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B4X is a set of simple and powerful cross platform RAD tools:
- B4A (free) - Android development
- B4J (free) - Desktop and Server development
- B4i - iOS development
- B4R (free) - Arduino, ESP8266 and ESP32 development
Where can professional programmers make the most revenues with B4X?
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To me, the word "CAN" and "ARE" imply the same meaning when used in this context.
You can use "ARE" if you prefer.
In my experience, as a full time self employed programmer now writing my own apps but have written for clients:
1. As a contract programmer writing custom programs for a client
Yes, the money is good, you will have an idea of how long the project will take, some of the "unpaid" work is done for you (admin, sale & marketing, idea of app etc) but it usually means being devoted to the customers project(s) until they are finished.
2. As a paid employee working 9 to 5 for a company that already uses B4X
The Holy Grail. Which companies, with 9 to 5 jobs on offer, use B4X though? Please forward my CV to them
3. As a software developer selling apps on iTunes and Google Play or other websites
This is where I'm at now (and have been for the last 2 years) and I find it the best compromise. The money is more than enough and I get to be my own boss. I write my own ideas and keep my own schedule/timetable. Money isn't everything.
4. Writing custom tools for B4X developers
B4X devs usually write their own tools, I dont see much money to be made there
5. Web development with B4J
School kids are writing web sites, can you compete with them?
6. A full time professional programmer can't make a living with B4X
If I can, so can you... caveat - it takes effort, determination and sheer bloody mindedness.
1. As a contract programmer writing custom programs for a client
Yes, the money is good, you will have an idea of how long the project will take, some of the "unpaid" work is done for you (admin, sale & marketing, idea of app etc) but it usually means being devoted to the customers project(s) until they are finished.
2. As a paid employee working 9 to 5 for a company that already uses B4X
The Holy Grail. Which companies, with 9 to 5 jobs on offer, use B4X though? Please forward my CV to them
3. As a software developer selling apps on iTunes and Google Play or other websites
This is where I'm at now (and have been for the last 2 years) and I find it the best compromise. The money is more than enough and I get to be my own boss. I write my own ideas and keep my own schedule/timetable. Money isn't everything.
4. Writing custom tools for B4X developers
B4X devs usually write their own tools, I dont see much money to be made there
5. Web development with B4J
School kids are writing web sites, can you compete with them?
6. A full time professional programmer can't make a living with B4X
If I can, so can you... caveat - it takes effort, determination and sheer bloody mindedness.
The Holy Grail. Which companies, with 9 to 5 jobs on offer, use B4X though? Please forward my CV to them
I think @Douglas Farias is one of the only ones who works in a B4X team/company.
Maybe there are more but I guess most "PROs" are self employed doing freelance work.
I voted for:
As a contract programmer writing custom programs for a client
As a software developer selling apps on iTunes and Google Play or other websites
Writing custom tools for B4X developers
Web development with B4J
You need to be flexible to maximize your income. So when you haven't got any work for client's then do your own stuff. Most of the B4X tools / library developers seem to rely on donations. I only release simple libraries because I don't wont to rely on donation income to support more complex (ABMaterial level of complexity) libraries.
As a contract programmer writing custom programs for a client
As a software developer selling apps on iTunes and Google Play or other websites
Writing custom tools for B4X developers
Web development with B4J
You need to be flexible to maximize your income. So when you haven't got any work for client's then do your own stuff. Most of the B4X tools / library developers seem to rely on donations. I only release simple libraries because I don't wont to rely on donation income to support more complex (ABMaterial level of complexity) libraries.
The focus in this question forbids me to vote since I am not a professional programmer.
Still, I can give my 5cents worth...
As a contracted programmer, either you have already made a good name for yourself and the client's come to you, or you struggle to find clients.. unfortunately the market these days prefer "real" software houses than a one-man army.
Working from 9 to 5... It's a bit like the contractor, but, if you get stuck at 4h30pm in a coding issue, and the answer "comes" to you by say 6h30, then you have to wait until 9am the next day to implement it... That can be very frustrating I guess.
Gplay... The good place for one-man armies!
Still either you have "the big idea" and make huge money every month for years, or you make a living, and squeeze as much money you can from in-app purchases, because in-app advertising just don't cut it.
Then there's "me" the non professional or professional wannabe, who knows enough to get things done, and when he doesn't know, he knows where to find the necessary info.
Still, quitting a sure day job for a "dream" is quite difficult.
Still, I can give my 5cents worth...
As a contracted programmer, either you have already made a good name for yourself and the client's come to you, or you struggle to find clients.. unfortunately the market these days prefer "real" software houses than a one-man army.
Working from 9 to 5... It's a bit like the contractor, but, if you get stuck at 4h30pm in a coding issue, and the answer "comes" to you by say 6h30, then you have to wait until 9am the next day to implement it... That can be very frustrating I guess.
Gplay... The good place for one-man armies!
Still either you have "the big idea" and make huge money every month for years, or you make a living, and squeeze as much money you can from in-app purchases, because in-app advertising just don't cut it.
Then there's "me" the non professional or professional wannabe, who knows enough to get things done, and when he doesn't know, he knows where to find the necessary info.
Still, quitting a sure day job for a "dream" is quite difficult.
Concerning "Writing custom tools for B4X developers", I experienced that the "donate to get it" model is a better model than the "donate if you use it" model. But they are both less interesting than the traditional model where you're paid by someone who needs a specific library/tool. For example, what I earned with my UltimateListView library is far from being enough to earn a living, despite its success and the number of donors (from more than 70 countries). If I take into account the time spent in supporting the library, the sad reality is that I did not earn money at all.
To me, they are completely different. "Can" suggests the possibility or future prospects. "Are" suggests currently doing. For example ...
For myself, I "Are/am" currently making the most revenue with B4X as #1. I "Can" see this still being the best revenue stream for the development work I'll be doing in the medium-term future, as well, as long as the language can develop, mature significantly, and fill some holes without getting side-tracked too much. If not, then it may just get relegated to #3 usage.
#2 is irrelevant as I own the company.
#3 is the "Can" ... IF you can get lucky and hit upon an idea/marketing scheme/pure dumb luck to get a popular app ... the sheer numbers involved when those elements come together can dwarf any of the other 4 options in your poll. For myself, I don't think of programming for #3. Maybe when I retire or sell the company.
#4 seems to be hampered by support costs and the inherently changing landscape of developers tools and languages. Especially in the iOS and Android market. I've done this for 2 past development languages and, while most of those efforts were successful, it just wasn't worth it as a revenue stream in the end. Maybe for hobbyists or if you can cast a wide net as a more general purpose developer tool but not for one specific (especially small) developer language/tool. I have several classes I've developed and use in my own projects that I wouldn't mind releasing to the B4X community, for example, but I have no time or interest in supporting them right now. It'd be terrible to do that.
#5, for myself again, is an integral part of most of my B4X programming. I think you meant it as a standalone tool for web development, though. For that, I don't see that as being any more profitable for a developer than just straight HTML/CSS/scripting and long established backend programming (ASP, .NET, PHP, etc.). If B4X is all a programmer knows and you're deploying on your own servers then that's fine. But, if you're developing for a client on their servers then you'll likely run into problems. Why hire, for instance, a B4X developer just for web development (without a special reason like interacting with the other B4X tools) when you can pick up an HTML/CSS/PHP/etc... programmer off the street (or contract one from anywhere in the world) in minutes and it'll run on existing web servers without much or any changes?
As for #6, that's obviously not the case. Any programming language or tool that is newer, backed by a small company/organization, and with fewer developers is going to be a challenge for professional developers to find the right fit or incorporate into their programming. But it does happen. It's just up to the professional developer to find that fit. Which is often the difference between a professional and not.