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- 2002.07.31
The votes are in. PPC Linux is here
to stay, but please don't expect a weekly column (unless you all
want to micropay me individually).
Today I want to look at a specific application program named
Runtime Revolution - it runs not only on Linux, but also in Mac OS,
Mac OS X, Windows, IRIX, Solaris, and more.
I am not a programmer, but I do produce a lot of multimedia
applications. In the old days, I used Apple's HyperCard, but this
great little application is a letdown on a number of fronts,
including the fact that it won't run in any OS other than the
Classic Mac OS.
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following screen shots have been reduced to 400 pixels wide and
saved as GIF or JPEG files. Click any image to see a larger
version.
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Runtime Revolution on Linux
Large image 36K
As time passed, most HyperCard developers moved on - the arty
types like myself moved to Macromedia Director (where is the
OS X version?), and the rest settled for either SuperCard or
REALbasic.
There was a cross platform alternative, MetaCard, but it was difficult to
use and cost the earth, so it was a minority interest. It therefore
came as a surprise to me that someone had developed a port of
MetaCard which promised ease of use whilst also maintaining true
cross-platform development.
It's called Runtime Revolution,
is produced in Scotland by a company called (in a fit of
originality) Runtime Revolution Ltd. As this is the PPC Linux
column, I downloaded the PPC/Linux free trial version (as well as
Mac OS X and IRIX versions).
Revolution is actually based on the MetaCard code base, but it
is enhanced in a number of important ways, most especially in the
area of user interface. Anyone who has used a stack-based Rapid
Application Development tool, be it HyperCard, SuperCard, or
MetaCard, will be in familiar territory. Scripting is handled by
MetaTalk, MetaCard's native scripting language, which has syntax
familiar enough to most Mac scripting languages from Lingo to
HyperTalk.

Runtime Revolution on Mac OS X
Large image 86K
Revolution is of most interest to me because Macromedia haven't
yet released a version of Director for Mac OS X, but also
because I can work on my SGI machine which is equipped with a 20"
screen and see the results in Mac OS X and Linux on my
iMac.
The nature of my work is such that Revolution is almost too
capable - Director is much more my style, but that doesn't mean
that Revolution is difficult to use. In fact, though I've grown
used to Director's stage- and cast-based theatrical metaphor over
the years, Revolution is probably easier to use if you're starting
from scratch.
The realities of the graphic and new media design industry mean
that I won't be ditching Director anytime soon, but on the other
hand, I may just invest in a full copy of Revolution and use it
when the design brief is wide enough to allow me to work on my
platform of choice.

Runtime Revolution on the Classic Mac OS
Large image 33K
The biggest boon is the write once, run anywhere nature of
Revolution. Sure, Java is also cross-platform, but the only Java
application which I've ever used that isn't a total nightmare of
sloth and bloat is the X-Ray software, ImageJ. Besides, Java is
just too complex for nonprogrammers like myself.
If you develop for PPC/Linux in Revolution, all you need to port
your application to other systems such as IRIX, Solaris, Windows,
or the Mac OS, is a suitable machine and a copy of Revolution
appropriate to the OS. No rewriting or debugging will be necessary,
and remember that it's perfectly possible to run Mac OS 9, Mac
OS X and Linux on a single machine, so an iMac can become a
development platform for three different OSes - imagine how you've
expanded your potential audience, literally at the click of a
button.

Runtime Revolution on Windows
Large image 69K
You may not have heard of it before, but with some publicity
Revolution could give REALbasic and even Director a run for its
money.
Okay, so it runs in Linux, but why is this in the PPC/Linux
column instead of elsewhere on Low End Mac? Well, I am issuing a
challenge. Revolution can import HyperCard stacks, so if you're an
ex-HyperCard developer and run Linux (or OS X) why not port
your old stacks and apps to Linux (and OS X)? You could even
start a small company making shareware applications that not only
run in the Mac OS, but also in Windows and Unix.
People always complain that Linux hasn't got enough
applications. Well, with Revolution we now have the tools at hand
to change that perception forever.
Further Reading
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