Delphi CE 10.4.2 - Command Line Compilation

[PawelPepe 1]

Hey,

I am using Delphi Community Edition 10.4.2. 

It was working fine. Yesturday it stopped working - I couldn't build any x64 project. I got a message: "Unit 'Vcl.Dialogs' not found"

I couldn't solve this issue. I reinstalled Delphi. Installation was successful. Problem was fixed. 

However, I can not now use batch files to compile my projects using Command line:

MSBuild.exe /t:Clean,Build /p:config=Release;DCC_BuildAllUnits=true /p:platform=Win64 "MyjProject.dproj"

 

Delphi Compiler says: This version of the product does not support command line compiling.

 

How is that possible? Before reinstallation of Delphi I could normally build any project using command line!

 

Is is known issue? Maybe I am doing something wrong? Is that possible that new Community Edition Online Installer NOT let using command line compiler?

How do you compile dproj projects using command line?

 

Thanks for any tip.

-Pawel

 

 

[Fr0sT.Brutal 900]

AFAIK CE doesn't allow cmd line compiling. One of limitations of free version

[PawelPepe 1]

2 hours ago, Fr0sT.Brutal said:

AFAIK CE doesn't allow cmd line compiling. One of limitations of free version

But I did that few years! How is that possible?

[Fr0sT.Brutal 900]

1 hour ago, PawelPepe said:

But I did that few years! How is that possible?

Well, feature matrix says it should be available really but I vaguely remember some issues reported with cmdline on CE...

[rvk 44]

Can you see if there is another version of dcc32.exe somewhere in

C:\Users\Public\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\18.0\CatalogRepository\

 

It seems that during installation a limited ide and compiler is installed which is replaced later on in the installation. If that fails (virusscanner?) the limited compiler stays behind.

https://support.embarcadero.com/article/44692

 

[PawelPepe 1]

@rvk

Thanks. I already checked it. I don't have compiler in such localization (and Delphi CE is 21.0 not 18.0).

I also installed Delphi CE in virtual machine to test it (and it also can not compile via command line 😞 )

 

Ps: My dcc32.exe is 22.5 kb. Maybe somone of you - who CAN compile project using command line can send me compiler exe?

-Pawel

[dummzeuch 1515]

13 minutes ago, PawelPepe said:

My dcc32.exe is 22.5 kb. Maybe somone of you - who CAN compile project using command line can send me compiler exe?

That would be illegal.

[Stano 143]

Look at the properties of the file, the details. There you have the version... Give it here

[PawelPepe 1]

58 minutes ago, dummzeuch said:

That would be illegal.

Why? Community Edition is free!

[PawelPepe 1]

58 minutes ago, Stano said:

Look at the properties of the file, the details. There you have the version... Give it here

This file has no version info. 

[rvk 44]

5 minutes ago, PawelPepe said:

Why? Community Edition is free!

If Embarcadero decided there is no command line compiler anymore for the Community Edition then it's not allowed to use one from another version.

 

That's why we need to know if the latest version still has a working command line compiler.

[hsauro 40]

1 hour ago, dummzeuch said:

That would be illegal.

Are you saying that it would be illegal to ask a friend to compile Delphi source code on their own copy and send me the exe?

[dummzeuch 1515]

 

1 hour ago, hsauro said:

3 hours ago, dummzeuch said:

3 hours ago, PawelPepe said:

My dcc32.exe is 22.5 kb. Maybe somone of you - who CAN compile project using command line can send me compiler exe?

That would be illegal.

Are you saying that it would be illegal to ask a friend to compile Delphi source code on their own copy and send me the exe?

No, it would be illegal to send you "the compiler exe". That's what he wrote, but apparently he meant to write "the compiled exe". That would be perfectly legal.

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Edited August 11, 2022 by dummzeuch
you -> he, sorry, another misunderstanding

[rvk 44]

13 minutes ago, hsauro said:

Are you saying that it would be illegal to ask a friend to compile Delphi source code on their own copy and send me the exe?

No, that wasn't the question.

The question was if someone could send a working compuler dcc32.exe.

 

4 minutes ago, dummzeuch said:

That's what you wrote, but apparently you meant to write "the compiled exe". That would be perfectly legal.

No, the question was really the compiler exe.

(Question was not from hsauro but from pawel)

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by rvk

[Noodles 2]

Technically everything needed to compile is located in the dcc[platform]270.dll libraries. Looking at the exported functions it even looks like they provide a simple function for the command line compiler. I'll leave it or you to explore this yourself as I'm no lawyer and wouldn't even think about the legality of writing your own .exe to call this function.

Hell, I could even provide you with a link to zip file on Embarcadero's own servers that contains the command line compilers but I'd probably be breaking some law or EULA. XD

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Noodles

[PawelPepe 1]

I need to make it clear.

I could build any of my projects with Delphi Community Edition 10.4.2 before my environement broke. So it was legal and that was functional in free Delphi version.

But, when I reinstalled Delphi CE (the same version) it saddenly do not let me use command line compiler! On the same license, the same delphi version and the same Windows installation.

This is why I am asking what happended. This is why I requested Delphi CE 10.4.2 users (who can use command line compiler) to send me those file (dcc32.exe). How can it be illegal when Delphi CE is free (I do not sell my programs - it is my hobby). Btw, my dcc32270.dll library is 27.0.40680.4203

 

-Pawel

[rvk 44]

2 minutes ago, PawelPepe said:

How can it be illegal when Delphi CE is free (I do not sell my programs - it is my hobby ) .   Btw, my dcc32270.dll library is 27.0.40680.4203

Because, as far as I know, the installation of CE is done via a webinstaller and the exact (sub)version could have been changed. And one of these changes could be that the command line compiler isn't for CE anymore. Only way to know for sure is someone else freshly installs CE or Embarcadero gives clarity about this issue.

 

Have you tried to ask this via support there?

[PawelPepe 1]

As far as I know Delphi CE users can not sue support (I may be wrong).

I will try to write some email to M. Cantu and will ask directly.

-Pawel

[Noodles 2]

10 minutes ago, rvk said:

one of these changes could be that the command line compiler isn't for CE anymore.

This is correct. It was removed in 10.4.

https://blogs.embarcadero.com/delphi-cbuilder-community-editions-now-available-in-version-10-4-2/#comment-1339

Edited August 11, 2022 by Noodles

[PawelPepe 1]

10 minutes ago, Noodles said:

This is correct. It was removed in 10.4.

https://blogs.embarcadero.com/delphi-cbuilder-community-editions-now-available-in-version-10-4-2/#comment-1339

Uff! Not good 😞

[Noodles 2]

21 minutes ago, PawelPepe said:

Uff! Not good 😞

Yeah, it's a pain because of how bloated the system/sysinit.pas files have become and you cannot recompile them without the command line compiler.

 

Some fun "unrelated" trivia though...

 

Did you know the GetIt package manager used by Delphi/CBuilder can deploy compiler patches?

Did you know that the GetIt package manager simply downloads patches from an open/public https server?

Did you know that "CompilerLSPHotfixGeneral-20201104" fixed some compiler issues and in doing so needed to deploy a new version of the command line .exe's?

Did you know that although CE doesn't need this patch it is still openly available for uses that do need it and is perfectly compatible with the current CE version?

 

Just sayin' =D

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Noodles

[PawelPepe 1]

Everything is clear now. Thanks for help.

 

Marco Cantu said: "...The command line compiler is not part of Delphi CE. It might have been there by mistake in the past, but it wasn't intended..."

-Pawel

[hsauro 40]

6 hours ago, dummzeuch said:

 

No, it would be illegal to send you "the compiler exe". That's what he wrote, but apparently he meant to write "the compiled exe". That would be perfectly legal.

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

That makes sense. 

[Fr0sT.Brutal 900]

12 hours ago, Noodles said:

This is correct. It was removed in 10.4.

https://blogs.embarcadero.com/delphi-cbuilder-community-editions-now-available-in-version-10-4-2/#comment-1339

So I was right finally. Emba needs to change their feature matrix table

[Remy Lebeau 1429]

20 hours ago, Noodles said:

This is correct. It was removed in 10.4.

https://blogs.embarcadero.com/delphi-cbuilder-community-editions-now-available-in-version-10-4-2/#comment-1339

 Well, that sucks