Question: tools for business apps development

[Robert M. Emmons]

> It will run in Windows, but it's supposed to be multiplatform -
> whatever it means nowadays :-) My friend is toying with the idea to
> turn his company into a full Linux based shop.

One stratagy to move to Linux:  Move to the web, avoid VB -- use Java 
instead, don't use MS Office -- use OpenOffice.  This is probably the 
most conservative approach.  It's hard to see how anyone can be scared 
of that approach.

Again -- I not encouraging Java because it's not open source, but it 
does have Linux support and is commerical with some free tools and it is 
probalby a more conservative choice than python -- though python is way 
cool and I like python myself.  People also say good things about QT 
development environment -- but again that's commerical -- and I don't 
know what it has for python support.

> And web-based apps are thought to be limited, not interactive
> or responsive enough for the job (the dependence on heavy Javascript
> programming doesn't help it either).

I believe this is why XUL exists -- to give web based apps a local 
applicaiton look and feel.

> And I'm not inclined to
> study XUL just to do it, but I can change my mind. I don't feel
> comfortable to use a browser extension to write a full fledged app --
> it may be a prejudice of mine (I don't like browser-based Java apps,
> either, although its a completely different beast), and a little
> reading may help to dispell it.

Yes I have that concern -- but I've not tried it and don't know either 
way.  The Active State IDE is writen this way, so there is one example.

Rob