Summary

Testing the Tools
		Introduction  MS Visual Studio.NET  Sun Java Studio Creator  BEA Web Logic Workshop  Borland C# Builder

If you had to pick one tool from this group that catered for all of the tenets of RAD, you would be hard pressed. Each of the tools we looked at have their own unique strengths and areas where they are better suited to a particular situation. For example, if you are considering a RAD project where you need to quickly create prototypes using a team of developers who have experience with different CLR languages, Visual Studio may provide the best tool for that environment.

On the other hand, if you need to build an application that integrates both .NET and J2EE components and are willing to standarise on a single language, C# Builder may be the best tool for the job. And the plethora of third-party components and add-ins means that you can buy commonly used components rather than build them yourself.

From the Java side of things, it is two-horse race between the tools from BEA and IBM. The distinct advantage that IBM has comes from the Rational tools that IBM has integrated into its product—in a large team environment this can speed development and time between prototype iterations.

So in the end, it depends on the developer resources you have on hand and their skill sets, your preferred platform and required features. While none of the IDEs we have looked at present a complete RAD solution, they do provide enough support for RAD to make them all contenders for your next RAD project.