Question:
I’m leaving Turbo Pascal for Windows 1.5 and Turbo Pascal 7.0 because they don’t work correctly with Windows 95 (for example, division by 0). I heard that Delphi is the new Pascal compiler. But the sites about the Delphi resellers are confusing, with reference to the SQL database and so on. Before I continue my search can you confirm with me that Delphi is the new Pascal compiler?
Answer:
Well, Delphi is based on Pascal, but it’s actually an extended version of ObjectPascal. Your Pascal background will come in handy, but all the nitty-gritty stuff you had to do in Pascal is wrapped by components or wrapper classes and functions that make your Windows programming much easier. With regards to the compiler, Inprise uses the same back-end compiler for Delphi as they do for C++ Builder. This compiler is great and as far as I know, EXE speed is only bettered by the Watcom C compiler. You’re not really getting a Pascal compiler here, in other words. What you’re getting is full-fledged Windows Rapid Application Development (RAD) system that in my opinion is second to none!
