BlitzRAD

Hello,

I'm creating a new development environment for Blitz Max: BlitzRAD.

BlitzRAD is a development environment to create Blitz Max applications, using the famouse Max GUI components. BlitzRAD is not only an interface designer, but a full-featured development environment for this wonderful programming language. With BlitzRAD you will be able to create (visually) Max GUI interfaces, write code, create functions, "objects" (TYPE), etc... BlitzRAD will automatically create all needed BlitzMax source code (and automatically recall the compiler!) to create the final application. You will find more info in the dedicated section BM-BlitzRAD at:

HTTP://ALE870.PBWIKI.COM

Comments, suggestions, information, are welcome!

you mean i will place a list box and what i want in it, and blitzrad will put the code?

like visual studio?

Basically yes!

Of course, I don't pretend to be able to create something big and powerful like Visual Studio :-) but the concept is that one.

Using the visual editor, you will be able to compose (visually) the form, then you can visually (using an object inspector) set their properties. Finally, you can associate the code to every possible event (limited to the events that MaxGui make available).
For example, I can put a text field and a button on the screen. Then I will select the button and I write down some code for the OnClick() event.
That's all.
BlitzRAD will automatically generate the code to create the form, text edit, the button, the code to manage the events and will put your code inside the correct place! ;-)

*EDIT*

<<Humble yourself>>

Oh, I know what you mean. I think it's better if I talk about me a little bit.

I'm 36, and I develop applications since when I was 13.

I know MANY programming languages, from Assembler, to C, pascal (and Delphi, the language I'm using to creat BlitzRAD), multimedia based (macromedia flash, Asymetrix Toolbook, etc...) up to DB systems (Oracle admin, Oracle PL/SQL, etc...), and so on.
Furthermore, I worked with several PC and OS.

Of course, I cannot create a Visual Studio-like program (I'm not Microsoft :-) but I know what I can do, and I will promise BlitzRAD will be a truly useful RAD system! :-)

Are you programming this in BlitzMax? It would be really useful to have a mac version.

Cheers
Charlie

I think he said Delphi.

I'm programming in Delphi - Win32 version (I'm sorry for non-windows users). But Delphi is a powerful tool, and let me create a stable and fast application.

In order to speedup the development, and to create a tested code (more stable software), I bought some external components.

I want to release the first version and, for the future, I think it could be feasible to convert it to MONO version (compatible not only with windows).

Delphi was one of the original RAD tools, I had it way back in 95 for Windows 3.1.

I even used Delphi from its version 1 (for Windows 3.1).
It was evolved so much, and now includes almost everything a programmer could ask!
It is a sin that does not exist a version for Linux and Mac (for Linux there is an OLD version of Kylix 3... very old and maintained no more :-( )

I wish you the best of luck with this and think its something well needed, but I find it a little odd that you are making it in Delphi, when it could be made in BlitzMax itself. Must be a good reason for it.

Yes, I know what you mean.

But Delphi offers me a lot of tools (third party components) that let me create applications faster, stable, etc...
Consider that I spent about 200 euros to buy top-quality controls to create a full featured interface-designer, and a good programming editor (I will include syntax completion, code suggestions, etc... either for BlitzMax and C).

Furthermore, Delphi manages very well OOP technology, which is very important for medium/big projects, and for its maintenance.

I'm sorry again for the impossibility to use it in Linux and Mac. My hope is this sacrifice take to release BlitzRAD in shorter time, with more possible enhancements for the future, more flexibility, etc...

why did you quote my signature?

you did know it was my signature right? "humble yourself" is my signature.

:)

otherwise I love the idea of your program and it might not be visual studio in scope, but it will have certain features of it. exactly what you described is what I thought it was from your first post.

so will it work to develop an interface for games too? :)

couple things, why is it called blitzrad? Is it meant to be only specifically used with blitzmax code? also why code it in delphi?

how far along are ya, when ya hope to be done? what price are we looking at?

Hello Cruis.In, I made a big mistake, infact I confused your signature like a comments regarding my scope. I thought you told me I was conceited, presumptuous. I'm sorry!

<<so will it work to develop an interface for games too?>>

If you talk about interfaces inside games (made with 2D functions, in graphic mode, and not using original operating system control), it is not possible. I hope in the future, that Blitzmax will contain an active x control, in order to be embedded in other programming tools (like this one).

<<couple things, why is it called blitzrad? Is it meant to be only specifically used with blitzmax code?>>

I changed its name, to avoid future problems with copyright of blitzbasic, blitzmax, etc... I named it "RADicchio!". I'm italian, and "radicchio" is a very good vegetable similar to "chicory", but it sounds funny, and it contains the word "RAD" :-) In this days I'm composing a logo for it.

Now RADicchio! produces only Blitzmax code, since it heavily uses Max GUI for the final code.

<<also why code it in delphi?>>

Because Delphi is simply great, incredible, fast to be used, produce fast code, it is an incredible RAD tool (even if it has some problems too... but generally speaking, it is great!).
Delphi is a tool that you can compare to C++ as final scope. You can do everything in delphi, and it is much powerful.

<<how far along are ya, when ya hope to be done?>>

My schedule is the following:
1) at the end of this month (november) I will put on my site, some screenshots, more info about how it works, etc... I hope this will be a starting point for the people to give me some suggestions, comments, etc...

2) I will publish some updates every about 2 weeks, to inform the people about development progress. I will publish more screenshots too.

3)I hope I will be able (time is never enough :-( ) to release the first alpha-release at the end year. Maybe, I will start to sell it too. Obviously, who will buy this alpha release will get even other releases, and the first final version 1.0!


<<what price are we looking at?>>

I think the final price will be around 15 or 20 euros, I hope it is a correct price for everybody :-)

But the important thing is I hope that the people like this tool!

NOTE: I opened a forum abour RADicchio! This is the url:

http://ale870.forumgratis.biz/index.php

Are the components you bought from ECONTROL by any chance?
I use the syntax editor control these days and find it powerful. But I find the documentation lacking a lot.

Good luck for your project. Don't expect to much business. People are cheap these days, no matter how good your product is. Plus there is allways a free version. Imho it would be better to make this tool for yourself. The chance that you become disappointed otherwise is high.

About the price, yes it is cheap. To cheap. Why? How many copies do you think will you sell? 20,40,60? How long will the profit hold up your motivation to develop it further? If you create this tool because you dream of big time money, then you will abdone it pretty fast, because it won't happen.

The tool market for independent game languages is small, very small. So small that a friend of mine and I decided not to do it anymore. It is just not worth it. I get more extra income working overtime at my daily job or even working at a local diner.

<<Are the components you bought from ECONTROL by any chance?
I use the syntax editor control these days and find it powerful. But I find the documentation lacking a lot.>>

Yes, I used EControl Designer component. It is great! But I agree with you, the documentation is very poor :-(

<<Good luck for your project.>>

Thank you. It is very important for me (and my soul!) this encouragement!

<<About the price, yes it is cheap. To cheap. Why? >>

First of all I wish some money just to reenter of the money I spent :-)

However, I hope the people will like this project, and I hope some of them could donate me some money, just to encourage me continue this job.
I know that I will not become a rich man with this software :-(

Hello,

I just published the first roadmap for RADicchio! :-)

http://ale870.pbwiki.com/RADicchio

Using Lazarus (an open source and cross-platform Delphi clone) you could create a version for several different platforms, including Linux and Mac. It is quite full-featured and may be worth looking into! (www.freepascal.com)

Russell

.

Russell, I know Lazarus and Free Pascal, but the problem is the compatibility with delphi (to use the same components) is really limited (compatibility to Delphi 2, If I remember).

I'm using some advanced components created for Delphi 2006.

Furthermore, now Delphi 2006 is Turbo delphi, and the professional edition is really cheap (about 400$).

About multiplatform: in the future (at mature stage) I will try to create RADicchio! in a Mono-compatible environment.