When it comes to development, it's okay. When you master it, it's straightforward. Of course, it takes some time for a junior developer to understand what should go where and how, but it's nice. 

I would give the setup process a five out of five.

Setup is very easy because we have worked with earlier versions of Magic, like version 9.4, 8.3, and UNIPaaS.

Deployment took 15 minutes. Currently, we have three people for maintenance, including my senior manager, my general manager, and me.

For a simple Windows PC where you want to develop a small application within a freeware database, then the setup is pretty straightforward. On the other hand, it might become a bit more complicated for an AS/400 machine with a native DB2 database where you need to install additional connectors and gateways.

The client/server configuration is straightforward. The RIA mobile setup and configuration of your development environment to generate an APK is challenging. RIA requires a web server be properly configured, which the installation handles fairly well, but not completely. If you decide to set up your web server after installing Magic, it is a manual operation. I recommend going through the experience of manually configuring the web server and broker (middleware between the web server and Magic runtime engine) to fully understand how all the constituent parts work together. It is invaluable for troubleshooting problems at a customer site.

Generating an Android APK that includes custom Java and company branding takes some time for a non-Android developer to master. It requires the Java SDK and Android Studio. When properly configured it works well, but it requires patience and determination to get there.

The Magic documentation has improved over the years, but can still be a bit fuzzy. MSE has started posting youtube "how to" videos which are helpful. I find the videos posted by users to be the most helpful. Magic also comes with a number of sample applications that demonstrate all the various features/functions. I highly recommend reviewing the sample applications.

The initial setup of the Magic xpa Application Platform can be difficult. However, once you are used to it it is not difficult. All you need to do is install it.

The deployment can take less than one hour to do.

I rate the initial setup of the Magic xpa Application Platform an eight out of ten.

The solution is very easy to install. 

The period from installation, through configuration, and until use takes around a half-an-hour. 

Installing the Magic xpa Application Platform was more complicated in version 4.9 than in all other versions. It could be the 64-bit version that's problematic setup-wise.

How long it takes to deploy the Magic xpa Application Platform depends on whether it's client-server or work-based. My company doesn't work with the rich internet application because it's more complicated. My company works with the web browser or platform, particularly the Angular platform, which is relatively easy to install. You need to know how to install it, but my team has done it so many times that the team doesn't need to think about it and does it.

Deploying the Magic xpa Application Platform is a process of downloading, installing, then running it. You must use the correct settings and files to set up the addresses and connect.

Problems only arise because of server security settings, but my company has a guide to address that problem.

The initial setup was not so easy. We skipped a number of versions and applied a lot of things that were new in our version, in our software, that we didn't before. When we first began, it took a lot of time to learn how to do things and it wasn't so easy. It was a lot of very tough thinking and programming. In the old version of Magic, version 7, it was more programming. Now it's more event-driven. It's easier to maintain than before.

The initial set up for common usage is pretty simple. Maybe set up for some environments — like a mobile environment — it is a little bit more tricky, but it is still okay. The setup for the more difficult environments only have to be done once and then it is okay.