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Free Delphi 6 Personal edition

rhumbaflappy

rhumbaflappy

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Hi all.

Months ago, the USA Borland site offered the free version of Delphi 6 Personal edition. They later took the download off their site as newer versions of Delphi appeared.

Delphi 6 was a very good product for making Win32 Windows applications. These applications are native code... that is they are compiled machine language and require no "runtime" code. I often use it for making FS tools. The personal edition cannot be used for commercial products, but non-commercial applications can be freely shared. :)

This free version is still available for download from Borland's Polish website. I'm told the version offered is in English. I don't believe this legitimate free version will remain long on the web, so get it while you can:

http://www.borland.pl/downloads/delphi6personal/Delphi6Personal.exe

The USA website can then be accessed for patches and free licensing.

Delphi 2005 Personal is rumored to be soon available with some magazines as a CD or DVD. This version of Delphi concentrates on the interpreted .NET code, which will run much slower than native ML code. I believe Personal 2005 will still allow win32 native code as an option. I've been told it may not be superior to the Delphi 6 version, and may actually have some features crippled.

A good path might be to try the Delphi 6 free download, then later try the Delphi 2005 version as it becomes available. Delphi is a very good platform for tool making for Flight simulator, with the native code running nearly as fast as assembler or C++ code. Delphi can be made for "console" applications or for the windows environment, and that works with Windows98, 2000, XP and XP64 bit ( using win32 program environment ).

Dick
 
Other computer languages

Hi Georg.

Now you'll need to get your free Delphi6 personal key:

http://www.borland.com/products/downloads/download_delphi.html

Then you'll need to get updates to Delphi6, and documentation ( you may need to register as a Delphi 6 personal user ):

http://www.borland.com/products/downloads/registered/download_delphi.html


====================

There are also other languages available for writing free tools, at no cost.

If you want to use the full blown .NET 1.1 C# 2003, then there is a free IDE called SharpDevelop:

http://www.sharpdevelop.net/OpenSource/SD/Default.aspx

I like this package as well, and may be a better path to tool development, as it is the MS stable 1.1 .NET environment. ( you can actually write VB.NET code with this as well ! ) It also will not "expire" and require you to buy any final edition. It is final!

==========================

Visual .NET 2005 betas are out. The Express editions would fit our needs:

http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/express/

Visual Express C# 2005 is a beta that may eventually expire. Microsoft has planned to release this "hobby" edition for a fee... possibly under $60 US.

I'm just using SharpDevelop, and forgetting the Express beta version.

.NET requires the enduser of your apps to have the dotnet runtime environment on their computer. I think this might already be used in WindowsXP Sp2. If not, it can be downloaded from Microsoft by the enduser. SharpDevelop needs runtime version 1.1.. the download size is huge ( around 20MB ), but the enduser needs to download it once, and they will then be able to use all .Net programs for version 1.1 ( VisualStudio.NET 2003 )... even VB.Net, C++.Net, J#.Net, ASP.Net..... They all use the same runtime.

These are essentially interpreted languages that require the dotnet runtimes to run on other computers. For tools, interpreted languages should be fine. And if you are really interested in the .NET environment, C# is what you need. The implementations of C++ and Visual Basic are not the same as the older versions. With C++ running as interpreted, you lose it's speed advantage... and VB commands are not really the same in the .NET environment. So, it's better to just learn C#.

( For an interesting use of C++.NET ):

http://www.vertigosoftware.com/Quake2.htm

==========================

That's my basic plan. C# for .NET programs ( and the future ), and Delphi 6 for speedier native win32 apps. .NET runtimes will most probably be included/required in the next major version of Windows. Longhorn.

There is a way to get a good C++ environment for free... and this C++ will be native win32 code:

http://upp.sourceforge.net/index.html

Ultimate++ is an "IDE" ( integrated development environment ) for C++. But where to get C++ ? Microsoft gives away C++, it's Includes and Libraries, documentation, and debugging tools for free! Ultimate++ just puts them all together to allow you to make C++ native win32 apps. All free. How to do this is at the Ultimate++ website.


So there we have it. Delphi6, C# ( and C++ if still desired ) for making FS applications.

Not a bad deal if you get to know the language. VeC# uses the 2.0 beta runtime .NET .



Dick
 
Last edited:
Err, I think this is a bit too complicated for me... :eek:

Am I right, that I might for example create an Install.exe for some FS-stuff I upload at AVSIM?

Do I need further knowledge like VB-programming-skills?
 
Hi Horst.

I googled for software installer program, and came up with many programs that do just this. I don't think you'd need to learn progrmming to mak an installer.

The best installer I have found is a simple text file that tells the enduser where to put the files. If they can't do that, they probably couldn't use the addon anyways. ;)

Dick
 
OK, that's a point. :D

But it always looks much better if a scenery comes with an installer, don't you think?

Maybe I'll experiment with Delphi just in case. I always wanted to create my own tools for FS. ;)
 
Horst18519 said:
But it always looks much better if a scenery comes with an installer, don't you think?
Click to expand...

Well, not always. Until recently I never used installers for my tools, but to solve problems with missing runtime files etc I recently started to use them. I am using Inno Setup and that works rather easy I must say.

But for a scenery I think you only need an installer if the installation is complex (so requires more then just unzipping a scenery and a texture folder) or if you expect your target users are not experienced in installing sceneries manual.
 
I think it will be a little more complex than most of the freeware-sceneries you get at AVSIM+co. It will contain effects, aircraft, situations, gauges,... and of course the scenery, which should be activated by itself, so that you don't have to put an entry in the scenery-library by yourself.

Maybe you're right and it's not neccesary, but I'd like it. :)

Anyway, Inno Setup looks great for my project. Thanks for that. ;)
 
I rather use nsis (nullsoft scriptable install system) at http://nsis.sourceforge.net
It is open source, free, and does really amazing job. It supports Modern install interface, found in almost every new install package, lzma, ppmd or similar compression, which greatly reduces size of package etc. Inno is okay, but with nsis, and some free nis file editor (hmne, link on nsis's page) there are wizards, that help you make installer package in a jiffy...
 
Hi all.

I just tried the Delphi 2005 Architect Trial. This version allows you to write applications in Delphi win32, Delphi.NET, C#Builder.NET, ASP.NET.

Delphi Architect is quite expensive, so when the trial is over, I'd be done with it. I have tried Delphi.NET.

:eek:

I wouldn't advise anyone to use Delphi.NET. If you want to use NET, then use C#... As I wrote above, there are very good FREE sources to write code for the 1.1 NET environment with C#.

Combining the syntax of Delphi with the rigid NET environment is a poor idea. Delphi was always about ease of use, and powerful apps that run as fast as C++ because they are also native Win32 code.

I suspect that VisualBasic.Net will also be very discouraging. The syntax will be similar, but the usage will change to meet the NET standards... and that will kill the flexibility of VB.

So my recommendations are Delphi ( for win32 ), VisualBasic6 ( for win32 ), or C++ ( for win32 ).

Caution, there is even a C++.NET... but I'd avoid that as well. If you want a NET application, use C#... that's what it was made for.

I tried a conversion of Quake2 in C++.NET, then found a win32 Delphi6-compiled version of Quake2. The C++.Net version is pretty slow. The Delphi6 version is pretty fast... nearly as fast as the original version ( programmed in optimized C code ).

C++.NET, C#.NET, VB.NET, Delphi.NET are all the same to the computer. They are all compiled to MSIL ( a pseudocode ), and are "recompiled" at runtime... in truth, they are all interpreted code, and are quite slow compared to native win32 machine code.

I'm not anti-NET. C# is a fairly easy language to learn, and could be just the thing for making tools for FS9 and up. Just remember, it is primarily for WindowsXP or Server editions, and requires the enduser to have the .NET 1.1 runtimes.

But don't try to "port" any apps you've already written to these NET versions of old languages. You'll have a very hard time translating them to the new language. Just program from scratch in C# if you like the NET environment.

The Delphi 2005 win32 option works great! You can import older Delphi code easily, and it runs fine on Windows98 and up. I recompiled some of my apps, and although they are slightly different in size, they all funtion the same.

I assume, Delphi2005 win32 is a bug-free improvement over Delphi6 or Delphi7... but who knows. Delphi6 wasn't bad, and if all you want is win32 apps that code easily and run as fast as any app can, then Delphi6 is fine.

Dick
 
@rhumbaflappy:

You have option to create c++ win32 apps in visual studio .net 2003 (and in 2005, but it's still beta...). I used it in my school during this semester (object oriented programming, sounds cool, but really, its kinda boring, but now I know all I need to know about classes, abstracts, polymorphism, exports etc...). Visual basic .net and visual c++ .net are really not my style, because they're actually runtimes, as visual basic pre-5 version used to be. Though, visual c# .net, is cute...
 
Hi pixxel.

I used the new Visual Studio Express 2005 C++ ( win32 coding ) to make a gauge in FS9... works OK, but setting up the Express C++ to make a win32 DLL was a bit of a bother.

They tried to tell me it was impossible on one of the MS forums, but they don't know me very well. ;)

I actually like the VS Express 2005 betas. If I ever become a convert to the .NET runtime environment, I'll probably go with C#. I got used to Delphi for native win32 apps... so I'll probably stay with that.

I'm evaluating the Delphi 2005 Architect downloaded from the Borland USA website. It's supposed to be a 30-day usage, but I checked my license, and it's giving me an unlimited trial period. I don't know if this will be true for everyone, but if it is, you can get Delphi 2005 Architect for free. Some European magazines are offering a free copy of Delphi 2005 Personal edition, and the French Borland site is offering the French-language version for a free download. Delphi 2005 Architect allows Delphi win32, Delphi.NET, and C#.

Dick
 
rhumbaflappy said:
...They tried to tell me it was impossible on one of the MS forums, but they don't know me very well. ;)

I actually like the VS Express 2005 betas. If I ever become a convert to the .NET runtime environment, I'll probably go with C#. I got used to Delphi for native win32 apps... so I'll probably stay with that.
Click to expand...

How can it be impossible to make dll from Visual Studio??? :) :)

I've tried Visual Studio .NET 2005 beta, I've got it from a friend which has MSDN subscription (lucky bastard), and all I can say is it's becoming a giant. It took me 4 hours to install it, and then I've started getting errors like "catastrophic error" and "rorre lanretni" literally. I like my visual studio 6 student edition, and to be honest, never tried Delphi of any kind, just haven't got enough time to devote to it.
 
Hi pixxel.

I was writing of the Visual Studio 2005 Express C++.

I appear to be one of the few users that has actually gotten it to build native win32 code. The build team for this beta took out the ability to write the win32 code, trying to force everyone to use .NET.

They grugingly gave directions how to add the ability back in, but few users seem to have the fortitude to follow the directions.

I'll have to see if I can get a gauge in Delphi...Delphi can write the DLL, but the inclusion of the .h file is a problem.

Oddly, the .NET environment should be able to also write a DLL, therefore a gauge. But the .NET runtime needs to be present on the enduser's computer, or the gauge won't work.

Dick
 
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