Software development for Windows and other popular operating systems can be carried out through a variety of types of tools. Among those that are characterized by great popularity among Russian and foreign programmers is the Delphi program. What is the specificity of this development tool? What are its most notable features?
Delphi Overview
Delphi is an application development environment that is designed to run on Windows, MacOS, as well as on mobile operating systems - iOS and Android. It is characterized by the simplicity of the language and code generation procedures.
If necessary, provides low-level communication with the OS and libraries compiled in C and C ++. Programs that are created using Delphi do not require third-party shells to run - such as, for example, the Java Virtual Machine. Delphi is a development environment that can be successfully used by both professionals and educational purposes. In order to master its basic capabilities, it is not necessary to have high qualifications and knowledge of complex programming languages.
Main advantages
We will examine what are the key advantages of the software product in question. When a given IT company justifies the choice of development environment, Delphi becomes the choice of many programmers and is recommended by them for use. This is due to the fact that this environment allows you to create applications in the most operational terms, to ensure their high performance even on those computers that have modest hardware characteristics. A significant argument in favor of choosing the development environment under consideration is that it can be supplemented with new tools that are not provided for by the standard set of solutions present in the Delphi interface.
Let us now examine the nuances of the practical use of the capabilities of Delphi.
Interface specifics
First of all, you can pay attention to some features of the interface of the considered software development environment. So, the structure of the workspace of the program involves the simultaneous work with several main windows. Consider this property in more detail.
The Delphi development environment, version 7 in particular, involves the use of the following key modules: form designer, editor, palette, object inspector, and also a reference. In some Delphi modifications, marked components may be named differently. For example, a program code window may correspond to an editor, and a form window may correspond to a designer. However, their functionality will be the same. The marked Delphi interface elements can complement various support tools. The first two are considered the main ones from the point of view of program development procedures. But the others are also important. Consider the features of using marked Delphi modules.
Form Designer, Editor, and Palette
Using the form designer, the developer creates the interface of his program. In turn, its code is written in the editor. Many programmers who recommend choosing the Delphi development environment as the most optimal solution cite the ease of use of the form designer as an argument. Some experts believe that this process is more like a game.
As soon as the user starts creating the program and launches the form designer, initially there are no elements in it, it is empty. But it can be immediately filled with the help of tools located on another Delphi module - the palette. The program interface elements that are configured in the form designer must be controlled by commands, which, in turn, are written in the editor.
But back to the palette for now. Using it, you can place the necessary objects in the area of the form designer. In order to use this or that tool, you should click once on it - while it is in the palette area, the second time - in the form designer window. After that, the corresponding object will be moved to the development area, and you can write code for it in the editor.
Object Inspector
Another significant element that Delphi contains is the application development environment for Windows and other common platforms - the object inspector. It can be noted that the information displayed in it is changing: it is affected by the status of the object that is selected in the form designer area.
The structure of the site inspector is as follows. It has two windows. On each, algorithms are fixed that determine the behavior of the corresponding components. In the first, properties are displayed, in the second - events. If the programmer wants to make adjustments to the algorithms that affect a specific component, then the capabilities of the object inspector are used. So, for example, you can change the positioning of certain elements of the program interface, their height and width.
There are bookmarks in the object inspector with which you can switch between pages that reflect properties or events that are directly related to the editor. So, if you double-click on the right side of any of the items displayed on the screen, the code that corresponds to a particular event will be fixed in the editor.
Software development in Delphi involves the use of an object inspector to solve a variety of problems. This is determined by the fact that with the help of this tool you can change the properties of virtually any objects located on the form, as well as itself. We will study in more detail some of the features of working with an object inspector.
Object Inspector: Seizing Opportunities
In order to understand how the Delphi IDE works in terms of interaction between the object and form inspector, you can try to make changes to the properties of some common elements of the software interface in Windows - for example, Memo, Button and Listbox (a bit later we will examine their essence in more detail). First you need to place them on the form using the available Delphi tools.
You can try experimenting with the Ctl3D property. To do this, click on the form, then go to the object inspector and change the value of the property in question. After that, the form will significantly change the appearance. At the same time, the Ctl3D property will be changed on each of the elements that are placed in the development window.
After the experiments, we can again switch to the form and activate the Ctl3D value. After that, let's turn to the Memo and Listbox elements. Now you can change their properties, location on the form, appearance. For example, selecting the Edit option in the menu item and then the Size option, the programmer can change the width and height of objects. There is an option to center them by selecting Edit and Align. Appropriate actions will affect the items displayed in the object inspector.
Using the Delphi module in question, you can change the properties of components. So, for example, if the task is to determine a specific color for them, that is, options for involving several tools at once. First, you can enter a command that matches the color — for example, red — clRed — in the object management area . Secondly, the user can select the desired color from the list. Thirdly, there is an option to double-click on the Color properties - a window for choosing a color will appear. Similarly, the developer can change other attributes of objects - for example, the type of font, its color or size.
Directory
Delphi is a development environment that is complemented by a fairly detailed help system. In order to access it, select Help from the menu. After that, the window will display one of the program modules of the development environment under consideration, the directory. The peculiarity of using it is that when you press F1, the user will receive a specific hint reflecting the specifics of using the current tool. For example, if a programmer works with an object inspector, then he can select one of the properties, then press F1 and get help information about the corresponding option. The same thing can be done when working with any other interface element, which includes the Delphi 7 development environment and other versions of the corresponding type of software.
Other interface elements
Other significant interface components of the software solution under consideration are the menu, the quick access panel, and the image editor. Regarding the menu - it allows the programmer to get quick access to the necessary components that are present in the structure of the development environment. You can use it both with the mouse, and when using hot keys. Just below the menu is a quick access toolbar. Some of its functions duplicate those that are characteristic of the menu, but access to them is faster. The Delphi image editor is somewhat similar to the Paint program in Windows. That is, with the help of it you can make the simplest adjustments to pictures, apply inscriptions and other elements to them.
Programming tools
Delphi is a development environment that includes a large number of tools designed to increase the efficiency of a programmer. So, the key modules considered by us above are supplemented by a set of special tools. Among them: a debugger, a compiler, as well as WinSight and WinSpector components. Note that in some versions of Delphi, the marked elements must be installed separately. We study their specifics.
Delphi Debugger
Regarding the debugger, this tool complements the code editor in terms of conducting the necessary verification of the corresponding software algorithms for correctness. With it, a developer can actually examine his source code line by line. In some cases, when solving a problem such as component development, Delphi as an independent product can be supplemented with an external debugger, which gives the programmer advanced features for checking the code of the software being created.
Compiler Delphi
We now study the specifics of the compiler of the development environment in question. Note that several relevant elements may be present in the Delphi structure. So, there is an option to use the DCC compiler, which is useful in cases where there is a task to work with the application in an external debugger.
Winsight and WinSpector
These modules relate to those that need to be installed on Delphi additionally. They are characterized by relative difficulty in mastering. However, many programmers who have chosen the Delphi development environment believe that these components must be learned to use. So, the Winsight module is used to monitor Windows messages. A component such as WinSpector is needed in order to fix the state of the computer in a special file. If during the development of the software any failures are observed, you can always open this file and see what could be the cause of the problem.
Standard components
The Delphi development environment, which we are familiar with, includes a number of standard components that are also useful to know. Specialists include the following: MainMenu, PopupMenu, Label, Edit, Memo, Button, Checkbox, Radiobutton, Listbox, Combobox, Scrollbar, Groupbox, Panel, as well as Scrollbox. We study their specifics in more detail.
The MainMenu component is designed to place the main menu in the interface of the program being created. To do this, place the corresponding element on the form, then call the Items property through the object inspector, and then determine the necessary menu items.
The PopupMenu component is designed to place pop-up menus in the interface of the program being created, that is, opened with a right-click.
The Label component is used to display text in the program window. It can be customized, for example, set the desired font in the object inspector.
The Edit component is used to display on the screen a fragment of text that the user can edit while the program is running. It is complemented by the Memo component, with which, in turn, you can work with texts of a larger volume. This element includes, for example, options such as word wrap, copy text.
The Button component is designed to perform certain actions by pressing a button while the program is running. You must place the appropriate element on the form, and then enter the desired program code.
The Checkbox component allows you to display lines with a small window on the screen, which can be checked with the mouse. A similar element is Radiobutton. They differ, firstly, in appearance - the second component is executed in the form of a circle, and secondly, the first element allows the simultaneous selection of several options, Radiobutton - only one.
The Listbox component is used to display a list on the screen that the user can scroll with the mouse. Something similar to it is another element - Combobox, but it is complemented by the ability to enter text in a special field.
The Scrollbar component is the scroll bar in windows. As a rule, it appears automatically as soon as the text space or form with objects becomes larger than the window.
The Groupbox component is used to fix the order of movement between windows when you press the TAB key. It can be supplemented with a Panel element, with the help of which several objects can be moved on the form.
The Scrollbox component allows you to fix an area on the form that can be scrolled both horizontally and vertically. This property characterizes the main Delphi default development windows. But if you need to use a similar option on a specific section of the form, you can use the Scrollbox component.
Summary
Delphi is an application development environment with great capabilities, at the same time characterized by the ease of use of the basic functions. Using the tools that make up its structure, you can create a variety of types of programs for Windows and other popular operating systems.
Many programmers determine the choice of development tools for Delphi because of the convenience of using the interfaces of the corresponding software, as well as a wide range of tools useful for working on any part of the program creation - at the design, programming, or debugging stage.