Borland Delphi 7 Studio review

Delphi is a Windows programming tool that occupies a niche somewhere between Visual Basic and Visual C++. Ever since its launch in 1995, it has offered features that VB programmers only dream about, like proper object orientation including inheritance and the option of compilation to a native code executable that doesn't require a hefty run-time library. The comparison with Visual C++ is even more telling, with Delphi offering visual form design and a component-based class library that is easier to use than MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes). Delphi's language is Object Pascal rather than C++, although a companion product called C++ Builder is, in effect, Delphi for C++. It's all there technically, but oddly Delphi has hardly dented Microsoft's market share with VB and Visual C++. Still, Delphi has prospered sufficiently to reach version 7 and it remains the most sensible choice for general Windows programming. How it will fare in the new world of Java and .NET is another matter. Delphi 7, while not stuffed with new features, shows how Borland intends to move it forward.

The heart of Delphi, its language, compiler and core class library, is little changed in this version. Those who use Delphi to write lean, standalone Windows applications will see little benefit, and indeed Borland has difficulty keeping such people on the upgrade cycle. Instead, version 7 bundles several third-party add-ons, and there are tweaks to the IDE along with updates to hot areas like XML Web Services. There's also a preview of Delphi .NET, not licensed for deployment but paving the way for a more radical Delphi update next time round. Delphi .NET currently consists of a command-line compiler called dccil.exe and a bunch of work-in-progress library classes. The Delphi language is changing to support .NET features like custom attributes, sealed classes, final methods, nested types, boxing of value types into objects, and more. In addition, the compiler now identifies unverifiable code, such as the use of pointers, highlighting it as unsafe. Even within the main Delphi 7 product, you can now switch on warnings for unsafe code to assist in writing .NET-ready applications.

In most respects, Microsoft's C# and VB .NET languages have caught up with Delphi, and some Delphi developers have already switched. However, Delphi .NET has an important advantage. Delphi's language and class library are more amenable to migration than either old-style VB or MFC code, and Borland's Linux endeavours give it experience of building rich cross-platform libraries. There's a real possibility of applications that can be compiled three ways, for .NET, native Win32 or Linux. Even if this is impractical, migration will be much easier than the pain of moving VB 6 applications, let alone all those mountains of non-portable MFC code. Delphi .NET is well placed to take advantage.

The other big deal in Delphi 7 is the bundling of IntraWeb, a web development tool from AtoZed software. IntraWeb pages look like normal Delphi forms, and its framework handles state transparently so you can build web applications using the same drag-and-drop techniques employed for Windows. The only thing like it is Microsoft's ASP .NET, but IntraWeb is pure Delphi with cross-platform support for Windows and Linux. IntraWeb components map to Windows equivalents like buttons, labels, list boxes and tree views, and are programmed in the same way. Browser support includes Internet Explorer, Netscape 4 and Mozilla. Data-aware controls and grids support Delphi's data-binding classes, and there are optional client-side components for more advanced charts and grids. The main lack is documentation, limited to a couple of 'getting started' guides and a skeletal API reference.