Aside from some issues surrounding the use of the Android emulator and the Win32 UI of compiled apps, I think they are disappointed in the lack of Spanish documentation and the licensing structure & pricing. And that “external add-ons” are an extra cost.
With regards to the last point, fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it) - Xojo is built and maintained by a privately held company. This provides pros & cons, depending on your needs.
But even some add-ons available to free IDE’s owned by big public vendors like Microsoft & Google come at a cost. And in some cases even more expensive costs than the Xojo eco-system.
Don’t you ever wonder why Python grew so big while Xojo ended up with the appearance of bumping along the long tail?
Yes they can choose a different tool, and end up contributing to Xojo having the appearance of bumping along the long tail.
What is not for debate here is Xojo pricing, slicing and dicing fits some use cases. (Your own perhaps.) The OP seems to be asking, why can’t Xojo fit their use case? I have a lot of sympathy.
The fact that Xojo is a private company is irrelevant here. I don’t believe in open source; I believe in accessible software. Many private companies have managed to stay up-to-date and even innovate in a world where everything seems to have already been invented. The issue lies in the way they distribute their software. I’m not saying that Xojo lacks capability, but that they are poorly managed. A system that allows me to create truly my own software, not obsessively focused on the cloud? Where do I sign? The real problem is that even to create a simple “Hello World”, you have to pay. And I repeat, I’m not comparing Xojo to Python in terms of capability, but in terms of availability.
At the risk of being fiercely criticized, I must say that I don’t find open source healthy. Yes, I use it because it’s easier, but the idea that a thousand eyes can see your work, how you’ve done things, and can modify it just because they don’t like it doesn’t sit well with me. I deeply respect those who love that philosophy, but it’s not for me.
If you need a screwdriver, even a simple flat-bladed one to drive just one screw, the hardware store will charge you for it. Not understanding your issue with the fact that Xojo is not free.
SQLite is open source. Explain to me how that fact causes my executable Xojo app to be open so that “a thousand eyes can see my work, how I’ve done things, and can modify it”.
Well, you directly compared it to an open source language, and most of your posts directly relate to their business model and pricing structure, so there’s that.
There are any number of languages and systems out there, completely capable of doing what you describe, that are eagerly awaiting your signature.
No, because they address different audiences and have different goals.
If the OP chooses some other language for his needs, Xojo’s reputation is not affected in the slightest.
I don’t. If it’s not right for him, he’s certainly welcome to state his views and take it up with Xojo directly… but in the end, not every tool is right for every task, as has been pointed out by others.
This isn’t to disregard his arguments or downplay his frustrations, but this is rather the way of the world. Why doesn’t the grocery store sell boxes of corn flakes that contain only prime number quantities of flakes? Because they’re not in the business of catering to my numerological whims. The OP’s dissatisfaction with Xojo is much better grounded than my corn flake obsession, but the principle stands.
I believe he’s referring to how open source software using GPL licensing has a strong tendency towards requiring the author to publish the source. There are ways around this but it isn’t easy, and in some cases practically impossible, especially when considering compiled software.
Either I’m not expressing myself correctly, or you are unable to understand my position. I’m not criticizing that Xojo isn’t free, but rather that it isn’t accessible. Why should I pay $399 for the Desktop version with multi-platform compilation if I only want to compile for Windows? And considering that compiling for Linux is free? They should adjust the price since they’ve removed the Desktop license for Linux. Why should I pay $399 for the full Mobile license if I only want to compile for Android? I don’t see it as justified. I praise that Xojo is an all-in-one solution, but since the language doesn’t allow creating plugins, at the very least the licensing system should be adjusted.
Regarding open-source, following your example, SQLite is open-source even if your application is not. If a vulnerability were discovered, it could affect the security of your software and potentially alter the functioning of your ecosystem. With a private application, this could also happen, but more slowly, giving you time to improve it.
Then feel free to use any of the other tools, free and otherwise, that are available to accomplish your task.
I realize that’s blunt but that is the bottom line. Xojo is a for-profit company. If you don’t like their pricing model, and they won’t change it to suit you, then your path forward is clear.
The biggest value proposition of Xojo is cross-platform code bases for UI applications. There are others, but that’s their biggest claim to fame, and that’s why they charge what they do. If you only need to compile for a single platform, that value proposition is considerably diminished and you might be better served using a different system.
I see it as trying to tear down a wall. I’m not criticizing that Xojo wants to make a profit, I’m just saying they’re not seeing the potential of flexibility. Xojo is stuck in the 2000s. It’s a super-fast, all-in-one environment with a focus on programming capabilities, but it poorly manages its availability. I’ll have to settle for the Xojo Desktop version for Linux, as it offers all the power of Desktop, and I’ll use the concepts I acquire to learn Kotlin for the Android app Thank you all for trying to understand it and I apologize for the loss of your time.
You could argue that making the Linux version free should lower the price of the Desktop version…but then again the Linux Version has to be maintained and supported…
OTOH I’ve heard that Linux is not the prime focus anymore for Xojo, but more on Web.
And since Linux is free now I would imagine that touchscreen support never makes it, which is a must especially for Raspberry and similar Arm platforms for HMI and POS.
I’ve had looong time ago a Pro license…then stopped using RealStudio…came back to Xojo with a Desktop license…then stopped using it again for few years…and now landed with the macOS Lite license…also as there was a sale recently and that the exchange ratio between US$ and CHF is very good at the moment…
Maybe one day I’ll upgrade when the income allows it…but currently at my workplace it doesn’t look good…new boss doesn’t know what I’m capable of and what experience I have…well…that’s the downside of getting close to 60
So that’s why I know put more effort into Xojo programming and learn it hard to maybe have another, wehn also lower, income…
They want kiddies who know all the latest buzzwords but the downside is that they have no experience. This more or less happened to me, too, when I was approaching 60. So I retired.
But true…you have to be no older than 25 with 15 years of experience and admitted to work late hours and over weekends (o;
The division I work in currently is called innovation…which is not only technology and experience, but also creativity…but creativity and experience isn’t needed anymore…
So I stopped being creative there and keep it for my projects (o;
