A new DWScript 2.3 preview 2 7zip (422 kB) is available for download for those that don’t use the DWScript SVN. This version should be the last before a release candidate for 2.3. As the lead version is Delphi XE, users of Delphi 2009, 2010, XE2 and XE3 are especially encouraged to report any issues they encounter. FreePascal support is still considered experimental at this moment.
A while ago I asked about the name of TObject ancestor, well, it’s now live in the SVN and its name is ‘Object‘.
Object is thus the new root class, above TObject. Eventually, it’ll be the ancestor for every other type.
DWScript (SVN version) should now compile under Delphi XE3, thanks to Steffen Binas for providing a workaround for a compiler bug (internal error URW1147).
The workaround will alas reduce performance, for a proper fix, a futureXE3 update will be required,see QC #109187.
While I’m at it, I might also raise awareness of another XE3 bug, QC #108942 (internal error G9413).
(on a side note, my XE3 trial expired, so any fixes or workarounds for XE3 will have to come from you guys)
dwsJSON is a unit that supports JSON parsing/creating, it’s part of DWScript but relatively “standalone”, in that if you add it in your Delphi (or FPC) projects, it won’t pull the whole of DWScript library, and thus can be used anywhere you need.
The JSON parser in dwsJSON generates an object tree based on TdwsJSONValue (and its subclasses), you can also create such a tree from scratch and use it to spit out JSON. There is also a low-level JSON writer for fast, write-only streaming. All classes support full Unicode (in Delphi) as well as very long strings (like a base64 streamed image).
If you’ve tried building PhoneGap/Cordova apps, be it in Object Pascal via Smart Mobile Studio or directly in JS, you’ll quickly have realized that debugging on the devices, even with remote debuggers and emulators, isn’t always convenient.
Being able to debug in a desktop browser would be so much more convenient, eh?
Here is the news summary for September 2012, top new items are initial FreePascal support and introduction of lambdas syntax.
Serg recent wrote an introduction to unit testing under Lazarus, showing how everything is there, but just that little bit “off” because of different unit names between FPCUnit and DUnit.
Not being a fan of ifdef, the prospect of having unit tests “uses” sections littered with ifdef did not attract me, so I made a little adapter unit to keep the “uses” sections clean.
Unofficial information from David Champion
https://forums.embarcadero.com/thread.jspa?threadID=76231
“In fact we do listen to our customers and make representations to our developer group in the USA. Subsequently the EULA changes you were worried about have been dropped altogether.”
From an Embarcadero employee in Europe.
Let’s see if it gets officially confirmed by an Embarcadero representative or a final version of the EULA…
Edit: confirmed and the clause is no longer present in the release XE3 EULA.
Tim Anderson wrote about what Embarcadero are planning for Delphi and Windows 8 after meeting with Embarcadero’s John Ray Thomas and Jason Vokes, I encourage you to go over and read his article about what they’re planning, and his reservations.
In short, since Delphi XE3 can’t pass validation as a WinRT app and be fully accepted on the Windows Store, they aim for a combination of having only a shortcut to the app vendor’s site in the Windows Store (like other vendors will do), and using a PowerShell script to sign the app. As Tim outlines, this isn’t exactly what you would call a smooth ride, and will require the Windows 8 Entreprise SKU apparently (thus ruling out consumer apps, i.e. would it even be possible to write the next Skype in Delphi?).
Allen Bauer spilled the beans in reply to a question by Brandon Staggs, and speaks about “Window’s 8 dirty little secret”.
I’ve quoted his reply in full below (highlights are mine):