Overview

REALbasic is a programming environment designed to support the rapid development or prototyping of applications with sophisticated interfaces without requiring advanced programming skills of its users. REALbasic provides a highly visual IDE (integrated development environment) and easy-to-use programming language. Applications can take advantage of OpenGL and QuickTime to provide complex visualization solutions without the programmer being required to have a background in the associated technologies. A simple object model abstracts complex system functions, allowing first-time users to connect easily to databases, create real-time 3-D graphics, interact with command-line applications, and more. Finished applications can be run on Mac OS 8/9/X or cross-compiled for Windows compatibility.

REALbasic is one of the few rapid application development (RAD) tools available for the Macintosh platform, and the only available tool to offer access to advanced graphics and network services and hassle-free Windows compilation.

How Long Did It Take to Learn to Use It Productively?

As a developer using mostly Perl and Java in my everyday work, I found REALbasic's insistence on restructuring my code as it saw fit to be the biggest stumbling block I encountered. Function declarations cannot be edited from the source code, requiring several extra steps just to modify parameter lists. Additionally, the code blocks automatically indent using REALSoftware's own code-formatting method. This cannot be overridden, and works against those who have personalized coding styles. However, after two to three hours reviewing the object model and syntax, I easily wrote an X10 device controller that allowed me to monitor and control the environment in my saltwater fish tank via a Web browser.

The large number of sample applications provided make it easy for even a complete novice to begin coding useful applications by inspecting and modifying preexisting code.

Product Quality

Customizability

Good. The interface can be customized in a manner similar to most Macintosh applications: fonts, window positions, and other basic features can be modified. Unfortunately, the development environment itself imposes certain limitations that some might find unpleasant. The Object Inspectors and palettes provide little to no customization in the way of orientation or appearance - leaving very little room on lower-resolution displays (800 x 600 or lower).

The development capabilities, however, offer the ultimate in customization. Enterprising users can customize the environment by writing REALbasic plug-ins to add to the functionality of the development interface.

Ability to Program in Scripts, Add Extension Modules, etc.

Very good. REALbasic scripts can create self-modifying code, applications can be AppleScripted, and extensions are built through external compilers such as CodeWarrior.

Ability to Import and Export in Different File Formats

REALbasic supports Unicode file I/O, standard binary, and ASCII I/O Microsoft Office file formats, as well as all file formats featured in Apple's QuickTime.

Useful or Unusual Features

The REALbasic platform has reached a critical milestone with the recent 3.5 release. Having gone through a number of major changes in the past two years, including the retiring of the primary developer, the software now sports the features necessary for serious development efforts and is stable enough for everyday use. This represents a first for the Macintosh platform, and makes REALbasic a serious contender to Microsoft's Visual development environments.

REALbasic is extremely valuable in workplaces that require fast cross-platform RAD tools. REALbasic can be used to construct 3-D visualizations and interact with SQL-based databases faster than conventional languages. Under Mac OS X, the software is capable of creating usable GUIs for command-line driven applications. Using its built-in AppleScript capabilities, REALbasic can turn previously archaic call-level interface (CLI) programs into fully scriptable applications with modern, user-friendly interfaces.

The REALbasic syntax is based on the BASIC (Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) programming language. Recognizing the limitations inherent to this model, REAL Software has included the best features of many modern languages, such as C, Java, and Perl. Code creation is guided by built-in variable/function autocompletion, forced variable declaration, and an almost overly helpful code-formatting engine.

First-time programmers will find the software extremely simple to "get into." Online help exists for each object and function in the REALbasic language - including examples and hyperlinked cross-references to related topics. Those with a working knowledge of any modern language will be able to open the application, browse the help, and immediately start programming. Hundreds of example applications are available on the distribution CD or over the Internet.

The REALbasic feature set is the application's true attraction. Users have access to OpenGL 3-D graphics, QuickTime, databases, a sprite engine, Perl-like regular expressions, self-modifying code, shared libraries, cross-platform compilation, and numerous other features. Missing or performance-critical functionality can be compiled using CodeWarrior and easily added to any project.

Applications produced within the REALbasic IDE can be customized to take advantage of all native Mac OS controls - menus, scrollbars, progress bars, etc. The software automatically adjusts the interface to the target platform. (Users are encouraged to consult Apple's Human Interface Guidelines to avoid "interface overload.")

Limitations

The primary limitation of REALbasic is speed. While it is fast enough for most user applications, computationally complex programs are best served by writing the speed-dependent routines in a more optimized language, and then using REALbasic to provide a GUI front end to the code.

Application development in REALbasic typically takes a "backward" approach - building from the interface down. While it is possible to create a logic back end first, the development paradigm is set up in reverse. Users start by creating interface items, then they add functionality to each control as they go. This model is likely to give hard-core C programmers and the like heartburn until they get used to the idea. Those familiar with Borland Delphi, Visual Basic/C++, or Apple's Project-Builder will have no trouble adapting to the REALbasic development style.

Counterintutively, users with prior programming experience may find getting over the initial hump of working in the REALbasic development environment to be more difficult than inexperienced users will find the task of starting to program. A knowledge of object-oriented programming is necessary to take full advantage of the software. Users experienced in other languages may need some time to get used to the new object model before getting up to speed. Many of the object-oriented file-access routines seem convoluted when compared to functions such as "fopen" or "glob." In addition, the IDE interface is sometimes not intuitive, making it difficult to determine what object you are currently inspecting.

Comparisons with Similar Software

There are no other available RAD tools that offer the same access to Mac OS technologies, cross-compilation, etc. Perhaps best compared to HyperCard on steroids, REALbasic stands alone as the only Macintosh development tool capable of producing professional output while remaining accessible to beginners.

Technical Support and Documentation

Free REALbasic technical support is available through a support email address (support@realbasic.com). Most users will want to join one of the developer lists, which often provide faster response time and greater insight into programming issues.

The REALbasic documentation is substantial, but does not serve as nearly as good a reference as O'Reilly's REALbasic manual, also available from Amazon.com. Advanced users are likely to find the built-in help sufficient for most endeavors.

Target Users

Entry-level programmers or computer users who want to start application development in a hurry; advanced users seeking to create complex GUIs within record time.