Borland Software Corp is set to build on an early lead among Linux developers, with today's expected launch of a C++ rapid application development (RAD) environment.

Scotts Valley, California-based Borland will announce version 3.0 of its Kylix RAD environment for C++. Previous versions of Kylix targeted Delphi programmers on Windows and Linux.

Kylix 3.0 brings RAD to an estimated three million C++ developers on Linux. Borland is playing in a highly fragmented Linux market, which provides programmers with an array of open source command-line tools that largely lack integrated features.

The company hopes Kylix 3.0's integrated, RAD-development environment will attract those building graphical users interfaces (GUIs), databases and web services.

"Command-line tools get the job done at a low-level, but these tools have not been easy to use. You have several console windows open to build and debug [an application]," said product manager for RAD solutions John Ray Thomas.

Borland last year built a lead among Linux developers with Kylix 1.0. Launched in January 2001, Kylix 1.0 provided the first integrated, RAD-development for Linux programmers and immediately surpassed established command line tools and point offerings such as Austin Texas-based MetroWorks Inc and the GNU Perl toolkit.

Like its Delphi-based cousin, Kylix 3.0 enables cross-platform development through a set of cross-platform components (CLX). Developers compile code down to their platform of choice. Kylix 3.0 features more than 300 components, for web services, databases and GUIs.

Kylix 3.0 uses drag and drop and wizards, and an integrated debugger and development to speed and simplify development. Version 3.0 enhancements include a diagram editor to show relationships components and web application debugger.

Borland said Kylix 3.0 interoperates with current web services standards, for interoperability with Microsoft Corp's .NET, Sun Micosystems Inc's Sun ONE and Apache.

Kylix 3.0 ships in three editions. Kylix 3.0 Enterprise for $1,999, Kylix 3.0 Professional $249 and Kylix 3.0 Professional Edition.

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