🚀 go-pugleaf

I just attended a MS Windows developer's conference and boy are
there a heck of a lot of development tools out there.
These tools make the tools available under UNIX GUIs look awful.
I'd divide them into the following groups:

1) OOP Languages: Smalltalk V, Actor, BC++, Borland's new Pascal

2) Hypercard-like: Toolbook, Windowcraft, PLUS

3) Code Generators: Windows Maker, ProtoGen, VZ Programmer, Winpro/3
   (These products have a GUI interface that lets you draw your
    application's windows.  They generate C code.  They're sort of
    like a dialog box editor, except for the entire application.
    Some advertise cohabitability with BC++.  There was one
    that generated BC++ code called 3-in-1.  It's only $199 but
    it looked pretty rudimentary.  Digitalk had another company
    sharing its booth called Acumen.  They had a code generator
    for Digitalk's Smalltalk V for Windows product.  It looked
    pretty rudimentary too, but since it's written in Smalltalk,
    you can modify it to your heart's content.)

4) GUI Independent API products: Guild, XVT
   (The idea here is that the product gives you one API which, when 
    you buy a different library set, lets you move to a different
    GUI without having to change your code.)

5) OOP/Code Generator Environments: Object/1, Choreographer, Easel
   (This category is really a Rolls-Royce approach to programming
    Windows; unfortunately, the price tag ranges from $1000 - $12000+
    with Object/1 being the cheapest and Easel being rather
    outrageously priced.)

I'm leaning towards using Borland C++ with the C++/Views class
library.  If I can talk my boss into it, I'll get a code
generator like Blue Sky's Windows Maker or 3-in-1.  I wish Borland
would port their new browser and class library they put in their
Pascal product to their C++ product.

On the exhibit floor, each company had only one small cubicle from
which to tout their wares; except Microsoft, of course, which had
several.  They were there trying to sell their MSC6.0 which someday
will support C++.  They'll probably introduce it in the true Microsoft
tradition of johny-come-lately with more bugs and twice the price.

Microsoft was also trying to sell their OS/2 manuals; you know, Vols
1-3 documenting the 1.1 API and Vol 4 documenting changes in 1.2.
Of course, we'll have to pitch them in the trash when 2.0 or 3.0
come out (if ever).

I've noticed lots of messages posted to comp.windows.ms.programmer,
mostly about doing windows development the hard way.  Surely someone
out there has bought some of these code generator packages!  Would
you guys please give us a hint as to how you like them?  Perhaps
they're so good, you're all done with your programs and don't need
to read this news group.

Thanks for your help.

George Skillman
NEC America
110 Rio Robles
San Jose, CA  95050

brahms@tdd.sj.nec.com
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George Skillman
brahms@tdd.sj.nec.com