November 30, 2007
Note 49 of 113 of Delphi 2007 Handbook: having a Delphi Runtime Environment can help ISV and small freeware software, but also spread Delphi awareness to end users.
Note 49: I wonder if CodeGear can find a way to freely distribute a “Delphi Runtime Environment” including the core Delphi runtime packages like Microsoft does with the .Net runtime and Sun with the JRE. This will make end users aware of the fact so many programs use Delphi, simplify deployment for smaller shops, and push the Delphi brand outside its niche. Certainly, a very big runtime with frequent updates can pose a burden, but a focused version, limited to core packages and possibly deployed as a single file or a very small set of files, would be a very interesting experiments. And if CodeGear is not interested, maybe the Delphi Developers Community can agree on this distribution model.
Needless to day I'm open to help a "community process" around this idea. This blog post is part of my "113 Delphi 2007 Handbook Notes" blogging project, to promote my new Delphi book.
posted by
marcocantu @ 10:23AM | 9 Comments
[0 Pending]
9 Comments
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
I met so many Delphi developers cannot distribute
their programs without any problems. They just do not
why some extra packages should be added to their
installers and installed on clients' machines.
Guess this issue can be solved if there is a Delphi
runtime. But at this moment, I do not think it is
possible. There are so many Delphi versions still
popular (6, 7, 2006, and 2007). So can one runtime
suit them all? Will there be compatibility problems?
I wonder if it is these potential issues that prevent
CodeGear from releasing such a runtime.
And also even if Microsoft release .NET Runtime
package, it is not yet easy to create an installer
without problems. Only if you can afford InstallAware,
you can find your life easier.
Comment by Li Yang
[http://lextm.blogspot.com]
on November 30, 11:35
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
Marco, I'm sorry, but I think that is a really bad
idea. From bitter experience, I have learnt to NEVER
build with runtime packages or dynamic RTL.
Yes, applications are a little bigger to install, but
the benefits in stability outweigh that significantly.
Comment by Roddy Pratt on November 30, 13:49
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
I don't think it's a good idea. Following Microsoft on
that train would bring us all its aggregated problems.
Besides what Delphi needs is serious marketing from a
serious company, more third party components and more
commitment from its own company to begin with. For
instance, I'm a big fan of IntraWeb, it's a wonderful
framework, but I'm seeing it dying because nobody
supports it. I've making ASP.Net using C#, and God how
I miss IntraWeb when I'm there! It would be great then
to see CodeGear to commit more to its own loyal third
party community, because at the end of the day it's
the availability of good, fresh third party components
what keeps a development tool alive. VS wouldn't be
where it is without the million components available
to build applications with it.
@Roddy:
I install many Delphi applications (with runtime
packages) on several machines and the only runtime
package issues I've had are with third party
components, and even those have been too few to count.
I have 32 Delphi Win32 and IntraWeb applications that
share common runtime packages (including business
objects and rules) and I couldn't get this level of
integration among my entire platform without runtime
packages.
Comment by Arturo Martinez
[http://www.sigob.org]
on November 30, 15:54
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
Could not be more pointless. BPLs are strictly the
domain of the IDE now. No one of a sane mind wants
to claim their application has gone on a diet to
loose a meg or two of libraries only to have to ship
meg upon meg of BPL with it.
Worse, could you imagine hoping someone had the right
patches and updates available? Nope, thanks. BPLs
are a disaster outside of the IDE.
Any sane person would distribute their app compiled
WITHOUT packages.
Comment by Xepol on November 30, 16:50
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
I'm an ex-vb guy. In fact, I was a VB support engineer
at Microsoft in Redmond.
There's a reason I switched to Delphi - it has no
runtimes!
Maintaining runtimes and version conflicts is a
nightmare. That's why I won't code with .NET - ever -
for any reason. The first time I ever tried to install
.NET 1.0 it simply failed and didn't tell me why.
If a programmer doesn't know how to deploy packages,
what makes you think they will know how to deploy a
runtime?
Comment by Mike Dixon on November 30, 18:27
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
This is something we're going to be seriously
considering for our next release. It is something
I've wanted to do for a long time. The trick is
determining what all to include in it. I'd like to
have one runtime redist installer, but that may be
overkill for some folks. We may be able to create an
MSI merge-module that allows people to control which
sets of packages to install. None of this has been
nailed down and all options are on the table.
Allen.
Comment by Allen Bauer
[http://blogs.codegear.com/abauer]
on November 30, 19:18
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
I don't agree. This will only create a false
perception amongst developers that Delphi
applications require a runtime. End users won't
remember the name Delphi a day after they download
the runtime and even if they do remember it, they
aren't the target market anyway.
Comment by Lachlan Gemmell on November 30, 19:48
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
I see no reason for a "Delphi runtime", at least for
the native version. It will give the wrong impression
because people won't understand it's like MSVC++
runtime, not C#/VB runtime, and BPLs have no special
installaion requirements. Just copy them without
overwriting newer versions, and increase the counter
when shared, using a good installer.
Lately I am using DLL redirection to have a private
copy of BPLs - disk space is no longer a issue, I use
runtime packages mostly to allow for modular
application, not to reduce executable footprints or
share code in memory among different applications.
That said, I wish I could see some improvements in
run-time package use and management.
For example stricter rules for naming (third party
developers: don't put the Delphi version in the name,
please! Porting to a new release always requires to
change all the names), better handling of package
used by an application within the IDE, reports about
the needed modules for deployment that aren't visible
after compiling only.
And especially better documentation about how to use
run-time packages - and how not to use them.
Comment by Luigi D. Sandon on December 2, 16:43
Handbook Note 49/113 About a Delphi Runtime Environment
The reason I STILL program Win32 with D7 (now D2007)
is because I can deliver one exe, finished, straight,
no problems, no support issues.
I agree it would be nice if B... CodeGear could figure
out a way to reduce exe size, but with internet speeds
and harddisk sizes being what they are, this has never
been an issue.
Comment by Delphifan on December 3, 16:22
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