How much time will it take to build this sample Windows App in Xojo?

[YogiYang]

The question says it all.
I have this sample demo Windows app created in WinDev.
Please download it from here and try it out and give me suggested time it would take to build it with all the features is has.

19.78 MB file on MEGA

I tried it (with my limited experience) but got stuck at various places as some of the features are just not possible in Xojo (easily). I also checked on various Addons but could not find anything that comes near to what features are provided. But I may be wrong here.

I would like to know what more experienced and talented members on this forum about the possibilities and if possible the amount of time it may take.

Thanks all for your valuable inputs in advance.

[JeffT]

Cant speak for anyone else but… download ‘some app’ and run it?
No thanks.

Why not list what it is expected to do here?

[YogiYang]

The list of features is quite long.
Give me some time to list them systematically.

[Abbie]

a screenshot and list of features would be better than requesting others try the app.

It’s a bad idea to run an unknown app locally, and to safely set up to run it would require much more time on each of our ends than listing features.

[TomasJ]

yeah still waiting for a list and screenie
I would rather like to do this task in freebasic or freepascal

[thorstenstueker]

Possibly freepascal and Lazarus good Idea

[ivan]

Is this a Job offer or just asking for opinions?

[DaveS]

Yeah, I was wondering where the offer of compensation was? I personally wouldn’t even look at a project like this, with out having an idea. As I doubt anyone here is altruistic.

[Abbie]

We’ve all done similar before at times.

Cost nothing to at least be nice.

[thorstenstueker]

I believe that he could write what he wants to know and he will get answers.

[npalardy]

As you noted the MOST complicated piece that Xojo doesnt support directly is the styled text editor in the app

The rest I wouldnt guess is that hard to reproduce since it s list boxes & lots of textfields & popups

Surprised it use FIC files which appear to be text based database “files” instead of a sqlite db or something more robust & capable

But I would guess many users here could replicate it more quickly than you might guess
If pressed I’d say 40 - 60 hours esp since they have something to “clone” the UI from

[MGD]

I didn’t look at the app, but if the “styled text editor” could be accomplished with something like Quill, embedding an HTML/JS/CSS component is fairly straightforward. I’ve made several tools with Ace (even before Xojo had proper JS execution bindings – much easier now).

[npalardy]

On MacOS the text area can be turned in to a very proper styled text editor much like you would find in TextEdit with declares

Not so on windows so thats kind of a shame but it just is the reality of the underlying component used

[YogiYang]

@ivan

Is this a Job offer or just asking for opinions?

This is actually a job. Have to recreate this app for Windows and OSX.

@Abbie

a screenshot and list of features would be better than requesting others try the app.

Features of List Page

These are common to all list pages in the software. All List Pages have a Grid control it is not a list.

Here there is one enhancement (as mentioned in the screen shot) and that is that all the changes made by user in UI should be remembered in the new version that I have to build for Windows and OSX.

Data Entry Screen

Facility to setup Email server settings and offer user to send invoices by email.

Print Preview of Order Form.

It has facility to allow a user to export to various formats as shown below and also facility to send the report via email.

Finally user should be able to add Annotations (elements) to report before printing.

There are many other small features but these are the major ones.

[thorstenstueker]

I would be lacy, using JEditorPane for the Texteditor you need and write the entire App with Java Swing. JEditorPane has all the features you need. And the Rest: a Window writing, implementing, testing 4 days. Should be possible. Don’t forget_ collecting your symbol thema and so on will also cost much time.

Or has it to be written in Xojo?

Alternatively you could also do that Job writing the editor in JavaSwing and start it from the Xojo App. That is also no problem to do cross platform.

[YogiYang]

@thorstenstueker

Or has it to be written in Xojo?

Yes.

[thorstenstueker]

That will be the end. I doubt that you’ll get managhed the editor completely platform indipendent with Xojo. Beside the fact tht it will be too slow.

[Abbie]

A same it has to be written in Xojo. A web app would be perfect for this.

Going from WinDev to Xojo seems like a bad idea. I could be wrong, but WinDev more stable than Xojo, just more expensive.

It sounds like your management is trying to save money, and does not want to continue paying for WinDev. They may be talking to a sales rep who has promised them moving to Xojo will be

As mentioned earlier, it does not. Is that acceptable to your management? Would they be okay with features implemented differently in some areas?

If you are looking for an exact match, it will take longer to make. Will you be allowed to import user preferences, or will is it expected to pick up seamlessly? If it’s seamless, you may have difficulty implementing that on macOS.

Does Xojo still have problems with XML?

Some of Xojo’s deficiencies can be offset by using 3rd party libraries. Some of those libraries cost money.

Xojo itself is cheaper, but I don’t think any of us here could guarantee what would be available with updates.

Since you are learning Xojo as part of this project, I’d want to throw in a month or two for that. Make some mistakes, misunderstand a tutorial, stuff that happens with a brand new language.

But in that same time you could learn C#, or one of the others suggested here and build a cross platform native app, or make this a web app.

The only worse choices for this are Access and LiveCode.

How long will it take to make this in Xojo

working 40 hours a week:

• 2-3 weeks without testing. Add another week or two for advanced controls you’ll need to reimplement from scratch if you can’t buy them.
• 1-3 months if you are learning Xojo while doing this. As you already experienced, some things aren’t intuitive or consistent. You may get used to one method, and then expect it to work consistently and be surprised.
• 2-4 months if your management throws you a Xojo license with no support

Things that will take up more of that time than most expect:

• Differences between Windows and macOS, including policy differences.
  • Permissions, file access, save locations
• Differences in what Xojo promises and what it can deliver
  • Do you need 3rd party libraries?
  • If the data and logic is local, your application will be slow. So slow.
  • If the data is using a SQL server, that may need a 3rd party library to connect properly
• Attempting to make this run fast

Is this an internal application or something being sold to customers? Because, it could be good for you to strategically suggest moving it to a web app and charge subscriptions for services.

• Much easier implementation
• Huge increase in recurring revenue.

[thorstenstueker]

sorry but windoev is dead and a dead end. There is again a vendor holding it and with a good chance it crashes or there is a buy out. After there is no windiev anymore.That’s my problem with it like it is with Xojo. Beside that: Java and C# providing enough ways to write platform indeendent for Desktop, Web and mobile… Writing a Webapp, Desktop app or mobile app you can have anyhow for free of charge using Java Swing, Vaadin and Codenameone. Only one example of a working toolchain for free. Professional level without limitations and without payments.

Beside that it runs under windows only. Not a good thing. A good toolchain runs under Windows, Linux and MacOS. Like IntelliJIdea. And it gives ou for all circumstances different ways to get your Job done. IntelliJ provides also Kotlin Multiplatform. Writing in Kotlin for all platforms. For what should I use Windoev then? Also the language. It is a mixture of Clipper and Basic. Used only by Windev. Makes it really simple to hire people writing Software with you to build up a team. Looking on C# or Java I can say: simple to find programmers to work with. Even Kotlin has a more wide userbase.

[Abbie]

Damn. I didn’t realize windev was effectively dead.

If it were stable, even with the negatives, there’d still be nothing to gain by moving to Xojo. But it sounds like it’s at best at the same level as Xojo? That puts a lot more context into the move.

Also makes moving to Xojo potentially a worse decision.