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  • Delphi XE2: Setup for Cross Platform Development on the Mac




    This is a simple Video Tutorial showing how to configure your Mac in order to build and run applications built using Delphi XE2 and FireMonkey.

    Video Author: Stefaan Lesage
    Comments 10 Comments
    1. Ñuño Martínez's Avatar
      Ñuño Martínez -
      Are you sure? It seems a tutorial about how to use Lazarus on Windows...
    1. LP's Avatar
      LP -
      Quote Originally Posted by Ñuño Martínez View Post
      Are you sure? It seems a tutorial about how to use Lazarus on Windows...
      Seconded.

      By the way, the speaker sounds like he shouldn't drink too much beer before recording.
    1. WILL's Avatar
      WILL -
      Fixed the link. It is now using the right video from YouTube. Sorry about the confusion.
    1. Ñuño Martínez's Avatar
      Ñuño Martínez -
      What's "PAServer"? An emulator to run Windows on Mac?
    1. LP's Avatar
      LP -
      Quote Originally Posted by Ñuño Martínez View Post
      What's "PAServer"? An emulator to run Windows on Mac?
      No, it's a part of RAD Studio IDE that runs on Mac. Basically, you make an application on Windows, even test it on Windows if needed. Then, you select OS X platform and compile the application for Mac.

      However, the final application bundle can only be assembled on Mac itself, so Delphi IDE connects to PAServer and sends the final executable along with other files added to bundle repository. PAServer creates the final bundle by adding all files together. You can then find the complete application bundle on Mac within PAServer folder. In addition, PAServer also allows debugging Mac OS application that is running on Mac, directly from Delphi IDE in Windows.

      This workflow assumes that most of work is done on Windows and only final tests are done on Mac itself. Somewhat similar approach is used for iOS, although instead of PAServer you need to copy files by yourself and recompile the application in XCode directly.
    1. Ñuño Martínez's Avatar
      Ñuño Martínez -
      Thanks for the explanation.

      It looks like a complex task.
    1. WILL's Avatar
      WILL -
      Mac OS compilation was a bit of a compromise for Embacadero. They wanted the stability of their current Delphi platform, yet they knew we wanted a Mac OS X version with the rising interest in supporting the increasing Mac machines out there.

      Unfortunately the company is elusive about their plans for a native version of Delphi for the Mac, but one would hope that there is one. All this cloak and dagger stuff is a little tiring for us end users so hopefully all the tool developers out there will finally get a clue and give us what we want.

      Until then, this is what you have to do to use Delphi to make Mac OS X apps.
    1. Ñuño Martínez's Avatar
      Ñuño Martínez -
      Quote Originally Posted by WILL View Post
      Mac OS compilation was a bit of a compromise for Embacadero. They wanted the stability of their current Delphi platform, yet they knew we wanted a Mac OS X version with the rising interest in supporting the increasing Mac machines out there.
      This reminds me the Lazarus project. It does work on MacOS, sure, but as far as I know it isn't so stable than on Windows or Linux.

      Anyway I understand that Embarcadero wants stability: they know that Delphi has a reputation, and they want to keep it.
    1. LP's Avatar
      LP -
      Quote Originally Posted by Ñuño Martínez View Post
      It looks like a complex task.
      Actually not quite. You can compile and execute application on Mac in one click (or F9 key), except that you need both Windows PC and Mac to be on, and the debugger actually works!
    1. WILL's Avatar
      WILL -
      The development of Mac apps with Delphi isn't completely horrible, yet the setup is not so straightforward from what I've seen. This can make or break a tool for use.

      Lazarus is pretty crappy on Mac out of the box. Sorry, but it's true. Due to the lack of actual knowledgeable Mac developers on the Lazarus team, I'm not surprised. There is a guy or two working on the Free Pascal compiler, but I doubt they get too involved when it comes to the Lazarus IDE. I won't even start on the debugger. I'll just say that I hope that the FPC team really gets that debugger of their rolling soon. GDB is adequate, but implementation on Mac is abysmal. Solid truth, sorry Florien and Victor. :/

      Getting back to Delphi... Embarcadero can do better. And I hope in their super secret spy school of digital tech beside the office toilet that they are in the process of it. Delphi users who want to support other platforms are getting tired of monkeying around (pun sort of intended) trying to deal with the tool's shortcomings. Rep or not, Delphi is still a Windows dev tool as you still require a Windows machine to run it. However at least there is some kind of solution, even if it takes some tinkering around.

      I (and many others) may be a little bit biased about XE2's let down of high expectations, but it doesn't mean that you can't make great games and other apps for the Mac with it.
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