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When did you start using RAD Studio Delphi and have long have you been using it?
Since Delphi 1. Over 26 years ago!What was it like building software before you had RAD Studio Delphi?
Delphi heralded a new generation of development tools. When Microsoft only had buggy betas of Foxpro, Borland had a ground-breaking polished product. I had been recruited to rewrite an application that had “hit the buffers” in terms of GUI development using tools of DOS era origin. My decision to use the brand new Delphi was applauded time and again. We were working with multi-dimensional databases, writing GUIs with lots of drag and drop coupled to fast data handling. I hardly touched a TDataset during my first 3 years with Delphi. That changed!How did RAD Studio Delphi help you create your showcase application?
We had much Delphi experience to leverage. It is the complete development tool in one package. Cross platform, data handling, GUI builder. It’s well developed OO structure is vital to a large project. With a project that is pushing boundaries we are able to build and integrate our own functions, components and tools when Delphi does not (yet) have them.What made RAD Studio Delphi stand out from other options?
From a single tool with a common code base are delivering web server for Linux and Windows, and desktop for Windows and macOS. No reliance on Java, .Net, PHP interpreter or similar causing installation, compatibility and versioning headaches. Native compile is simple, fast and keeps our IP secure.What made you happiest about working with RAD Studio Delphi?
We were able to build a really solid structure, within which the wide functionality of the product is slotting in nicely. A structure to edit and store report definitions though RTTI is infinitely extendable. Interfaces enable any data source to be fed into the report generation engine. Similarly interfaces on the output of the engine enable the same report to be rendered to browser, Excel, CSV or whatever. Extensive use of records passed by pointer reduces the amount of copying, and by extension memory used.What have you been able to achieve through using RAD Studio Delphi to create your showcase application?
My biggest grin came was when we load-tested the server module. The minimum target for a viable product was 20 reports per minute per processor core. 100rpm/core would be “time for a beer” as my son put it. The result: a staggering 300rpm/core! Wise Eyes is fast because Delphi is fast.What are some future plans for your showcase application?
Wise Eyes is just beginning. Our Excel Inject is popular, but people are using Google Sheets and other online spreadsheets. With the aforementioned structure existing code will extend quite easily. Multi-lingual capability is close, for which Delphi’s Unicode support is vital. The headline feature for version 2 will be easy drag and drop report writing for managers, without first building a datamart.Thank you, Simon! Visit the link below to view his showcase entry. Delphi is fast and reliable – you could be using it to add the ‘wow’ factor to your apps just like Simon. Interested in using Embarcadero’s IDE Software? It will help you Build Apps 5x Faster With One Codebase for Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux. Request a free trial here.