4 ms·

Nice little intro, everything there would compile fine with Free Pascal on Linux, Windows or OSX BTW Shoutout to the FreePascal/Lazarus team, the improvements

by boznz 10y ago

Nice little intro, everything there would compile fine with Free Pascal on Linux, Windows or OSX BTW Shoutout to the FreePascal/Lazarus team, the improvements over the past 12 months have been great and finally convinced me to make the move from Delphi. I even created my first Real Linux desktop program two months ago to replace an XP status display screen in a factory.. A real big step for me :-)

e12e 10y ago
This is interesting - I knew work was ongoing on FPC/Lazarus - but not so much that it might draw people away from Delphi. Could you say something more about what you used to miss, that's now available - and how you use Delphi/Pascal?
- mamcx 10y ago
  Delphi is the MOST mismanaged language ever produce on earth! and have survive several changes of owner. Currently, this is the storm, where a large team on charge of the IDE and other stuff is fired: https://plus.google.com/105481197125997414290/posts/FnLvMteQ4dU https://plus.google.com/105481197125997414290/posts/FnLvMteQ... The gossip now is that only 8 people are left on charge of it: Paul said >2016/06/24 at 21:14 >Yes and here some hot news. >Delphi and C++Builder Team now is only 8 developers >IDERA contract free lance developers without experience in >Delphi and pay per job Is ironic, but in one of the oldest forums of Delphi (where I'm moderator) some of us have left the language long ago (or more exactly, use it sparly), yet still are there! And this one was our discussion (spanish) http://clubdelphi.com/foros/showthread.php?t=90494 http://clubdelphi.com/foros/showthread.php?t=90494 --- So yes, Delphi love is strong, but this was the start of the trouble: https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Borland-fail?share=1 https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Borland-fail?share=1 --- So the thing is Delphi improve a lot, yet is mismanaged, cost too much, the only way to get bugs fixed is buy next version and each few months yet another company buy it. The thing is so crazy that some people are considering seriously do a buy from the community (ie: Pay money to buy the product)...
  - wila 10y ago
    Every half year there is a new version and then you get new bugs.. for which you have to buy the next version to get it fixed.
- boznz 10y ago
  I use Delphi XE2 and Lazarus 1.6 daily and I now prefer Lazarus due to a variety of reasons. The main reason is that there are no more grey areas of my code, if something doesn't work, the documentation is missing or doesn't work the way I like, then right-click find the declaration and look at it or change it. This includes the IDE. For someone used to GPL it is no big thing but as a Delphi Programmer it is close to magic. Portability is awesome. Being able to write your program in Lazarus Windows and then open it in Lazarus in Ubuntu and it just runs is amazing the first time you see it as a Delphi programmer. The hardest part is migrating when you have third party components. Unless you can get the source code or a free pascal version you're stuck. I have an 85K line wine management system written in Delphi but it uses a lot of third party components so it is never going to just open and re-compile, however I have gone through changing a touchscreen module and it looks and feels the same except it also works in Linux! Lastly I tend to agree, Delphi was badly mismanaged. For example I had to re-install XE2 on my new Windows 10 PC and I had to go through the most horrible install process getting it activated as it took 3 goes and required emails to support to prove I paid for it, the Official Delphi Forums are just about dead and there is still no free version which means nobody is ever going to learn it. Note that I have not tried the most recent Delphi versions, but Lazarus 1.6 out of the box is much more stable than Delphi XE2.
  - boznz 10y ago
    The mismanagement debate is almost a separate topic! There was massive pressure in the 2000's to convert to .NET and C# from corporate managers, auditors and customers, I never understood how this became such a force but In 2005 it was intense to the point of paranoia and a lot of my colleagues converted (Delphi 8 sealed the deal in most cases). Needless to say most are now very happy with C#. if I had stayed an employee and not gone independent at the time it would have happened to me. As of now I am very happy with my decision to stay with Pascal, Delphi XE2 compiles my legacy code fine even with Windows 10 and All new developments are in Lazarus giving me the ability to support Linux/BSD and ARM processors which more customers are coming to appreciate.
dejv 10y ago
The progress on Lazarus is awesome, I am keeping eye on the project for past 5 or so years and it is getting so much better so fast. I can't easily migrate my biggest project (25 years in making 300k+ LOC), but I am going to use Lazarus for smaller utilities and new projects. Currently it is best tool for making cross-platform desktop applications.

by boznz 10y ago

e12e 10y ago

This is interesting - I knew work was ongoing on FPC/Lazarus - but not so much that it might draw people away from Delphi. Could you say something more about what you used to miss, that's now available - and how you use Delphi/Pascal?

mamcx 10y ago
Delphi is the MOST mismanaged language ever produce on earth! and have survive several changes of owner. Currently, this is the storm, where a large team on charge of the IDE and other stuff is fired: https://plus.google.com/105481197125997414290/posts/FnLvMteQ4dU https://plus.google.com/105481197125997414290/posts/FnLvMteQ... The gossip now is that only 8 people are left on charge of it: Paul said >2016/06/24 at 21:14 >Yes and here some hot news. >Delphi and C++Builder Team now is only 8 developers >IDERA contract free lance developers without experience in >Delphi and pay per job Is ironic, but in one of the oldest forums of Delphi (where I'm moderator) some of us have left the language long ago (or more exactly, use it sparly), yet still are there! And this one was our discussion (spanish) http://clubdelphi.com/foros/showthread.php?t=90494 http://clubdelphi.com/foros/showthread.php?t=90494 --- So yes, Delphi love is strong, but this was the start of the trouble: https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Borland-fail?share=1 https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Borland-fail?share=1 --- So the thing is Delphi improve a lot, yet is mismanaged, cost too much, the only way to get bugs fixed is buy next version and each few months yet another company buy it. The thing is so crazy that some people are considering seriously do a buy from the community (ie: Pay money to buy the product)...
- wila 10y ago
  Every half year there is a new version and then you get new bugs.. for which you have to buy the next version to get it fixed.
boznz 10y ago
I use Delphi XE2 and Lazarus 1.6 daily and I now prefer Lazarus due to a variety of reasons. The main reason is that there are no more grey areas of my code, if something doesn't work, the documentation is missing or doesn't work the way I like, then right-click find the declaration and look at it or change it. This includes the IDE. For someone used to GPL it is no big thing but as a Delphi Programmer it is close to magic. Portability is awesome. Being able to write your program in Lazarus Windows and then open it in Lazarus in Ubuntu and it just runs is amazing the first time you see it as a Delphi programmer. The hardest part is migrating when you have third party components. Unless you can get the source code or a free pascal version you're stuck. I have an 85K line wine management system written in Delphi but it uses a lot of third party components so it is never going to just open and re-compile, however I have gone through changing a touchscreen module and it looks and feels the same except it also works in Linux! Lastly I tend to agree, Delphi was badly mismanaged. For example I had to re-install XE2 on my new Windows 10 PC and I had to go through the most horrible install process getting it activated as it took 3 goes and required emails to support to prove I paid for it, the Official Delphi Forums are just about dead and there is still no free version which means nobody is ever going to learn it. Note that I have not tried the most recent Delphi versions, but Lazarus 1.6 out of the box is much more stable than Delphi XE2.
- boznz 10y ago
  The mismanagement debate is almost a separate topic! There was massive pressure in the 2000's to convert to .NET and C# from corporate managers, auditors and customers, I never understood how this became such a force but In 2005 it was intense to the point of paranoia and a lot of my colleagues converted (Delphi 8 sealed the deal in most cases). Needless to say most are now very happy with C#. if I had stayed an employee and not gone independent at the time it would have happened to me. As of now I am very happy with my decision to stay with Pascal, Delphi XE2 compiles my legacy code fine even with Windows 10 and All new developments are in Lazarus giving me the ability to support Linux/BSD and ARM processors which more customers are coming to appreciate.

dejv 10y ago

The progress on Lazarus is awesome, I am keeping eye on the project for past 5 or so years and it is getting so much better so fast. I can't easily migrate my biggest project (25 years in making 300k+ LOC), but I am going to use Lazarus for smaller utilities and new projects. Currently it is best tool for making cross-platform desktop applications.