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your work computer to your home computer, and voila, you're programming. No registry changes, no installation, no need for a pre-installed framework (like .Net), and no runtime environment required. Did you catch that last part? You need no runtime environment (like with Java). HotBasic compiles to true, blue native Windows or Linux programs.

Yep, that's right-Linux, too. HotBasic is cross platform. Write a program in Notepad on your Windows machine, copy it to your Linux machine, compile in Linux, and like Emeril would say, bam! Your code is ported over.

Now if I have you interested, be aware that HotBasic may require you to change your mindset a little. If you're hooked on (or brainwashed by) the drag-and-drop mentality of Visual Basic, Delphi, C#, REALBasic, etc., you won't find that in HotBasic. As I alluded to earlier, with most rapid application development tools nowadays, you draw first, write code later. What I mean is, you draw your form by dragging the appropriate widgets onto the form's gray space. Then you double click the widget to open a code window and write your code "behind the scenes." If you're like me, this is an abomination you've just learned to live with. If you're like me, it was much nicer when you had one source code file and you started writing it a the top of the file and worked your way down-not code all scattered all over in places (files and objects) that you have little control over.

The design of HotBasic is, according to the developer, "type and drop" rather than "drag and drop." In other words, because the syntax of HotBasic is so clean and simple, you build the application by writing it rather than drawing it. It's like telling a story. You type it in plain language and your creation appears. Still, if you're a diehard drag-and-dropper there are already several free drag-and-drop development IDEs available. Me, I dropped the drag-and-drop approach and haven't looked back.

Effectively, HotBasic has shattered the limitations of the BASIC programming language and is set to change the world of software development. The domain of writing powerful, clean, and truly compiled business and science applications will no longer be restricted to the C++ geeks who seemingly keep the language and notation unnecessarily complex for job security purposes.

On a scale of one to ten, HotBasic definitely scores a ten in my book. In all fairness, the website and documentation could use some polish, but in the grand scheme of things, those complaints are just pennies and nickels while the advantages of HotBasic are golden bricks and diamonds. And make no mistake-I am NOT the developer of HotBasic, not an employee, and have nothing to gain by waving the HotBasic flag. I'm just a convert who firmly believes that HotBasic is something very special and news of it should be shouted from every rooftop.

Check it out for yourself at www.hotbasic.org. Give it thirty days. I guarantee you you won't regret it. And the cost? You won't believe it-only $69 bucks. So hurry and get your copy before the developer realizes what he's created and jacks up the price.

Learn more about this author, Norm Kaiser.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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