Concept - the newest star in the constellation of programming environments

When a new programming language appears, one of the primary questions one logically asks is Do we need a new programming language?  Is there anything new which this new language presents which compels its creation and use?

The answers to these questions may be somewhat complex, but the logic behind them is simple.  Every few years, the dynamic world of computer science goes through various cycles of new languages and environments. However, few of these new offerings tend to survive the pressures of real-world commerce.  While many new languages offer a host of options, the selections presented often create a supply for which there is no demand.

The obvious question is then, what do buyers genuinely want in a new programming language? Consumers and businesses alike desire a comprehensive Internet triumvirate:

• Easy global communication
• Simple, uniform, direct management of complex web applications
• Device-independent ability to read and send e-mails

However, the challenge for any computer software in today's marketplace is that, even if one's offering fulfils the "magic three" above, consumers have become all-too-aware that software installed on their desktops has a more and more limited lifespan and the cost-to-value ratio is working against the sale of sophisticated, robust desktop-based software packages.  Instead, simpler applications, such as free e-mail, are more often readily used and popular, since they are stored (at least in the majority) on external servers that the consumer neither needs to maintain nor support.

One's imagination is kindled when one conceives of creating a platform that implements a keen understanding the commercial environment of software; meets the demonstrated needs of early-adaptors and mainstream users; and is dynamically different enough to achieve intellectual property protection.  And the target of this idea, this monument of wonder, is encapsulated in one word: CONCEPT.

In only one year, the company behind CONCEPT (RadGS), has been able to develop an entirely new programming environment. Now Concept has: interpreter, server, compiler, framework, debugger etc. More than that Concept has its own language which is programme- friendly while still meeting end-user needs. This means that you don't have to worry anymore about details, because CONCEPT will handle them for you.

The idea behind Concept is very similar to client-server but still far ahead: the application will run on the server and the user will see only the results. The benefits of this model are multiple:

• The client does not need a fast computer. A 486-based computer is more than enough.
• A bug in the software needs to be corrected only on the server. The client will never need to install an update.
• Independence from the OS platform. Currently both the server and client can be run across most popular operating systems. Interconnectivity (server and client running on different platforms) is 100% achieved.
• The software creator can protect its software because almost nothing is installed on the client side. In this way the problem of software piracy is solved.

The attention to details was high during the development of Concept. Everything was created so that the programmer is the KING, not the SLAVE, of computer. See for instance this question: How fast can you write a fully functional chat program in C++ ? Eduard Suica (the CSA of the RadGS) can write the CONCEPT program in 1 minute, and is practicing to be able to accomplish this feat in under 30 seconds.  There's no need to write programming quite this fast, but the speed is the testimony to the simplicity and functionality of CONCEPT.

What can be said more about Concept? Concept is the synonym for innovation, passion and hard-work. It was invented by one brilliant man and developed by a small team of super dedicated developers which have spent their days and nights for building this piece of art called CONCEPT. The next person who will write a book on how to write computer programs should entitle it: Concept: the art of computer programming.

Mihai Oltean 

Cluj-Napoca,20 Nov 2006

Printer version