Question

How to compile my Delphi project with freepascal?

Asked by: MvanderKooij

Hi,

Is it possible to use Freepascal as a 64bit compiler for delphi?

Our projects are currently build with Delphi 2007 and we need a 64bit version (and a 32bit) version of our software. Is it possible to use FreePascal as a commandline compiler for our project to build a 64bit version?

The debugging should be done in the 32bits Delphi version, and a nightly build shoul build the 64bit version.

How to setup my FPC projects, which settings to use. Can i use the delphi vcl to be used in my projects or is the LCL required?

The projects includes com objects, typelibraries, com objects and interfaces

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Asked On
2009-10-05 at 07:14:50ID24785494
Tags

delphi

,

freepascal

,

64bits

Topics

Free Pascal

,

Delphi Programming

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
13

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Answers

 

by: Graceful_PenguinPosted on 2009-10-05 at 07:21:58ID: 25495484

Are you sure that you need a 64bit version? the 32bit version will run on a 64bit OS.

 

by: MvanderKooijPosted on 2009-10-05 at 07:28:10ID: 25495574

Yes we are sure.

Part of our application is running in AutoCAD, and on 64bits systems only the 64bit version of AutoCAD is supported / running / installable.

 

by: JohnjcesPosted on 2009-10-05 at 07:49:16ID: 25495801

In response to your first question and not knowing anything about your project, Yes a Delphi application can be compiled in Lazarus and under FPC's 64 bit compiler on a 64 bit OS machine. As far as doing it from a FreePascal command line, No! There is way too many modifications needed in your Delphi source code/project that will have to be made.

It is not an easy task... expect almost a rewrite of your application and especially when using customized components, COM and other objects.

Lazarus and Free Pascal is no where near 100% compatible with Delphi.

The first step would be use Delphi to Lazarus conversion... Info is found here.

http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Lazarus_For_Delphi_Users.

Once you get the code Free Pascal ready, then you can compile it under FPC or Lazarus using FPC.

I tried it on a fairly simply project I wanted to port to Linux. And... it wasn't worth it.

Just my .02 cents and I wish you good luck!

John

 

by: MvanderKooijPosted on 2009-10-05 at 12:45:31ID: 25498879

We have some options for our project:
- rewrite in .net with WPF
- compile with Delphi.net, a lot of rewrite and a have use of Virtualtree....
- create a out of process com server and create some OLE objects to interface with our GUI. But then we become registry dependant which we avoided until now
- wait for delphi win64 version, very uncertain when it will be ready
-use free pascal with maybe a lot of changes but if we do it carefully we can keep it single source with w32 delphi for a long time

So we have some options here, but they take all a lot of work and or time

 

by: JohnjcesPosted on 2009-10-05 at 13:11:08ID: 25499159

"So we have some options here, but they take all a lot of work and or time"...

Yes sir! There is no doubt about it. Nothing is plug and play until Delphi has a 64 bit compiler, and then I'll bet (pretty certain; 32 to 64 bit), there will be some code rewrites for everyone there as well.

John

 

by: MvanderKooijPosted on 2009-10-06 at 23:22:27ID: 25512580

Does Freepascal handle Type libraries? Or is it dependingn on a IDL compiler?

 

by: JohnjcesPosted on 2009-10-07 at 07:09:01ID: 25515489

The IDE for Free Pascal, Lazarus, does not have a mechanism for importing Type Libraries.

Therefore I will follow that assumption through to Free Pascal. Never saw or learned of any method of doing so by using the FPC command line compiler.

John

 

by: MvanderKooijPosted on 2009-10-07 at 07:47:20ID: 25516093

Does this mean that the COM / OLE support is almost non existent in FPC?

 

by: JohnjcesPosted on 2009-10-07 at 07:58:38ID: 25516235

OLE support is present but still "buggy". Never used it and don't pretend to know how to use it.

Have seen nothing for COM objects....

You really ought to read the docs on Lazarus and Free pascal.

They are great Open Source and Free projects done by some very intelligent people with a lot of spare time, (obviously?), but because of this there are inherent problems, bugs and other things that just won't do what you want it or need it to do.

I am certain that all of this can be over come with sufficient time and effort and digging into the heart of these projects.

As far as your original question, you probably will never get your complex project running under Free Pascal without a complete rewrite including all of your COM and OLE objects.

Good luck!

John

 

by: BdLmPosted on 2009-10-08 at 00:16:41ID: 25522841

delphi 64 bit is planned for mid 2010,   http://edn.embarcadero.com/article/39174

 

by: MvanderKooijPosted on 2009-10-08 at 00:24:51ID: 25522868

Hi BdLm,

Yeah i know the story, but they have said it before, so i'm no longer counting on it. Besides it's their first public 64bit compiler. I'm afraid it will be delayed even more. (years ago the promise was mid 2008)

Delphi missed the 64bit boat years ago and i think a lot of potential customers with it. I'm very glad with theunicode versions of delphi, they work great (only tested on personal projects) and it looks like they are back on track. But probably too late for my company and we are currently switching our new projects to c++ and dot net.



 

by: MvanderKooijPosted on 2009-10-08 at 00:28:26ID: 25522884

Hi Johnjces,

Thanks for all you're input. Unless someone else hassome new input i will conclude this question:

- moving our projects to FPC/Lazarus is too much work with lot of unsupported features like COM and OLE
- replacing only the backend compiler by an FPC compiler (using build scripts and also building the VCL itself) is not an option

 

by: MvanderKooijPosted on 2009-10-14 at 07:20:18ID: 31637201

I've also contacted other sources and it is clear that FPC can not just replace the Delphi compiler. Thanks for your effort.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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