🚀 go-pugleaf

I'm a part time web programmer (ASP,VBScript,Javascript,SQL) looking to
transition into traditional application development. I've got some ideas for
programs that I'd like to write so I'm currenly studying up on C++. As I
think ahead to a time that I'm proficient enough to start actully creating
applications, there are some requirements that I'd like to be able to
fullfill. Here's what I'm looking for:

- Optimum approach to writing an app that will run on Windows and OS X (i.e.
least amount of code, fewest number of tools)
- Not JAVA based
- GUI interface that strongly adhears to each platforms standard interface
guidelines while maintaining consistency accross platforms
- Database integration - both client/server architecture and dektop databse
implementations
- Ability to display image files (possibly large ones) on screen
- As fast as possible (responsiveness to user, computational speed, etc)
- Take full advantage of platform specific technologies (AppleScript, etc)

I have several years as an end user on both platforms so I know the ins and
outs of each (from a user standpoint). I've also used enough crappy software
in my time to know what sets a good app apart from a sloppy one. As I move
ahead I'd like to start gathering the neccessary tools for my needs so I can
start getting intimately familiar with what I'll be using. From reading
through the threads on here, it's obvious that there are several approaches
to cross platform programming. Is there a defacto standard for doing this
type of thing though?

Ideally, I envision a solution in which all development is done on a single
platform and compiled for both from that platform. From what I've read it
seems that  CodeWarrior Development Tools for Mac OS and Windows can
accomplish this. I know RealBasic takes this approach too, although I'm
assuming that RealBasic won't meet the requirement of being "as fast a s
possible". Then there's XCode and Interface Builder and yada yada yada. I
figure the best place to sort it all out is on a newsgroup such as this
where I can get some feedback from people who have been-there-done-that
already.

Thanks for any feedback.

Chris M