[Mono-list] GTK# killer app for Windows Business Programmers

[Francisco T. Martinez]

Hi Mono and GTK# business community:

A brief introduction, I am Francisco “Paco” Martinez, a Dallas based
Software Engineer by day and a Mono/GTK# enthusiast by night. I have
been programming enterprise client/server and n-tier system for over 10
years now. 

Like many of my colleagues, I work for a company that labels itself as a
“Microsoft Shop”.  As it turns out, there are still plenty of those in
the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

Unless you have been under a rock for the past 2 years, you have heard
plenty about Linux, Open Source and also about Microsoft .NET Framework
– this is even true for a lot of my die hard Microsoft VB, Visual C++
and Visual C# code monkey friends.  But don't assume that many of these
folks even know what Cygwin or even Microsoft Services for Unix is.

So along I come, gather people around my cube, open a browser and take
them to the Mono web site.  Just as I start talking about what Mono is
and the fantastic possibilities of an Open Source version of the .NET
Framework can bring, some one will grab my mouse and click on
(http://www.go-mono.com/screenshots.html) – I am serious it happens
every time I do this, and I do it at least 3 times a month.

You have to understand that for the most part Windows programmers live
and die by programming systems that are Web based AND USE MS SQL SERVER
OR ORACLE.  

Sure, I just made the generalization about how they do almost
exclusively Web apps and front ends but somehow they want to make their
determination of how cooked Mono is based on what
Windows-running-rich-client application they can see on that famous
“screenshots” page.  Now, for the general audience that reads the Mono
and GTK# mailing list, it would at best  seem like and unfair barometer
of the projects progress. 

Be it as it may, my contention is that a lot of these programmers will
come along much quicker if we can bring a killer GTK# app to Windows. 
This application or applications that I talk about must run and compile
in a Windows box WITHOUT using cygwin or MS SFU.

Great news! Thanks to the great work of Dan Morgan, Rodrigo Moya, Mike
Kestner and so many others in the community, we may be a lot closer than
we think.  Using the Windows installation packages for Mono and GTK#,
coupled with sqlsharpgtk.exe, you can create the bases for a good demo
platform today.

I mention sqlgtksharp specifically, because every one from the DBAs to
the business analyst and including programmers of all levels are
familiar and may even actively use tools like MS SQL Server Query
Analyzer or Oracle's SQL Plus.  To top that, is just so happens that the
XML, CSV and HTML export capabilities of the sqlsharpgtk are quite nice
and useful in the real world!

This is not to say that there are a lot of other apps -- image
manipulation for web designers quickly comes to mind -- that can and
should be included in both screenshots and general download availability
in the context of Windows installations.  I am just saying that
sqlsharpgtk is there and already draws a lot of attention from Windows
cultured Information workers.

I take this opportunity to commend the MonoDevelop team who has done  a
terrific job in creating an IDE that can accommodate the style of
programming that Windows developers are almost exclusively accustomed
to. This is a MAYOR turn of events that will unquestionably bring about
the acceptance Mono by Windows programmers and should fuel the
engrossing lines of Mono developers in business applications regardless
of operating systems.

In the months ahead, I will continue my evangelizing role by promoting
Mono in local User Groups and in any forum where myself and one or more
Windows programmers may be found.  I also will be taking a more active
role in the development of sqlsharpgtk and other Mono/GTK# database
related  projects.

The Idea behind this letter is to evoke thoughts and stimulate a dialog
on the significance of Mono/GTK# application creation and usage on a
Windows platform.

Best regards to all.


Francisco “Paco” Martinez

PS
Todd, Jackson: How do you do it?!!