Post a Contest

Advice on Language

Status: Closed
Prize: $30
Entries Received: 1
Winner: standahj

Winner

Contest Brief

This is purely an opinion seeking project and I need advice please - I need to make a better informed decision than I can make at present.

I have an existing app, done in vb5, and it is a major part of our business. However, with the introduction of Windows Vista, 7 and 8, it has required constant additional work to make the software operate efficiently. Also, the Mac OS is becoming more popular with our clients but we can not supply software to them unless they use a solution like, for example, VirtualBox with WinXP.

The software is also starting to 'look old' and needs a revamp.

So I think we are now at the point where we need to look for an alternate platform / language to use. I would prefer to have to only code once, and have the compiled code usable across different OSs.

The existing software consists of a Main Menu, with multiple buttons that open new forms that contain listboxes, check boxes, command buttons, etc.
Some contain flexgrids ( spreadsheets ).

All of the forms read, and display or modify, data from a locally stored set of files, both .txt and database files.

The main section of the software contains a graphical section that plots line graphs, some with other lines overlaid, based on the data from the files, or calculated with the data from the files.

There are a number of tickboxes that control the features / overlays on the plotted line graph.

The last part of the software is responsible to connect to a pre-set web address, and retrieve 3 files with specific names. The existing utility has options for both http and ftp data retrieval.

What would the client need to have installed on their PC to use the solution you suggest ( example Java, apache server, .net framefork, etc )

Would something like Java be a solution ? If so, what OSs does it work on ?

The project amount ( easy money for giving your opinion ) will be awarded to the best reply that I receive, that contains good reasoning for the recommendation.

Please also state in your reply if you are capable of coding in the language that you recommend.