Today is an exciting and dynamic time to be a developer. Technology advances seem to have accelerated and, with this, our software projects seem to paradoxically expand and shrink simultaneously. They expand because more devices and environments are becoming available to them. They shrink because we tend to use the same tools for developing all variants of our work. Past developers could have a single-minded focus on a particular environment or toolset. In contrast, today’s developers have to consider so many things before starting their Windows 10 App Development journey. So, let us discuss some of the crucial points along that voyage of development.
What is the history of your IDE/Framework?
Knowing about history is important because historical mistakes, missteps, and abject failures might repeat themselves. As a developer, we invest a lot of resources, both physical and emotional, in a project. If fundamental tools like programming language, IDE, or frameworks drastically change overnight, we must rebuild, almost from scratch, wasting almost all our investment. This repeated rebuilding can – and mostly likely will – increase costs for our clients too, and they won’t be happy either.
Delphi has a great history in this regard. Upgrading older projects to newer ones is so straightforward that we can do it in no time. In less than a week, in my work, we recently upgraded a 2003 Windows (VCL) version project to 2022 multiplatform (FMX) project. Our customer was happy and surprised too. Unfortunately, most other tools do not follow the same policy, resulting a tragic graveyard of abandoned projects. If this is growth, then what is a disaster?
It is wise to search for the backward compatibility history of a tool before devoting yourself to it. What sort of longevity does the tool provide? What stability does it give when moving from one version of the tool to another in terms of compatibility? It’s important to ask these questions, because if a company abandoned backward compatibility in the past, it would also happen with you in the future, and then it will be too late. Also, if your IDE has no history, ask yourself, is it wise to invest in it heavily? Nobody wants to be the pathfinder, the early adopter who is sacrificed to ensure those who come along later benefit from their trials and tribulations.
Why does compilation speed matter?
A finished software project is a compilation of hundreds or thousands of iterations of build, test, debug cycles. Pascal, in general, and Delphi, in particular, are famous for high-speed compilation. The specific structure of a Pascal program and multilevel optimizations applied by Delphi gives RAD studio an extreme edge in compilation speed and executable production process. For example, in one typical test, Delphi compiled one million lines of code in under 5 seconds. This super-fast compilation speed can be your friend in hard times of late-night iterative debugging and the seemingly common deadline congestions of a product release date.
How to distinguish between Low-Code hype and the real thing?
Like all new jargon, many companies misuse NoCode/LowCode words in the software industry. Fortunately, it is easy to distinguish between real and over-hyped tools. Every tool geared toward novice users and non-programmers is a lousy option. Ultimately, you have to write code to push things to their limits or customize the behavior fully. On the other hand, if a tool is geared toward developers and adds LowCode/NoCode features as an additional help without hiding bare-metal access, this tool is excellent for coding. Delphi’s Low Code Wizards and No-Code RAD features fall into this category, so it helps and saves time without hindering your complete control. The component-based architecture and development paradigm of RAD Studio Delphi has meant, right from the start, it was a low-code solution to a programmer’s dreams. Low-code for the developer is not NO code. It means you, the coder, writes the bare minimum of code while behind the scenes a wealth of well written, tried and tested code encapsulated as components does the work for you. The wizards build on top of this already low-code base to be the ultimate developer dream team.
What is your plan beyond Windows 10 App Development?
Windows apps used to be a significant resource for business productivity. But rich growth in web and mobile apps is blurring the line between them, and today, developing an app on Windows 10 means might also mean embracing cross-platform development. Fortunately, Delphi RAD studio vigorously supports developers on all frontiers, and Delphi does it with grace because you don’t have to ship a single bloated application for all platforms. Instead, you will ship fully native applications for all supported platforms from a single codebase. The user interface and platform-specific differences are corralled into project deployment options and views while the main core code of the app is used as-is. No requirement for multiple separate projects with totally different code bases in each and only a few tiny, shared sections of logic. With Delphi the overwhelming majority is shared – inverting the ideas of competing technologies and avoiding complexity.
With this great blessing, you can port the required functionality of Desktop apps to many operating systems, including mobile apps. So, whether you want a mobile game or desktop productivity app, Delphi is always with you.
Can you carefully follow in Microsoft’s footsteps?
Microsoft owns Windows and is a leader in desktop development, which enforces it to predict or design the future and move all Windows developers in that direction. Unfortunately, the future is not always predictable, and as history shows, Microsoft made many wrong moves. These errors might not be bad for the company due to its sheer size and resources, but developers investing in Microsoft plans might pay a heavy price.
An individual developer cannot forecast all issues with a specific policy, let alone be ready for it, but an effective organization can. Luckily, Embarcadero is helping out developers make the best decisions in all complex scenarios through its product lines and R&D investment. That is why Delphi RAD studio developers are always ahead of the crowd with truly native app development which has a legendary ability to survive – and thrive – through upgrades and changes to versions of Microsoft Windows, completely unscathed. It’s the exact opposite of other technologies such as .Net which often need major overhauls, repair or complete reinstallation if the user upgrades their operating system.
Why is Native IDE necessary for Windows 10 App Development?
Using a native Windows IDE is essential for efficient software development. Because you will get outstanding performance from this, you will have better access to the underlying hardware. Unfortunately, many popular IDEs depend on a translation layer like Atom shell or JVM. Using non-native IDE will disconnect you from many options and optimizations. Delphi RAD Studio is the ultimate truth in native Windows 10 app development that will set you free.
Why is having the source code of the runtime beneficial?
Delphi’s runtime source code and libraries are shipped along with the IDE. Having access to that source code has many benefits. First of all, the source code itself is the best documentation available. You can look at any routine or object to see how experts designed it and what assumptions are for its usage. This insight will help you develop your applications better. Secondly, you can see that code follows a standard, or do they breach what they preach? Thirdly, if you encounter a bug or need some change in code usage, you may change it yourself or find a patch from an online community. It is one of the main reasons for a vibrant Delphi community because every developer can benefit from code quality and contribute accordingly.
Why is Delphi the most open road available?
Another fascinating and liberating fact about Delphi is that it never blocks your options. It does not tie you to a particular framework or way of thinking. For example:
- If you want to program in assembly language or C++, Delphi will help you.
- If you’re going to do system programming with pure Windows APIs, Delphi is capable of doing that.
- If you are adding JavaScript capabilities, many easy methods are available to Embed JavaScript Engines in Delphi.
- If you want to do Data Science and Artificial Intelligence stuff, you can have complete Python in Delphi
- If you are building high-quality games, many popular Delphi game engines are available
- If you are making Database applications, Delphi has been a pioneer which has strongly excelled in this area since 1995.
- If you wish to do proper cross-platform development, Delphi is there to help you
- If you want to create web apps, many routes are available in Delphi.
In short, from the beginnings of Pascal as a first teaching language to blockchain to IoT and anything in between, Delphi is there to help you, and Delphi is the most open road available.
Are you ready for super-charged Windows 10 app development?
It is interesting how Delphi makes Windows 10 app development trivial and enjoyable. Also, with its up-to-date approach, you are always ahead of competitors in implementing new features and removing errors. Therefore, it is an excellent time to start Windows 10 app development with Delphi. Why not download your own free trial copy of Delphi for Windows 10 app development now and see for yourself?