Software development has changed enormously over the years, but one thing has remained the same: developers need tools that help them turn ideas into reliable applications without getting in their way.

That is the thinking behind Safire.

Safire is a new development platform being created by Riebens Computers (Pty) Ltd. It is being designed as a complete environment for developing modern business applications, with its own language, development environment, data tools, runtime and supporting technologies.

And we are building it from the ground up.

What is Safire?

Safire is more than a programming language.

The long-term goal is to provide developers with an integrated development environment where they can build, understand, test, manage and maintain complete applications.

The Safire ecosystem includes several major areas:

SafireIDE
The development environment where developers will create and manage their Safire projects.

Safire Language
The language and compiler technology at the heart of Safire.

Data
Tools and technologies for working with application data and databases.

Web
The technologies required to build and deploy web-based applications.

Runtime
The components responsible for running and deploying Safire applications.

These parts are being developed as pieces of one larger ecosystem rather than unrelated tools bolted together later.

Built for Business Software

Safire has a strong focus on real-world application development.

Riebens Computers has spent decades developing, supporting and maintaining business software. That experience has taught us that creating an application is only the beginning.

Applications have to survive changing requirements, growing databases, new operating systems, new technologies and, perhaps most importantly, years of maintenance.

Safire is being designed with those realities in mind.

Our aim is simple:

Build complete business software. Stay in control.

One Platform, Multiple Targets

Safire is being designed with cross-platform development in mind.

The broader roadmap includes:

• Windows
• Web
• Linux
• macOS
• Mobile

Development is being approached in stages. Windows and Web are currently the primary focus, followed by Linux, macOS and additional targets as the platform develops.

The underlying controls and code are being designed with these different operating environments in mind from the beginning.

Safire Is Still Growing

Safire is currently in Alpha development.

That word matters.

This is not a finished commercial development environment where every feature, wizard, example and piece of documentation is already complete.

The current Alpha exposes parts of the foundations that are being built, including the language, compiler and toolchain, IDE, data technologies, model structures, framework and supporting development tools.

Some workflows are still being completed. Documentation and examples are expanding, and parts of the development experience will change considerably as we continue.

We would rather be clear about where Safire is today than pretend it is further along than it is.

Why Let Developers See It This Early?

Because developers can help us build a better platform.

Early users see things differently from the people writing the software every day.

They ask questions.

They try things we did not expect.

They find problems.

They tell us when something makes sense and, more importantly, when it doesn’t.

That feedback is incredibly valuable during Alpha development.

Safire therefore has a developer community where early users can discuss the platform, report bugs, suggest features, ask questions and share their experiences.

This Is the Beginning

There is still a great deal to build.

There will be new features, new documentation, new examples, better workflows and probably a few things that will be redesigned completely before Safire reaches maturity.

That is exactly what Alpha development is for.

Through this blog, we will share development news, technical information, guides, ideas, milestones and a closer look at what is happening behind Safire.

If you are already experimenting with Safire, we would especially like to hear from you.

Welcome to Safire.

The journey has started.