Everything you need to know about modern Delphi

Overview 

Delphi was first introduced on February 14, 1995, and since then, it has become one of the best IDEs for creating applications. The latest major version of Delphi was released on November 7, 2023. In this article, we are going to talk about the innovations presented in the recently released Delphi 12 version, C++Builder, and RAD Studio 12 Athens.

What’s new? 

What’s new in RAD Studio 12 Athens? 

RAD Studio version 12 can help you: 

• Focus on the latest platform versions;
• Improve performance with Visual Assist integration for C++;
• Deliver stunning graphics with SKIA for FMX;
• Embed multi-line SQL, HTML, JSON, and XML text into your application source code more easily;
• Improve mobile design with FireMonkey enhancements;
• Make it easier for Delphi to call any Windows platform APIs; 
• Get a preview version of the new CLANG-based C++ compiler for Win64, which supports the latest C++ standards and integrates better with external C++ libraries and code;
• Modernize applications with the updated VCL;
• Increase application security through SQL restrictions; 
• and much more. 

What has been improved in Delphi, C++Builder, and RAD Studio 12 Athens? 

• Support for Linux client applications using the included FMX Linux library;
• FireMonkey application platform for creating 32-bit Windows apps and 64-bit Windows apps for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 7 (SP1+), Windows Server 2022 and 2019;
• FireMonkey platform for creating 64-bit iOS ARM apps for iOS 17 and iOS 16; 
• Microsoft Windows SDK support for Windows 11, 10, and 7 APIs;
• WebBrowser component for Windows, with support for both classic IE ActiveX and the new Microsoft WebView 2 control;
• Import of projects in Delphi from 1 to 11 and in C++Builder from 2007 to 11;
• Delphi and C++ RTL for Android, with support for Android API level 33, which is a Google requirement for submitting apps to the Play Store; 
• New implementation of Delphi Code Insight to include Code Completion, Parameter Completion, Error Insight, Find Declaration, and Tooltip/Help Insight;

• Structural highlighting; highlighting of flow controls to visually see flow transitions in your code directly in the editor; code navigation toolbar with classes and methods at the top of the editor, with an additional option to hide it; 
• Extended IDE ToolsAPI with direct access to editor content and additional information about its display;
• and more. 

Key new features available in Delphi, C++Builder, and RAD Studio 12 Athens 

• Preview of a new C++ compiler for Win64;  
• Support for FireMonkey Skia;
• New implementation of stylized notes with improved IME support, available for all supported platforms;
• Editing improvements with a new virtual keyboard for iOS, improved interactive text selection, carriage point, and finger gesture control on Android;
• Support for split-screen apps for iOS and Android;
• New Skia-based VCL controls;
• Support for full HighDPI and VCL styles in MDI applications;
• New TFormTabsBar control and IFormVisualManager interface; 
• Extended TFont VCL class with DPI support and improved scaling;
• Single App Icon Wizard, which is a comprehensive tool integrated into RAD Studio IDE designed to simplify the process of creating icons and splash screens for custom applications on all supported platforms;
• New JSON mapping wizard that can generate classes corresponding to a JSON data structure and relevant reading and writing code to read JSON in a set of objects and pass it to a new file;
• And many other things. 

Try Delphi 12 now!