Cross Ref > Tool Basics

Delphi creates native code Windows applications so you can create an EXE with no dependencies that will run on any Windows computer. If you add dependencies (reports, database libraries, DLLs, etc.) use a Windows installer to build an installation program.

D2007 and D2009 are bundled with InstallAware Express CodeGear Edition installer.

With PHP, you simply copy your files to a web server that is capable of running PHP pages.

CodeGear Delphi is the primary tool of choice for most developers but other Object Pascal language development tools do exist and some are quite good.

Many developers just use a text editor. There are many PHP editors available including phpDesigner, and Delphi for PHP.

Common source code file extensions include:

• .BDSPROJ - Project, Borland Developer Studio project file holds compiler options, etc. This is the file you open.
• .DCU - Delphi Compiled Unit file.
• .DFM - Delphi Win32 form file (a text resource file).
• .DPR - Delphi project file. Primary project "source" file.
• .PAS - Delphi unit source file.

Note: Delphi 2009 changed the project file to acommadatte new features. When you open a project file from a previous version, it will be upgraded. In addition to .bdsproj, D2009 also uses a .dproj project file.

 Delphi File Extensions

 Ref: http://delphi.wikia.com/wiki/Delphi_File_Extensions

.php is the default extension for PHP although some developers will change the default extension in an effort to add an additional security level. If your code is tied to a particular version of PHP then some developers at the major PHP version number to the extension as in .php3, .php4, .php5, etc. 

.phtml is also sometimes used especially for files that contain both HTML and Perl code.

Language Overview: Delphi programming language is a type-safe language consisting of hybrid traditional Pascal and OOP features. You code either in a traditional approach using functions, procedures, and global data, or you code using an OOP approach, or a mixture of both.

Target Platforms: Delphi for Win32 is most suitable for creating native code Win32 applications that run on Microsoft Windows.

PHP is a hybrid language with both traditional PHP and OOP features. PHP is widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. PHP has been used to create some amazing web content, particularly outstanding message boards.

Target Platforms: PHP is most suitable for creating websites targeting any browser (any web server with PHP installed).

Rave Reports comes closest to a Delphi standard now but historically there has been no real standard in Delphi development. Do-it-yourself developers sometimes like to use TPrinter for very simple reports. ReportSmith was bundled with the first few versions of Delphi.

Delphi has offered many embedded VCL component report options. Quick Reports has been a part of Delphi since Delphi 2.0 and has been the default report writer for many Delphi developers. Ace Reporter, ReportBuilder and Rave Reports are also very popular. During the time of Kylix, FastReports was popular because of it's cross-platform nature.

Crystal Reports is very common because of it's overall popularity as a stand-alone report writer that integrates well with many different tools.

 Delphi Report Tools Overview

No built-in report writer but because website development targets a client browser (a document interfaced GUI), a common solution is to simply output an HTML formatted page with black text and a white background (not much control but it does work for some situations).