Once:radix is really RAD

With the little hurdles behind me, it was time to get my hands dirty with once:radix.

The first thing that impressed me was the level of separation between data presentation and code logic. Fields and forms can be presented on a page with ease and then drilled down into for data types and scripting.

Database connectivity - done, CSS - done, HTML - done. It's all just there ready to be moulded to your specific requirements.

So presenting forms on a blank page is like using Filemaker or Access without the flair associated with client GUI applications.

See the screen shots for what to expect when developing with once:radix. I was quite excited at how easy it is to begin building a Web application.

Applications built with once:radix can be open source or commercial and the application itself is dual-licensed.

Integration and hacking

Once:technologies insists once:radix is not a framework in the traditional sense, but it does have a lot in common with the Web application frameworks like Django, Ruby on Rails, and Spring.

The basic integration between components is done for you, but any Java coder can hack up servlets for once:radix to perform other repetitive tasks.

Conversely, once:radix differs from other open source Web application frameworks in the sense that it's a complete Web-based GUI RAD tool and not a set of standard components that used by developers to create a custom application.

According to Napier, once:radix is a complete development and delivery environment with "most of the hard work done for you".

"That's why people with less Web and database experience can build advanced business applications with our system."

Without the need to develop security or design database schema developers can focus purely on the end-user application.

For external communication once:radix has its own Web API, and the company is keen to get the open source community building servlets for easy integration of popular online services like Facebook.

There is already a range of Web API functions, from database connectivity to user management, and for Web services there is a SOAP-like API. Better servlet documentation is coming.

Other features include Rhino support for server-side scripting, caching, and two levels of native debugging.

Once:technologies claims applications developed with once:radix are as scalable as Java, Tomcat and PostgreSQL will allow them to be and an average server should be able to cater for 200 users.

What's good
Intuitive user interface
All Web-based
Reduced development complexity

What needs work
Dependent upon Firefox only
Browser needs to be configured