Built for Speed and Comfort

Addressing the needs of a discriminating audience with a generalized product is a study in compromise. Race cars are not known for plush suspension and a smooth ride. Pillow-barge class land yachts are not especially adept at quick, flat cornering. When you combine qualities from multiple categories, something has to give.

What’s true for automobiles is true for software. And, for both, it’s not a big deal unless someone makes it one. The art of compromise is in full play. But, if you do it right, you can come up with something that’s fun and pleasant to drive, for a sizable, yet varied, group of individuals.

In the case of a web application generator, perhaps the largest segment of potential enthusiasts is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the software development and database gurus. It’s proving to be quite a challenge to court the sensibilities of both. What attracts one group may repel the other. It may seem obvious to address a narrower constituency, but that may not always be the best move.

There are hurdles to clear when it comes to preferences and pet-peeves. Perceptions about software can be highly subjective. First impressions are critical. Just the words "code generator" are enough to disenchant some – often without the slightest exploration. Other times, it’s the user interface doesn't look or work the way they imagine it should. Does it matter if the software could be useful and easy to use? It doesn't unless people get beyond the initial encounter.

If SynApp2 isn't skinned the way you'd prefer, or the number of comments, function naming conventions or coding style isn't the way you think it should be done - give it a chance anyway. The number of details that have been encapsulated is staggering. Things are well structured, extensible and maintainable. There's a reason for everything, and it's not necessarily obvious. Keep an open mind.

SynApp2 isn't aimed at developers creating portals for millions on the frontier of the wide open Internet. But, if you create and maintain applications for use by and within any organization, based on MySQL or similar database engines, or if you're running a business with spreadsheets, and you don't see how SynApp2 can be very useful, then you haven't objectively and practically evaluated the product. Get some help (contact me) and look again.

With a small project and an army of one, completely fulfilling a vision is next to impossible. But, with clear purpose and steady progress, the potential can be increasingly illuminated while practical benefits are achieved.

So, while there’s a lot of talk about using and supporting open source software, it’s rare that a big impact can be made without a steady influx of support from a larger enterprise. Outside of a corporate womb, promising concepts and practical ideas can briefly flare without really being noticed. SynApp2 deserves to be noticed.

Having your computer do the grunt work of creating distributed web applications around sensible database designs is good idea. If you can do it [almost] as effortlessly as opening a document in a word processor or spreadsheet program, that’s more than worthy of some of your energy to make it happen.

Whether you're a grizzled professional or a newbie, a student, a professor, or a frazzled manager trying to juggle data in a bunch of spreadsheets and data files, put some effort into exploring a cool thing. And don't just do it quietly on your own. Plug into the project. Communicate. Share ideas. Ask questions. Do not just walk away without adding some energy to the reaction.

If you're looking at SynApp2 and reading the documentation let me know. If you don't think SynApp2 would be useful to you, I'd like to find out why. If you're struggling to get SynApp2 running, or to understand how you can use it, I'll be happy to shed some light and lend a hand. And if you're using SynApp2 to do anything, you'd make my day if you shared your success.

Any email to @synapp2.org shows up in my inbox. Feel free to address it to Richard. There’s also LinkedIn group, a Facebook page and group, a Twitter thing, and this blog.

Please mention SynApp2 and post a link to SynApp2.org on your favorite forums and blogs (only if it’s on topic – we don't want to promote spam).

Learn about SynApp2, put it to work, and support the effort by adding your voice.