What brought you to B4x?

When I saw a statistic about programming languages today, I asked myself why I am still with B4X for so many years.

Since my first steps on a CBM 8032, first as a hobbyist, later professionally, I always had to deal with languages that didn't need semicolons and curly braces.
Over the decades, there were always enough media communities to help one to successfully serve the interests of the superiors.

Of course, one was always ridiculed by the object-oriented gurus because of the lack of polymorphism in the BASIC environments. But I think those people were just proud to be able to read and design the non-intuitive structures.

One day, when circumstances required to create solutions for mobile devices, the choice became narrower and narrower.
I was looking for a system that would allow me to create useful applications with little effort in creation and maintenance, without leaving the easy-to-understand and comprehensible BASIC world.

When I came across B4A, I couldn't really believe it at first. Understandable concept - short learning curve - a cozy community that is able to communicate respectfully.

The possibility to bring the first application to the mobile world with only little effort had impressed me deeply.

So I ended up here by accident years ago due to the pressure of having to turn to mobile systems, and have never felt the need to look for alternatives since.


How did you find your way to B4x? Coercion? By accident? Recommendation? Desperation?


By the way, Here are a few necessary hints on how things work in the world of the curly gurus: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/
 
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LucaMs

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I wanted to develop a Pocket PC sw, when smartphones came out.

I started fiddling with Eclipse and Java for Android; I thought: "Here everything is too complex, it can be done more easily; when I have enough practice, I will develop a tool that allows me to write Basic code and translate everything into Java".

Fortunately someone had already done so and I found it :)
 

agraham

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I have worked in computer hardware and software for over 50 years and have always been fascinated by portable computers, and have always had a soft spot for the Basic language although professionally I never used it. Way back in the day I bought a Dell Axim Pocket PC and looking for ways to program it. I bought Visual Studio 2005 and then stumbled on Basic4ppc. The ease of writing a program in Basic coupled with the fact that I could extend it if needed by writing libraries for it in Visual Studio with C# hooked me.

When Microsoft dropped Pocket PC/Windows Mobile Erel decided to start again with what he then called Basic4Android and I'm pleased to say that I assisted him with the early development - I've still got our interchange of emails from that time in my email archive. Extensibility by library was a feature carried over and refined from Basic4ppc so I ended up writing Java libraries in Eclipse and am still around to day - though no longer as active as I used to be.
 

LucaMs

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Today we have (also) B4XPages!

Android Studio - Java developers, iOS - XCode developers- Windows - C# developers...

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JohnC

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Back in 2003 I created a hack that allowed you to use eVB to write "Smartphone" apps (normally eVB could only create PocketPC apps):


I was selling a few apps I wrote for WinCE Smartphones/PocketPC's for years, but then I saw Android/iOS was the future.

So, I tried the AppStudio (Nsbasic/Phonegap) method for some simple apps.

But then I found B4A and liked the native/more control aspect of it much more, even though I could only develop Android apps with it (because only B4A was available at that time).

Then I remember Erel making a post that he is experimenting with a B4i version for iOS and I remember being very happy to hear that :)
 

fredo

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... and liked the native/more control aspect of it ...
The initial feeling of control over the environment in the IDE, which at first seemed spartan, was also the first confidence-building measure for me. Being able to deliver results without having to endure lengthy training first was a strong motivation to settle here.
 

Sandman

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How did you find your way to B4x?
I was googling for info on Bitcoin, and clicked a wrong link. Been trying to get out of the forum ever since.

(And a more serious answer: I can't remember how I found B4X, probably a search engine? I really needed to find a way to whip up a companion mobile app to my web product. It worked out great, and the app is alive and kicking for lots of users each day.)
 
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klaus

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The first language I learned was Fortran, in a course, in the late 60s, but I have never used it.
Then I began to program in Basic, also in the late 60s with a teletype as the user interface and punch tapes as external memory.
Then I began with a Commodore 3032.
Then an Atari 1024.
And then a HP 9836 and PCs.
All in Basic.
I programmed as a hobbyist, but wrote quite some programs for my professional life, mechanical engineering.
Then in 2006 I wanted to write some programs for my Pocket PC with Microsoft embedded Visual Basic, I didn't like it.
Then I discovered, googling around, Basic4PPC in autumn 2007, for Microsoft Widows Mobile for Pocket PCs, and was convinced in two hours and bought it.
After this, Basic4Android was launched because Microsoft stopped Widows Mobile.
And then B4i, B4J, B4R and B4X, and I still love these platforms.
I use B4X only as a hobby.
 

cklester

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I've been developing in Euphoria (with wxWidgets) for probably 30 years or more, both for personal use and business. The company I've worked for all that time, to this day, uses both VBA and Euphoria in large, client-facing capacities, and I'm the main programmer.

Many years ago, I had searched for a development package that would let me build cross-platform apps, both desktop and mobile. I found Xojo, and I experimented with HTML+CSS+Javascript platforms (like Electron). I've dabbled a bit in C#, and could probably make a go of it.

I'll just say that Xojo did not fit the bill (their claim of being cross-platform still isn't realized), and the rest were going to require a bit of time to learn. I didn't have a lot of time for a while, so I kept on with my VBA/Euphoria projects.

In the Xojo forum, I saw mention of another forum called IfNotNil.com. Given how censored the Xojo forums are, I guess I was just very lucky it hadn't yet been deleted (if it ever was). So, I visited that forum and saw B4X mentioned. I visited the web site and downloaded B4J.

My first experience with the IDE sold me--instantly. It is the most amazing editor I've ever used. My second favorite would be MS Visual Studio Code. I use Code for Javascript, PHP, and HTML/CSS.

I think my decades experience with VBA really helped seal the deal, but my programming in Euphoria, Javascript (Node.js), and PHP has helped as well.

I was really confused at first because, in all my searching, why had I never heard of B4X before?!!? 😁

I feel very lucky and blessed to have found B4X! 😍
 

Harris

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Along with above....

I started on the Palm platform, with a product I can't even remember right now - but it was cool, for the time... Did what I needed - mostly...
I have bag full of old Palm devices - case anyone is interested...
Screwed around with WinCE and got more pissed off...

I guess SEO brought me to Basic for WinCE - back then??? Then - "what the heck is an Android"?
Seems like a lifetime ago.

Since I started with B4 whatever... I was convinced that Erel is an alien - from somewhere else in this vast universe.
No one man (of this earth) does what he has done, to the degree of what we see now - without a billion dollar team (payroll) of dev's cranking it out for him...
Note the rabbit ears...

1610340538409.png


He is "My Favorite Martian"
 
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Erel

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and hopefully soon B4XDesigner.
A desktop interface will never look like a mobile interface (many tried it and it always fails).
An Android interface will usually won't look exactly like an iOS interface.
This means that a single designer is a bad idea.

The current situation with the designer is quite good. You can copy and paste views between the platforms. This allows you to make further adjustments as needed.
 

LucaMs

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You can copy and paste views between the platforms.
The IDE might do some things automatically, though.

For example, I develop a B4XPages project which therefore has a specific folder structure. I create the B4A layouts. When I open the corresponding project with B4i (which I don't have 😁), the IDE could automatically create the layout files, doing the copy and paste itself. Moreover, it warns the layout files not found.
 
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