2767:Delphi Fact Sheet
KEYWORDS: DELPHI FACT SHEET INFO DATA AREA: Product Info
Delphi Fact Sheet
Delphi is the only Windows development tool to combine the
Rapid Application Development (RAD) benefits of visual
component-based design with the power of an optimizing
native code compiler and scalable database access.
Delphi represents the next generation in:
- Performance--with the world's fastest compiler
- Rapid Application Development--via visual Two-Way-Tools()
- Component Reuse--a true object-oriented environment
- Scalable Database Access--the fast track to client/server
The fastest way to the fastest applications
Delphi is the next generation Windows development tool,
combining the most intuitive visual design environment with
the unrivaled performance of a world-class optimizing native
code compiler. It compiles Windows applications at more than
350,000 lines per minute.* An automatic MAKE facility
ensures that only code that has been changed is recompiled
for maximum efficiency, and the built-in assembler allows
for ultimate fine-tuned performance.
The resulting executable files (EXEs) are lean, highly
efficient, and run up to 10 to 20 times faster than
interpreted p-code. Delphi executables are immediately
deployable, royalty-free, and require no runtime interpreter
Dynamic Link Library (DLL), so maximum performance is
guaranteed.
RAD, from prototype to production
The comprehensive suite of visual design and debugging tools
accelerate development so you move seamlessly from
prototyping to deployment. You'll create high-performance
applications in record time with the gallery of reusable
forms, project templates, programming experts, and context-
sensitive intelligent help.
And smart computer-based tutorials guide you through your
project and help explain concepts. The Object Inspector;
provides complete access to properties and events of a
selected component, with smart Property Editors for rapid
design changes. The Project Manager provides an overview of
all forms and code for a development project, while the
ObjectBrowser() provides a graphical view of the overall
object hierarchy.
The sophisticated GUI Debugger jumps directly to the point
in the source code where problems occur, so you can find and
fix problems quickly and easily. And full support for
conditional breakpoints, watchpoints, call stack monitoring,
single-step execution, and trace mode are included.
A suite of powerful Windows resource editors lets you create
and modify menus, icons, cursors, and bitmaps for low-level
debugging. The WinSight() utility allows you to monitor the
Windows messaging flow, while WinSpector() instantly
provides comprehensive diagnostic details.
Visual Two-Way-Tools for power programming
With Delphi, you can always get to your code, and everything
you can do visually can also be done in code. Innovative
Two-Way-Tools maximize your productivity by letting you move
seamlessly between the visual design environment and the
synchronized underlying source code.
Switching between the visual design mode and the intelligent
BRIEF;-style source code editor is rapid and intuitive. It
supports advanced editing features such as Color Syntax
Highlighting, macro recording, column block marking, and
regular expression support.
Reuse components to maximize productivity
The comprehensive Visual Component Library (VCL), a
collection of more than 75 objects such as dialogs, buttons,
and list boxes, includes a host of additional reusable
objects including database controls, notebook tabs, grids,
multimedia controls, and much more!
The completely customizable Integrated Development
Environment can be tailored to individual or corporate
preferences. Custom reusable components and commercial VBXs
are easily added to the fully reconfigurable Component
Palette. You can create and install your own application and
form templates. And the Delphi component-based architecture
allows you to seamlessly integrate DLLs, VBBX controls, and
OLE 2.0 servers into your applications.
Integrated database support and reporting capabilities
Delphi incorporates the Borland Database Engine (BDE),
providing direct access to data stored in dBASE, Paradox,
and the Local InterBase Server, and to other data formats
via ODBC. And data-aware controls allow manipulation of live
data at design time, improving project turnaround time.
A comprehensive selection of Visual Data Objects helps make
sophisticated database application design a breeze. And the
included Database Desktop() utility lets you create or
restructure tables and manage connections, insulating
compiled Delphi applications from changes in database
locations.
Delphi also includes the PC version of ReportSmith;
Borland's award-winning database reporting and query tool
that supports live data access at design time. ReportSmith
supports a wide range of popular database formats, and
provides a variety of graphing, tabulating, and charting
options.
The ultimate complementary tool
If you prefer to work with a variety of programming tools,
Delphi is the perfect addition to your toolset. It allows
you to create reusable DLLs that can be called from
applications built with C++, Paradox, dBASE, PowerBuilder,
Visual Basic, and other popular development tools. Delphi
can also use standard VBX controls, OLE2.0 servers, DLLs
created by other development tools, Microsoft multimedia,
MAPI, and pen computing APIs. No matter what you program
with today, the Delphi component-based design makes it a
valuable addition that leverages your existing investment in
code.
Delphi gives you the control and flexibility you demand with
complete access to the Windows API, while shielding you from
the complexities of Windows programming.
Object-Oriented Programming
The underlying Object Pascal language has been enhanced to
fully support exception handling. All your GPFs, disk I/O
errors, and other dreaded problems are automatically
trapped. And it offers all of the benefits of a structured
programming language and a true object-oriented development
tool, including polymorphism, inheritance, and
encapsulation. So Delphi applications are incredibly robust
and deliver superior solutions for all of your mission-
critical projects.
Enhanced compiler features such as conditional compilation
and smart linking make it even easier to rapidly design
professional applications intended for a variety of target
environments.
Fast track to Windows 95
Delphi applications developed for the Windows 3.1 operating
environment will also run under Windows 95 and Windows NT.
Upgrading them to full 32-bit performance simply involves a
single-click recompile with the forthcoming Windows 95
version of Delphi. No rewriting of code is necessary!
Smooth scaling to client/server
Delphi provides an easy path to the fast-growing market of
client/server applications development. Transparent local
SQL development is possible with Delphi, using the built-in
Local InterBase Server, which enables you to rapidly develop
high-performance ANSI SQL-92 compliant applications for
standalone systems.
To make the transition from Delphi to professional
client/server development and deployment using external
database hosts, upgrade to Delphi Client/Server. It's a
quick and easy process requiring no additional coding.
Delphi Client/Server features high-performance native
drivers for Oracle, Sybase, Informix, and InterBase, along
with team development support, a Visual Query Builder tool,
and much more.
Delphi, the developer's solution
- Quickly and easily customize the Component Palette.
- Delphi gives you everything you need for Rapid
Application Development.
- Manage all your code and visual objects with the Object
Inspector.
- Two-Way-Tools give you complete control of your code.
- The Visual Component Library lets you build complete
database applications in minutes.
Quotes:
"It's going to change our lives, you know."
--J.D. Hildebrand, Editor
Windows Tech Journal
"When it comes to keeping required coding to a minimum,
Delphi excels..."
--Windows Sources
December 1994
"Delphi gives developers exactly what they need to create
complete applications, posthaste."
--Susan Ryan
InfoWorld
"5 Stars--Excellent"
--PC/Computing
February 1995
Delphi Specifications
Optimizing Native Code Compiler
- Compiles at over 350,000 lines per minute*
- Create fast standalone EXEs with no runtime interpreter
Dynamic Link Library (DLL)
- Applications run up to 10 to 20 times faster than
interpreted p-code
- Create DLLs that work with C++, dBASE, Paradox, Visual
Basic, PowerBuilder, and others
- Access to all Windows API functions and messages
- Optimized case statements, sets, 32-bit math operations,
string and file routines, and more
- Math coprocessor and emulator support
- Automatic built-in MAKE facility
- Conditional compilation
- Smart Linker removes unused objects and code
- Command-line compiler and MAKE facility
- Built-in assembler for tuning performance
- Linker optimization for smaller EXEs
Integrated Development Environment
- Integrated visual form designer with over 75 components
- Two-Way-Tools automatically synchronize code and visual
representations
- Object Inspector allows visual customization of
components without writing code
- Built-in tools for alignment, scaling, sizing, and tab
order
- ObjectBrowser displays object hierarchy, units, globals,
and code references
- Project Manager displays all files and forms
- Customizable environment including SpeedBar, Component
Palette, editor, and browser
- Intuitive Icon, Bitmap, and Menu editors
- Open environment for adding your own tools, experts,
components, and Property Editors
Visual Component Library (VCL)
- Customizable palette of over 75 reusable componnents
- Support for the latest Microsoft systems technologies
including OLE 2.0, DDE, VBXs, DLLs, MAPI, and ODBC
- Standard components for menus, bitmapped buttons, masked
edit fields, panels, graphics, notebook tabs, grids,
outlines, list boxes, combo boxes, check boxes, labels,
and more
- Visual Data Objects for accessing databases, tables,
queries, reports, SQL stored procedures, as well as data-
aware grids, navigators, lookup lists, edit fields, list
boxes, combo boxes, memos, bitmaps, and more
- "Live" design-time data access
- Extend the VCL at any time with third-party libraries or
with your own objects created with Delphi
- Database Field Editor for validation rules, display
format, edit mask, and field width
- Standard dialog objects for file operations, printing,
font and color selection, and searching
- System objects for accessing OLE 2.0 servers, DDE,
multimedia and file, and directory lists
- Support for MDI, printing, annd graphics
- 2-D and 3-D charts with included ChartFX control
- Compatible with hundreds of VBX controls
- Includes sample objects with complete source code written
in Delphi
- VCL source code available separately
Object Pascal Language
- High-performance, structured, object-oriented language
- Complete support for inheritance, polymorphism, and
encapsulation
- Control over privacy with Public, Private, Protected, and
Published reserved words
- Create components with properties and events
- Use inheritance to customize any object
- Automatic runtime type information and object persistence
- Automatic, extensible exception handling
- Support for open arrays, user-defined types, objects, and
pointers
- Advanced language support for delegation and class
references
- Separate compilation of units and DLLs
- Over 150 library routines for mathematical operations,
string manipulation, text formatting, and file management
- WinCRT unit for ccreating standard Pascal "console"
programs
- Compiles Borland Pascal 7.0 for Windows code
Powerful Editing
- Full-featured BRIEF-style editing
- Unlimited undo and redo
- No limit on file size
- Macro record and playback
- Column block marking
- Regular expression (GREP-style) search
- Customizable Color Syntax Highlighting
- Selectable editor keystrokes with support for BRIEF and
Epsilon
Integrated Debugging
- Integrated GUI Debugger with single-step and trace
- Conditional breakpoints and watchpoints
- Call stack view for tracing code execution
- Evaluate and modify expressions and variables
- WinSight Windows message trace utility
- WinSpector postmortem analysis tool
- Compatible with Turbo Debugger for Windows (available
separately)
Borland Database Engine
- High-performance engine with native drivers for dBASE,
Paradox, and Local InterBase Server
- Fully scalable support for migrating applications from
desktop to client/sserver
- Royalty-free deployment of database engine
- Space-efficient deployment of database applications
- Includes Database Desktop for managing database aliases
as well as creating and restructuring tables
- ODBC support for Access, Btrieve, Excel, DB2, AS/400,
Ingres, HP ALBASE/SQL, and gateways like IBM DDCS/2,
Micro Decisionware and Sybase Net-gateway. (available
separately)
- Delphi Client/Server includes SQL Link native drivers for
InterBase, Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server, and
Informix. (available separately)
Local InterBase 4.0 Server
- High-performance ANSI SQL-92 compliant
- Ideal for "off-line" development and single-user
applications
- Computed fields
- Outer joins and join expressions in the where clause
- Complex data including Binary Large Objects (BLObs()) and
multidimensional arrays
- Advanced features including stored procedures, triggers,
and constraints
- Fully scalable to InterBase on NT, NetWare, and UNIX
platforms
- Local InterBase Server Deployment Kit available
separately
ReportSmith 2.5
- Award-winning database reporting and query tool
- Access ReportSmith from the Delphi Tools menu and TReport
component
- Features "live" report writing
- Adaptive data access works with any size database
- Prebuilt report templates and styles
- Crosstab and mailing label reports
- Multilevel sorting
- Custom group specifications
- Onscreen Print Preview mode
- Free distribution of ReportSmith runtime module
- Fully compatible with ReportSmith SQL edition
Documentation and Help
- Extensible gallery of application templates and experts
- Seven Interactive Tutors() with "live" interaction
- Over 5Mb of on-line help
- Five manuals with over 1,200 pages of documentation:
Delphi User's Guide, Component Writer's Guide, Database
Application Developer's Guide, Creating Reports, and
InterBase User's Guide
Minimum System Requirements
- Intel 386-baased PC or higher
- Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later, 100%-compatible version
- 6Mb of extended memory or higher
- 30Mb hard disk space
- CD-ROM drive (3.5" disks available separately)
Networks Supported
Any Microsoft Windows 3.1 compatible network, including OS/2
2.1, Novell NetWare, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and
Windows NT 3.11.
*Pentium 90MHz
Copyright 1995 Borland International, Inc. All rights
reserved. All Borland product names are trademarks of
Borland International, Inc. Borland's DELPHI products and
services are not associated with or sponsored by Delphi
Internet, an on-line service and Internet access provider.
Corporate Headquarters: 100 Borland Way, Scotts Valley,
California 95066-3249, 408-431-1000. Offices in: Australia
(61-02-911-1000), Belgium (32-2-47-99-903), Brazil (55-11-
851-5326), Canada (416-229-6000), Chile (56-2-233-7113),
Denmark (45-48-14-00-01), France (33-1-41-23-11-00), Germany
(49-6103-9790), Hong Kong (852-2540-4380), Italy (39-2-26-91-
51), Japan (81-03-5350-9370), Korea (82-02-551-2795), Latin
American Headquarters in U.S.A. (408-431-1074), Malaysia (60-
03-230-2618), Netherlands (31-020-540-54-00), New Zealand
(64-9-443-8890), Singapore (65-339-8122), Spain (34-1-650-72-
50), Sweden (46-8-634-35-00), Switzerland (41-031-761-2604)
Taiwan (886-2-718-6627), and United Kingdom (44-734-321-150)
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