Delphi, even more RADical at 32.(Borland's Delphi 2.0 application development software)(includes related article on Delphi's Internet capabilities) (Software Review)(Evaluation)

Release 2.0 causes excitement in the developer community as a RADical visual development tool.

Once considered to be the center of the earth by the ancient Greeks, and fought over by their gods, the name Delphi is still causing a ruckus! The second release of Borland International's visual interface to Object Pascal may not quite be the center of the world, but its influence is certainly being felt in the developer community. The new release finds the product split into three separate offerings, ranging from the minimal Delphi Desktop 2.0, through the mid-level Delphi Developer 2.0, to the high-end Cadillac of the group, Delphi Client/Server Suite 2.0.

Claiming to be the new RADical visual development tool this release gives PowerBuilder, the C++ tools, and the rest of the "Visual" marketplace a run for its money. Programmers of all levels can use this product literally within minutes of cracking open the voluminous documentation (over 3,100 pages worth in the C/S version).

The introductory Getting Started guide not only introduces Delphi and its installation, it walks you quickly through building a simple application in less than an hour.

Delphi 2.0 creates native 32-bit applications for Windows 95 and Windows NT, as well as 16-bit apps for Windows 3.x (via the included 16-bit Delphi 1.0). It can create (and use) .DLLs, Automated controllers, and servers. And even though we all know that "DOS IS DEAD," Borland provides hooks to create DOS applications (called CRT applications).

What's here?

Delphi comes with a collection of supporting products to assist in creating applications. What's included varies, depending upon which version of 2.0 you purchase.

The Desktop version is really very basic. While it's a cheap way to get into Delphi, it doesn't have the complete set of tools you need to build serious applications. It includes the compiler, the Borland Database Engine (BDE) that natively supports Paradox, dBASE, and InterBase file formats, Delphi IDE (figure 1), Visual Component Library (VCL) without source code, Database Explorer, Quick Reports, and 16-bit Delphi 1.0.

The Developer edition adds VCL source, a scalable data dictionary, complete ODBC …