▁The ▁language ▁is ▁called ▁semi - object - orient ed ▁by ▁its ▁author ▁because ▁there ▁are ▁only ▁two ▁levels ▁of ▁the ▁class ▁hierarchy : ▁built - in ▁classes , ▁and ▁user - defined ▁classes ▁derived ▁from ▁those ; ▁the ▁latter ▁cannot ▁be ▁extended ▁further . ▁The ▁ability ▁to ▁call ▁external ▁shared ▁libraries ▁is ▁available , ▁thus ▁giving ▁full ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁underlying ▁operating ▁system ' s ▁application ▁program ▁interface . ▁Other ▁capabilities ▁include ▁built - in ▁interfaces ▁to ▁Direct X ▁and ▁MySQL . ▁ ▁Rap id Q ▁features ▁a ▁byte code ▁compiler ▁that ▁produces ▁stand alone ▁execut ables ▁by ▁binding ▁the ▁generated ▁byte code ▁with ▁the ▁interpreter . ▁No ▁external ▁run ▁time ▁libraries ▁are ▁needed ; ▁the ▁byte code ▁interpreter ▁is ▁self - cont ained . ▁The ▁file ▁sizes ▁of ▁executable ▁files ▁created ▁by ▁Rap id Q ▁are ▁about ▁ 1 5 0 ▁kil oby tes ▁or ▁larger ▁for ▁console ▁applications . ▁ ▁Rap id Q ' s ▁author , ▁William ▁Yu , ▁sold ▁the ▁source ▁code ▁to ▁RE AL ▁Software , ▁the ▁mak ers ▁of ▁RE AL basic , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁freely ▁distributed ▁program ▁has ▁been ▁improved ▁and ▁many ▁additional ▁components ▁have ▁been ▁created ▁by ▁an ▁active ▁user ▁group . ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁▁ ▁Un o fficial ▁Download ▁Page , ▁including ▁UN IX / Linux ▁versions ▁ ▁Rap id - Q ▁Document ation ▁Project ▁( R Q DP ): ▁Last ▁version ▁of ▁Rap id Q ▁documentation . ▁ ▁Bur k ley ' s ▁Bra v ado