OrbForms Designer Offers Visual Design, C-Like Language

Posted By: Ed on Thursday, May 02, 2002 8:51:49 AM

OrbWorks, Inc has released OrbForms Designer, a combination of high level programming language and tool for creating Palm applications. Based on the company's PocketC product family, it integrates a visual design environment with a C-like language and an object-based API. It is available now for $95.

OrbForms Designer allows users to visually create the user interface. It uses an event-driven programming model and it creates stand-alone PRC files.

The OrbForms language is similar in style to C - using the same control constructs, expressions, and function style. The language supports four basic types (int, char, float, string), arrays, pointers, structs, and simple objects.

It has an object-based API framework that supports databases, memo pad entries, string manipulation, user interface objects (forms, menu, controls, images), data structures (string lists, and string dictionaries), saved preferences, math functions, sound, dates, and more.

It requires Win95/98/Me or NT4/2000/XP. The apps built with OrbForms Designer will run under Palm OS 3.0 or newer.

Related Information:

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one word

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 9:24:52 AM #

awesome!

RE: one word

ardee @ 5/2/2002 1:07:36 PM #

It certainly looks very nice, at least from my vantage point. I am not familiar with all the Palm development environments out there -- if this works as promised, would it be the best one?

-Roy.

Speed?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 10:10:34 AM #

Anyone play with this yet?

How do the created applications compare speed-wise to Codewarrior compiled C versus Pocket C?

In other words, is it actually compiled or still just interpreted?

RE: Speed?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 3:35:42 PM #

Yes, it can compiled into a standalone application. But the down size is that it is slower and bigger than CodeWarrior because it needs to have the runtime code built-in with the standalone application.

RE: Speed?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 11:10:39 PM #

It it BYTECODE - (which similar to Java, I believe).

I have written a few things in PocketC. I have a program called Iron Filings which has had >2600 downloads. It has the runtime compiled in it and so is 45k even though the program is small. This appears not to be much of a problem as testified by the number of downloads (700 just through PalmGear in the last month).

Iron Filings v2.1 is going to be out soon as I need to do a bugfix for OS4.0

If you want to test out a PocketC application, download v1.1 or v2.0 (if you dont have OS4.0) from:

http://palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?sid=93247920020312131716&prodID=40534

RE: Speed?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 11:17:38 PM #

I also have a very early beta version but haven't tested it as yet since I was busy on IF2.0

RE: Speed?

ardee @ 5/3/2002 11:32:57 AM #

FWIW, I looked at Iron Filings and it's a very clever and interesting piece of freeware. Thanks for creating it!

OS5 compatibility ?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 10:12:55 AM #

Is this product compatiable with future OS5 APIs ?

RE: OS5 compatibility ?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 10:36:21 AM #

Compatibility: It is 100% compatible with OS5.

Speed: Since the compiler is based on the original
PocketC design, and we optimized the speed on the instruction generation, the performance should be better. We have send the software to be benchmarked by a third party. It should be ready soon.

For more questions, please visit :

http://www.orbworks.com/orbforms/faq.html

Runtime required

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 9:26:55 PM #

It requires a runtime.

RE: Runtime required

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 10:44:46 PM #

From the OrbWorks site:

OrbForms Designer creates Palm applications either as standalone applications, or as smaller applications that require the OrbForms runtime. Which way you distribute your application is up to you.

RE: Runtime required

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/3/2002 2:52:48 PM #

Some one staed earlier that the runtime it compiled into the app to make a "standalone" program.. heh

I need a book for this application!!!

C @ 5/6/2002 1:46:33 PM #

Just want to know if there is a book available to show how to use this program...

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