Build on clouds

Folks have put effort (some folks lots of effort) into making the cloud look and behave like plain old PC applications. Not just the look and feel of apps, but the techniques to build those apps. Microsoft has designed their tools to make the development of cloud apps a lot like the development of PC applications. (Their tools also make the development of web apps similar to the development of PC apps.)

I think that this is the wrong approach.

I recognize the benefits of similar environments and tools. A single method is easier to learn and support. One can move from development on one project to development on another (different platform) project.

But there is nothing in the PC app development model that makes it the right model for all platforms.

The PC app toolset has a long history. We started with the tools and techniques of the mainframe and minicomputer platforms, but didn't keep them. We adopted the notions of compilers, interactive command lines, and version control, and then built our own tools that leveraged PC resources: the IDE, interactive debuggers, and GUI designers. We abandoned the processes of desk-checking software and symbol cross-references; we built modern processes, from code reviews to automated testing.

With cloud computing, expect new methods and tools that leverage the resources of the cloud. You won't use the new techniques if you stay in the PC mindset.

If you must have a single development platform, make it the cloud. That is, make the process and tools for the development of PC apps look and feel like the process for the development of cloud apps. Instead of adapting the cloud to the PC app process, create a process for cloud apps and then adapt it to the PC app process.