Hi Felix,

I have a similar background (reading your second para) and started
developing an app about a year ago using:

Python
wxPython
Boa (IDE - note if you use this you have to stick to wxPython 2.4.x as
it does not yet support 2.5)
Firebird 1.0 (now 1.5)
kinterbasdb
ORM (object relational membrane - reduces drastically the amount of SQL
code) - http://tux4web.de/computer/software/orm/about/
IBExpress Personal (for db creation, debugging and a bit of stored
procedure stuff)
IBUtils - graphical rep of db for verification of relationships and
referencing - http://www.alikiwi.com/ibutils/ibutils.htm
py2exe (an .exe generator for Python)
InnoSetup to generate Win Setup files

In my opinion what makes all this nice to work with is mainly Python and
wxPython, once you get a hang of it you get daily surprises how easy it
is is to do things.

I would say that I probably needed 3 month to get somehow comfortable
(part time, e.g. hobby), but after a year I have not regreted anything.

Having been involved in IT development (on management side) I have to
say what impresses me most is the support. All newsgroups for the above
products provide very fast and good support (only one having some
hickups here and there is Boa - developer seems to be too busy, but not
to a point that I would switch).

Dabo might have been something I would have considered had it been
around at the time, note that they just released another alpha release.

Hope this helps
Werner

Felix wrote:

> I am looking for a RAD/IDE to develop front ends (particularly input
> and display forms) for Firebird (and probably mySQL) databases.
>
> Key considerations:
>
> Easy to get started with (think Filemaker) but highly
> extensible/powerful once I get the hang of it (think Delphi/Visual
> Studio) [I have not "programmed" anything beyond macros, some
> VBScript, some really simple ObjectPAL and HTML for well over 15
> years . . . so an environment based on a simple "readable" language
> would be really nice.]
>
> My target platform is Win32 (i.e. 2000/XP/ and maybe 98). Multi-
> platform capability would be a STRONG plus, however. [Does this
> automatically mean Java? or .NET+Mono?]
>
> Connectivity to Firebird - "native," .net, JDBC or ODBC (probably in
> that order of preference).
>
> The development platform should hopefully be able to generate
> ROYALTEE FREE binary executables, although runtime interpreted
> programs would be OK (especially to deal with multiple OS platforms,
> see above) if run against common interpreters such as .NET and/or
> Python.
>
> Cost of the development platform should be under $1500, although FREE
> would be best!
>
> Finally, I'm probably not interested in Delphi. This is sort of a
> gut feeling, so feel free to make an impassioned argument if you have
> time or interest. [Is Delphi/Pascal "easy" to learn? Can I get a
> basic masterdetail form built in my first two hours? To target Linux
> would I then also have to buy Kylix? Is Kylix at a dead-end?]
>
> Some of the environments I have begun to investigate include:
>
> Free (or close to it):
> - Rekall (Requires royalties for runtime. About $10 per seat. Grrr.)
> - GNUEnterprise (still in beta, but looks like it could be good)
> - Kexi (still in beta)
> - DaboDev (seems stuck in Alpha)
> - Eclipse (very daunting - would have to learn Java to get even the
> most basic app done)
>
> Not Free:
> - Revolution (looks like a potential winner -
> http://revolution.runrev.com/)
> - WinDev
> - Visual FoxPro (does this "play nice" with non-Microsoft db's?)
>
>
> I would greatly appreciate anyone's comments and advice (especially
> within the parameters I have listed) on the above listed environments
> and/or any others I have not yet discovered.
>
>
> Felix
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
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