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Subject:
From:
"Crispen, Bob" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Crispen, Bob
Date:
Mon, 12 Mar 2001 13:10:13 -0600
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Gary Kephart [mailto:[log in to unmask]] sez:

>> I simply ask our Java fans: do you use Forte?
>
>Nope. I've never tried it. I use Visual Cafe at work and JBuilder at
>home.
>I've never heard anything good or bad about it. I assume that you think
>it sucks?

Nope.  The only things I know about Forte are:

(a) It's written in Java.
(b) It's free (or at least one version of it is, and that
    version doesn't seem to be too dreadfully crippled).
(c) I have yet to meet a Java developer, no matter his
    or her enthusiasm for Java, who uses it for their own
    Java development.

The point I was trying to make is that Java fans are eager
to assert that Java is ready for prime time, but when
they're given a choice of a Java application for their own
code development (i.e., a mission critical application),
they choose something else.

Granted, everyone may hate Forte as much as I hate Sun's
C/C++ (etc.) IDE for Solaris, and that could explain it.
Or it may be that it's pointless having an IDE that doesn't
have features that e.g., Visual Cafe has and Forte lacks.
There are all sorts of explanations.  But I will remark
that Forte is, afaik, the only free IDE for Java, and given
the number of Java developers who don't have lots of money
available for tools, the empty seats in front of Forte seem
kind of significant.

Microsoft has a phrase "eating your own dogfood" to describe
one (among many) of their wholly admirable practices.  They
use their own products to get their work done.
--
Bob Crispen
Embedded Software Engineer
Modeling & Simulation Technology
Phantom Works
The Boeing Company
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