Product Reviews

Suppose we were to tell you that you could make your own software easily, and with a language which is essentially plain English, and deliver it as a fast, standalone application for Macs, PCs and even Unix-based computers? That you could write half a dozen lines of instructions such as 'read file "sample"', and end up with an idiot-proof tool for uploading files to a Web server, or for sorting and analysing sales figures, or for recording video and audio to disk? This isn't fantasy: it's fact. The tool for doing it is called Revolution, and it is the kind of software toolkit that can be used to make just about anything you can dream up.

Despite its name, Revolution isn't a new concept - at least as far as the development model is concerned. It is derived from the concepts behind HyperCard. But, as with the Mac-only SuperCard, any further comparisons are like putting a Lamborghini Gallardo next to a Model T Ford: Revolution broke the mould by making cross-platform development as easy as clicking a checkbox.

Some aspects of Revolution can be confusing. For example, because of the different ways menus are shown on different computer platforms, the methods for producing and deploying menus in a project are a little idiosyncratic. The development interface still feels a bit jumbled compared with the more mature SuperCard, but this is in part because it is created to run on numerous operating systems. In addition, Revolution uses many different windows for accessing object properties, watching variables, accessing libraries, tools and language guides, so using it on a small monitor can be a struggle. However, it is largely a matter of getting used to the process, and Revolution 2.0.1 is an improvement on previous versions.

Objects of desire

Those used to HyperCard or SuperCard shouldn't have trouble getting to grips with Revolution, as it uses the same object-based card/window concepts. Director users will find serious software production is dramatically easier, although the animation features in Revolution aren't up to Director's level. The card/window approach also makes the production process very simple for newcomers to grasp - it's much like using a regular drawing and layout program. Use the Button

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tool to draw a button, a field tool to draw a text field, then type a simple 'mouseup' instruction into the button's script window, for example 'put the time into field 1'. Switch to the Run tool and click the button. No ponderous save-compile-run processes - it just works.

Scripts can be far more complex and intelligent than this, of course. Revolution 2.0.1 can communicate directly with devices and data streams over USB and serial ports, is adept at using all major forms of Internet protocols, works well with QuickTime, and much more. The script language is Transcript, and its English-like structure is logical and flexible. The Transcript dictionary is provided as a searchable Revolution document, and each entry is well explained. With tools such as this good documentation is essential, and Revolution's is exceptional.

Windows of opportunity

For the more advanced developer, Transcript supports SQL queries, binary and even Base64 encoding and decoding of data, and much more. Control over Unix (and Mac OS X) shell commands is on tap and, going further afield, it can do things such as edit the Windows OS system registry. Although that's not of direct interest to the average Mac user, it indicates this tool's immense scope.

Creating a standalone application from a Revolution document is extremely simple. Once your project is behaving the way you want, the settings for wrapping it up as a regular program are one menu choice away. What really impresses, however, is the array of platform choices on offer. Although serious users will want to explore the options for inclusions, icons and so on, just clicking the appropriate checkboxes is enough. The Mac-specific choices are for OS X, PPC, 68K (for very old Macs), and 'Fat' (combining PPC and 68K together). Windows has a single entry (applications work in Windows 95 onwards), and there's an almost bewildering array of options for Linux and forms of Unix.

The pricing structures for Revolution can be a little confusing, but essentially the Small Business Edition comes without technical support, while the Professional Edition includes support by email and full printed manuals. Both versions include a year's worth of free updates. Pricing for the 'K-12' education sector - anything up to the end of secondary school, but not universities - is impressively low, although the licence stipulates no commercial development is to be carried out with these editions.

Revolution 2.0.1 delivers everything its name promises. It is a broad-ranging and potent tool which, with a little practice, puts enormous power into the hands of the user.

Before Revolution, the world of cross-platform software production was restricted to specialists versed in arcane programming languages, but now it is limited purely by the user's imagination.