Patrick PREMARTIN

You can also read the "Delphi Language Guide" from https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/en/Delphi_Language_Guide_Index

Just a question to @PhilBoy : you say Object Pascal, but do you know if it is in Delphi, Lazarus or an other environment ? Let's suppose it's Delphi, do you know what was the development version ? The language don't differ a lot between releases, but used libraries does.

It can also be a solution for taking better care of yourself during the working day, like 30 years ago on a good 386 PC.

Hi A big change today : Parallels has a preview version to use an Intel VM on Apple Silicon processors ! https://kb.parallels.com/130217?clientId=1124674873.1667385428&sessionId=1734971168&alid=540884306.1736874968 (I have no x86 / X86_64 Parallels VM to test so I can't say if it's working or not in practice)

Good to read. You just have to add macOS and (?) iOS SDK to RAD Studio and you're ready to "play" with Apple next nightmare: the certificates and provisioning profiles. (but for Mac you need the SDK and it's enough to develop)

Don't forget you can submit issues to the quality portal from the docwiki footer link. Use it if you find errors, outdated pages or need more info. The installer is supposed to work. Sometimes there are problems on some computers, the doc can't manage all cases. Embarcadero support team can be contacted for installation problems (depending n your license status).

Hi @robfr If the Mac mini and the PC are on the same network you should have no problem between PAServer on the Mac and RAD Server on the PC except if a firewall block the communication. I wrote a post about that a few years ago at https://developpeur-pascal.fr/se-preparer-a-developper-pour-mac-os-x-depuis-windows-avec-delphi--rad-studio.html On the PC : - copy PAServer.pkg from the RAD Studio installation folder and install it on your Mac On the Mac : - you need Xcode - you need PAServer - start PAServer, don't put a password when it ask for one and use "i" to show current IP address and "v" to show the log On the PC : - start RAD Studio - go to Tools / Options / Depoyment / Platform profiles (or something like that, I don't remember the English text) - add a new profile and give it the IP address shown by PAServer - test the connection It should not be more complex than that. A "ping" from the Mac to the PC IP and from the PC IP to the Mac are supposed to work. If PAServer can't show an IP, the problem is somewhere on the Mac and it's network connectivity. If RAD Studio can't connect to PAServer, it can be blocked by a firewall on Windows (or sometimes an antivirus like McAfee).

Hi Gabriel : In your blog post you give wrong prices for the certificates. Some provider don't multiply the price by the number of years...

Thank you for these clarifications. Seen from this angle, the choice was a logical one. 🙂

The answer should be there : https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/PlatformStatus/en/Main_Page

For the graphics you also have https://www.tmssoftware.com/site/diagram.asp or can be inspired by https://github.com/tothpaul/DelphiTips.LinkEditor from @Paul TOTH

- What to use for generating and managing license keys? Many solutions are available from open source (check OnGuard) or expensive tiers dependent. I've developed my own, which is currently being deployed on all my software, with an online backoffice and a Delphi client unit. A simple use of keys to activate or not the software by code according to its state of activation. (I'm distributing it on a monthly or yearly hosting basis, and will soon be offering it for sale). - What to use for online sales? It depends on your target : public, companies or a short list of potential clients. Using the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store with their APIs to check if the program has been bought or using inApp purchase to activate the license could be a solution. If you distribute yourself choose a merchant of records (to avoid getting lost in paperwork and bookkeeping) like Gumroad, LemonSqueezy, Paddle, GoCardless, 2checkout and so many others. If you want to sell yourself the best solution is Stripe (or Paypal with the risk they cancel the account or some orders when they want). If you have only one software to sell use a simple website and add "buy" buttons connected to the resellers or payement sites. If you have more than one site you can open an online store with LiteCart (light, easy and simple to use) or more complex solution not adapted to softwares selling like Prestashop or WooCommerce. - What to use for producing PDF content? It depends on what you need on the PDF. TMS Software has a library for that and you can also try "FPDF-Pascal" open source project or reporting systems like Fast Reports. - What to use for internal product database? (leaning to either SQLite, Firebird, or IBLite) It depends on what you will store in it. If you use the latest SQLite driver and release you can't encrypt the database except by buying the encryption module from SQLite.org IBLite is limited is database sizes and encryption. (Embarcadero has offers for IBToGo for software publishers) Firebird is a good choice, but you'll have to maintain the DLL and update it if security issues are detected. - What to use to product help files (all embedded within executable, some in exe/some on website, all on website)? I use Help'n Doc. A good product simple to use, stable, with many possibilities and export formats. - Font oddities with VCL TCanvas If you have weird things, open issues on the quality portal. - Thinking about when/if to consider adding Skia and where to start with it Using Skia is simple : you only have to activate it on your project. It doesn't change our code to draw on TCanvas. Just try it. (it could change the behavior you have with fonts)

Hi. In your project, do you think an other language could have been better or Delphi was a good choice ? What's missing from the docs or the web in general that could have helped us go faster or more efficiently?

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I'm on a Parallels VM of Windows ARM since the release of the ARM version of Parallels. All is working fine (except the debugger some times). My Mac mini M1 has 8Gb RAM and 256Gb SSD. It's enough to work but 16Gb RAM is better to open more than 1 VM and 1To of SSD is better to not have external SSD on each USB port... 😉 You can leave your Intel Mac or use it to test your x32/x64 programs compiled for macOS or Windows with Delphi.