[Oberon] Platform independent IDE?

[Douglas G. Danforth]

John,
Thank you very much.
I should know better than to ask a question which has a dubious answer.

However, I just may take you up on your suggestion and investigate what
a port of BlackBox to Gardens Point would entail such that the BlackBox
programming environment and look and feel are maintained across platforms.
(This is different from the goal of Oberon Microsystems where they wanted
BlackBox to look like a Mac application on Macs and a Windows application
on Windows. I'll have to look closely to see what that might entail).

I am in the midst of creating a project but perhaps in 2009 I can get to the
'Platform Independent IDE'.

-Doug

John Drake wrote:
> You should consider looking at Gardens Point component Pascal.
>
> http://plas.fit.qut.edu.au/gpcp/
>
> It can compile to either .NET or Java VM which means you can write 
> programs that run
> anywhere.  It uses the same language as BlackBox.  It would be nice to 
> see all of the
> BlackBox libraries ported to it, but so far nobody's taken on that 
> challenge.  GPCP
> has hooks to use with either the Visual Studio or Eclipse IDE.  
> There's even a simple
> "compile over the web" IDE set up.  That would be the ultimate in 
> cross platform
> usability if it were extended.  (Think the old Modula-3 "reactor" 
> platform).
>
> Regards,
>
> John M. Drake
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Douglas G. Danforth <danforth at greenwoodfarm.com>
> *To:* ETH Oberon and related systems <oberon at lists.inf.ethz.ch>
> *Sent:* Sunday, October 12, 2008 6:09:12 PM
> *Subject:* [Oberon] Platform independent IDE?
>
> *Platform independent IDE?*
>
> Folks,
> I have a small chance at a new job and before I talk to them I thought
> it would be useful to ask you (the Oberon users) whether it is possible
> to make the case that using Oberon is safe, reliable, and cross platform.
>
> So here are my questions for you.
>
> (1) Does a cross platform IDE (Integerated Development Environment) 
> exist for Oberon?
>  Cross platform must include MS Windows, Linux, and Apple OSX.
>  (I know of Bluebottle and have downloaded it several years ago but 
> don't know if
>  that is the correct vehical to answer my question.  What is A2?
>  I use BlackBox/Component Pascal almost exclusively now but it runs 
> only on Windows.
>  I understand that combined with Wine one can get it to work under 
> Linux but have not
>  done this.)
>
> (2) Does the IDE behave exactly the same on all platforms?
>  Does it have one form of look-and-feel or does it adapt to the 
> platforms GUI?
>
> (3) Can one install the IDE without low level bitstring manipulation 
> and parameter settings?
>
> (4) Does there exist a uniform library (collection of modules) for 
> basic functionality: files,
>  audio, screen manipulation, GUI controls, ...
>
> (5) Can one access the underlying operating system calls if need be 
> (and hence violate
>  platform independence)?
>
> (6) Mouse: can one use a two button mouse on all platforms (no 
> interclicks)?
>
> (7) Really how reliable is the system?  Can one program for 6 months 
> without finding
>  bugs in the underlying system.  Does it really work the way it is 
> claimed to work?
>
> (8) Web: Can one access the web via the system?  How much of the 
> underlying grunt work
>  of doing so is supported by the system (module)?
>
> (9) Server side programming:  Is it possible to run an Oberon server 
> such that (Oberon)
>  commands on one's desktop are passed through the web to the server in 
> such a manner that it
>  looks as those one is simple doing a remote procedure call?  For 
> example if the server
>  maintains a (relational) database of information, is it possible to 
> request (say SQL) to the
>  database for getting and putting data?  If I do not have access to 
> the server hardware (resides in
>  some other state or country) can I install the Oberon server software 
> remotely (if allowed, of
>  course, by the server)?
>
> I know these are tough questions but they are ones a commerical 
> company would ask and
> would have to be answered to convince they to use such an Oberon system.
>
> I look forward to your answers (any and all).
>
> Best regards,
> Doug Danforth
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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