Chapter 1
Introduction

This Quick Start provides an overview of the Delphi development environment to get you started using the product right away. It also tells you where to look for details about the tools and features available in Delphi.

What is Delphi?

Delphi is an object-oriented, visual programming environment for rapid application development (RAD). Using Delphi, you can create highly efficient applications for Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT with a minimum of manual coding. Delphi provides all the tools you need to develop, test, debug, and deploy applications, including a large library of reusable components, a suite of design tools, application and form templates, and programming wizards. These tools simplify prototyping and shorten development time.

Where to find information

Information on Delphi is available in a variety of forms:

For information about new features in this release, refer to What's New in Delphi? in the online Help and to the borland.com Web site.

Online Help

The online Help system provides detailed information about user-interface features, language implementation, programming tasks, and the components in the Visual Component Library (VCL). It includes the core Help files listed in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 Online Help files 

Help file

Contents

Audience

What's New in Delphi?
(Del5new.hlp)

Introduces new features and enhancements to Delphi for the current release and includes links to detailed information.

Developers who upgraded to this release

Using Delphi
(Delphi5.hlp)

Introduces the Delphi development environment and explains how to work with forms projects, and packages. Discusses basic concepts of component-based object-oriented programming.

New Delphi developers, people with questions about the IDE

 
Visual Component Library Reference
(Del5vcl.hlp)

Presents detailed reference on VCL classes, global routines, types, and variables. Entries show the unit where each class is declared; its position in the hierarchy; a list of available properties, methods, and events; and code examples.

All Delphi developers

Programming with Delphi
(Del5prog.hlp)

Provides details about using the VCL components and illustrates common programming tasks such as handling exceptions, creating toolbars and drag-and-drop controls, and using graphics.

All Delphi developers

Developing Database Applications
(Del5dbd.hlp)

Explains design of single- and multi-tiered database applications, including database architecture, datasets, fields, tables, queries, and decision support.

Database developers

Developing Distributed Applications
(Del5dap.hlp)

Explains how to create distributed applications. Includes information on CORBA, DCOM, MTS, HTTP, and sockets.

Developers writing client/server applications

Creating Custom Components
(Del5cw.hlp)

 
Provides information on writing custom Delphi components. Explains how to design, build, test, and install a component.

Developers writing Delphi components

Developing COM-based Applications
(Del5com.hlp)

Explains how to build distributed applications using COM. Topics include COM objects, MTS components, Automation servers and controllers, ActiveX controls, and type libraries. Explains how to modify generated type libraries using Delphi's Type Library Editor

Developers writing client/server applications

Object Pascal Reference
(Del5op.hlp)

Provides a formal definition of the Object Pascal language and includes topics on file I/O, string manipulation, program control, data types, and language extensions.

Developers who need Object Pascal language details

Customizing Help
(OpenHelp.hlp)

 
Explains how to configure the Delphi Help system. The OpenHelp utility lets you add or remove any Windows Help (.HLP) file.

Developers wanting to customize the Delphi Help system

You will also find Help on additional products that are supplied with some versions of Delphi, such as

All Help files are located in the Help directory under the main Delphi directory.

For information on customizing your Help system, see "Customizing the Help system".

Printed documentation

This Quick Start is an introduction to Delphi. To order additional printed documentation, refer to the Web site at shop.borland.com.

Developer support services

Inprise also offers a variety of support options to meet the needs of its diverse developer community. To find out about support offerings for Delphi, refer to http://www.borland.com/devsupport/delphi.

Additional Delphi Technical Information documents and answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are also available at this Web site.

From the Web site, you can access many newsgroups where Delphi developers exchange information, tips, and techniques. The site also includes a list of books about Delphi.

For information about year 2000 issues and our products, see the following URL: http://www.inprise.com/devsupport/y2000/.

Typographic conventions

This manual uses the typefaces described below to indicate special text.

Table 1.2   Typographic conventions 

Typeface

Meaning

Monospace type

Monospaced type represents text as it appears on screen or in code. It also represents anything you must type.

Boldface

Boldfaced words in text or code listings represent reserved words or compiler options.

Italics

Italicized words in text represent Delphi identifiers, such as variable or type names. Italics are also used to emphasize certain words, such as new terms.

Keycaps

This typeface indicates a key on your keyboard. For example, "Press Esc to exit a menu."


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