Witch platform shall I use?

[paez]

Hi there.

For several years, I was sticked to Visual Basic 6.0 (and then, .NET). In the last few years, I have been trying lots of great professional open source software, like CRMs or ERPs. All of them are based, generally, in Java or PHP.

Right now, I work in a company that has an ERP made with Visual Basic .Net/SQL Server 2005 based software. There are specific work that needs to be done that doesn't fit in this software, also doesn't fit in a CRM. Is like something in the middle. I have developed some modules with PHP/MySQL that covers some of this work. My problem is that this modules cannot integrate with ERP applications.

So, my problem is: I want to develop something like a mini CRM, with some specific features, that will mesh up with ERP applications. What do I need:

- I would like desktop applications, because I think that they can be stronger (regarding web browser limitations);
- On the other hand, some of this features, would be available from Internet;
- At any time, we would need new other features, so this platform must be scalable.

I am now stucked on this: witch platform shall I use?

- Visual Basic .NET, because I am familiar with this and is the same platform as the ERP? Well, I wouldn't like to be limited to windows OS;
- Java for the desktop applications? I'm new to Java, but this would be my preferred. I'm just confused with the 1001 programming toolkits and IDEs that can be used.
- Ruby On Rails? I read many good things about it, but its programming language is completely new to me.
- PHP? I am comfortable with it, but I don't know if it suits for this kind of applications?

So I'm stucked. I think I must start with a language, and end with it!

Sorry my lousy english and this long story, but I would like to see others opinions.

Thanks in advance!

Regards,

Paez

[Crane]

You could use Visual Basic for the desktop portion and PHP for the we portions. PHP is very easy to interface with and DB.

Odd that an entire ERP system is made with vb......

[John]

Ruby on Rails is a framework built in Ruby with the MVC software design pattern in mind, not a language. Since you already know PHP and are comfortable with it, it makes no sense to use Ruby when there are great frameworks for PHP [CakePHP] built on the same design pattern. So PHP seems only logical to use for your web software. As a side note, you can also develop desktop applications in PHP using the PHP-Gtk extension.

Java blows imo...