Throughout that time, software development has generally become more difficult with developers having to learn a wide variety of tools and programming languages, many of which are the hot thing for a short while and then disappear afterwards for the next hot new thing as the cycle repeats.

Up until recently this was not as big a deal for tech companies because they could just hire their way out of the problem. Teams got big and bloated, often because the tools being used were large, complex, rapidly changing and difficult to learn. So the solution, in opposition of the Mythical Man Month, was to throw more people at it. This was feasible because of 0% interest rates and the relative ease of raising capital.

But that era is over. Interest rates are no longer historically low and raising capital for companies is now much harder and less desirable than it once was. This means technology companies are reducing staff and hiring more judiciously. Fewer people now have to do more with less.

The idea of a “one person framework” is that there should be a way for a single developer to create software using just one development framework. This is not a new idea, but it is being talked about again because of these recent changes with how technology companies work. In many ways, Xojo is the original one person framework. From its inception, with inspiration from Visual Basic, Xojo let you make complete apps more efficiently without having to also learn other tools, languages or frameworks.

So what can Xojo, as a one person framework, do for you? Xojo lets you build most of the apps your company is likely to need, using only Xojo itself and its easy-to learn object-oriented programming language (which is similar to Visual Basic and Python, languages that many people already are familiar with). Xojo is a cross-platform, integrated development environment (IDE) that combines an object-oriented programming language, visual designer, code editor, debugger and more into one tool and one framework.

With Xojo you can make apps for most of the commonly used platforms that your business is likely to need.

Desktop Apps

Xojo has been a great way to make desktop apps since its inception in 1998. Unlike Java, Electron or other frameworks you’ve seen throughout the years, Xojo makes native apps and can do so for the major desktop platforms: Windows, macOS and Linux. Yes, that includes native ARM and x86 apps as well.

With a single project, you can click one button to have Xojo build separate native apps for each of those platforms. To further drive that point home, the Xojo IDE itself is a desktop app made with Xojo that runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

With Xojo you have access to many commonly-used controls and the Xojo framework with support for databases, JSON, XML, RegEx, Zip/Unzip, networking and so much more.

Web Apps

Since 2010, Xojo has been able to make web apps. Xojo uses a somewhat unique approach to web apps by running compiled code on the web server. This code communicates to the app running on the web browser using an internal JavaScript framework and Bootstrap for the UI, which you don’t really need to worry about. It’s all handled automatically.

This approach is great for business purposes as it lets you make web apps using a development pattern that is very similar to what is used to make desktop apps.

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of managing your own web app server, Xojo even offers Xojo Cloud as a fully managed web hosting service with 1-click deployment of your Xojo web apps.

Mobile Apps

Mobile support first appeared for iOS in 2013 and Android support was recently added in 2023. Using Xojo to make native mobile apps that can be deployed in their respective app stores is yet another way Xojo can help one person make more apps.

A developer that already knows how to use Xojo can jump right into mobile development without having to learn yet another IDE and programming language.

Console Apps

Console apps are text apps that run from the command line. These app are great for automating internal processes or other command-line tools. You can even build Console apps that communicate with other console apps to build a chain of tools for processing or converting data, for example.

Xojo Framework

A single person can create all of the above types of apps because Xojo uses the same programming language for all of them. And as mentioned above, the Xojo framework has many built-in features and is broadly compatible across all the different project types. There are differences, of course, but we strive for consistency and compatibility.

For just a few of its many capabilities, all platforms have the same framework classes and methods for things such as Dictionary, Set, URLConnection, files, SQLite, and most graphics. And speaking of examples, Xojo includes over 400 example projects from which to learn.

Could Xojo Work For You?

As you should now realize, a single developer using Xojo could reasonably create a desktop app (for Windows, macOS and Linux), a web app, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. If you previously had multiple teams of multiple people creating that many apps, then Xojo could really save you a lot of money and time.

Will you use Xojo to make the next Photoshop, FaceBook, Excel or Google Docs clone? Perhaps not, but most companies don’t create those types of apps. Xojo does a lot, but it does not and cannot do everything. There is a limit to what any single framework can do, otherwise it becomes too large for its own good, collapsing under its own weight.

Instead, most businesses have much different needs and often require specially created software. For business apps, especially bespoke small-business apps, Xojo can often be an ideal solution by allowing apps to be created faster, more easily and at less cost than can be done with other tools. This saves you money and time, both of which are in short supply these days.

Xojo is free for learning, development and testing! Give it a spin to see what it can do for you.

Paul learned to program in BASIC at age 13 and has programmed in more languages than he remembers, with Xojo being an obvious favorite. When not working on Xojo, you can find him talking about retrocomputing at Goto 10 and on Mastodon @lefebvre@hachyderm.io.

• Facebook
• X
• LinkedIn
• GitHub
• YouTube

First, let’s be very clear about what a troll (or trolling) is. Every business will hear from unhappy customers, receive criticism and complaints, and sometimes these won’t be friendly or even constructive, but these things are not trolling. These customers have an issue but they want a solution. Trolls and trolling do not aim to solve a problem. A troll is combative and their intentions are not constructive.

Haters of small businesses and organizations are a strange breed of trolls. They don’t move on from your business or brand, often despite professing not to use it or pay for it. They stick around online to downvote, harass your customers and mock your sincere attempts to engage. They are not there to help anyone. Unfortunately, as is common with trolls, they can be loud and destructive enough to appear like they are more than the single individual or the small minority they are. This is especially true in the community surrounding a small business where, unlike hate directed at a large corporation, the impact one troll can make can be disproportionately disruptive.

1. Kill Them with Kindness – This is the first step, always. Make sure their issues are heard. It’s important to acknowledge your critics and thank them for their feedback. Next, do what you can; let them know how to find a solution, report a problem or submit a request through the designated channels. If this doesn’t apply or work, I use an open-ended question such as “what do you suggest?” or “how can I make this right?”. Responses to these questions can really highlight the person’s intention. If you have done these things, your sincere customers will see your good-faith effort even when the trolls refuse to acknowledge it.
2. Let it Chill & Find Your Voice – Sometimes the best thing is to walk away for an hour or a day. It’s tempting to jump right in and defend your small business. I’ve certainly done it and I bet you have too. Keep in mind it takes a certain temperament to respond online and not everyone is designed for it. So take your time to craft a reply as well as to choose who should post that reply. The poster will likely be the “face” of the reply and will need to be able to handle follow-ups without feeding the trolls or sinking to their level. A well thought out reply that states facts is the best counter to a troll trying to goad you into a fight. Plus, you come out looking calm and professional in contrast to the troll.
3. Never Feed the Trolls – We’ve all heard this mantra and we all know how difficult it can be to follow. Perhaps the most difficult step in all this is deciding when to respond and when not to respond. You believe in your business and you have devoted yourself to growing and improving it and you naturally want to defend your product. But it’s very important to remember that not every online comment needs a response. Ideally, you have already tried the first two suggestions and if those haven’t worked, now you need to take the high road. You can agree to disagree, even if the troll can’t.
4. Look to the Helpers – Sometimes the best response doesn’t come from you. Your customers shooting down a troll and defending your business can be such a benefit for a small business. Not to mention, it’s so nice to not have to worry about at least this one response! It’s important to reply to and focus on the community members that add positively to the community, the people who support others online. Do not let trolls ruin the community experience for everyone else. If the negative actions of a troll outweighs the positive, if the helpers are expressing to you the negative impact of a troll, small businesses must consider the impact on the whole community. Listen to the helpers in your community when they complain about the trolls and take decisive action.
5. Self Care – I can say “don’t take it home” and “leave it at the office” until the cows come home; but it’s 2021 and the line between home and office is so very, very distorted, disproportionately so for small businesses. Plus, for some of us it’s just not that easy. If you are part of a team, lean on them when you feel overwhelmed. In small businesses we often wear many hats, so there is no reason you should bear the trauma of a troll alone. I read about a group that shares the most bizarre hate message and crazy reviews they receive each year, they select the worst and have a comedian announce the winners! One participant said, “We figure it means we’ve arrived, so why not celebrate it!” Finally, remind yourself of the positives. Take a step back and be proud! Be proud of the effort you have put in, the small business you have worked to build and the people who support you. Also, a cold, local beer does wonders.

I hope these tips have offered you some possible paths forward. In the very least, know that you are not alone. In 2017 the Pew Research Center said four-in-ten Americans have experienced harassment online and though I cannot find hard numbers, I don’t think I’m out of line to assume the global pandemic hasn’t improved this trend.

There is no silver bullet for trolls. Trolling is multi-leveled, complex and varies in intensity. And when you are part of a small business trolling can have a significant impact on your mental health as well as job performance. If I can leave you with one bit of advice it would be, no matter what steps you take professionally, know a troll’s anger and hate is their problem, not yours.

Download the MP3.

Show Notes

• Beyond the Chaos
• Favorite SaaS tools
• Improving your sales process
• Value Pricing

If so, you might want to take a look at Xojo to see how it can help you make more useful native apps.

Xojo already has many users with FileMaker experience. They now use Xojo for a variety of reasons, some of which include:

• Lower cost
• More powerful apps
• Native iOS apps

Xojo is a powerful, full-featured development tool and as far as professional development tools go, Xojo is rather easy to use. FileMaker is far simpler and so it can be a bit easier to use, particularly if you do not have programming experience. But for people with programming experience or those that want to learn, Xojo is a great choice for creating powerful apps to meet nearly any business need.

Resources for FileMaker Developers Getting Started with Xojo

First, we did a couple webinars with FileMaker experts. The first webinar shows you how to create a Xojo iOS app that communicates with a FileMaker database:

• Develop iOS Apps that Integrate with FileMaker

Most recently, we did a question and answer webinar to help answer Xojo questions from FileMaker developers. This webinar had lots of great questions from FileMaker developers considering Xojo:

• Q&A Xojo for FileMaker Developers

Aloe is a new open source module that enhances Xojo’s Web framework. With Aloe, you can develop powerful, secure, and scalable websites, apps, and APIs. This demo shows you how to use Aloe and Xojo to quickly and easily create a website whose content is dynamically generated using data that’s stored in FileMaker databases:

• FileMaker Web Publishing With Xojo and Aloe

In conjunction with this, we also released to GitHub a project called Xojo.FM which maps many commonly used FileMaker functions so that they can be used in your Xojo projects:

• Xojo.FM

Tim Dietrich introduces FMLuna and the opportunities that it presents to both Xojo and FileMaker developers. See some of FMLuna’s features in action as he builds a basic FileMaker API:

• Integrate with FileMaker Databases using FMLuna

Lastly, be sure to check out the Migrating from FileMaker page in the Xojo Dev Center which has additional information and tips:

• Migrating from FileMaker

Xojo is free for development and testing and has a 90-day return policy. Give it a try to see how you can start making better apps! If you have questions, ask on our forum.