B4J Question Unified IDE?

[LWGShane]

I'm wondering why @Erel hasn't decided to unify the B4X IDEs into a single one. It would seem like a unified IDE would be a lot easier to update and to maintain. (One IDE code-base instead of multiple code-bases.)

 

[Cableguy]

I think that eventually we will get there... I believe the main reason for it is how to control and "know" which products the user has the right to use and with whlich level.
Erel has recently changed the IDE base platform, for a more versatile one... Hopefully this one will be flexible enough to achieve the Unified IDE...

This may also determine a commercial change that EREL is somewhat (understandable) hesitant in applying... B4X Budle (all 4 products sold as a single package)
This would also mean that the free B4J and B4R would be harder to get hands on, or that different packages would have to be made.
But, as I said, eventually...

 

[LWGShane]

This may also determine a commercial change that EREL is somewhat (understandable) hesitant in applying... B4X Budle (all 4 products sold as a single package)
This would also mean that the free B4J and B4R would be harder to get hands on, or that different packages would have to be made.

Actually, I think it would be best to copy Xojo's licensing system where you can create projects for free but require a license per platform (B4A, B4i, B4J, B4R) to compile. Thus all Erel would have to do is apply a B4J and B4R "license" upon installation. (So basically, they remain free.)

 

[alwaysbusy]

I personally like the current idea where all IDEs are split up. It's clear, simple, no confusion on why menu item 'x' exists in this class and not in that class. Keep it simple and don't bother users with 'fake' licenses for B4J/B4R and semi 'free' for B4A/B4i where you can write but not build projects (moreover, I consider such 'free' IDEs useless because if you can't build, you can never check out its true potential anyway). This is juist a badly designed trial version system, and the current B4X 30 days of full money back guarantee is more than sufficient to cover a trial period with the full system.

For me, B4J is pratically a 'portable' app. I installed it on my USB 3.0 SSD disk and move it around from PC to PC, always having my latest libraries and IDE settings. And BTW, I think Erel has a pretty good idea what he is doing...

 

[Erel]

It would seem like a unified IDE would be a lot easier to update and to maintain. (One IDE code-base instead of multiple code-bases.)

This is already the case now. All 4 IDEs share the same code (the common parts). This was one of the goals when the new IDE was written (B4A v5).

It is possible that at one point there will be a single B4X IDE. I don't think it will make a big difference.

 

[LWGShane]

This is already the case now. All 4 IDEs share the same code (the common parts). This was one of the goals when the new IDE was written (B4A v5).

Ah, alright. I didn't realize that.

 

[moster67]

A bit offtopic but for me the ultimate goal would be that all B4X-products could run on all platforms (PC Windows, MacOS, Linux), perhaps based on the open sourced Intellij Community edition (https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community), just like Android Studio....