[Borland] Octane and Delphi Q & A (2003-10-7)
Summary: Simon Thornhill Questions and Answers about Delphi Future Development (Q & A).
Q: What is Octane? A: Octane is the next version of the Borland® Delphi. Octane is an integrated development environment (IDE) designed to develop new Delphi applications on the .NET platform, and help developers will transplant the existing Win32 Delphi application to .NET. Borland has released this technology preview in Borland® Delphi 7 Studio, which is incremented by a Delphi program language .NET compiler and preview version of VCL for .NET. The purpose of these technologies is to allow Delphi developers to retain their original Delphi development experience and transplant the current large amount of Delphi source code to .NET. Octane will support Microsoft® .NET Framework development of the Delphi program language and the VCL for .NET control and Windows Forms control, and fully support ASP.NET WebForms and SOAP / XML Web Services.
Q: When is OCTANE? A: Octane plans to be released at the end of 2003.
Q: Do I have to wait until Octane is released? What can I do now? A: Borland® Delphi 7 Studio contains a preview version of Delphi for .NET. The purpose of this preview version is to let developers to start exploring .NET Framework in the Delphi program language they use .NET Framework. Since then, we have updated this preview version and make repeated modifications to the compiler. The updated VCL for .NET preview allows developers to actually start port existing applications to .NET.
Q: Octane includes Delphi 7? A: Yes, Octane includes Delphi 7. This will provide the highest level of Delphi developers with the compatibility of the WIN32 program.
Q: Can users who purchase Octane and Software guarantee have the right to update the Win32 version of Delphi? A: Yes. As long as your Octane software guarantees no expiration, in addition to updating the .NET version of Delphi, you can also make any updates for Win32 version of Delphi.
Q: Can I purchase DELPHI 7 software to guarantee and get Octane? A: Yes, you can purchase Delphi 7 and its software guarantee now. As long as you still have a valid software guarantee for Borland licensing, you will automatically receive it when Octane is released.
Q: How is the compatibility of VCL for .NET components and VCL components? A: VCL for .NET is a large subset of VCL's most universal class. We are trying to work as much as possible to ensure complete compatibility between VCL and Vcl for .NET. In most cases, the Delphi source code using the VCL class and the function may have to make a small amount of modifications when recompilation in .NET, sometimes it does not need to be modified. Since VCL for .NET is a large subset of VCL, the VCL for .NET contains most VCL classes, but not all. The source code directly calls the Win32 API needs to be modified. Related third-party WIN32 VCL components also need to provide .NET version to ensure compatibility. Unlike the cross-platform component library (CLX) on the Linux® platform, .NET Framework is still based on the Windows® platform, so Win32 API calls or related calls can still be used in most cases. The current Delphi for .NET preview also contains a documentation for VCL code porting to VCL for .NET FAQ. Q: Can I use vcl for .NET components and .NET Framework objects? A: Of course! Octane is a technological advanced .NET development tool. You can use VCL for .NET components and complete Microsoft®.NET Framework in the same project. Objects can also be accessed or extended in other standards .NET language, and so on. Use Octane to do any compromise on the use of the VCL for .NET component and the .NET Framework object.
Q: What is the Borland C # Builder for Microsoft®.NET Framework? A: C # Builder is a quick application development (RAD) environment for pure C # language .NET development. C # Builder is like Borland® JBuilder® to Java as Borland® JBUILDER®. It is a business-centric development tool based on Microsoft®.NET Framework, which is to improve the productivity and standard compatibility of developers. C # Builder is mainly reflected in three aspects: first, seamlessly integrate all phases of the application lifecle to one .NET solution. Second, a .NET development solution suitable for a heterogeneous environment, integrates multiple manufacturers' development platforms, such as Java and Corba®, and provide ADO.NET support for multiple vendor databases, For example Oracle®, IBM® DB2®, Microsoft® SQL Server, and Borland® Interbase®. Third, the model-driven development feature provides fast application development capabilities that transcends traditional RAD. C # Builder is released in the third quarter of 2003.
Q: Does Octane continue to provide delphi existing features? A: Octane will still provide most existing Delphi features. Octane provides a full Delphi program language and standard VCL control set. Most existing VCL database access technologies, including Borland Data Providers, will support .NET in addition to fully supporting ADO.NET. Existing web development techniques will be replaced by Delphi ASP.NET WebForms and .NET WebServices.
Q: What should I do if I want to continue to develop Win32 applications? A: For the current Win32 application development, Delphi 7 Studio is a powerful RAD solution that provides .NET transplant path and has visual design and cross-platform Linux development capabilities. Now, more than 2 million Win32 applications developers use Borland® Delphitm and Borland® C Builder®, Borland has not changed the commitment of this development community. Borland believes that there are still many Win32 Delphi applications that need to be developed and plans to support and update Win32 Delphi technology in a foreseeable future. The Win32 Delphi compiler will store new language features to increase the .NET compatibility of the source code. VCL for Win32 will be updated. Q: How will Delphi and Linux develop? A: Borland® Kylix is currently the first native Linux development IDE, because the Linux platform is still growing, we expect Delphi development needs on the Linux platform will continue to grow.
Q: Why do I want to buy C # Builder for C # and .NET development? A: Borland® C # Builder and Microsoft® Visual Studio® have integrated development capabilities, such as form design, code editing, compilation, and more. However, C # Builder is particularly focused on providing a development environment capable of integrating and accelerating full application lifecycle solutions, including definition, design, development to performance testing. C # Builder and Visual Studio .NET supports the development of .NET application under Microsoft platforms. However, C # Builder allows developers to develop Microsoft .NET applications that can be interoperable in the heterogeneous environment, such as Java and Corba, and allow for different vendors of corporate databases, such as IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft's database products. Borland introduces .NET model drive development characteristics by introducing .NET model in C # Builder, Borland will increase the productivity of the developer by 10 times to drive the RAD to enter the new stage of development. This is a large productive force that has never been seen since the inventions of the RAD tool.
C # Builder and Octane share a new universal IDE kernel. Delphi developers can immediately develop rare development in the new C # Builder IDE, C # Builder can also be configured to be similar to Delphi. Finally, the Delphi version contained in Octane has the same .NET development specific function and productivity improvement characteristics like C # Builder. For Delphi developers, C # Builder is the most natural C # development environment.
To the most sincere greetings
SIMON THORNHILL Vice President and General Manager .NET Solution
Please also see the public letter of the Delphi community (Open Letter to Delphi Community).
-------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------ Translator Note: In the translation process, refer to the previous Chinese version, criticism, please contact LucentOff@sohu.com. The reader can also refer to the Chinese version of "Delphi Community Open Letter (October 2, 2003).
Can OCTANE be named? Can you continue the legend of Borland? At the end of the year, let us wait and see!
