Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you wanted to know…

While there are certainly many languages in use today, there is a shortage of good solutions for cross-platform application development. We started work on 8th because we needed a secure cross-platform solution for another product, and found the current crop of solutions lacking.
8th differs in a few ways from most other solutions. See our comparison page for details. In short:
  • First, it lets you target mobile, desktop, server and embedded platforms; most other solutions target one or perhaps two.
  • Second, it does not use a virtual-machine, so your application has more and quicker access to the underlying device.
  • Third, in the Professional and Enterprise editions, it secures your application with a layer of encryption, providing tamper-resistance and a high level of deterrence against hacking
No. Unlike .NET or Java, 8th does not use a virtual-machine. Your code is compiled into native-code on the device where it runs. See more on our comparison page for details.
Yes, you may use 8th for commercial applications, without restriction.
No, it is a commercial product. None of the libraries it uses are under the GPL or LGPL. Due to the desire for security, 8th includes its required libraries in the binary, and the GPL family of licenses is therefore not appropriate.
Yes. If you purchase the Enterprise edition, you will have access to the 8th source-code, once you have executed a NDA with us.
Yes, you can hire us, whether for 8th related work or other development or design.
No. Any applications you produce will continue to function even if you do not renew the update license at the end of the update period.
Support for 8th is provided free of charge, via our on-line forum. Our technical staff monitor posts and endeavor to give answers to your questions within two working days, though the actual response-time is generally much faster. “Professional” and “Enterprise” licensees are prioritized higher than others.
You can use 8th to write server-side applications as well as clients which connect to them. Support for REST is built-in.
Yes. 8th lets your programmers use 3rd-party libraries with ease, including linking to Java APIs on Android.
The 8th distribution contains a lot of sample code, as well as a tutorial and an extensive manual. You can see the sample code by simply registering for the Free Edition, and downloading it!. If you are impatient, you can see the Hello, 8th! sample code online.
The Free Edition can produce non-encrypted executables, so you can see your application working on the target device.
Unfortunately, yes. Due to Israeli export laws, residents of the following countries may not purchase 8th: Cuba, Iran, Lebanon, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.
You can develop, e.g. write the code and debug the general flow on any platform. Unfortunately, the final packaging of the app requires a Mac. As far as we’ve been able to determine, that final packaging must always be done on a Mac. If you know of alternatives, please do let us know!