Newcomer

[Andre Garzia]

On Mar 18, 2004, at 1:09 PM, Michael Reade wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I've been a Filemaker developer for a few years, and am looking for a
> development environment to connect to a backend (Openbase, MySQL, 
> something
> like that).
>
> I started to pick up RealBasic, and then I heard of RunRev. I read an 
> white
> paper by Geoff Canyon, from September 2001, which was very 
> informative, but
> a bit old.
>
> I appreciate it if anyone can direct me towards any recent literature, 
> or
> might want to forward any opinions, regarding RunRev x RealBasic, and 
> RunRev
> connecting to databases.

Micheael Reade,

Although I am not one of the major players here :-D I can give you some 
hints and tell about my experience so far for I am making heavy use of 
database here and got a good REALBasic background.

I begun programming for MacOS with REALBasic and did a nice app called 
iblog (http://iblog.soapdog.org), that time I thought REALBasic was 
everything and was overhelmed with the ease of use of RAD tools (I was 
switching away from Linux and Win32). Since I've got a Delphi and VB 
background, I was home with RB. Very nice RAD Tool indeed. Times 
changed, apple launched MacOS X and I was pennyless to buy RB upgrades 
so I decided to check what my options were. I started learning C and 
Cocoa stuff, clever things, but I hate C... and yet, I launched iBlog 
successor in Objective-C, called BlogWorkz 
(http://blogworkz.soapdog.org).

Then I stumbled in HyperCard articles, find the idea interesting and 
started looking around, found supercard and metacard and RunRev with 
it's 1.0 free edition (that was called something else), I read that the 
only limitation was a 10-line-limitation in the source of your 
functions. I thought: "no one can do things in less than 10 lines". 
Well after reading the included tutorials, I saved money, waited for 
the 2.0 release, and bought a nice studio license.

I launched my own software house called Soap Dog Studios 
(http://www.soapdog.org) and started delivering solutions based on 
Revolution. First, it took me two days to reimplement BlogWorkz/iBlog 
functionality in Revolution, and that includes creating my own 
implementation of XML-RPC. After fiddling much with internet protocols, 
I joined a contract for a Database based app, never worked with 
Database in Rev before, it's plain easy. First you have a marvelous 
tool called the Database Query Builder, if you need only simple queries 
and transparent transport between query data and your text fields, this 
will serve you with no programming required. If you mix it with the DB 
funcs then you can do anything. Best of all, the API is very elegant 
and serves all RDBMS, no matter if it's valentina or mysql or oracle, 
it's the same API. You'll open a connection to a remote MySQL server in 
a single line, you can query it and close it, three lines at all.. or 
use Database Query Builder, and use no line at all! :D

Be aware that there are some undocumented functions for Database that 
can realy save the day. This list is the most usefull group in the 
world. People here are friendly, they actually answer your emails and 
smile. They can point you to numerous resources till you get the grip 
to investigate the bowels of Revolution on your own. This "hidden" 
functions can serve for example to change at runtime the query of a 
auto-query built with Database Query Builder, this is pretty usefull 
for SELECT ... WHERE queries. Also, we're waiting for a SQLite external 
that will enable us to deliver database solutions that won't need the 
fuss of a server instalation (of course you can buy valentina and be 
happy just now!).

Revolution is just more productive than RB. There's no code-build-debug 
cycle, it's easier to reuse code, those internet protocols are easier 
to use and stacks abllity to save it's state is very handy. I for 
example, am very involved with a project I call the revHTTPd project 
(a.k.a. the serverworkz framework), it's a WebServer and Framework 
build in pure transcript language with advanced features like automatic 
data transportation from/to html forms and stacks, database 
manipulation via web and the like. This is not possible in RB, the 
complexities of such project would render it impossible for a one-man 
team to do it. I couple days, I've got it all running, the server and 
the framework, the hard part was learning HTTP, coding in Revolution 
was the easy task.

Keep in mind that your not only buying a programmer tool. Revolution 
can truly change the way you plan and deliver you solutions, for 
example, I am also a BeOS programmer, there I must use C for coding, I 
use 80% of my time cursing C and 20% coding.. :-D

Also, the one thing I find great about Revolution is the nice gathering 
of people around it. The community is strong and helpfull, we've got 
Dan book, we've got the insights of Dar in those primes, we've got 
those fine articles of Richard in the 4W Rev Embassy, all those tactile 
media stacks by Scott that makes me wonder when we'll launch the first 
arcade game made in Rev, the nice SMTP lib by Shao Sean, the collection 
of code snipets and XML Lib by Ray of sons of the thunder, nice tools 
and code by Klaus... and a lot of other people here (from newbies to 
RunRev employees) that I'll not mention for this is an email and not a 
political propaganda for my future candidature and I promissed to quote 
less than 10 names. Well, the resume is, it's not just the tool, it's 
the group. This list will learn and teach with you, and if you decide 
to join the Revolution there's still time for booking for that nice 
trip to malta that people here are organizing.

Oh... I was forgeting... in RB you cannot build for MacOS Classic, 
MacOS X, Win32, Linux, FreeBSD, Irix, AIX, HP-UX with the click of a 
button :D

PS: I am a native portuguese speaking person, so my english is 
sometimes fuzzy.

I'll put some literature links here, I also advise to get Rev.NET 
plugin stack, and if you got the money buy Rev book from Dan.

Fourth World Revolution Embassy (read the articleeees!!!)
http://www.fourthworld.com/rev/index.html

Sons Of The Thunder Resources
http://www.sonsothunder.com/devres/devres.htm


Dar Scott (read the message primer... )
http://www.swcp.com/dsc/revstacks.html

The Book by Dan
http://www.revolutionpros.com

Oh hell... I am reinventing the wheell again!!! I can just point you to 
Revolution WebRing and all the links are there, silly me.
http://h.webring.com/hub?ring=runtimerevoluti1

Also check on Altuit site and TactileMedia site, they've got really 
impressive apps made in Rev, they are not only code-impressive but a 
real eye candy, I wish I had a designer here too!

I know I must be forgeting someone or something... I just awoke, I am a 
little sleepy...

Cheers
Andre





>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Michael Reade
-- 
Andre Alves Garzia ð 2004 ð BRAZIL
http://studio.soapdog.org