Hey all,

Saw a Kylix demo last night, and here are my notes. Feel free to ask any questions!


JoeK

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Kylix Demo - October 19, 2000 - 5:30-7:00

- cross-platform data access layer

- Delphi will come out first, and eventually there will be an Enterprise (Delphi and C++) Studio.

- uses native Linux compiler

- CLX (class library cross-platform) instead of VCL on the Linux side. CLX will be a part of Delphi 6.0, so that is when true cross-platform code can be written.

- data access through MIDAS (Borland's middleware layer).

- database layer will have access for MySQL, Interbase, and "other major SQL DBs"

- XML support

- support for Apache and CGI programming.

- BDE will NOT be ported to Linux.

- CLX is based on Qt. Will help allow Kylix apps to be Open Source. Qt license can go other way -- pay for it if you charge for apps, or don't pay if you release as Open Source.

- Kylix apps will work fine under both Gnome and KDE environments (including support for themes).

- Kylix won't have anything to do with kernel development.

- DEMO: Pentium 300 with 128 MB of RAM. RedHat 6.2 on KDE

- Look and Feel of Delphi 5.0

- Code browser just like Windows...two-way tool.

- Code-completion just like Windows version.

- Distribution: makes single executable, but some libraries are required. (so files). Wasn't sure about all distribution options.

- Can drill down into the class libraries just like the VCL on Windows.

- Demoed a financial calculator ported from Windows (600-700 lines of code, 2 forms, no database access, no third-party components).

- Had to change project files to make sure all filenames had matching cases since Linux is case-sensitive.

- Some unit names changed, for example, Forms becomes QForms.

- Locale information was buggy in the pre-release version.

- Had to remove Win32 calls. Use the Canvas object since that is cross-platform.

- Entire calculation unit ported with no changes.

- That was it! It was not a database app, however.

- Win 3.1 components are gone, no ActiveX, no COM, no BDE.

- Most third-party vendors are porting to CLX, so third-party support should be good.

- Create libraries that can be called as a Windows DLL would.

- Showed a Java class that calls a Delphi class from a Delphi library (DPR file)

- "dcc" command-line compiler which can generate lib.so files.

- Database app: database components on the DBExpress tab

- Connection and RecordSet component. DBExpress has its own connection dialog

- Just like using TDatabase, TQuery and TDataSource, and a lot like ADO objects.

- Hooked to local Interbase server. Not sure about file-based databases.

- For more complex database apps (like bi-directional datasets), have to use MIDAS components (requires two extra controls)

- More complex, but offers things like offline datasets, etc. Very ADO-like.

- If you are already doing MIDAS, you are already there on the Linux side.

- Made a CGI web-server application. Apache objects will also be an option.

- Code the Response.Content right in Kylix, and then create CGI module. Run browser, point to localhost, and there is the content. Very easy!

- Then accessed an employee database table and used a "DatasetTableProducer" control to generate a table of output (just like Delphi on Windows).

- Overall, other than the obvious "Windows-only" pieces, Kylix _is_ Delphi for Linux.
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