Geek Alert: Edit Code With This Open-Source Implementation of a Leading RAD Tool

Lazarus (so named because it's an older project, reborn) is a full-featured graphical IDE for Free Pascal, an open-source implementation of Object Pascal. While the Lazarus developers politely ask that it not be called a Delphi clone... if it walks, talks, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. This should not be considered a slam. I found it because I went looking for a free or low-cost Delphi clone, because there's a powerful market niche for one.

Lazarus offers a full IDE with a form builder, code editor, debugger, and an assortment of tools.Lazarus is what is sometimes referred to as a RAD (Rapid Application Development) tool, primarily because of the tight integration of user interface design and code design. This can sometimes lead to poor coding, with developers placing program logic and data manipulation directly into user interface elements, but it doesn't force this behavior, and good programmers learn to separate the two. In addition to visual elements such as text fields and buttons, developers can also add code elements such as database connections or processes to a form. This aids in connecting the interface to back-end elements such as a database; you can place a SQL Query on the form, then specify that various fields take their displayed values from the results of that query. The bulk of the generic SQL code is generated automatically, but can be edited later as needed.

Lazarus uses a lot of free-floating windows, instead of the more common frame-and-dock model favored by Eclipse and Visual Studio. This can sometime be confusing during development; it's easy for windows to slip under other windows, and arranging screen real estate optimally can be tricky. This is a matter of taste and habit, of course. I had more difficulty getting used to the manner of placing controls on a form, which is one of the main functions of a RAD tool like this. You click an icon on the tool palette, then click on the form. You don't drag an icon, or see a visual indication on the form that you're about to place an element, until you click, although the toolbar does show a selected item. Not deal-breaking, but odd; I expect more visual feedback in modern programs.

It is worth praising the palette of items contained by default in Lazarus. All the classic controls are there (button, radio button, grid, and so on), as well as a number of useful, less-common, controls ( icon grids and trees, common dialog boxes, and database connectivity tools). It must be noted that the components are not 100% identical to their Delphi counterparts, and some fairly basic functions, such as high-level drag-and-drop support, are not yet fully implemented. The Lazarus wiki details the key differences.

You don't have to be a Delphi user to find Lazarus interesting and useful. It offers a nice environment for interface-rich application development, especially for small utility apps and for in-house, vertical, applications that need to be quickly developed and prototyped. It also offers "write once, compile anywhere" functionality for Windows, Mac, and Linux users, and one of the common uses to which it has been put is offering Linux versions of applications originally developed for Windows. Linux and Mac versions of Lazarus are available at SourceForge as well.

—Ian Harac

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Open-source Freeware Fave GIMP Ready to Take on Photoshop

GIMP, or GNU Image Manipulation Program, is an entirely free, open-source image editor and creator that---now in its seventeenth year of development---finally seems ready to take on the big guns. Criticized for years for being too oddball, too unstable, too un-Photoshop-like, GIMP has finally edged its way into the mainstream. Yes, it's still really different from Photoshop, but after two decades of Photoshop, is that really a bad thing?

Like any detailed image editor and creator, GIMP is a little hard to get the hang of, but time spent is worth it for great-looking images with relative ease.I felt a little lost when I first opened GIMP 2.6.11. For a Photoshop user, it's a little like visiting a foreign country for the first time: Some things seem familiar and others are not. Fortunately, GIMP's tool box includes tips when you hover over a tool; and the options for the tool appear in the lower half of the tool box when you make your selection. Also, the tutorials available on GIMP's website can help.

For basic image manipulation, GIMP makes it easy to adjust brightness, colors, contrast, crop, etc. GIMP includes a wide selection of built-in filters and effects, like blur, distort, colorize, and transform. Unlike Serif PhotoPlus X5 or Xara Photo & Graphic Designer (both $90 high-end image editors) there are no shortcuts like red eye remover or Cut Out Studio (PhotoPlus X5), which is a shame because I think GIMP would do them well.

Once you get the hang of the layers system in GIMP, creating original artwork begins and ends with your skill level. GIMP's painting and fine art filters produce moderately nice results, but it you're really interested in creating fine art from photographs, try partnering GIMP with FotoSketcher (free), a basic image editor that excels at this.

GIMP is purely a raster program, but there are also a vast selection of drawing and painting tools included. Unlike Paint.NET, another free and open-source image editing and painting program, you don't have to search the internet for the plugins you need: Most will have already been incorporated into GIMP.

There are little things to dislike about GIMP: When you minimize the program, for example, the floating tool boxes remain floating in the middle of your monitor. You can open as many images as you want, but there's no way to easily locate or keep track of them.

Subtle things about GIMP show it's not being created by someone following trends, but rather by a group of people who are passionate about making GIMP better than the trends. GIMP's image open dialog box is a perfect example of this: the navigation is smooth, and it's really easy to see where you are and where you need to be. For a Windows user who's frustrated by the Microsoft trend to make everything as pretty, overloaded, and confusing (Windows Vista or 7 file navigation, for example), GIMP is a blast of fresh air.

If you've never used Photoshop, GIMP is a worthy program for image editing and manipulation. If you're a Photoshop expert, and have either become disillusioned with Adobe and/or its habit of making you $700 or so poorer on a regular basis, GIMP is still a viable alternative, but it comes at its own price: Forget everything you've ever known about image editing and learn from scratch. But with the money you'll save, you can buy a lot of coffee for those long nights ahead.

--Clare Brandt

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Customize Your Desktop With Open-Source Utility Rainmeter

Microsoft's user interface designers face a tough challenge when deciding what Windows would look like. There's just one look and feel, but it must cater to the needs of occasional users, kids, elderly people, and power users who spend sixty hours a week in front of their computer. Windows 7 came out great, but it's not perfect for everyone. With Rainmeter 2.2 (free), you can craft your very own desktop environment that feels just right.

Rainmeter ships with the simple Illustro skin which you can easily customize.Rainmeter is a system resource monitor. Its job is to present the information you want to see in the format that works for you: Think of it as a customizable dashboard. You can use Rainmeter to monitor CPU and memory load, the current time, the weather, your Facebook or Twitter feeds, your Gmail, and more.

Rainmeter calls these various bits of information "measures." Your current CPU load is a measure, and so is the current time. Measures are displayed using meters. You could use a bar meter to represent the current CPU load, and a string meter to show the current time (or a quote of the day, or any other textual information). The end result often looks like a semi-transparent overlay of data on your wallpaper, filled with stylish graphs, circles and numbers, much like something out of a good sci-fi movie.

Fortunately, you don't have to get so technical to use Rainmeter. There is an active community of fans and developers who constantly create and share new skins for Rainmeter. A single skin could be as simple as a desktop clock just showing the current date and time. These are often combined into suites, each containing several skins that share a uniform look and feel and can be toggled on and off (so you can use the clock part of the suite, but not its Twitter part).

The Rainmeter website recommends getting started with one of three comprehensive skin suites, each containing many different skins. There is also a Rainmeter group on art website Deviantart, a hub for designers to share their creations, with a "Skin of The Month" competition.

Skins are very easy to install, but you should use discretion when downloading them. A skin is not just a passive resource file: It can contain executable components, and so could potentially be malicious. Stick with recommended sources of skins, such as the Deviantart group. You could also read more about malicious Rainmeter skins on the forums at Rainmeter.net.

What if you see a skin that is almost perfect for you, except for the choice of font or color, or the fact that it displays the time in a format you don't like? Worry not: You can just download the skin and edit its configuration (INI) file to change these parameters. Beware: Once you realize how customizable skins are, it is easy to become addicted to changing and tweaking them endlessly. This could take hours, and result in a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind desktop. You've been warned.

--Erez Zukerman

Rainmeter is a desktop customization platform. Through Rainmeter, you can enhance your Windows computer at home or work with skins: handy, compact applets which float freely on your desktop, much like Windows Sidebar gagdgets, or dashboard widgets for the Mac.

Rainmeter skins provide you with useful information at a glance. It's easy to keep an eye on your system resources, like memory and battery power, or your online data streams, including email, RSS feeds, and weather forecasts. Many skins are even functional: they can record your notes and to-do lists, launch your favorite applications, and send your tweets to Twitter - all in a clean, unobtrusive interface that you can rearrange and customize to your liking.

The Rainmeter developers invite all users to visit the Rainmeter Forum.

This file works on 32-bit and 64-bit OSs.

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