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Cross the Platform, Get On Board: Page 2 of 3

So how do you get from where you are today to a world where IT can deliver on the most cost-effective platform for the task at hand? Here are some options:

• Move to Java for back-end development. With machine speeds constantly increasing, the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) getting faster and Microsoft pushing .Net--which is essentially the same solution as Java but tied to a single platform--the move to Java makes more sense than ever.

• Divorce yourself from the UI and start developing in C++. It's easily portable as long as you obey a few simple rules and avoid proprietary libraries such as the MFC. The need for a UI is relatively low in back-end application development, so this shouldn't hurt much.

• Keep the UI and use WxWindows for cross-platform UI development in C++. WxWindows isn't perfect, but it does make writing portable code for windowing operating systems easier. And submit your ideas for improvement to the WxWindows development team--maybe it will take your suggestions to heart.

• Use Borland's Delphi or Kylix for cross-platform development. Two years ago, most developers (myself included) would have declared Pascal and its variants dead, but these programs are alive and well and almost as easy to use as Java.