The first time Zack Urlocker showed me an unreleased product called Delphi, I realized it was going to change my job—and the jobs of many other software developers. I used to struggle with Windows C++ libraries, and Delphi was and still is the best combination of object-oriented programming and visual programming available for Windows OS and Linux OS, and soon for .NET as well.
Delphi 7 fully inherits this tradition and adheres to the solid foundation of VCL, which provides an amazingly versatile software development tool. Looking for database, client/server, multitier, intranet, or Internet solutions? Looking for control and power? Looking for fast productivity? Using Delphi and the numerous techniques and guidelines presented in this book, you will be able to accomplish all of this.
Some of the first features of Delphi that attracted me were its forms-based and object-oriented approach, its extremely fast compiler, its huge database support, its tight integration with Windows programming, and its component technology. However, the most important factor is the Object Pascal language, on which all others are based.
Delphi 2 is better! Among its most important additions are: Multi-Record Object and improved database grid, OLE Automation support and variant data types, full support and integration of WINDOWS 95, long string (long string) data type, inherited from Visual Form. Delphi3 adds code insight technology, DLL debugging support, component templates (component templates), TeeChart, Decision Cube, WebBroker technology, component packages (component packages), ActiveForms, and excellent integration with COM through interfaces.
Delphi 4 gave us AppBrowsereditor, new WINDOWS 98 features, improved OLE and COM support, extended database components (database components), many additions to the core VCL classes, including support for docking (dock), constraining, and anchoring controls . Delphi 5 added many improvements to the IDE (too many to list here), expanded database support (special ADO and InterBase datasets), an improved version of MIDAS with Internet support, TeamSource version control tools, translation capabilities , the concept of frame, and new components.
Delphi 6 adds support for the following features: support for CLX (Component Library for Cross-Platform CLX) cross-platform development, extended run-time library, dbExPRess database engine, Web services and outstanding xml support, A powerful web development framework, more enhancements to the IDE, a large number of components and classes, details will be explained later.
Delphi 7 does improve and fix these newer technologies, making them more robust (SOAP support and the advent of DataSnap), providing support for newer technologies (like Windows XP themes or UDDI), but most importantly it makes a rich set of Attractive third-party tools make it easier to use: RAVE reporting engine, IntraWeb web application development technology, and ModelMaker design environment. Finally, it opened up a whole new world by providing the first Borland compiler for Pascal/Delphi not targeting Intel CPUs, but the .NET CIL platform.
Delphi is a great tool, but it is also a complex programming environment that includes many elements. This book will help you master Delphi programming, including the Delphi language, components (including using existing ones and developing your own), database and client/server support, key elements of Windows and COM programming, and Internet and Web development.
You don't need to have any advanced knowledge about any of these topics to read this book, but you do need to know the basics of programming. Some familiarity with Delphi will be of considerable help, especially after the introductory chapters. The book immediately begins to explain its subject in depth; much of the introductory material from previous editions has been removed. Some such material and an introduction to Pascal are available on my website and are discussed in Appendix C.