Vin D’Amico

Even as Microsoft, Apple and various Linux distributions battle for control of the desktop, the operating system is becoming less and less relevant. Many applications are browser-based or take advantage of alternate runtime environments. To them, the underlying operating system is meaningless.

Like Web browsers, alternate runtime environments such as Adobe AIR, Microsoft Silver­light and Sun JavaFX hide operating system details from programmers. They make desktop software development easier and faster.

Most software applications are small and focused while operating systems are bloated and diverse. Runtime environments have grown in popularity as desktop operating systems have become bigger, slower and more complex. Application developers do not need all that bloat.

In addition, software developers want their applications to run on as many desktops as possible. Using a runtime environment that is supported on multiple OSs means broader distribution and the potential for increased revenue.

Adobe AIR was released in 2008. According to Adobe, “AIR is a cross-operating system runtime that lets developers combine HTML, Ajax, Adobe Flash, and Flex technologies to deploy rich Internet applications (RIAs) on the desktop.”

AIR runs on Windows, Macintosh and Linux PCs. It gives application developers access to a broad spectrum of users with a single code set. There is no need to port the software and distribute multiple versions.

AIR is based on Adobe’s Flash platform. The major difference between them is that Flash runs within a Web browser while AIR runs independently on the desktop OS.

Applications can be developed using Adobe Flex and Flash tools, as well as standard Web design tools that support HTML, JavaScript and XML.

Sun Microsystems has a runtime offering called JavaFX. According to Sun, “JavaFX ... is fully integrated with the Java Runtime and takes advantage of the performance and ubiquity of the Java Platform. JavaFX applications will run on any desktop and browser that runs the Java Runtime Environment.”

JavaFX runs on Windows and Macintosh PCs. Oddly, Linux and Solaris are not yet supported though Sun’s primary business is selling such systems.

The Java ME platform that runs on many mobile phones supports JavaFX. This opens the possibility of developing mobile applications without using specialized tools.

JavaFX applications must be written using a proprietary script language. This is more limiting than the breadth of languages supported by AIR but if your firm has Java experience, moving to JavaFX should be a smooth transition.

Finally, Microsoft offers Silverlight. According to Microsoft, “Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.”

Silverlight runs on Windows and Macintosh PCs. Linux is also supported, though indirectly. Microsoft and Novell have setup an open-source project called Moonlight to deliver a Linux implementation of Silverlight.

While commendable, the Linux offering lags behind the Windows version in the marketplace. The primary development happens on Windows and the code is ported to Linux.

There have also been licensing questions around the use of Moonlight.

Silverlight applications can be developed using the same .NET software tools used in building Windows applications. This gives Windows developers a simple way to enter Macintosh and Linux markets without having to invest in a major effort to port their applications.

The current version of the software, Silverlight 2, runs within a browser only. The next version, currently in beta, will run natively on the desktop OS.

So which runtime should you consider for your desktop applications?

Firstly, do not choose any of these runtimes for high-performance applications. If your software needs all the computing power it can get, write it natively for the target OS. Similarly, very large applications or those processing large amounts of data are better served running natively.

Another concern revolves around the user interface. If you have other applications with a look and feel that you want to replicate, a runtime may make it difficult to do so unless it is driven by the same technologies.

If you think a runtime makes sense for your software, take a look at all three offerings. They are evolving rapidly so comparing performance, memory footprint and other features is unlikely to result in the best long-term choice.

The ultimate decision is likely to be driven by your in-house capabilities. If your programming staff is familiar with AJAX, AIR is a good choice. Java? JavaFX will be easy to learn. Microsoft’s .NET framework? Silverlight provides an easy transition.

Staff abilities should not be your only criteria but if you are looking to get started quickly, they become a major factor.

These runtimes free you from having to deal with differences among operating systems and browsers. Not only do browsers vary in functionality among brands, they also vary among releases within a brand.

Break out of OS and Web browser constraints and explore alternate runtime environments instead.

Vin D'Amico is president of Damicon. He specializes in agile processes and freelance writing. He can be reached at vin@damicon.com or by visiting www.damicon.com.