Transitioning Programmer

[Brendt2]

Hello,

I am a very resent convert to Ubuntu Linux so forgive me...

On Microsoft, my bread and butter was Rapid App Dev. Within an hour or so I could quickly build a functional app to take care of a particular need.

What is a good Ubuntu / Linux tool that would help me in the RAD aspect?

Also what is the best/easiest/quickest way to construct a GUI. (I know what most will think but...) Like VB? Some clients require small special purpose apps... and I don't want to have to spend much time constructing them. VB afforded me a quick and viable option to construct these type of apps, and it would mean quite a bit to me to have a good replacement within Ubuntu.

Is there a good replacement for VBA/Office in Ubuntu?

Thanks to anyone who can help me out with this!!!

-Brendt

[angustia]

better if you explain more what kind of thing you want to do. in unix there's no big solutions for all the pains together, just several tools for every problem...

now, the visual basic for ubuntu is called python so you can start looking by there. And look for {anjuta, pygtk, glade}, or {kdevelop, pykde, pyqt, qtdesigner} if you are more interested in kubuntu.

[Mr Egg]

Try REALbasic. REALbasic is a cross-platform app that can compile your program for Windows, Linux and Mac. REALbasic is free for Linux and its syntax is almost the same as VB.

It also has a built-in GUI builder.

http://realbasic.com

[Brendt2]

better if you explain more what kind of thing you want to do. in unix there's no big solutions for all the pains together, just several tools for every problem...

Well if I were to say... I most commonly will create a front end to a database ( primarily Access DB or SQL ), and VB was pretty decent for doing this and since it was MS to MS products it was pretty streamlined.

Also on a side note I am about to start a GIS project. It will be primarly a front end to a database, but I need to have a good GIS in the GUI.

I am holding off on the GIS project as me and the client deside if it should be build on linux or windows. Don't want to be .

Does anyone have any ideas?

[Note360]

While Python is technically the VB of Ubuntu it is much better and effective. It is cross platform, Easier to read syntax. However, it is just as effective as C or C#.

Other languages to look at:
Ruby
Perl
Shell Script
C
C# with Mono

[coder_]

I'd go with Mono definitly, but there is also Kylix for Linux, a RAD Delphi IDE by Borland. ) That, I'd think is quite similar to working with RAD in VB on Windows.

[dmjohnson]

I too am new to Linux. I am a software developer by trade and code in MS c#. I'm curious - what are the pro's and con's of - C# with Mono?

Brendt2 - just wanted to comment that if you are coming from a background of primarily coding in vba and have never used c# or other fully object oriented languages you may want to be aware that the learning curve is pretty steep. I only mention this as you have mentioned the need to crank out code quickly.

[Brendt2]

just wanted to comment that if you are coming from a background of primarily coding in vba and have never used c# or other fully object oriented languages you may want to be aware that the learning curve is pretty steep.

I will agree that it is a transition to learn the real languages... I guess I developed in the typical fasion... found a older computer when young... figured out how to make games with this thing called GWBASIC (OOoo memories!)

I then became pretty well aquainted with the C family... as well as a couple other languages...

But my problem is that... in my line of work... Rapid app dev is my most clear option. VB served very well in this respect. Within a day i could create a fully functional app for a client. This app would have taken me a week in C.

I know that if I spent more "intimate time" with C i could probably start becoming progressively faster ( so it goes ) , but the time aspect is hard to come by ( TIME = Money! haha )

Since now I am going to try and switch over as many of my clients to ubuntu as is possible (and start the transition for the rest), I need a good linux rapid app dev environment....

THANKS!

-Brendt