To know how to use Delphi to develop macOS applications? We are discussing Delphi mobile application development in this webinar. The subject for today is the most practical and effective method for creating a Delphi mobile application.
People who already use Delphi for desktop development and have heard something or felt that their software needs to be improved, for example, by adding support for mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, should read this article. Let's get going.
Let's start with a few words about our business. Our areas of expertise are enterprise-grade software development and legacy software transformation. We migrate Delphi from all outdated versions to the most recent or alternative technologies.
In addition, we create apps from the ground up, enhance and re-engineer software, and, as previously said, we are experts in Delphi app creation. At Softacom, we assist businesses with the digital transformation by creating new software and updating outdated ones.
How to Use Delphi to Develop macOS Applications?
Today, what is Delphi? I want to give us some historical context. You have previously seen some of the slides if you have attended one of our webinars. All of it is for newcomers. In any case, let's review Delphi's history and current state. In this blog, do you want to know how to use Delphi to develop macOS applications?
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Today, Delphi is a software development platform used to create desktop, mobile, and various Internet of Things applications. Even though it was created in 1995, it is still relevant today.
This is because, at the very least, based on what I understand, Embarcadero has been updating it frequently. We have a few releases a year, and Embarcadero maintains it current. It has always been and continues to be a sizable Delphi community with seasoned developers and engineers.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Delphi was a groundbreaking technology enabling quick application development. Compared to this awful edition of Microsoft Visual Studio 6, it was a genuinely distinctive tool for desktop programming. Compared to Delphi, where you could just build the project, add the controls, and execute it, Visual Studio 6 at the time made it too difficult to begin developing an application. And see how the marvels began to occur.
It's interesting to note that Anders Hejlsberg, the chief architect of Delphi, was eventually convinced to join Microsoft as a main architect of C#. Such material was presented here merely as food for contemplation.
Following that, Microsoft released Visual Studio 2003 and .NET/C# in 2003, which is, in my opinion, Microsoft's equivalent of RAD Studio. They invested heavily in marketing and publicizing these tools, and as a result, Delphi's popularity began to decline until .NET eventually overtook it.
To Know Complete Guide on How to Use Delphi to Develop macOS Applications?
The justifications for choosing Delphi app development. This question will be broken down into pros and drawbacks. Since we obviously have advantages and disadvantages if we wish to maintain objectivity, we must first discuss Delphi's advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
A cross-platform tool is Delphi. You can actually create apps for iOS and Android these days. You can create apps for Linux or macOS, so I'm not referring to Windows because it's practically a need. Delphi is user-friendly and built for desktop development using a rapid development methodology.
In my opinion, Delphi makes software development considerably simpler and faster than WPF, which naturally offers a richer user interface than WinForms. On the other hand, compared to Delphi.
The WPF UI application development is far more difficult. However, when it comes to WinForms, I am unable to even draw comparisons with Delphi because of its poor user interface and limited functionality, as well as the difficulty of enhancing WinForms applications' user interface.
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Since executables don't require any pre-installed frameworks, Delphi app development allows you to create products that are simple to deploy and eliminates the hassle of versioning frameworks, packages, etc. And what I mean is this. For instance, if you have a .NET application, you should be aware of the .NET version, packages, and conflicts that your clients may have. You also need to distribute assemblies, and there are many other questions.
Delphi still includes a vast array of third-party components; the TMS Software package is only one example. UI, background operations or show media, various cross-platform controls, web controls, and more can all be covered by this enormous collection of components. Another benefit, of course, is that Embarcadero regularly produces new versions of Delphi and RAD Studio.
We have a lot of professional software that was created with Delphi. As of the right moment, you can really move older software—like Delphi 5 and Delphi 7—to the more recent Delphi versions without having to start from scratch. You can retain 90–95% of your code if your program contains a lot of background logic. Like a comment, of course, but only if you don't require a code review, rewriting your code, and cooking spaghetti again.
Drawbacks
Future hazards and unfavorable information noise are, in my opinion, two significant drawbacks. Future risks: Based on what our partners and clients are telling me, will Embarcadero have sufficient resources to rival alternative development tools?
Will there be enough experts and programmers available to support and advance our software? And these are crucial questions. We are even battling for Delphi at the moment and attempting to act as Delphi evangelists, telling people that they shouldn't be afraid. Really! Are you excited to know the best way to use Delphi to develop macOS applications?
Negative information noise: Delphi was studied in universities in the 1990s and 2000s, but other tools have now taken its place. As I recall, Embarcadero released a Community Edition of Delphi for free last year. Perhaps now, other colleges will resume utilizing Delphi, and students will study it in class. Once more, Delphi is viewed by today's youthful developers as outdated technology rather than trendy.
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They have no information. They simply hear this, and I refer to it as a negative information noise. Delphi does not have an operating system. It should go without saying that this is the reason it always lags behind Google, Apple, or Microsoft. Embarcadero required time to include the support for these new features into their Delphi after Microsoft had already produced something and integrated it into their development tools. That's life.
Once more, Delphi is not appropriate for web development, in my opinion. I'm referring to the traditional use of the Delphi web application framework. Delphi lacks a native counterpart when compared to native web technologies such as Visual Studio, ASP.NET, Apache, and PHP.
Advanced mobile application development takes a lot of time. Implementing any custom SDKs from Apple, Google, or Facebook that Fire Monkey does not support by default is difficult.
This is a really significant drawback. Implementing a new version of the SDK from Facebook may occasionally take a few hours if you are using a native Android development tool, such as Android Studio. However, if you are not experienced, it may take two days, a week, or more to complete Delphi.
Why Must We Consider Moving to Mobile Platforms?
The topic, in my opinion, is quite obvious: why are mobile platforms necessary in today's world? I've merely included a few numbers here. Naturally, determining what individuals are using and what development tools they are using is too difficult, so I based my figures on site traffic. Because the internet is everything at the moment.
I just measured the tools people are utilizing based on the traffic that clients create. As you can see, 95% of traffic in 2010 came from desktops. It fell to about 60 percent in 2015. If 2019 is any indication, mobile app traffic ultimately prevailed.
This data pertains to April. People have become accustomed to and enjoy using smartphone apps. This explains the high numbers. Based on the Stat Counter service, these are the precise figures.
Web-Based Application Development Methodology
A popular technique these days is progressive web applications, or PWAs. It contains a wide variety of tools and frameworks. Angular, React.js, Bootstrap, jQuery, and so forth. Applications are compatible with all web browsers.
This application is compatible with desktop, Mac OS, iOS, Android, and Linux. Even without an internet connection, it can function. Because JavaScript caches a lot of functionality and pages, your application can function even without an internet connection. It can cache the program on your device when you launch it.
Data retrieval from the server, for instance, can theoretically function without an internet connection, just like any other program. Even your desktop will have an icon for you. The potential to use the same skills you use for web development: JavaScript, HTTP/CSS, and C#.
Your applications can be updated more easily. All users will get this update and won't need to update the app in the App Store if you make changes to the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files on the server just once. When it comes to native apps, you need to make sure that consumers upgrade your program and utilize the most recent version, which should be free of the flaws you resolved.
Delphi Mobile Development Advantages
Let's now discuss the potential that comes with developing Delphi mobile apps. There may be various possibilities or variations. I've only included the most often used ones here. We have a great deal of expertise with these kinds of insights.
All of these circles are shown here for you to view. It serves as a sort of illustration of how it operates and what materials are required to put these strategies into practice. In order to construct an iOS and Android application with FireMonkey, you will need a Mac OS, installed Xcode, and Embarcadero's PA Server (Platform Assistant Server).
A Delphi mobile app project will establish a connection with a Mac and precisely compile both your project and your application on the Mac OS. Finally, you will receive a package in .apk format. It functions similarly to an iOS application file that you can send to the app store by utilizing iTunes Connect, an Xcode package application loader.
Either a virtual machine or a real computer running Mac OS is required. For Android and Java, it's a little bit simpler. Simply use Java to generate your program on the same machine as Delphi. The output folder contains an APK package, which you can then publish to the Google Play market using a web browser. The procedure is nearly the same when discussing online apps in addition to Fire Monkey. However, hosting is also required for your online application.
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You can build your web application using any technology you desire, and you can use cloud-based hosting like Azure or shared hosting. JavaScript can be used to communicate between Delphi and your web application. Delphi uses a variety of methods for this. The TMS Web Core PWA project is the third choice. To know more information How to use Delphi to develop macOS applications?
The TMS Web Core project is a special project that you will construct in Delphi. It's a TMS Web Core project, not your typical VCL Fire Monkey project, and you can design and build your application on a Delphi computer.
Your website and special files for enabling PWA technology will be in the output folder. You will also require hosting, such as an Azure virtual machine or any on-premise server. It functions similarly to TMS Web Core PWA. When you want to create a Delphi mobile application, you have two options: the TMS WEB Core framework and the FireMonkey cross-platform framework.
Cross-Platform Fire Monkey Framework
We shall now go into greater detail about this Fire Monkey's operation. People frequently ask me, "How can a cross-platform application be native?" Indeed, it can, due to the design and operation of Fire Monkey.
Fire Monkey programs are compiled by Delphi into native packages (.ipa and .apk) for iOS and Android, which are then uploaded to the App Store through Google Play Market and iTunes Connect.
Such a system is referred to by Embarcadero as Native Apps with a Single Codebase. I'll demonstrate how it operates with iOS in the following slide. Packages like native apps are accepted by both Apple and Android, and I believe they are even unaware that they were not compiled with Xcode or Android Studio.
The application can be run without the need for any extra web apps, emulators, or virtual machines. Delphi uses the Java compiler and XCode to produce native mobile applications. I've already covered this in my discussion of Delphi iOS and Delphi Android development. How to use Delphi to develop macOS applications?
