[Mono-osx] Opinion Please - honest answer? Java or .Net

[Liam Coughlin]

I wasn't going to ring in on this, but I really don't want you to be  
steered in an inappropriate direction from a business stand point,  
only to have it reflect badly on the mono community in the end.

Choice of development platform is for business applications is NOT a  
matter of preference.  It's a matter of what's reasonable and feasible  
from a time and money perspective.

Currently, windows forms requires GTK and X11 -- X11 may not be  
available, and is an odd dependency to have for a "native" mac  
implementation.  splitting your development between windows forms and  
coacoa# means you're going to have to implement an artificially strong  
separation of tiers in your app, and then maintain two separate UI's.

Currently, the mono/mac stack has a number of core deficiencies in  
it's tool-chain; gtk#, X11 requirements to start and is missing  
certain core tools ( like a debugger ) that makes supporting any non- 
trivial application challenging at best.

Java is far more stable on the mac platform then mono, and the tool  
chain options are far more advanced -- net beans for example offers a  
strong GUI builder as well as basic tools like (gasp) debugger.   
Apples swing implementation pulls java apps into the mac world pretty  
reasonably presenting with user with a much more mac like experience  
then mono can currently achieve.  There are many other business  
benefits as well to keeping to a more mature platform, yadda yadda  
yadda.

In short, I'd surmise that mono is not yet ready to support commercial  
applications on the MAC platform ( it's much further along on linux  
and windows has the actual .NET runtimes ).  If your company has the  
expertise though, and is willing to live on the bleeding edge of  
development with all of the risk and difficulty that implies, by all  
means, use mono -- such enterprises is how core source inspiration for  
developing innovative technologies.  Just be aware of what you're  
getting into.

Cheers,
-L


On Aug 28, 2008, at 10:14 AM, duanew wrote:

>
> No simple answer.  I prefer .NET/Mono because it is a strongly typed
> language, for just one reason.  For most developers, it is a matter of
> preference.  I learned programming C++, then C#.  Java is foreign to  
> me and
> so does not feel natural.  C# and Mono are a powerful combination.
>
> Both Java and Mono have issues.  Neither is perfect.  I feel confident
> enough in .NET/Mono that my company is using the combo for a graphical
> application that runs on Windows and Mac.
>
>
>
> DetectiveZito wrote:
>>
>> First... let me apologize, I am NOT in any way qualified to ask this
>> question, but I work at a company where a project of mine can't  
>> seem to
>> get a straight answer to the following question:
>>
>> We are developing a software which is a single user product which  
>> will run
>> on both PC and MAC (non-web based).  It is simply a calculation  
>> tool, no
>> graphics or anything really fancy like that.
>>
>> One Vendor is pushing Java because of the dual platform needs, the  
>> other
>> vendor is pushing .Net and Mono as our MAC solution.
>>
>> Again... I have no idea what I'm really asking, but I need someone  
>> to tell
>> me honestly if this .Net/Mono solution is viable for a consumer  
>> piece of
>> software for our MAC users.  Otherwise... is Java the best answer?
>>
>> Thanks all.  Sorry for my total ignorance.  :-)
>>
>>
>>
>
> -- 
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