What is Delphi Prism XE2?

Embarcadero® Delphi Prism™ XE2 provides a cross-platform development solution and robust programming language for rapidly developing .NET, Mono, ASP.NET, and data-driven applications for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. Delphi Prism combines easy-to-learn syntax based on the Delphi language with features not available in other .NET programming languages, enabling developers to create cutting-edge applications.

What makes Delphi Prism unique?

• Delphi Prism provides a true cross-platform solution enabling developers to create apps on Windows and deploy to Windows or Mac OS X
• The Oxygene language is a great choice for .Net because it's easy to learn and has features not found in other .NET programming languages
• Delphi Prism is a great way for Delphi for Win32 developers to create .NET and Mono applications using a familiar Delphi-based language syntax

 

What's new in Delphi Prism XE2?

• All new Oxygene Compiler 5.0
• Enhanced Oxidizer integration
• Improved C# to Oxygene
• Java to Oxygene
• Improved error markers
• Inline errors in the editor expanding with more details, error ranges and error notes
• Live compiler errors in the code editor
• Fix-It support for selected new errors
• Language feature soft interfaces and duck typing
• Anonymous interface implementation (from Java)

Is there any functionality from previous releases that is no longer available in XE2?

We evaluate the feature set of the product for each new release. This release of Prism doesn't include the MonoDevelop IDE that was available in earlier versions. If you have the previous release, Delphi Prism XE, you can continue to use the MonoDevelop IDE with the Oxygene compiler that was included in that version. Delphi Prism could previously be used with the MonoDevelop IDE and MonoTouch from Novell to develop iOS applications. That functionality is also no longer supported. We recommend Delphi XE2, now with the new FireMonkey application platform, for building native iOS applications.

Which editions are available and what are the differences between editions?

Delphi Prism XE2 Professional
Delphi Prism XE2 Professional is designed for developers who want to go beyond the capabilities of other .NET development solutions with cross-platform development, expanded language capabilities and cross-platform targeting. Delphi developers can use Delphi Prism to build .NET applications using a familiar Delphi based language and with local connectivity to InterBase®. Delphi Prism Professional features include:

• Oxygene programming language and compiler
• Microsoft Visual Studio based IDE or install into an existing copy of Visual Studio
• dbExpress local database connectivity to InterBase

Delphi Prism XE2 Enterprise
Delphi Prism XE2 Enterprise is designed for developers building data-driven and multi-tier Web and database applications. Delphi Prism Enterprise provides local and remote server connectivity to InterBase, ADO.NET data connectivity to .NET data sources, and the ability to build clients that connect to native Delphi DataSnap servers for rich multi-tier interoperability. Delphi Prism Enterprise includes everything in the Professional edition, plus the following for building client/server and multi-tier database and web applications:

• Database server connectivity to InterBase
• Build DataSnap .NET clients that connect to native Windows DataSnap multi-tier database application servers

See the Feature Matrix on the Delphi Prism XE2 page of embarcadero.com for additional details on features by edition.

How can I purchase Delphi Prism?

You can purchase Delphi Prism from one of our valuable partners or our online Embarcadero Shop site. Delphi Prism is available standalone or as part of Embarcadero All-Access XE2. Delphi Prism XE2 is also available as part of Embarcadero RAD Studio XE2.

Is a Delphi Prism trial available?

Yes. A Delphi Prism XE2 trial edition is available at http://downloads.embarcadero.com/free/delphi_prism. The Embarcadero RAD Studio XE2 trial also includes a Delphi Prism XE2 trial edition.

Is upgrade pricing available?

Delphi Prism XE2 is sold under a subscription model so upgrade pricing is not available. Once you purchase Delphi Prism, you should renew your Support and Maintenance yearly to continue to receive upgrades. If you don't renew, you will have to purchase the next version of Delphi Prism at the new user price.

If you are a registered users of any paid Delphi, C++Builder, or RAD Studio (version 2009 or later), you qualify for upgrade pricing on RAD Studio XE2 which includes Delphi Prism XE2. Academic products don't qualify for upgrade pricing.

How do I get updates and upgrades?

Delphi Prism XE2 standalone products include a year of support and maintenance. Delphi Prism and RAD Studio users can download the latest software updates from the Delphi Prism registered users web page at http://cc.embarcadero.com/reg/delphi_prism. More major new feature upgrades are available only to users with current Maintenance agreements. Notifications for those upgrades are delivered via email and the upgrades can be downloaded via the Maintenance Portal web site by following the instructions in the email.

Do RAD Studio users also get a year of Delphi Prism upgrades and support automatically?

No. If you purchase RAD Studio XE2, the first year of support and maintenance is not included in the price. We strongly recommend that you purchase Support and Maintenance for your RAD Studio product so you can get access to new Delphi Prism features as they become available, rather than having to wait and purchase an upgrade to the next major release of RAD Studio.

Are localized versions available?

Delphi Prism XE2 is available in English, French, German and Japanese. At install time you can choose the language that you would like to install. The product documentation is available in English only.

Which types of licenses are available?

Delphi Prism XE2 is available with multiple licensing options including:

• Individual named user licenses
• AppWave network named and concurrent user licenses provide additional license provisioning flexibility and reporting.

Delphi Prism XE2 is available to academic users at a discount as part of the RAD Studio XE2 Academic products.

Are earlier version licenses included with Delphi Prism XE2?

Yes. With Delphi Prism XE2, you also get access to licenses for earlier versions ? Delphi Prism 2011, 2010, and 2009.

If you purchase individual named user licenses, go to http://www.embarcadero.com/XE2-earlier-versions after you register your XE2 product serial number. You can enter your registered XE2 serial number and get serial numbers and downloads for the older versions 2010 and 2009. Those licenses will be tied to your user account and cannot be given away or sold. If your XE2 license is an upgrade, you will not receive duplicate licenses for the older version(s) you upgrade from.

You must request your older version licenses within 180 days of your purchase of the XE2 product.

If you purchase Network Named AppWave or Network Concurrent AppWave licenses, the older version licenses for versions 2007-2010 will be included as part of your network license. Each network license count is a suite license that can be used to run one of the included versions at a time.

If you want to use Delphi Prism 2011, you can get the installer from http://cc.embarcadero.com/item/27713 as a registered Delphi Prism XE2 user. Your Delphi Prism  XE2 serial number or network license will activate Delphi Prism 2011.

Where can I find documentation on Delphi Prism XE2?

The most up-to-date documentation is available in the online Delphi Prism Documentation Wiki at http://prismwiki.codegear.com.

Where can I find documentation on Delphi Prism XE2?

The most up-to-date documentation is available in the online Delphi Prism Documentation Wiki at http://prismwiki.codegear.com.

Why did the name of the product change from Delphi Prism to Embarcadero Prism?

Though there are many similarities between the Object Pascal based Delphi language and Prism's Oxygene language, there are differences and we wanted to avoid any confusion between the two so you will now see the product name as Embaracdero Prism and the language name Oxygene.

Does Prism include RemObjects Cooper?

No. Cooper is a sister product to Prism that offers the same Oxygene programming language but targets Java. Cooper is available from RemObjects Software at http://www.remobjects.com/.

Is Blackfish SQL included in Delphi Prism XE2?

Blackfish SQL is was included in earlier versions of Delphi Prism but the database and drivers are not included any longer. If you have a Blackfish SQL license from a previous version, you can continue to use it. We recommend InterBase which is available in multiple configurations is a great choice as an embedded database.

How is InterBase licensed in Delphi Prism XE2?

InterBase XE Developer Edition is InterBase XE Server licensed for up to 20 users and 80 logical connections. You can install InterBase Developer Edition on a server for testing purposes using the serial number included in the Delphi Prism readme file or you can download and request a serial number from the InterBase download page at https://downloads.embarcadero.com/free/interbase.

When you're ready to deploy applications using InterBase, Embarcadero offers a variety of editions (Desktop, Server and To-Go) and a variety of licensing options (flexible server licensing, multi-packs and OEM licensing). Contact Embarcadero Sales or partners for more information. See the license terms in the RAD Studio license.rtf file for additional licensing details.

What is Embarcadero All-Access XE2?

If you want to go beyond .NET application development with additional tools for native Windows, Java, PHP and Ruby on Rails coding; plus a complete set of database tools, Embarcadero All-Access XE2 is the solution for you.

Embarcadero All-Access XE2 provides all the application development and database tools you need-when you need them-across all major platforms, frameworks, and programming languages. It's the single, cost-effective toolbox solution for developers, architects, performance testers, and DBAs.

All-Access XE2 provides you with industry-leading database tools, including DBArtisan® XE2, Rapid SQL® XE2, ER/Studio®, and many more. It also provides powerful application development tools, including Delphi® XE2, JBuilder®, C++Builder® XE2, Delphi Prism XE2 the InterBase database, and more.

What is the support status for different versions of Delphi Prism?

See the Supported Versions List for the latest information by version.

Which version of the .NET Framework do I have to have installed to run Delphi Prism XE2?

You must have the .NET Framework 3.5 or 4.0 installed to install and run Delphi Prism.

Do assemblies produced with Delphi Prism require a specific version of the .NET Framework?

No -- Delphi Prism can be targeted to link against any version of the .NET Framework from version 1.1 to 4.0. The developer can choose which version to link against.

Do I have to buy Visual Studio from Microsoft in order to use Delphi Prism XE2?

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 2010 for you before installing the Prism Oxygene language plug-in and features.

What will happen if I install Delphi Prism XE2 and I already have a copy of Visual Studio installed on my computer?

If you already have a copy of Visual Studio 2008 or 2010 Professional or higher installed, Delphi Prism will integrate directly into your existing Visual Studio install automatically.

When I run Delphi Prism, I see "Microsoft Visual Studio" in the title bar. Why is 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 or 2010 Professional edition or higher, you will get the Visual Studio functionality in the same IDE as Delphi Prism.

What platforms will my Delphi Prism XE2 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 or .NET 4.0 Frameworks on Windows. Delphi Prism applications will also work on Mono for Linux. In addition, Delphi Prism applications will eXE2cute 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 Prism Oxygene 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.