Zoran Bonuš

Have you considered https://winsoft.sk/acpusb.htm (commercial)?

You may try the TNumberBox, available in the newer versions of Delphi. https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Sydney/en/Using_VCL_TNumberBox_Control

Have you considered creating LXC containers, instead of VMs? Should be less resource-hungry, easier to setup...and only slightly less secure (if set as not priviliged, which is the default).

How about testing .Visible in OnActivate? Or starting a timer in OnShow and execute your code few ms later, when the form is already visible.

How about app tehtering? Ready to use components, multi-platform, ip/bluetooth app to app communication https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Alexandria/en/Using_App_Tethering

If you already use database of other data, I would go with the images in DB. Another form.of storage means also another thing to take care of backups, accessibility, security, etc.

Or you can use other 3rd party db components (commercial like unidac) with Delphi Pro.

Just for a reference, a recent blog post on the topic and a shared library by @Darian Miller https://www.ideasawakened.com/post/use-createprocess-and-capture-the-output-in-windows

For a similar task I use this solution (the updated version), works fine by me: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9119999/getting-output-from-a-shell-dos-app-into-a-delphi-app

Right, but you can convert boolean to integer (1/0) and then SUM works like COUNTIF. Conversion can be implicit or explicit, or using case/iif constructs... whatever MariaDB supports.

If you already use a DB that supports events/notifications (Firebird, Interbase, Oracle, MSSQL...?), a FDEventAlerter (or similar) may be sufficent to notify clients (instead of polling). https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Sydney/en/Database_Alerts_(FireDAC)

Not exactly addressing the issue, but do you use firedac connection pooling? https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Sydney/en/Multithreading_(FireDAC) May help or circumvalent your problem Also try to use read-only transactions and "read committed" isolation mode whenever possible. Also check the ibclient dll version.

For similar reasons, I use an ordinary form with a TfrxPreview component on it. https://www.fast-report.com/documentation/ProgMan/index.html?creating_a_custom_preview_window.htm

Or you may try TButtonGroup https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Sydney/en/Vcl.ButtonGroup.TButtonGroup

Should be fixed in 11.2 (I haven't tested yet) https://quality.embarcadero.com/browse/RSP-37631

I have encountered the "missing personality" from time to time too. A quick fix that works for me is: In the IDE, open Tools - Manage platforms and hit Apply (without changing anything) Close/open the IDE a then the project opens fine. Hope it helps ...

Same error here, Visual Studio NOT installed.

Yes, official installer is the safest method for client-only install. It is also well documented in the FB3 Quick Start Guide, chapter 3.5, and in /doc/ folder in the installation path (e.g. "c:\Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_3_0\doc") For manual installation, copying fbclient.dll / gds32.dll + msvcp100.dll + msvcr100.dll + firebird.msg works fine too. I just want to add that there is also a handy community-mantained chocolatey.org package - can silently install (and upgrade) server or client-only choco install firebird /ClientOnly (you need to install chocolatey first, of course).

Flamerobin www.flamerobin.org (free, opensource) Database Workbench www.upscene.com (paid) IBExpert ibexpert.net (paid)

scrcpy https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy opensource, nothing to install on the phone - just enable usb debugging and setup adb over tcpip

You may check https://www.embarcadero.com/rad-in-action/migration-upgrade-center

Winsoft Comport ($80) https://winsoft.sk/comport.htm

No issues here neither....running 1909 for 6 months on several machines.

Exactly, just what I was about to recommend. You create deadlock because the new value of VIEW_COUNT depends on the old value, and due to the nature of multi-generation architecture a simultaneous transactions, there can be different old values, depending on the isolation settings of your transaction. Using generator/sequence for view_count circumvalents the problem for this specific update query. However, a proper transaction setting is preferred anyway. There is no magic solve-it-all setting, I recommend studing the docs too .. will most likely came in handy later anyway.

Just a heads up: if you you are using IBX (IBExpress) library. There is a annoying regression in current 10.3.3 release. Already reported here: https://quality.embarcadero.com/browse/RSP-26997 When you use IBStoredProcedure + prepare/refresh string input params (in design/IDE or at runtime), you get an exception or silent corruption. I have just learnt about it today, crashing our system in production. Patch is available in the bug report.