From: David Masover <ninja@...>
Date: 2009-09-16T22:43:17+09:00
Subject: Re: What's the best cross platform approach (Windows/Mac) to deploy a simple service/daemon (with simple UI)

On Monday 14 September 2009 08:05:15 pm Greg Hauptmann wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm getting confused re the range of options for development &
> deploying some simple code & UI to both Windows & Mac.  Can anyone
> assist re a good direction here.  I do like Ruby, however if it makes
> sense to move away from this (e.g. java, c#) then so be it.    Which
> development option would people suggest for this?
>
> REQUIREMENTS
> 1. Support for Windows & Mac
> 2. The installation should be one-click and package all required
> dependencies as much as possible.
> 3. Scheduling capability required - so either via (a) installed as a
> service/daemon, or (b) ability for installation to schedule periodic
> call to script (former is preferred)
> 4. Functionality component requires - ability to access/parse
> web-sites, and then ability to make HTTP(S) calls out to my site to
> store parsed data.  So heave on HTTP(S) methods.  Proxy support
> required in app, so ability for user to enter
> host/port/username/password for the proxy server.
>
> DEV OPTIONS ?? - This is where I need help/advice. Some of the many
> options that come to mind:
> 1. Develop in Ruby and then find packaging product to create Windows &
> Mac installation packages - not sure how doable this is yet?
> Especially if I need the installation to effectively install as a
> service.
> 2. Develop in Java for cross-platform? but then needs users to have
> installed JRE?

Most have it installed, and rawr might handle that.

Oh, and use JRuby, not Java.

Another possibility is to make it a pure web service, but you haven't given us 
enough information:

> 3. Scheduling capability required

If it wasn't for that, I'd strongly suggest a web service. As it is, I still 
might. Not all apps can be web apps, but for those who do, you pretty much 
don't have that deployment question -- people "install" your website by 
visiting it. Worst case, you tell them to install Firefox, so you don't have 
to support IE...