5 ms·

Where exactly is Delphi being used nowadays?

detaro 8y ago
Niche/custom desktop applications.
ak39 8y ago
Mostly Windows desktop apps for specific verticals (seen many in insurance, finance etc) - albeit considered legacy. I use it for Windows ISAPI dlls against various backend databases (mostly MS SQL Server). The newer output however from this stack is from its cross platform and mobile features - Firemonkey (native UI and cross platform API wrapper). I haven’t used it yet but I have seen a few apps on AppStore and Play using them.
- wila 8y ago
  Firemonkey does not use native controls, it draws its own buttons and other controls.
  - clouddrover 8y ago
    FireMonkey has the ability to use native controls as an option: http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/FireMonkey_Native_Controls http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/FireMonkey_N...
    - wila 8y ago
      Thanks iOS and Windows only though, not macOS and Android.
      - clouddrover 8y ago
        Native Android controls: http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/FireMonkey_Native_Android_Controls http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/FireMonkey_N... With more native Android controls coming in the future.
        wila 8y ago
        Nice. Of course I mostly care about macOS. Unfortunately that's the area that Embarcadero appears to mostly ignore.
  - ak39 8y ago
    Sorry, my bad - you are 100% right. Firemonkey uses scalable vectors for UI. (It also uses native, but that's not what I had intended to say.)
    - wila 8y ago
      No worries. It runs native, so your statement wasn't technically wrong. Just wanted to point out that it does still look and behave a bit different from using native controls. Although apparently that nowadays that depends on the host OS used.
jasode 8y ago
A blog post listed some Delphi apps: https://jonlennartaasenden.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/famous-software-made-with-delphi/ https://jonlennartaasenden.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/famous-s... On that list, I use WinRAR and BeyondCompare every day. I also see Skype but I think the client was rewritten in Electron/Javascript to be cross-platform Windows/Mac/Linux. Not on that list is AcrylicDNS which I use as a DNS "firewall". The author provides Delphi source code for it: (https://mayakron.altervista.org/wikibase/show.php?id=AcrylicHome https://mayakron.altervista.org/wikibase/show.php?id=Acrylic...)
- tinus_hn 8y ago
  The Dolphin emulator which is on the list is written in c++. Perhaps there once was a frontend in Delphi.
frankbreetz 8y ago
Delphi was one of my first interactions with programming. It was a CAD/CAM desktop application. They are still around today, but when I left they were trying to switch to C#. I have not met a lot of people. Who even know what it is.
clouddrover 8y ago
Embarcadero has some Delphi testimonials on their website: https://www.embarcadero.com/case-study https://www.embarcadero.com/case-study And the Delphi product page: https://www.embarcadero.com/products/delphi https://www.embarcadero.com/products/delphi
- user5994461 8y ago
  I'd take any marketing material with a grain of salt. Delphi was big 20 years ago and used in important projects. There are certainly stories to tell, doesn't mean it's relevant to the current decade.
  - clouddrover 8y ago
    Doesn't mean it's irrelevant either.
    - user5994461 8y ago
      It does actually. Be wary of any system or company that has not migrated away. Delphi means very legacy and it's a career killer for any programmer. The ecosystem had been on a strong decline for a while. The tools just to compile an application are incredibly expensive . Experienced developers have long left to other languages with more job prospects. New developers are not learning Delphi in university or anywhere.
  - NikkiA 8y ago
    Delphi was never 'big', it was merely different and had some interest from the 'Borland' name being attached to it. Now they're not called Borland noone gives a shit about delphi.
  - chungleong 8y ago
    Nothing comes to mind developed in the last 20 years that's a good alternative to Delphi. Delphi lets you create commercial-grade software intended for a very small user base (less than 100). There's really nothing like it on the market. I imagine it's still used in many corporate in-house projects.
dejv 8y ago
Another niche is control software for industrial/laboratory instruments. I know about FTIR spectroscopes, huge weaving machines or system that call you by number when you are at office, bank or post office.
haolez 8y ago
I've seen it recently being used in industrial automation. The IDE is friendly to non-programmers, the generated binaries perform really well and the compilation times are very fast. From my perspective, as a developer that uses more up-to-date tools, Delphi is not great, but it's not bad either.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  I think if Delphi had been developed more it could still be the best windows desktop environment now.
- syockit 8y ago
  My experience with Delphi-based Windows software is that they always load quickly and and most things are snappy, in contrast to most modern programs. I've always wondered if it's due the language itself, but then again modern programs run in managed environment. I guess if the same program is created using MFC they would be just as fast. Maybe if you don't have to deal with accessibility or internationalization it's possible to create such binaries in any compiled unmanaged language.
kpwagner 8y ago
Broadcast radio automation.

Niche/custom desktop applications.

ak39 8y ago

Mostly Windows desktop apps for specific verticals (seen many in insurance, finance etc) - albeit considered legacy. I use it for Windows ISAPI dlls against various backend databases (mostly MS SQL Server). The newer output however from this stack is from its cross platform and mobile features - Firemonkey (native UI and cross platform API wrapper). I haven’t used it yet but I have seen a few apps on AppStore and Play using them.

wila 8y ago
Firemonkey does not use native controls, it draws its own buttons and other controls.
- clouddrover 8y ago
  FireMonkey has the ability to use native controls as an option: http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/FireMonkey_Native_Controls http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/FireMonkey_N...
  - wila 8y ago
    Thanks iOS and Windows only though, not macOS and Android.
    - clouddrover 8y ago
      Native Android controls: http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/FireMonkey_Native_Android_Controls http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/FireMonkey_N... With more native Android controls coming in the future.
      - wila 8y ago
        Nice. Of course I mostly care about macOS. Unfortunately that's the area that Embarcadero appears to mostly ignore.
- ak39 8y ago
  Sorry, my bad - you are 100% right. Firemonkey uses scalable vectors for UI. (It also uses native, but that's not what I had intended to say.)
  - wila 8y ago
    No worries. It runs native, so your statement wasn't technically wrong. Just wanted to point out that it does still look and behave a bit different from using native controls. Although apparently that nowadays that depends on the host OS used.

jasode 8y ago

A blog post listed some Delphi apps: https://jonlennartaasenden.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/famous-software-made-with-delphi/ https://jonlennartaasenden.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/famous-s... On that list, I use WinRAR and BeyondCompare every day. I also see Skype but I think the client was rewritten in Electron/Javascript to be cross-platform Windows/Mac/Linux. Not on that list is AcrylicDNS which I use as a DNS "firewall". The author provides Delphi source code for it: (https://mayakron.altervista.org/wikibase/show.php?id=AcrylicHome https://mayakron.altervista.org/wikibase/show.php?id=Acrylic...)

tinus_hn 8y ago
The Dolphin emulator which is on the list is written in c++. Perhaps there once was a frontend in Delphi.

frankbreetz 8y ago

Delphi was one of my first interactions with programming. It was a CAD/CAM desktop application. They are still around today, but when I left they were trying to switch to C#. I have not met a lot of people. Who even know what it is.

clouddrover 8y ago

Embarcadero has some Delphi testimonials on their website: https://www.embarcadero.com/case-study https://www.embarcadero.com/case-study And the Delphi product page: https://www.embarcadero.com/products/delphi https://www.embarcadero.com/products/delphi

user5994461 8y ago
I'd take any marketing material with a grain of salt. Delphi was big 20 years ago and used in important projects. There are certainly stories to tell, doesn't mean it's relevant to the current decade.
- clouddrover 8y ago
  Doesn't mean it's irrelevant either.
  - user5994461 8y ago
    It does actually. Be wary of any system or company that has not migrated away. Delphi means very legacy and it's a career killer for any programmer. The ecosystem had been on a strong decline for a while. The tools just to compile an application are incredibly expensive . Experienced developers have long left to other languages with more job prospects. New developers are not learning Delphi in university or anywhere.
- NikkiA 8y ago
  Delphi was never 'big', it was merely different and had some interest from the 'Borland' name being attached to it. Now they're not called Borland noone gives a shit about delphi.
- chungleong 8y ago
  Nothing comes to mind developed in the last 20 years that's a good alternative to Delphi. Delphi lets you create commercial-grade software intended for a very small user base (less than 100). There's really nothing like it on the market. I imagine it's still used in many corporate in-house projects.

dejv 8y ago

Another niche is control software for industrial/laboratory instruments. I know about FTIR spectroscopes, huge weaving machines or system that call you by number when you are at office, bank or post office.

haolez 8y ago

I've seen it recently being used in industrial automation. The IDE is friendly to non-programmers, the generated binaries perform really well and the compilation times are very fast. From my perspective, as a developer that uses more up-to-date tools, Delphi is not great, but it's not bad either.

maxxxxx 8y ago
I think if Delphi had been developed more it could still be the best windows desktop environment now.
syockit 8y ago
My experience with Delphi-based Windows software is that they always load quickly and and most things are snappy, in contrast to most modern programs. I've always wondered if it's due the language itself, but then again modern programs run in managed environment. I guess if the same program is created using MFC they would be just as fast. Maybe if you don't have to deal with accessibility or internationalization it's possible to create such binaries in any compiled unmanaged language.

kpwagner 8y ago

Broadcast radio automation.