Fearless Cross-Platform Development with Delphi, published by Packt
We get started by giving you a quick recap of IDE enhancements over the last several versions to help get you caught up if you're coming from an older version of Delphi.
Learn about the many types of applications, libraries, and platforms that Delphi supports and which project template to use in each case. We'll explore build configurations, shortcuts to managing options and project groups, and show you how to use the command-line compiler for automation.
The Object Pascal language used in Delphi is a mature programming language with modern constructs able to support any of today's application challenges. This chapter showcases enhancements made through the years to the Pascal-based syntax that enabled the flexible and powerful language it is today.
Learn how to truly develop for multiple platforms from one Delphi project. This is where we'll really start diving into cross-platform topics. The first step in that direction is learning about FireMonkey through several simple apps so you can see the differences from the VCL. Finally, several conditional compilation constants you'll need to know to separate code for specific platforms is demonstrated.
Writing a simple DLL isn't so simple when you have to deploy to platforms other than Windows. After building both a dynamic library and a package (and why you might need one over the other), we turn a package into a cross-platform component.
Save code and time by hooking component properties to data fields at design-time. LiveBindings is more than just a replacement for data-aware controls in Delphi. This chapter demonstrates how the LiveBindings Wizard can create components for you already hooked up to your data and how to use custom formatting and parsing--and how to create custom LiveBinding methods installed in Delphi.
Learn how to apply and modify FireMonkey styles by building simple apps with a variety of controls and four different styles that you can run on each of your devices to see the differences.
This is a fun chapter that shows you can use your favorite programming tool to utilize popular GPU engine libraries with ease. Build a simple app with a variety of 3D shapes, textures, lighting, and cameras for a broad overview of the capabilities, then use some of these techniques and more to build an escape game you can play on your phone!
As you build mobile apps, you'll need to understand your options for saving data locally--and how this differs from using server or desktop database engines. FireDAC works with different database products on multiple platforms. This chapter uses both InterBase ToGo and SQLite to contrast the differences.
Focusing on SmartPhones, this chapter utilizes several mobile features to build a real-life app that you might actually find useful.
Learn how Bluetooth is the basis for all things categorized in the Internet-of-Things arena; while we're working with small devices, we digress and show how to get an Android app working on a Raspberry Pi!
Console apps are easy--but they are the foundation for much more serious projects like Windows Services and Linux daemons.
Did you know that Delphi can also be used to build web server applications that run under Windows IIS or Apache on either Windows or Linux? Yes, it can!
To build a REST server with multiple API Endpoints takes a lot of work, right? Not if you use RAD Server! In this chapter, learn how to install and use RAD Server and its tools, then learn how to build your own RAD Server packages.
Add external configuration to your apps and security to RAD Server packages, test in a clean environment, add icons to your mobile apps, install back-end servers, and deploy mobile apps.