5 ms·

Which is especially sad because their IDE was the best WYSIWYG GUI editor in existence, then and now. The only alternative that got even close was VB6. If they

Which is especially sad because their IDE was the best WYSIWYG GUI editor in existence, then and now. The only alternative that got even close was VB6. If they had made the transition to large screens and responsive design I think they could have dominated mobile app development when it rolled around. They didn’t just get lost, they got sucked into Pan’s labyrinth.

AlienRobot 2y ago
The weird thing is I love Lazarus for the GUI but I'm too used to VS Code to deal with their source code editor. Coupled with the non-C-based language, I kind of feel like I couldn't write a complex program in it if I tried. For example, if I wanted to display a .webp in a desktop GUI, I'm confident I could manage it in Python, Zig, C++, C#, and even Java although I don't have a lot of experience with it. With Pascal, I won't have my Python libraries, nor my out-of-the-box C interoperability. In fact, I don't think I've even learned how to use a library with Pascal. I don't know if in Delphi the editor is better, or the documentation is more accessible. It feels like it has a lot of potential but barriers for entry make it not as interesting as just programming something in Python with Qt.
- jksmith 2y ago
  For Lazarus, use the BGRAImage package for webp.
- renewedrebecca 2y ago
  the omnipascal extension for vscode works pretty well.
- pjmlp 2y ago
  In Delphi that would be a 10 minute task. - Create project - Drag image viewer component into the form, a couple of buttons to open an image selector - Compile executable - Done
jksmith 2y ago
Yeah, Delphi (and for me now, Lazarus) still provides a substantially richer desktop experience than the web framework of the day. After having written some beautiful, rich apps with this tool, tweaking css makes me want to puke.
- wruza 2y ago
  Even thinking of css makes me want to puke. It’s just unbelieveable how far the DX has fallen, and everyone is okay with it! Imagine starting your project from implementing poor man’s TForm and TDBEdit. And all new devs actually believe that it’s completely normal.
  - jksmith 2y ago
    Yeah that's what blows me away about the fpl/laz open source UI framework, along with the whole library from fpl/laz. Labor of love I guess...it is right up there with sqlite and and linux itself as one of the greatest open source projects in history.
- pjmlp 2y ago
  Definitely, Delphi, C++ Builder, Qt, Windows Forms, WPF, heck even MFC. On Web projects I happily focus on backend and devops, every time I touch CSS there is a new tool in town, apparently now everyone is supposed to be using Tailwind.
int_19h 2y ago
Then and now doesn't ring true to me, not since WinForms. (Which, to be fair, is obviously very strongly inspired by VCL; and C# has quite a few things from Delphi the language, as well.)

AlienRobot 2y ago

The weird thing is I love Lazarus for the GUI but I'm too used to VS Code to deal with their source code editor. Coupled with the non-C-based language, I kind of feel like I couldn't write a complex program in it if I tried. For example, if I wanted to display a .webp in a desktop GUI, I'm confident I could manage it in Python, Zig, C++, C#, and even Java although I don't have a lot of experience with it. With Pascal, I won't have my Python libraries, nor my out-of-the-box C interoperability. In fact, I don't think I've even learned how to use a library with Pascal. I don't know if in Delphi the editor is better, or the documentation is more accessible. It feels like it has a lot of potential but barriers for entry make it not as interesting as just programming something in Python with Qt.

jksmith 2y ago
For Lazarus, use the BGRAImage package for webp.
renewedrebecca 2y ago
the omnipascal extension for vscode works pretty well.
pjmlp 2y ago
In Delphi that would be a 10 minute task. - Create project - Drag image viewer component into the form, a couple of buttons to open an image selector - Compile executable - Done

jksmith 2y ago

Yeah, Delphi (and for me now, Lazarus) still provides a substantially richer desktop experience than the web framework of the day. After having written some beautiful, rich apps with this tool, tweaking css makes me want to puke.

wruza 2y ago
Even thinking of css makes me want to puke. It’s just unbelieveable how far the DX has fallen, and everyone is okay with it! Imagine starting your project from implementing poor man’s TForm and TDBEdit. And all new devs actually believe that it’s completely normal.
- jksmith 2y ago
  Yeah that's what blows me away about the fpl/laz open source UI framework, along with the whole library from fpl/laz. Labor of love I guess...it is right up there with sqlite and and linux itself as one of the greatest open source projects in history.
pjmlp 2y ago
Definitely, Delphi, C++ Builder, Qt, Windows Forms, WPF, heck even MFC. On Web projects I happily focus on backend and devops, every time I touch CSS there is a new tool in town, apparently now everyone is supposed to be using Tailwind.

int_19h 2y ago

Then and now doesn't ring true to me, not since WinForms. (Which, to be fair, is obviously very strongly inspired by VCL; and C# has quite a few things from Delphi the language, as well.)