GENERAL QUESTIONS

What is Delphi Prism?

Delphi Prism is the new .NET development solution from Embarcadero Technologies. In this Visual Studio based solution you’ll be able to use your existing Delphi programming skills to build .NET applications, taking advantage of the latest and greatest .NET technologies such as WinForms, WPF, Silverlight, ASP.NET and LINQ. You will of course also be able to develop database applications using familiar dbExpress functionality and .NET clients that connect to native DataSnap servers. Delphi Prism Architect includes database modeling and design capabilities based on ER/Studio that enable developers to design, model, and better understand their databases.
When will Delphi Prism be available?

Delphi Prism is scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter of 2008.

When can I order Delphi Prism?

We expect to start taking orders for Delphi Prism in November 2008.

Will Delphi Prism be part of a new version of RAD Studio?

Yes. Delphi Prism will be the .NET portion of CodeGear RAD Studio 2009. CodeGear RAD Studio 2009 is scheduled to ship at the same time as Delphi Prism.

When will a Delphi Prism trial be available?

We plan to have a trial download available around the same time the product begins shipping. If you click the Download Trial link on the product pages you can sign up to be notified as soon as the trial is available.

How much will Delphi Prism cost? Will upgrade pricing be available?

Pricing will be announced in November when we begin accepting preorders.

Will localized versions will be available?

Delphi Prism will be available in English, French, German and Japanese.

Which types of licenses will be available?

Delphi Prism will be available with multiple licensing options including:

* Individual named user licenses
* Named and concurrent user licenses managed using the Embarcadero license server or FLEXnet
* 5-pack and 10-pack licenses at discounted prices
* Academic individual licenses for students and educators and academic volume licenses for classroom use

Who is Rick Wright (mentioned in the dedication in the Help|About box)?

Rick Wright was a member of Pink Floyd who recently passed away. Great Gig in the Sky is his song from Dark Side of the Moon. You can read more about him at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Wright

TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

Which version of the .NET Framework do I have to have installed to run Delphi Prism?

You must have the .NET Framework 3.5 installed to install and run Delphi Prism.

Do assemblies produced with Delphi Prism require the .NET Framework 3.5?

No -- Delphi Prism can be targeted to link against any version of the .NET Framework from version 1.1 up. The developer can choose which version to link against.

Do I have to buy Visual Studio 2008 from Microsoft in order to use Delphi Prism?

No. Delphi Prism contains a full copy of the Visual Studio Shell. If your machine doesn’t have a copy of either the Shell or a Visual Studio Professional edition or above already installed, Delphi Prism will install the Visual Studio Shell for you before installing the Delphi Prism language plug-in and features.

What will happen if I install Delphi Prism and I already have a copy of Visual Studio 2008 installed on my computer?

If you already have a copy of Visual Studio Professional or higher installed, Delphi Prism will integrate directly into your existing install automatically.

When I run Delphi Prism, I see “Microsoft Visual Studio” in the title bar. What is up with that?

Delphi Prism runs inside the Visual Studio Shell. This is basically the Visual Studio IDE without any language plug-ins from Microsoft. Thus, you see the Microsoft branding. But rest assured that you can see Delphi Prism as soon as you select the File|New... menu.

Can I add C# or VB.NET functionality to Delphi Prism with the Visual Studio Express products from Microsoft?

No. Because of the way that the Microsoft Express products are installed, they will not integrate directly into installation of Visual Studio Shell. However, Delphi Prism and the Visual Studio Express products can reside on the same machine together and can be run side-by-side. However, if you have Delphi Prism installed, and then install Visual Studio 2008 Professional or above, you will get the VS 2008 functionality in the same IDE as Delphi Prism.

What platforms will my Delphi Prism applications run on?

Delphi Prism applications will run almost anywhere the Common Language Runtime (CLR) exists. Delphi Prism applications will take full advantage of the .NET 3.5 Framework on Windows. Delphi Prism applications will also work on Mono for Linux. In addition, Delphi Prism applications will execute on Mono for the Mac.

Does Delphi Prism include support for VCL.NET?

No. Development for VCL.NET has been deprecated and will not be supported in Delphi Prism. Developers using VCL.NET can either use Delphi 2007 to continue those products or can migrate their VCL.NET applications to VCL for Win32.

Will my existing Delphi for Win32 code compile in Delphi Prism?

Probably not without some changes. While the languages used by Delphi for Win32 and Delphi Prism are very similar, they are not entirely compatible. Each language has features and idioms designed specifically for the platforms that they are meant to run on. However, the languages are close enough that code written for one can usually be used on the other with minor changes.

Is there any way to make the Delphi Prism language more compatible with my Win32 Delphi code?

Yes – Delphi Prism includes a “compatibility” switch which enables certain language features that will be more familiar to Delphi for Win32 developers. This option can be set on a per-project basis as part of the project options tab.Can I build applications for the Compact Framework using Delphi Prism?

Delphi Prism will compile against the CF assemblies. However, there is no design-time support as the Compact Framework designers are closely integrated with the C# and VB.NET personalities of Visual Studio and not available for use by other language plug-ins.

Who wrote the compiler used in Delphi Prism?

The Delphi Prism compiler was written by RemObjects. It is the same compiler that formed the basis of their Chrome and Oxygene products, which are now being superseded by Delphi Prism

What is the relationship between RemObjects and Embarcadero?

RemObjects Software and Embarcadero are close partners. Embarcadero licenses technology from RemObjects Software that is included in Delphi Prism. Both companies are committed to working together towards advancing the product as it continues to thrive and evolve.