Bobby Jasper writes to tell us that The Firebird Database Community News has an interesting writeup on Morfik, a new development tool for beginning web applications. Morfik boasts increased developer productivity going so far as to draw comparisons between themselves and the current industry as VB 1.0 was to GUI development. After five years of development they are getting ready to release an evaluation version of their software, might be worth a look. Morfik and Rapid Development of Modern Web Apps Log in/Create an Account | Top | 124 comments | Search Discussion Display Options Threshold: -1: 124 comments 0: 114 comments 1: 97 comments 2: 73 comments 3: 29 comments 4: 16 comments 5: 12 comments Flat Nested No Comments Threaded Oldest First Newest First Highest Scores First Oldest First (Ignore Threads) Newest First (Ignore Threads) The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. realy? (Score:4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08, @05:32AM (#13977521) So it's the First,Post VB, gui like tool? [ Reply to ThisRe:realy? by serutan (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @01:12PM2 replies beneath your current threshold. windows only (Score:5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08, @05:39AM (#13977540) Morfik development environment itself is a Windows applicationYou might have mentioned that in the writeup so non-MSCEsdidn't waste their time reading TFA [ Reply to This Re:windows only (Score:5, Informative) by jurt1235 (834677) on Tuesday November 08, @06:02AM (#13977604) (http://www.hipersonik.com/) They could have saved themselves several years of development by using opensource. A tool similar to morfik (MVC model, ajax development, some datamodelling) is for example this one: http://swerl.tudelft.nl/twiki/pub/Main/AvailableOp enProjects/backbase-eclipse.doc [tudelft.nl] There are probably a lot more (google on +eclipse +plugin +ajax gives 234.000 hits) [ Reply to This | ParentRe:windows only by jurt1235 (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @07:17AMRe:windows only by dorkygeek (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @07:25AMRe:windows only by daviddennis (Score:3) Tuesday November 08, @10:55AMRe:windows only by dorkygeek (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @10:04PMRe:windows only by daviddennis (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @11:59PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.MSCE? by base_chakra (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @09:03AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Well its got the buzzwords (Score:5, Insightful) by Viol8 (599362) on Tuesday November 08, @05:40AM (#13977541) "Revolutionary new", "smart client" , "feature-rich", "unplugged", "ground breaking".Perhaps I'm a cynic but I always feel that a products real value is inversely proportional tothe amount of marketdroid BS in the write-ups. If I'm correct then this is just Yet-Another-IDEthat is (and wow, like this is so radical dude , well if would be if it was 1990 again) - a SmartClient! Jeez... how many times we been here before? [ Reply to This No kidding (Score:4, Insightful) by nmb3000 (741169) <nmb3000@that-google-mail-site.com> on Tuesday November 08, @06:10AM (#13977624) (http://www.khaaan.com/ | Last Journal: Saturday October 29, @12:42AM) I tend to agree.Besides, wasn't Slashdot just bashing Visual Studio [slashdot.org] and other "shake 'n bake" development tools? Why is this "unplugged" and "groundbreaking" new IDE so great? It "rots brains" faster?Look ma! Morfik made a web-based CRM app, and I helped!Faster != better when you have no idea how your application works or what makes it tick. Needing to call tech support when your web form breaks for some reason is not a step forward in development. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:No kidding by aminorex (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @11:24AMRe:No kidding by killjoe (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @03:00PMRe:Well its got the buzzwords by a.d.trick (Score:3) Tuesday November 08, @06:27AMRe:Well its got the buzzwords by Amadodd (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @12:51PMRe:Well its got the buzzwords by rjshields (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @06:33AM Re:Well its got the buzzwords (Score:5, Funny) by rjshields (719665) on Tuesday November 08, @06:40AM (#13977683) Could it be that this development tool is aimed at other marketdroids? I can just imagine them dragging in some feature-rich controls and clicking the "generate ground breaking web app" button. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Well its got the buzzwords by mwvdlee (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @08:46AMRe:Well its got the buzzwords by rjshields (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @12:03PMRe:Well its got the buzzwords by serutan (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @01:29PM Great! (Score:5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08, @05:40AM (#13977542) I have been waiting for something like this, finally I can merge the syntactic and semantic elegance of VB with the power and speed of a compiled language with a fast WYSIWYG development and deployment cycle! [ Reply to ThisRe:Great! by LarsWestergren (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @07:07AMRe:Great! by estebanf (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @09:58AM Paid (Score:4, Funny) by dg41 (743918) on Tuesday November 08, @05:42AM (#13977544) OK, who paid for the Slashdot press release on this? [ Reply to This1 reply beneath your current threshold. Interesting, but... (Score:3, Insightful) by BladeMelbourne (518866) on Tuesday November 08, @05:43AM (#13977547) (http://www.mikeskinner.net/) Interesting, but in every company I have worked at; the language used depends upon the current hosting environment used by the client.I'm all for "increased developer productivity", however in the work place I have yet to even use Ruby.Oh well, .NET 2.0 is sure to kill me (or fry my chip due to the CPU requirements or their IDEs) so I guess it doesn't matter anyway. [ Reply to ThisKill kill kill by jurt1235 (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @05:49AMRe:Interesting, but... by jma05 (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @08:54PM Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? (Score:5, Insightful) by master_p (608214) on Tuesday November 08, @05:46AM (#13977557) For something so grand as they claim, their first job would be to post an evaluation download for everyone to see. I followed the links, but I found nothing; I only found lots of buzzwords, claims and hype.I don't claim Morfik is vaporware. But let's see it first, and then we can say if it is indeed 'VB 1.0 for the web'. [ Reply to ThisRe:Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? by desplesda (Score:3) Tuesday November 08, @06:19AMRe:Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? by Viol8 (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @06:24AMRe:Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? by desplesda (Score:3) Tuesday November 08, @06:32AMRe:Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? by l3v1 (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @07:13AMRe:Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? by rjshields (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @08:04AMRe:Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? by rjshields (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @08:22AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Re:Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? (Score:4, Insightful) by rjshields (719665) on Tuesday November 08, @08:07AM (#13977917) and it creates for you an executable that has Apache and Firebird embedded in itGood god.Welcome to the 100Mb calendar application. [ Reply to This | Parent1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Lot's of nice words, but where is the software? by FFCecil (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @06:44AM Languages & Morfik (Score:5, Insightful) by jurt1235 (834677) on Tuesday November 08, @05:46AM (#13977558) (http://www.hipersonik.com/) Morfik claims to be the next generation IDE. Totally for the webbrowser. So what do they build it with: Delphi.That is not being true to yourself. Build an AJAX version than to show the power of what you believe in.An AJAX version would also make the more and more preferred development environments accessible to them: Mac OS X and Linux (Around me I hear more and more developers choosing for Linux as their main platform, and if Apple would release OS X for the cheap intel hardware, that they will try that too, at least just to see). [ Reply to ThisRe:Languages & Morfik by desplesda (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @06:24AMRe:Languages & Morfik by shatteredsilicon (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @07:06AM Compiler for what? by civilizedINTENSITY (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @10:11AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Languages & Morfik by hey! (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @07:09AMRe:Languages & Morfik by CaseyB (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @07:34AMRe:Languages & Morfik by rjshields (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @08:20AMRe:Languages & Morfik by hey! (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @08:29AMRe:Languages & Morfik by angel'o'sphere (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @08:34PMRe:Languages & Morfik by liquidpele (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @07:41AMRe:Languages & Morfik by hey! (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @08:23AMRe:Languages & Morfik by liquidpele (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @09:15AMRe:Languages & Morfik by hey! (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @04:52PMI'm actually working on something like this by mandrake*rpgdx (Score:3) Tuesday November 08, @08:16AMRe:I'm actually working on something like this by jurt1235 (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @09:02AMRe:I'm actually working on something like this by mandrake*rpgdx (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @10:52AMRe:I'm actually working on something like this by jurt1235 (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @10:59AMRe:I'm actually working on something like this by mandrake*rpgdx (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @01:12PMRe:I'm actually working on something like this by jurt1235 (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @02:22PMRe:I'm actually working on something like this by listen (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @10:26AMRe:I'm actually working on something like this by mandrake*rpgdx (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @10:49AMRe:Languages & Morfik by EvilNebby (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @10:36AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. What Morfik is (Score:2, Informative) by axonis (640949) on Tuesday November 08, @05:56AM (#13977587) Morfik is a professional Integrated Development Environment. The developer starts with designing the data layer in a visual environment similar to Microsoft Access or Microsoft Enterprise Manager. This is usually followed by the design of data base queries which again is carried out in a powerful visual environment. For the presentation layer the developer creates forms and reports using a familiar visual environment that resembles VB and Delphi. The application logic is written in the developer's object oriented syntax of choice (currently Morfik Basic, Morfik Pascal, Morfik C# or Morfik Java). There is also provision for developing web services. Once the individual components are defined and written, Morfik compiles the application into a single executable that incorporates a web server and database engine. This application demonstrates the behaviour of both web and desktop applications. The user can access the application through a browser on-line, off-line, locally and remotely. During the development cycle the developer has access to a comprehensive suit of debugging, profiling and testing facilities. Morfik applications are comprised purely of HTML and JavaScript yet the developer does not need to master these languages. [ Reply to ThisNice advertising by Viol8 (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @06:15AMRe:What Morfik is by gtoomey (Score:3) Tuesday November 08, @06:59AMRe:What Morfik is by axonis (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @08:48AM2 replies beneath your current threshold. Any one has sample code? (Score:3, Interesting) by bogaboga (793279) on Tuesday November 08, @06:09AM (#13977622) I really want to take a look at Morfik Basic, Morfik Pascal, Morfik C# or Morfik Java in action. Any one care to post sample code? What about screenshots? [ Reply to ThisRe:Any one has sample code? by Ruphuz (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @06:58AM Where are the web standards (Score:5, Interesting) by zxSpectrum (129457) on Tuesday November 08, @06:17AM (#13977639) (http://virtuelvis.com/ | Last Journal: Monday December 13, @03:20PM) Assuming that they actually eat their own dog food, and use their own tool to create their Own site [morfik.com], I wouldn't trust this tool. Their site is an inaccessible piece of table-based rubble with missing alternative texts all over the place. Not even Slashdot in it's old incarnation was this ugly, standards-wise.Adding to that, their site is severly SEO-deoptimized, which might -- now that I think of it -- be a good thing to end-users, as this will undoubtedly reduce the spread of said markup rubble [ Reply to ThisRe:Where are the web standards by sgt101 (Score:3) Tuesday November 08, @06:34AMRe:Where are the web standards by hey! (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @07:13AMRe:Where are the web standards by Viol8 (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @08:09AMRe:Where are the web standards by Surt (Score:3) Tuesday November 08, @01:11PM Why is this even on /.?! (Score:5, Insightful) by Qa1 (592969) on Tuesday November 08, @06:57AM (#13977711) This is basically a commercial for some source software package. They haven't released code. They haven't even releasd a closed source evaluation version. All they "released" is some web page with lots of hysterical marketing hype and unsubstantiated vague buzzwords ("JST").So why, again, is this on /.? [ Reply to This2 replies beneath your current threshold. Nice Slashad! (Score:2) by brunes69 (86786) <slashdot@[ ]rstead.org ['kei' in gap]> on Tuesday November 08, @07:08AM (#13977733) (http://www.keirstead.org/) So, cruising around their site, the only thing I can find is a bunch of marketing buzzwords and a screenshot of google.I am sorry I gave these bozos any traffic. [ Reply to This Unplugged? That's soooo 20th century! (Score:2) by richieb (3277) <richieb@neUUUtlabs.net minus threevowels> on Tuesday November 08, @07:28AM (#13977777) (http://www.netlabs.net/~richieb | Last Journal: Tuesday May 03, @02:54PM) I think the demand for unplugged applications is on the way down and it's only going to get smaller. Just think, how useful your computer is when not connected to the network? [ Reply to This1 reply beneath your current threshold. What the fuckity fuck? (Score:5, Insightful) by kmmatthews (779425) <krism@mailsnare.net> on Tuesday November 08, @07:28AM (#13977779) (Last Journal: Thursday August 26, @06:32AM) How can anyone possibly claim this isn't an ad?It's an "article" for a CLOSED SOURCE, WIN32 VAPORWARE PRODUCT that LIKENS ITSELF TO VISUAL BASIC.For god sakes, that's like saying "WOW!!! THIS IS AS FUN AS AIDS!" [ Reply to This 2 months to copy gmail with it?? (Score:5, Funny) by 192939495969798999 (58312) on Tuesday November 08, @07:47AM (#13977829) (http://www.devinmoore.com/ | Last Journal: Thursday September 16, @09:19AM) From the site:"To demonstrate these powerful capabilities, two Morfik programmers used Morfik JST to build a desktop version of Google's Gmail in just 2 months! The application they created is a pixel-by-pixel match of Gmail's interface and functionality, yet it also works offline just like standard email clients such as Microsoft Outlook..."2 Months?! That doesn't sound like any rapid app development to me. I can go make a copy of gmail in about 3 hours just by downloading the HTML/javascript. Also, it "works" just like Outlook? I'm not sure that's a feature! [ Reply to ThisRe:2 months to copy gmail with it?? by mandrake*rpgdx (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @08:25AMRe:2 months to copy gmail with it?? by plumby (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @11:32AMRe:2 months to copy gmail with it?? by drew (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @01:02PM Sadly misled..... (Score:5, Funny) by ralf1 (718128) on Tuesday November 08, @08:02AM (#13977895) My RSS feed truncated the title as "Morfik and Rapid Development of Modern We". Somehow my brain assumed "We" was going to be "weapons" - Morfik just seemed like a Defense Department kind of name for a top secret weapons project.I was really hoping for some kind of macho article about "this new technology can kill effortlessly 10,000 civilians using a rechargable solar battery as a power source, making it a exceptional weapon and environmentally conscious as well"Life is full of these little disappointments.... [ Reply to ThisRe:Sadly misled..... by meadowsp (Score:1) Tuesday November 08, @10:51AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Whoring out slashdot.... (Score:1) by hotarugari (525375) on Tuesday November 08, @08:22AM (#13977971) I understand the promotion of programs/apps/etc. on slashdot in the "ask" sections, but is it totally necessary to whore out slashdot for corporate press relaeases? [ Reply to This Looks cool but? (Score:3, Insightful) by codepunk (167897) on Tuesday November 08, @08:33AM (#13978031) (http://www.codepunk.com/) Ok nifty idea but how does it perform in the real world. How well does it optimize the code to make up for the dismally slow IE java script engine. Both browsers could use some java script engine speed improvements but IE darn sure needs alot of help. Of course I don't expect the monopoly to do this as it is not in their best interest to allow applications to run in this fashion as it neutralizes their platform. [ Reply to This at least.. (Score:1) by garazy (929453) on Tuesday November 08, @08:53AM (#13978120) it makes code easier to read http://www.morfik.com/js_sshot.html [morfik.com] [ Reply to This They have to sound UPBEAT... (as I'm ROFL) (Score:1) by Seraphnote (655201) on Tuesday November 08, @08:58AM (#13978134) From their site:"What is the Morfik Pioneers Program?The Morfik Pioneers Program is for technology visionaries, commentators and practitioners who see the current web as an embryonic form of a global operating system and the WebOS as major development in this process. ...The Morfik Pioneers Program allows such enthusiastic individuals ... to contribute to its evolution within this vision. ... Pioneers will be able to influence the direction of Morfik's technology and to share insights about future directions for the web."So:1.) We're supposed to contribute to their for-profit-corporation out-of-the-geekness-of-our-hearts.2.) And the whole current Internet is just in its infancy, and we're all going to "grow up" into this WebOS based on Javascript/AJAX using Morfik's products; seeing as they're the leader with the vision.This is just another BIG-HEADED-CORP with no humility; lots of bark and little bite.I'll wait for version 2 or 3. [ Reply to ThisRe:They have to sound UPBEAT... (as I'm ROFL) by daviddennis (Score:2) Tuesday November 08, @11:12AM ok..... (Score:1) by FreakUnique (927847) on Tuesday November 08, @09:49AM (#13978457) This all looks and sounds like a pile of steaming dog turd. Why else hide behind marketing hype? [ Reply to This compiler with JavaScript backend (Score:3, Interesting) by idlake (850372) on Tuesday November 08, @10:17AM (#13978711) It had to happen: a compiler with a JavaScript backend... [ Reply to This Well, they sure are getting a lot of play (Score:1) by MikeyTheK (873329) on Tuesday November 08, @10:18AM (#13978716) For all the complaining y'all are doing about these guys, they sure are getting a lot of play. Google morfik. It might be a well-orchestrated campaign of lies and deceit, but at first blush it doesn't look that way. [ Reply to This Trying to apply their "Pioneers Program", but... (Score:1) by twinchang (905272) on Tuesday November 08, @10:18AM (#13978725) They just give me a email with subject "Confirmation of your Morfik Pioneers Registration" and content:Thank you for applying to be part of the Morfik Pioneers Program. Your application is being reviewed by the Pioneers coordinator who is responsible for providing successful applicants with the login details to the Program.I just wonder how hard would they just giving people direct access to their vapour-buzzword-like application? [ Reply to This Who do you have to bribe for this? (Score:2) by fforw (116415) on Tuesday November 08, @03:29PM (#13981813) (http://fforw.de/japano/) Who do you have to bribe for articles like this? And how much?Or is there any other reason why an article submission for my GPLed webapplication framework gets rejected, but a ridiculously over-priced, closed-source, windows-only offering, whose main feature seems to be buzz-word compliance and marketing-droid BS, gets free PR?*grrr* [ Reply to This Google querying of Morfix.com (Score:1) by StickyWidget (741415) on Tuesday November 08, @05:57PM (#13983370) My Bullshitt-Meter just pegged... Check out what a Google search for "site:www.morfik.com inurl:media" pulls up:http://www.morfik.com/media/The_Making_of_Northwin d_Unplugged.pdf [morfik.com]They made a presentation of another demo, then made one of GMAIL. Both use almost exactly the same language, it just looks like some marketer did a find-replace on Northwind. Both were made in 2 weeks for a protoype, and 2 months for a full version.Fishy.StickyWidget [ Reply to This Finds the meaning? (Score:1)