Interview: David I talks Delphi

 

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Posted on 12 Jun 2003 at 15:47

What's in store for Delphi, why programmers should always be in control of their code and Borland's interesting relationship with Microsoft - these are some of the topics covered when we caught up with industry guru David Intersimone, the long-standing developer representative for Borland.

More familiarly known as 'David I', he revels in the job title of 'Chief Evangelist', but rather more prosaically is Borland's VP of Developer Relations. He was speaking at DCON (Delphi Developers conference) 2003 in what is Borland's 20th anniversary.

Let's begin with the current Delphi state of play. What is out there that people can use?

David I: Well, last August we shipped Delphi 7 in various different flavours including Professional, Enterprise and Architect editions. We have also shipped the Delphi Preview for .Net as part of Delphi 7.

First it was a compiler and just a .Net runtime interface for the Delphi language. Since that time we've 'shipped' three updates for the Delphi Preview - up on the Web for existing customers to download - and then brought out successive fixes, and then the VCL interfaces over the top of the .Net framework, and then updates to the .Net framework itself... Also a few tools to help developers to use Delphi 7, but targeting .Net environments as well.

And on the horizon is 'Octane'?

David I: Yes. We posted an open letter and did a Q & A on our developer site regarding Octane, which is the project name for the next version of Delphi that will support both Windows and .Net. And Delphi developers will have the choice, as always - to use the VCL technology and knowledge they already have, or do development just with the .Net framework itself.

We've made it very easy to use a similar style of programming and - in many places - the same code, using the .Net framework or the VCL. And we still have support for Windows and Linux component libraries for CLX cross-platform development. So, by the end of this year I think we will have Windows, .Net and Linux support with the Delphi language.

And what is in Octane?

David I: It involves a new generation of the IDE. A way of driving the capabilities that customers tell us they need for .Net.

There's the Delphi command-line compiler for IL (intermediate languages) 'Diesel', the VCL for .Net is moving forward, the Galileo IDE is now built [in C#Builder]... You can now see all the pieces building up for what the Delphi guys want and need for a significant, new-generation step - adding .Net capabilities to those developers who still need straight Win32 access to native applications.

Octane fits into our whole ALM (application lifecycle management) strategy and the integration of the pieces beyond just the developer parts. All coming together into the development environment.

So, when Octane comes out later this year, yes there is Windows and .Net support, but we are also setting foundations in the environment and in our compiler architecture for how we get to other devices and chips in the future. There is other work that people won't see because it's under the covers but it will lead us, naturally, to the .Net Compact Framework, for example.

And when will Octane appear?

David I: The target is 'end of the year'. We are not going to hit August on a twelve-month cycle.

But amid all the talk of the .Net support already planned within C#Builder, you reassured the Delphi developers that Delphi would retain its own character.