Light Edition of Delphi at a Low Cost

[Darkhog]

@SilverWarrior: That's exactly what I meant.

But I find Lazarus better than any of Delphis as it doesn't have stupid and unintuitive interface Delphis after 7 had. IMO they borked it. Tried too hard to look like Visual Studio. Maybe I'm just (23 years ) old, but I prefered Delphi's 7 and Lazarus' interface better.

I've found out about Delphi a bit other way. I've programmed since I've been 10 years old, started with Turbo Pascal (my first program asked for name and then printed "Hello, <name>!"). Then I wanted to make Windows apps. Husband of my cousin (I think ) when he heard about that gave me CD from computer magazine (PC World, I think, but back then in Poland it was called PC World Komputer) with full version of Delphi 5 Standard. I didn't have internet back then as broadband connection wasn't as cheap as it is now and we couldn't afford modem, to be sure, but I think it was months before release of Delphi 6.

[SilverWarior]

But I find Lazarus better than any of Delphis as it doesn't have stupid and unintuitive interface Delphis after 7 had. IMO they borked it. Tried too hard to look like Visual Studio. Maybe I'm just (23 years ) old, but I prefered Delphi's 7 and Lazarus' interface better.

Actually I perfer new Delphi interface more (I never manged to position all those windows right so I could acces all of them without searching the proper one) but I would like to be able to undock Form design zo a seperate window. Now it is still posible of using undocked design in newest Delphi versions but that leads to my old problem of finding proper window.

I've found out about Delphi a bit other way. I've programmed since I've been 10 years old, started with Turbo Pascal (my first program asked for name and then printed "Hello, <name>!"). Then I wanted to make Windows apps. Husband of my cousin (I think ) when he heard about that gave me CD from computer magazine (PC World, I think, but back then in Poland it was called PC World Komputer) with full version of Delphi 5 Standard. I didn't have internet back then as broadband connection wasn't as cheap as it is now and we couldn't afford modem, to be sure, but I think it was months before release of Delphi 6.

My first program (fi you could say that) was predefined choice survey made with a Batch file alone
I showed that to my computer science proffesor which then suggested that I get some boks on C++ and learn that. I must say that I had gread dificulties of finding beginers book on C++ writen in Slovenian language. All of them were ment only for intermediate and advanced programmers.
So when one day I mentioned my intentions of learning of programming in C++ to one of my friends he gave me some C++ IDE (CPP i belive). So I started fidling with it using IDEs documentation for reference and I did manage to write several "Helo World" style applications, but I never managed to move further.
One day I went to find a Slovenian C++ programing forum but stumbled to Delphi-Si forum instead. There I just opened random topic and saw Objective Pascal code syntax for the first time. It seemed quite understandable and logical to me. Since I wasn't searching for Pascal based forum I moved on soon.
But for some rason I couldn't get that code out of my head so I returned to that forum again later, opened the same topic agan and started looking at that code even more thorow. AnAfter looking at that code for some time I belived that I found the error in that code. So I registered on that forum and posted my opinion about the error in that source code. And ques what I was right. I did find the error in that souce code and even my proposed solution worked even thou I have written it compleetly out of my head without any previous expirience in Objective Pascal.
So at that time I started of thinking that maybe I should rather learn Objective Pascal instead of C++.
So I asked on the forums for advice on how to start. I got quick reply with information about where to Download Delphi 6 Personal Edition for free and even which beginers book I should read. And that book was written in Slovenian language.
So I went and ordered that book and asked my computer science professor to download the Delphi to me (I only had DialUp modem at the time).
Professor managed to download Delphi for me on the same day before the school was over so I rushed home to quickly try it out. I even skiped last class
Once at home I quickly realized how great Delphi is and in the first day managed to develop full fledged Calculator copy.
The book arrived in about a weak time later. When it did I starter reading it and manged to read one third of it in one go (verry impresive since I never liked reading books).
What impressed me most is that even after reading one third of the book I haven't learned much new. This was not becouse book would be written badly, it is written verry good, but becouse I manged to learn most of those things only by trial and error and reading Delphi's domcumentation in that weak alone before book arrived.

So you can now understand how I can get angry when someone tries to convince me that Objective Pascal is shitty language and I should move to some other like C++

[Darkhog]

For me C++ is shitty language. I mean, it is easier for memory leak in C++ than in Pascal (ANY pascal) because pointers are used freaking everywhere, even in place where passing variable by value instead of by reference would be enough. In Pascal you use pointers only when you have to. I'll probably stop right now, because I'm ranting again and this is not thread for that. I also need to write Super Heli Land (contrary to popular believe games aren't writing themselves).

Now, I can do some simple C++, but only with stuff like C++ Builder (by the way is it still around? Last version I remember was C++ Builder 5) and QT Creator. I could never could write c++ app from scratch, because I am simply unable to.

[SilverWarior]

Now, I can do some simple C++, but only with stuff like C++ Builder (by the way is it still around? Last version I remember was C++ Builder 5) and QT Creator. I could never could write c++ app from scratch, because I am simply unable to.

Yes C++ Builder is still aroud. Embarcadero keeps both Delphi and C++ Builder in development.

[pitfiend]

My programmer carrier started with Turbo Pascal for DOS, before that I learned 6502 ASM and Basic, as a hobbist programmer in the venerable Commodore 64, then I grow up learning C and used it on some classes when going to Technical Institute. When I met Pascal, felt in love. Then Delphi arrives and I married it. Even if I had some affairs with C/C++, Clipper, Visual Basic, Power Builder, Cobol or RPG/400, my love for Delphi is very deep. Here in Peru is very rare to found a Delphi programmer, many people have sold their soul to Visual Basic, mainly because it's easier to learn and very cheap compared with Delphi. There was a time when Delphi had a place in the classroom, but the lack of promotion and the higher price makes it unaffordable for the beginer.

[WILL]

Wouldn't mind reignighting interest in this poll for specific reasons. Any more people what to have some input on this?

My plan is to report the findings on this poll to the decision-makers at Embarcadero in the very near future. I would really help if all those who have at least some vested stake or interest in Delphi's future to vote what you feel you ACTUALLY need from this set of tools. Even if you don't use them right now!

A conversation with real facts about what a game developer would need from Delphi will go a long way in talks with EMBT. (Price issues aside!) The community knows my track record of breaking through the veil. So my goal when starting this poll was to gather some real facts to work with not a handful of my own personal oppinion.

So if you haven't voted on this poll, please do so. Every person counts esp. the new members who are active!

[Murmandamus]

I don't think I have much to add at this point. My issues with Delphi are with Embarcadero as a company, and not something that really can be addressed through this kind of avenue. The price issue, though you discount it, is a symptom of a much more significant set of problems. It is why I really don't ever see myself purchasing Delphi for any future development projects, but instead throwing all my efforts behind Lazarus/FPC, including improving them far beyond anything Embarcadero can offer with Delphi. It is not an issue of free/open source vs commercial/closed source, but just a general attitude and bias towards certain swaths of developers, as well as questionable (bordering on fraudulent) business practices.