Published on September 9, 2020.

I've had a number of developers reach out to me over the past several months, including FileMaker developers who are looking at Xojo as a possible FileMaker alternative, Xojo developers asking about possible Xojo alternatives, and more. I thought I'd take a moment to sum up my thoughts on both of those platforms, share some possible alternatives, and describe the type of work that I'm doing these days.

Xojo

Here are my latest thoughts on the Xojo development platform, and why I've started using it again:
Xojo: Looking Back, and Looking Forward

It's hard for me to believe that it has been nearly a year since I last wrote about Xojo, and the difficult decision that I had made to move away from it. Since then, a lot has happened with my business. But sadly, it doesn't seem like much has changed - or at least changed for the better - with regards to Xojo. Let me explain...

When I made the decision to stop using Xojo, it was based on a number of concerns that I had. Xojo is a small company, with a very small team of developers. And while those developers are talented and dedicated, building a tool that can be used to develop desktop, mobile, Web, and console apps, and can compile to macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Web just seems like a daunting task.

That was my primary concern, and as time has passed, it seems increasingly justified. Features that had been announced as far back as April 2018 at XDC 2018 - such as interops, Xojo-based plugins, a new IDE, Web Framework 2.0, and Android support - just never materialized. API 2.0 was eventually released in October of 2019, and while I still think Xojo's intentions were good, the problems that it introduced - especially for developers trying to maintain legacy apps - were overwhelming.

Regardless, as I wrote in my post last year, I have been "rooting for Xojo" and genuinely want to see them succeed. So I've been watching from the sidelines, and checking the forums every once in awhile to see if any progress has been made.

A few weeks ago, Xojo released Xojo 2020 Release 1. The highlight of this release is the highly anticipated, and long delayed, Web Framework 2.0. Based on what I was seeing in the forums, "Web 2.0" seemed underwhelming. Lots of bugs have been reported. A number of features that were expected aren't in this release - check out Norman Palardy's "Unofficial list of Web 2.0 deferred items" for details. If you'd like to get a sense of what others think of Web 2.0, check out Xojo 2020R1 Web 2.0 first look over on Alwaysbusy's Corner.

Regardless, I did download 2020R1 yesterday. I just had to see it for myself. And needless to say, I was disappointed. I won't go into details, but it just feels "incomplete." I just cannot imagine developing a Web app with it.

As if Xojo's lack of progress isn't bad enough, there seems to be growing concern and frustration from members of the Xojo community. To see it, scan Xojo's Forum. You'll find several posts that have been locked because the conversation grew a bit contentious. Here's a recent example: https://forum.xojo.com/t/xojo-for-rant/. In fact, things are so bad that an independent forum has been created so that developers can speak freely about their concerns: https://ifnotnil.com.

So today, when other developers - and especially FileMaker developers - ask me about Xojo, I really feel like I have no choice but to steer them away from it. People are leaving the platform, or trying to leave the platform, including prominent and highly respected developer Bob Keeney. He shared his thoughts about why people are leaving Xojo in a post titled "Why Do People Leave Xojo?." And be sure to check out Hal Gumbert's perspective as well, in his post "Software Development: Disappointed to Ecstatic." Hal has extensive experience with both Xojo and FileMaker, so I think you'll find his thoughts to be particularly interesting.

If, after reading all of this, you're still considering Xojo, I encourage you to take some time to explore the links that I've provided above.

FileMaker

My history with FileMaker goes way back. I've been using it since FileMaker 2.0. But I stopped doing FileMaker development back in June of 2015. I announced that decision in a series of blog posts that unexpectedly went viral, the first of which is available here.

When I left FileMaker, I went in search of a new development platform. I looked at everything I could find, and finally settled on Xojo. At the time, it seemed like a solid decision. Xojo had just released iOS support. There was talk even back then of a new and improved Web framework. And Xojo was well known for its excellent support for desktop apps. But most importantly, Xojo "felt right" to me. The language, the IDE... It all felt comfortable to me, and logical. Obviously, my feelings about Xojo have changed a lot since then.

But the truth is, while I did decide to stop taking on new FileMaker clients and projects, I've been doing FileMaker work all long. It's hard to give up on a development tool that I've spent 20+ years working with, and even harder to stop supporting clients for whom I've developed FileMaker-based solutions that they depend on.

So when things started to go off the rails with Xojo, I gave FileMaker another look. And over the past year or so, my work with the platform has increased significantly. I've started taking on new FileMaker clients and projects. I'm using it for several complex integrations, including a few that involve NetSuite. And a few weeks ago, I did something I never imagined that I'd ever do: I setup a new client with a FileMaker Cloud account. And I have to say, all in all, I've been very impressed by it.

I still have some of the same concerns that I had about FileMaker back in 2015, especially regarding pricing. But what I've come to realize is that FileMaker isn't for everyone. It might not meet your budget. It might not be the right platform to build on if you're trying to develop a SaaS offering. It just depends on your budget, your needs, and your plans. And by "your" I mean the developer and the client. What seems expensive to you might not seem that way to a client.

My Work Today

The projects that I'm working on today are in many ways similar to those I was working on 5 years ago. Nearly all of them involve integration. I'm doing a lot of work with NetSuite, and working on several interesting projects and services that integrate with and extend it. I'm doing more and more work with FileMaker. My work with Xojo is pretty much non-existent - I'm only maintaining a single production app for a client. All of my Web work is now done in PHP (yes, really!) using RapidWeaver (my "secret weapon").

My advice to developers who are in the same situation that I was in - whether you're a FileMaker developer looking for an alternative, or a Xojo developer that has lost hope - is to do some research, ask fellow developers what they're using, and experiment. If you love to program, and love helping businesses solve problems by developing custom solutions for them, then I have no doubt that you'll find your way. There are plenty of opportunities out there.

As for other development tools and platforms to consider, here are a few:
• RapidWeaver
• LiveCode
• OutSystems
• B4X
• Odoo
• ServiceNow

Best of luck - and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.