http://dn.codegear.com/article/29951 2008-07-05T13:18:13-07:00 Clay Nichols http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=36499 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=36499 2004-04-16T17:31:46-07:00 2004-04-16T17:31:46-07:00

re: Cross-platform .NET/Win32/Linux

"Delphi application source code written to VCL on Win32 will port fairly quickly to VCL for .NET"Define "port" and "quickly".This seems a far cry from "press button A for a Win version and button B to compile a Linux version".You can't easily maintain a base if you have to "port" back and forth between Win and Linux. You've essentially eithe got two code bases at all times. EVERY time you make a change to your Win source code, you have to do a re-port to Linux and a regression test, etc. Clay Nichols http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=36498 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=36498 2004-04-16T17:23:46-07:00 2004-04-16T17:23:46-07:00

Advice: focus on VB6-> Delphi transition, not Delphi->.net Transition

Borland is missing a wonderful opportunity here.They are following Microsoft's lead instead of focusing on Delphi's strength. They are making it easier to migrate from Delphi to .net instead of making it easier to migrate from VB6 to Delphi..Net is not an appopriate language for shrink-wrapped software.The .net runtime and dependence on Internet Explorer means that .net software is more difficult to download and install. I know this difficulty seems trivial to "techies" however, it occurs at the *most fragile* point in the sales cycle: the trial period. ANY wrinkle at that point and a "computer newbie" customer (yes, there are lots of them) may panic and give up. In addition, someone in a corporate enviroment using a non-admin account can't install a .net trial program (unless they have .net). With all the components that .net covers, it's likely that the .net runtime will change constantly, so users will rarely have the latest .net runtime. They'll have to install it.With VB 6 (soon to be) no longer supported, the only real option for Rapid Application Development of GUI-intensive shrink wrap software is Delphi.There are many Shrink Wrap software companies, such as mine, which are facing the painful choice of what langauge to migrate to (since .net is not an option for the above reasons).Delphi's greatest weakness is the learning curve. Borland should focus on making it easier for VB 6 progammers to switch to Delphi, not make it easier for Delphi programmers to migrate to .net. Wolfgang Trenkle http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=36189 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=36189 2004-02-13T09:14:25-08:00 2004-02-13T09:14:25-08:00

Open Letter to the Delphi Community

For me the .NET framework does not look like, what Microsoft wants to see.There were and have been many runtime environments appearing and vanishing, some still exist. Although I am not convinced of J2EE platforms (I don't like Java in general, and I expect licensing issues from SUN in the future), either, I see a broader acceptance and more developments on the market for more than just one platform (or family of platforms) using J2EE application platforms (ORACLE, SAP, among others) than for .NET, which is not really fit to mutli-platform support.I hope that Borland continues to develop pure Win application development for Delphi, as it is the origin for most Borland products - Borland's assets are here, where the community is. If Octane was, what has been announced, I would likely discontinue software development on the Delphi platform. Guido Geurts http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=36029 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=36029 2004-01-11T02:56:12-08:00 2004-01-11T02:56:12-08:00

Open Letter to the Delphi Community

If there would be a Delphi octane version that had the much the same IDE then all Delphi developers are used to, that would not only be impressive, but that would really simplify windows development.Octane may indeed be a powerfull .net development tool, but I don't see anything in there that the microsoft .net studio hasn't. And it has the same non-productive IDE. Craven Weasel http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=36003 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=36003 2004-01-01T10:57:14-08:00 2004-01-01T10:57:14-08:00

re: Where is Delphi 8 for Win32?

WHEN WILL IT BE RELEASED? HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO? Craven Weasel http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=35962 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=35962 2003-12-17T10:03:19-08:00 2003-12-17T10:03:19-08:00

Where is Delphi 8 for Win32?

Any word of when it is going to be released? Helloooo? We haven't heard much about it. Kevin Collins http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=35885 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=35885 2003-12-10T17:20:03-08:00 2003-12-10T17:20:03-08:00

Porting from Delphi to C++

As I have stated in previous posts, I have now moved toward dropping Delphi (after 10+ years of loyalty to Borland). In a Dr. Dobb's article about the last Borland conference (I apologize for not remembering the specific issue), it had a chart of the percentage of job's requiring various skills. While various dead languages (RPG, Cobol, etc) took a meager 2-5%, and C++/C/Java took 40-60%, care to guess at Pascal? .2% (yes there is a decimal there!). So I fail to understand the justification to provide a Pascal .Net compiler when the only people that want Pascal, don't want pure .Net. In any event, it was a wake up call for my team to definately move on, no matter how daunting the effort seemed to be. Otherwise, we would be stuck without job prospects AND without a compiler to even rely on. To stay would have been lose/lose, to move on, while difficult is win/win.Currently, the plan for this transition is being flushed out and looks VERY promising. While the entire team was nervous at first, everyone is now starting to see how it is really possible as the plan and the ideas flow. And the excitement is unbelievable.The plan includes 11 complete applications and 30+ DLLs.The plan will be finished in aproximately 2 weeks, it looks to be working out to about a 6 month team effort (we have met every deadline we have ever defined).We have chosen C++ (pure, as in gcc/mingw) as our migration path and have chosen a number of support libraries to assist us in this exciting endeavor. We have also chosen the paths of least resistance for just about everything we can for the initial port.If anyone is interested in following the progress of this effort, or in listening to the rationale behind our various decisions and how they go right or wrong, let me know and I will consider putting up a simple web page to document it. I just want everyone to know that this is not only possible, but can be extremely beneficial, both for the products and teams this is done with.Unfortunately, I won't be able to post source code of any kind due to various non-disclosures and so forth, but I can certainly give explanations behind the things we do which would lead other people to similar implementations if they so choose.This isn't the first time this sort of thing has been done. But I believe it is the first time this has been done on a source code base this size and of this scale, with this many compiled output projects.I will state this emphatically. If we can do it, so can you! Our entire system, beyond containing a lot of code, also is heavily dependant on Borland technology right now. Including an nTier architecture based on Midas, heavy use of datasets, Interbase/Firebird, and third party controls (incl. Woll2Woll, devExpress, ReportBuilder, Direct Oracle Access, IBXpress, etc) as well as a large in house control collection based on various VCL concepts.Who knows, after we are done, maybe we will contract ourselves out to assist other teams in making the same migration as I see a strong need for the service in the near future... :)One last note... The atmosphere of despair and depression over our environment, and our careers that has been building disappeared. The future seems wide open again. The market is coming back in every language/technology except Borland's. We will once again be able to decide our future instead of just taking the one job that happens to show up for Delphi.I wish those who decide to stick it out with Borland the very best and hope that they do end up doing well. But welcome those who decide to join the mainstream development environment, possibly for the first time. It is possible, and quite possibly the single best career move any of us could make.Kevin Craven Weasel http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=35779 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=35779 2003-11-28T20:40:11-08:00 2003-11-28T20:40:11-08:00

Open Letter to the Delphi Community

Why did you have to screw the beautiful dream of what Delphi is? I hope I am wrong by asking such question. If I'm not then, when will Delphi 8 for Win32 with the updates to the language, VCL and CLX be released? Robert Cornell http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=35763 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=35763 2003-11-25T12:06:38-08:00 2003-11-25T12:06:38-08:00

Dont Drop CLX Support and Please Fix the Bugs

I work at a small company that writes its own applications because we are in a very specialized business. When we started a new generation of applications two years ago, we did not want to get tied into a MS Windows platform only. Being a long time Borland champion, I got senior management to choose Delphi and develop in CLX so we could migrate to Linux on the workstation in the future (alot of our users only run our applications and don't even have email).After hearing horror stories about Delphi 7 bugs and after trying to convert to 7, we have stayed on Delphi 6. We lived through many DBExpress and CLX bugs. It is very painful to hear that after 2 years, our chosen tool set may not be updated in the future. I understand adding '.NET' support, but please take care of your current users. CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR CLX and FIX SOME OF THE BUGS in Delphi 7. That will do more to ensure my company continues to purchase Borland products than any .NET code. Terrance Robinson http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/userall?commentid=35762 http://threads.codegear.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=35762 2003-11-25T10:26:20-08:00 2003-11-25T10:26:20-08:00

re: Open Letter to the Delphi Community

What kind of project? How much fun? Reply to FishSqzr@PCRS.NET