cross platform it doesn't look like it is
> all that much better than GLADE + GNOME-DB widgets.

Er, I'd have to disagree with you there on that one.  It's a full-up
IDE.  Not even comparable to Glade + Gnome-DB.  It is more
comparable to KDevelop.

The one thing that is "weird" at this time is how Kylix itself was
written.  Although Kylix produces native Linux binaries with Qt
widgets, it itself is still written in Borland C++ so it is still
written on Windows and ported with WineLib (so there are a few "GUI
irregularities" in the IDE itself).  When Borland's C/C++ compiler
is added to Kylix, then Kylix itself will be written in Kylix.  That
should happen late this year, or early next year.

> Wouldn't mind see-ing a presentation on it though!  Only seven open
> slots left for 2001.

All I can say is that at $199 for the Desktop Edition until August
23, 80% of the normal price ($999), you might want to pick it up if
you do any MySQL or other database development.  A lot of the
"goodies" don't come with the Open Edition.  And Borland is
_very_fair_ when it comes to upgrade pricing, as well as their "No
Non-Sense Licensing Agreement' that allows you to install the
software on all your systems, so long as not more than one is in use
simultaneously ("like a book").

BTW, here's the feature matrix between Open/Desktop/Server:
http://www.borland.com/kylix/k1/features.html

-- TheBS

-- 
Bryan "TheBS" Smith  mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org  chat:thebs413
Absolute Value Systems, Inc.        http://www.linux-wlan.org
SmithConcepts, Inc.              http://www.SmithConcepts.com