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Windows XP continues to thrive in a world where Microsoft would have you use Windows Vista. But Microsoft isn’t making it all that easy. Read the rest of this entry »

I wasn’t entirely surprised to learn that RB3D (REALbasic 3D) was also eliminated from REALbasic 2007 R4. RB3D was a 3D implementation that was effectively a wrapper around Quesa. Quesa is an open source 3D framework (using OpenGL) for MacOS X, Windows and Linux. Except its for the most part a clone of dead Apple technology and never got much traction anywhere except on the Macintosh. Read the rest of this entry »

It is being reported that REALbasic 2007 R4 has dropped official support for MySQL and that the company is directing developers to utilize ODBC drivers to interact with MySQL. The GPL’d driver was turned over to a third party to continue support. It has also been reported that there were too many business issues with licensed connectivity between differing versions of MySQL. However, given the persistence of MySQL in closing deals they are interested in, it simply could be these issues were not surmountable given the level of interest of the parties. Like most companies of size, if the opportunity isn’t large or significant enough to their own business strategy, its easy enough just to point towards company policy and a take-it-or-leave-it position.

Anyway, REAL Software has been strongly promoting their own SQLite based database server and placed significant policy barriers in their forums against discussing competing products – including banning Paradigma staff members after staff members answered questions asked by REALbasic users about Valentina for REALbasic. What would MySQL think about such policies coming from a potential partner?

REAL Software has released REALbasic 2007 Release 4 with database improvements and support for Ubuntu with their Linux deployment. We applaud REAL Software’s support for Ubuntu. Paradigma announced support for Ubuntu at Ubuntu Live in July 2007, and delivered the free Valentina Community Server. Valentina Office Server and Valentina Embedded Server have been available since April 2007 on Linux, with direct cross platform connectivity from REALbasic applications and connectivity from Valentina Studio.

REAL Software also has a statement of support from Actual Technologies, which provides ODBC drivers that work on MacOS X. It is not clear to me if, deploying applications on MacOS X, that REALbasic developers must utilize Actual Technologies drivers or not. Actual Technologies sells ODBC connectivity on a per seat basis and is well known as a provider of ODBC solutions to the Macintosh developer community. Valentina developers though have a built in solution with Valentina Studio that can be had at no added cost.

Valentina Studio can connect with ODBC sources, allowing fast and easy conversion to the native Valentina database format, as well as any export formats supported by Valentina. Valentina Studio is included with Valentina for REALbasic Professional and VDN Platform Edition (REALbasic version).

Bart Silverstrim recently asked an interesting question on the REALbasic Mailing list about single vs multiuser databases and the REALbasic Standard license. REALbasic comes with a single user version of a SQLite based database. What exactly is the difference between a single user and multiuser database? Read the rest of this entry »