D01.Delphi 1.FactSheet

Delphi Fact Sheet

Parent: D01.Delphi-1

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.
	
	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, VBX 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 todata stored in dBASE®, Paradox®, and the Local InterBase® Server, and to otherdata 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/Oerrors, 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
	
"*****--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 components
	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, and 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 creating 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 andÊtrace
	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/server
	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-based 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