RAPID APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

RAD

Computer Programing in the days gone by wasn't easy. Those antiquated IBM, ICL and Burroughs mainframes -Dinosaurs-running Cobol, reading cards and process at the speed of an XT computer are all becoming extinct, and opened up the market to smaller and faster computers with processors capable of executing millions of instructions per second. As a consequence programming has also become easier and faster. Today programing  has become more widespread than ever before, and has also become more accessible to the masses. Starting of with Visual programming, applications like Visual C, Visual C++, Visual Basic, etc, was welcomed and embraced by many lay people who never dreamt of ever becoming a computer programmer but actually churned out a programme or two using these tools. Amongst both novice and seasoned programmers IDE (Integrated Development Environment) packages like Eclipse,  Aptana Studio 3, Cloud 9 IDE, Microsoft Visual Studio,  Dr Java and Netbeans etc, has also become very popular speeding up computer programme development from years to months. 

Lianja APaaS Developer.

Lianja App Builder

However, the latest trend is RAD (Rapid Application Development) Software which is slowly becoming the standard for writing computer application programs for the web, for mobile and  Windows. Developing apps has not gone from months the days. Applications like Aptana studios, Wavemaker, WxHatch, WideStudio, LANSA, Lianja APaaS,Ultimate++, RAD Studio XE7,  and PWCT (programming without coding technology) gives us this power and provides us with all the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) we will ever need for rapid application development. With technology doubling every six months, computer programmers / developers are spending a lot of time keeping up-to-date with what's new at the expense of writing code. With rapid application development tools you and use one skill set, to develop applications for Mobile, Web, Windows and several other platforms.

Wavemaker High Speed Web Development 

Most RAD programs are cross-platform GUI based, that can interface with databases via ODBC. Their integrated development environment (IDE) makes  creating makefiles and automating the build process to generate cross platform source code for application in C, C++, Java, Perl, Ruby and Python a breeze. Several of them  supports  "internationalization"  and runs on T-Engine,  Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, BTRON and Solaris, Android, gadgets, and wearables. Most of them have built in  C++ compilers. These RAD programmes are designed for high performance applications that connect with enterprise cloud services, devices and gadgets. A high end enterprise  web application that normally takes a year to develop and debug using traditional development tools such as Java or XCode, only takes 1 week to create with a RAD program like Web App Generator that automatically makes extensive use of AJAX. RAD programs arrived in the nick of time and will definitely be popular with developers developing for The Internet of Things.(IoT)

Screen view of PWCT (programming without coding technology)

ANDROID DEVICES

Android Devices

Here's a crazy question for you. What does words like apples, happy, appeal, wrapper, appliance, mapping, appropriate, happens, appendix, disappearance, approval, approach, overlapping, apply, append, appreciate, applause  and application all have in common? If you answered "app" then  you are absolutely right because we are going to discuss "apps" or "applets" or "applications", whichever you prefer. Just to clarify, an "applet" is the diminutive of "application", and "app" is an abbreviation of it. "Applet" is a word coined by Sun Microsystems (now Oracle Corporation) referring to a mini application that runs on client side computer system whereas "Servet" which in reality is just an "applet" the difference is, it runs on server side computer systems. "Applets" are normally written in Java, and even though conflicting technologies may also refer to the client side code as applets, they are non-the-less script. Scripts are written in Java script, Perl, python, tcl, etc.. and non of them deliver near the interactivity that Java does. Anyway, "apps" run on many appliances and devices, all made possible by Java.

Android is an Operating System maintained by Google

Java runs perfectly and seamlessly on the Google Android platform which is an absolutely free / open and awesome mobile system that runs on all sorts of cell phones, televisions, tablets and hoards of other devices whether  Mac, Linux or Windows, etc.  So, if you really, really want to get into "app" development and learn how to create your own "apps" with multiple device support, then the very first thing you need to do is like this blog, +g it, then follow it. This will entitle you to view, follow and recommend  "app" building to your social fraternity and impress them with your very own creations. Once you become proficient at  building your very own "apps" you could make a small fortune selling them on Amazon, Verizon and the Android Market. With the Internet of things, app development is going to take off like wildfire, so stake your claim.

In successive blogs we will discuss building "apps" for cell phones and tablets. Discuss Java programming for Android, app basics, the Android platform, the Android Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE), the Android Software Development Kit (SDK), Android emulator (AVD), Android Development Tools (ADT), Android packages and the Tomcat Server but not necessarily in that order.