Article date: 09/2004 - Borcon 2004
The largest step for Delphi is about to happen: Delphi 2005 (new version: Delphi 9 - code named Diamondback) is the new version of your favorite development tool
Borland Conference 2004 is on. As announced, BorCon will be the first public showing anywhere of DiamondBack, the code name for the new Delphi version. This article brings you an overview of the latest Delphi features in the DiamondBack preview at BorCon 2004.
Unleash the power: Delphi 2005
The new Delphi IDE supports multiple personalities. It supports Delphi for Win 32, Delphi for .NET and C#, the current personality you are using is indicated by the icon. The IDE allows you to have several different type projects in one project group, and enables you to switch between them without closing the IDE.
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Here's the unsorted list of the new features (note that this list is updated on a daily basic - as new features are "revealed"):
IDE
The CPU view now displays the source, IL disassembly for managed processes and ASM (x86) for win32 processes.
Error Insight is constantly checking the code you type - in case of any error, the little red wavy line will appear on the line where the syntax error is. Here's the Delphi 8 IDE trick to achieve the same behavior.
Help insight shows XML document comment in a hint menu.
IDE is theme-enabled
Better connection to IIS for ASP.NET projects
Multi-unit namespaces
In Delphi 8, x.y.z.pas goes into namespace x.y.z, in Delphi 2005 it will now go to namespace x.y.
All interfaced symbols in unit "x.y.z.pas" and "x.y.w.pas" and "x.y.*" will be emitted into the namespace "x.y".
Versioning / new History tab
Shows all of the changes that you have made to a file
Enables you to specify how many levels of backup to keep
Shows differences between versions
Enables multi-level backups
Provides undo for the form designer
New Refactoring tools - refactoring directly from the IDE
Extract method
Extract resource string
Rename
Declare field and variable
Find unit or namespace
New language features
Win32 and .NET
for ... in ... do enumeration syntax (like for...each in C#)
Function inlining
Support for compiling Unicode and UTF8 source files
wild-card "uses" syntax (x.y.*)
Multi-unit namespaces
Only .Net
Compact framework support - for mobile devices. No designer or debugger - only compile (no SDK from Microsoft).
VCL Changes
VCL for Win32 does not do Unicode
If you need VCL controls you should check out TNT Delphi Unicode Controls.
FCL and VCL.NET supports unicode components
Component palette supports drag-and-drop, as well as click-and-click, and Shift'n'Click.
Floating designer supported in Delphi for .NET (I miss that one in Delphi 8). Unfortunately, not for FCL WinForms.
DataExplorer - new and improved
Provides plenty of tools when working with databases.
Enables you to create, alter or drop tables. You can drag a table from the explorer onto the design surface to create the connection and the dataset objects.
Misc
Object Inspector shows properties for files and projects
Built-in IDE QualityCentral reporting
New Open Tools APIs
Built in unit testing support (both NUnit and DUnit)
It appears that you can use Diamondback to compile VB.NET applications (designer is not supported)
A few things you will not find in Delphi 9 (note that this is 100% unofficial)
Not in Diamondback - Delphi for Win32
Generics
Records with methods
Multicast events
Operator overloading
Custom attributes
Nested types
A few features you will find in Delphi but NOT in the CLR
Delphi 1, CLR 0
Sets
Virtual class methods
Virtual constructors
Typeless var params
Typed types
Type aliases
Class reference types
Class helpers
And here it is!
Oh my good, this all sounds to good to be true. I just hope we'll see Delphi 2005 in action very soon.
