I love B4X. Is it lasting forever?

Hi I love b4x and his team,
And I am been busy with it for about 9 years, b4x is very powerful.
But the question that always arises for me and my friends and those who want to join the b4x family recently is whether B4X and his team will last forever?

I always tell people about b4x great strength, but they say is b4x supported by a strong team? Isn't there a day when he no longer supports it?
This question always worries me and I can not give them the right answer.

Therefore, I ask the powerful team of b4x and anywhereSoftware to provide a good answer in the field of constant and strong support of this powerful product, so that the minds of all of us can be free.
Thanks

This valid question was asked many times in the last 17 years, since I first released basic4ppc.
During these 17 years, Microsoft, as an example, has killed so many tools that I can no longer count them.
Even Xamarin that was a huge purchase for Microsoft is being faded out.

The company size doesn't always matter. In many cases the opposite is actually true.
I hope to continue to develop B4X tools for many years to come.

Two more things:
1. B4A and B4J frameworks are open source which means that anyone can download the source code and modify it.
2. The experience that you, as a developer, gain while working with B4X is not limited to B4X. Over the years many developers have shifted from B4A to Java and vice versa.

thanks Master Erel,
I hope you are always stronger and more successful.

What measure have you taken ? If tomorrow you’re no more there ! I don’t wish it but it’s something that worries me too !

Erel said:

1. B4A and B4J frameworks are open source which means that anyone can download the source code and modify it.

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this is great.
Where are these two items and where to download?

jahswant said:

What measure have you taken

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He’s sleeping inside butter, and he’s B4Xing some kids



Now seriously, probably this step is very important for us,

Erel said:

B4A and B4J frameworks are open source

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Maybe the really important question is not "how long will Erel continue developing B4X?" but "how long will we continue supporting him?"

pejmannikravan said:

Where are these two items and where to download?

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I think most in this thread misses the important point. Nobody questions the commitment or long-term strategy of Erel. He's clearly shown that he's in this for the long ride.

The thing that most seem to miss (or at least choose to not speak about) is that horrible accidents do happen. To be somewhat blunt: Erel could very quickly one day be in a position where he's not available to do any work for Anywhere Software. (*)

As for the B4A and B4J frameworks that are open source, that's fine, but as best I can understand they don't give the full solution to somebody downloading them trying to make a brand new version of B4A and B4J. The IDE isn't there, and perhaps there are also other things not in there. (I really have no clue, I just assume there's more to it than the frameworks and the IDE.) I'm not ungrateful, I'm just pointing out that B4A and B4J is more than those frameworks. (And let's not forget that B4i isn't available in any way.)

I would like it better if Erel hired two developers (at least part-time) that got to work with the codebase. Not only would the development speed improve over time, but it would also lower the risks with choosing B4X. And yes, I would be fine with him raising his prices for this - I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is.

I'm sure Erel has considered all this before so I can't imagine it's new ideas for him. In the end it's his company, he gets to make the decisions. I've chalked this up to "one of the things I cannot control in my life, and that's fine".


(*) As is true for all of us - take a moment and think of how you can prepare things so your loved ones get the best possible outcome if you suddenly aren't there anymore.

b4x is an excellent tool. It has impressed me. I am learning flutter. It's so hot right now among the developers. But, to me, b4x is better, in fact, beyond better. The source code of flutter is so confusing. But I have the same mind as the rest. I already encountered a tremendous experience w/ my project. It was written in vb6. My thinking is, if a huge corp could just abandon its product w/o regards to its users. how much more this one. But I perfectly understand Erel, it's an intellectual property that he must protect. Even myself, I will not just simply release it. Certainly he consumed countless time, tears, sleepless night, & effort. Maybe one day, I can produce a good product out of b4x and contribute financially to b4x in exchange for its source code to assure its continuance at a higher degree. I think right now, having the framework opened source is already a good insurance. But, of course, you have to be good in Java. Cheers!!!

What happened to VB6? The software is stopped by M$ for more than 10 years but people still using it until today. If I didn't found B4X a few years ago, I may still using it now. Now I have stopped using VB.NET since I started with B4J.

aeric said:

What happened to VB6? The software is stopped by M$ for more than 10 years but people still using it until today. If I didn't found B4X a few years ago, I may still using it now. Now I have stopped using VB.NET since I started with B4J.

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they are just using their legacy software because they have no choice, but not to improve further. there are some functionalities that are no longer working. vb.net is not vb6. they r totally different.

Hanz said:

I already encountered a tremendous experience w/ my project. It was written in vb6. My thinking is, if a huge corp could just abandon its product w/o regards to its users. how much more this one.

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What problem did you have? I thought that Microsoft was still shipping the VB6 support libraries in Windows 10 and 11 precisely to allow VB6 programs and the VB6 IDE to carry on working because VB6 was/still is very important for some enterprises.

agraham said:

What problem did you have? I thought that Microsoft was still shipping the VB6 support libraries in Windows 10 and 11 precisely to allow VB6 programs and the VB6 IDE to carry on working because VB6 was/still is very important for some enterprises.

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Some functionalities no longer working accordingly, dlls, ocx, installation, etc. it was a huge project. A complete and generic acctg software designed to compete w/ existing n leading ones. So, I have throw away all d codes, n create another one in C# for the core, while modules specific to a business such as specific invoice are in different programming languages n GUI, including b4x which is a great tool.

Hanz said:

they are just using their legacy software because they have no choice, but not to improve further. there are some functionalities that are no longer working. vb.net is not vb6. they r totally different.

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I used both VB6 and VB.NET. I used VB.NET most on ASP.NET Web Apps. VB6 is where I start programming in college and get me excited then get my first job after graduated.

aeric said:

I used both VB6 and VB.NET. I used VB.NET most on ASP.NET Web Apps. VB6 is where I start programming in college and get me excited then get my first job after graduated.

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vb.net is a good improvement of vb6, no doubt about that, but it's not vb6. that's d problem. you can't just convert your code from vb6 to vb.net. 10% discrepancy is so is a problem if your code is huge. I'm done w/ all kinds of BASIC from MS.

Hanz said:

vb.net is a good improvement of vb6, no doubt about that, but it's not vb6. that's d problem. you can't just convert your code from vb6 to vb.net. 10% discrepancy is so is a problem if your code is huge. I'm done w/ all kinds of BASIC from MS.

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There are many reasons to use B4X compare to other tools. MS Visual Studio and Google/JetBrain Android Studio are very heavy to load.

Back to OP question. My opinion is let's don't concern so much about B4X tool which I don't. Imagine yesterday night I was worried then today B4X is here to stay when I wake up. This happened after so many years. I don't even bother about Visual Studio whether it has stable 2022 Preview version or not. I just not excited to download or use it compare to my anticipation of new release of B4J. I am not even interested on .NET Core, MAUI or whatever as I never heard that these tools are getting better. There are many developer members here which have chosen B4X and we are all on the same boat. I trust B4X and Anywhere Software will bring me more good than any other tools, at least for the next few years.

I just got a freelance project to maintain an existing B4A app developed by a local company. The app is used by a local government enforcement department. I think the developer is very good in B4A but not sure who is he in this forum. I think there are many developers are using B4X tool but not active in this forum.

In case anyone is not convinced or have missed some interesting threads:
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/its-time-to-grow.113257/
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/b4a-is-now-free.113678/
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/just-for-discussion-why-b4x-is-not-famous-enough.114641/

OMG, a post made in 2011!
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/whats-the-future-of-b4a.11146/

Another in 2018
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/future-of-b4j.96966/

Some success stories:
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/forums/share-your-b4x-story.88/
https://www.b4x.com/blog.html/

The concern of OP is valid. And also valid is all my client's concern 'What will happen to their paid projects if Anand-ji (your truly) is no more ?"

I am making and maintaining the flagship product of our company in XBase++, which is of year 2009, in Win10 and our client use Win11

I still use TopDown for XBase++, created by Clayton Jones, whom we lost in year 2014. He has always given source codes of his library. I make changes in the codes as required now in Win10 environment.

I made many projects for my clients in FoxFro Windows version which MS killed living me and my friends high and dry.

In a nut shell "If you are a programmer then do not fear of picking up a new tool if so required."
I have made Android app, thanks to B4X, and used B4J server and XBase++ to connect and display reports from my DBF data in the cloud. Thanks to @sfsameer and @aeric for the help.

aeric said:

There are many reasons to use B4X compare to other tools. MS Visual Studio and Google/JetBrain Android Studio are very heavy to load.

Back to OP question. My opinion is let's don't concern so much about B4X tool which I don't. Imagine yesterday night I was worried then today B4X is here to stay when I wake up. This happened after so many years. I don't even bother about Visual Studio whether it has stable 2022 Preview version or not. I just not excited to download or use it compare to my anticipation of new release of B4J. I am not even interested on .NET Core, MAUI or whatever as I never heard that these tools are getting better. There are many developer members here which have chosen B4X and we are all on the same boat. I trust B4X and Anywhere Software will bring me more good than any other tools, at least for the next few years.

I just got a freelance project to maintain an existing B4A app developed by a local company. The app is used by a local government enforcement department. I think the developer is very good in B4A but not sure who is he in this forum. I think there are many developers are using B4X tool but not active in this forum.

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aeric said:

There are many reasons to use B4X compare to other tools. MS Visual Studio and Google/JetBrain Android Studio are very heavy to load.

Back to OP question. My opinion is let's don't concern so much about B4X tool which I don't. Imagine yesterday night I was worried then today B4X is here to stay when I wake up. This happened after so many years. I don't even bother about Visual Studio whether it has stable 2022 Preview version or not. I just not excited to download or use it compare to my anticipation of new release of B4J. I am not even interested on .NET Core, MAUI or whatever as I never heard that these tools are getting better. There are many developer members here which have chosen B4X and we are all on the same boat. I trust B4X and Anywhere Software will bring me more good than any other tools, at least for the next few years.

I just got a freelance project to maintain an existing B4A app developed by a local company. The app is used by a local government enforcement department. I think the developer is very good in B4A but not sure who is he in this forum. I think there are many developers are using B4X tool but not active in this forum.

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Being concerned with d tools u use is part of programmer's attitude and nowadays, no amount of assurance can surpass open source. And as I said, I understand if Erel will not as of this time open source everything. And to me, if i have a project which becomes successful, i will financially contribute w/ material amount of money to b4x until it become open source because people who create open source need financial supports. We have seen what happened in the last few months when one open source developer sabotage his project because he felt he was not compensated accordingly specially by those who earned from it.

pejmannikravan said:

Where are these two items and where to download?

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