Is Delphi an IDE or programming language?

Question

Through a question that appeared here What is a programming language, IDE and compiler?, I had a question:

Is Delphi an IDE or programming language? I have heard programmers working with Delphi say that Delphi is an IDE used to program in Pascal. But what is the real answer?

Answer 1

There are controversies, I’ve seen sources claiming one thing or another.

This has little practical importance but is worth the curiosity, especially because it helps understand a little better what is being done and using. Curiosity is a feature of every good programmer, or perhaps any qualified professional.

Object Pascal is a language originally created by Apple to improve what Pascal did, and one of the goals was to add ability to handle object orientation.

The language created by Apple was never standardized and was abandoned. Borland that had the best product on top of the Pascal language, the Turbo Pascal, used the creation of Apple to improve its product that was used as a base by Apple. Then she herself was improving the Object Pascal, distancing herself from what Apple had created.

At one point we could not call it Object Pascal and the name of the language changed to Delphi, confusing it with the name of the IDE. What everyone already did. Which adds to the confusion that people have about what is programming language and IDE. But itself site of Embarcadero use the term Object Pascal yet. Note that at no time do they attempt to resolve the issue. It seems that the exact term was chosen not to make clear what is language and what is IDE. In the end Delphi may be the whole package of language, IDE and other tools with libraries.

At least that’s what it says that source. And the Wikipedia confirms (or was used from source) in some way as a language that is a dialect of Object Pascal. The other article gives more information.

There’s the Lazarus which is compatible with Delphi and can be used on various platforms for free. It’s not exactly the same thing, it’s very similar.

Delphi is a registered trademark of Embarcadero, current holder of the product.

The most important thing is that you pronounce correctly delfái :P

Answer 2

From what I have found so far, Delphi is currently a programming language, as andthis link of Embarcadero/Borland.

Delphi is a high-level, Compiled, strongly typed language that Supports Structured and Object-oriented design.

That answer from Soen, helps tell part of the story, until version 6 Delphi was an IDE for Pascal Object, as the language was discontinued by Apple, from version 7, Borland took what it had from the pascal Object made some modifications and went on to call Delphi language.

Answer 3

Delphi in fact is an IDE for Pascal programming.

But not only that, it also serves as a compiler for the same language. So in addition to IDE is a compiler for Pascal programmers.

It is widely used in the development of desktop applications. Multi-layer applications and client/server, compatible with the best known databases on the market.

If someone asks you in what language you program, don’t say "DELPHI" Oce should only say DELPHI, when they ask you in what development environment Oce works with or which Voce tool you develop. When you are using DELPHI, the language generated by it is Object Pascal.

Interesting article about Delphi. What is Delphi

If you know English, here you go an article interesting about Delphi.

Answer 4

Which Object Pascal compiler compiles these instructions (Generics) if not Delphi ?

Var
    List : TList<String>; 
Begin
    List : TList<String>.Create; 
End;

Which Pascal Object compiler compiles Anonymous Methods ?

Which Pascal Object compiler compiles Class Helpers ?

Which Object pascal compiler builds Class Attributes and inserts it into RTTI ?

And the form and syntax that makes Delphi ?

Unlike Eclipse which allows editing of PHP, JAVA, and other languages allowing perspective, the Delphi IDE only fits Delphi itself, so the Delphi IDE is for itself, and cannot be used for other languages.

Soon Delphi is Language + Compiler + IDE

Object pascal is the language that originated the Delphi, until more or less the Delphi 7, after that it was called Delphi Language for a while, and recently the Embarcadero called again the language of Object Pascal, but also the flame of Delphi, ie there seems to be no consensus.

So it is not wrong to call the language of Delphi as well as it cannot be considered as an error to call Object Pascal from where everything originated.

Answer 5

Miguel, Delphi is an IDE used to create native programs for windows platform. The history of this IDE is long, there are hundreds of chapters. I have with me that the history of computer science (as a whole) is quite extensive, and one of the most used tools in the world is DELPHI. The information is so much, there are so many changes over the years, the meaning is lost if there is not a well thought out answer. Delphi was launched in 1995, it’s 20 years of history and innovation, today it’s completely different from what it once was. Take note, consider Delphi as IDE, (and also as RAD), and be happy.

Answer 6

As some have already said, Delphi is currently a Programming language, as if it were a Pascal Object Fork, who names the language is the developer and maintainer of the language and they call Delphi.

http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Rio/en/Delphi_Language_Guide_Index

Answer 7

I will program using the "Delphi programming language". Oops! But this is a Pascal with some improvements!

You can call it anything, for me it’s still Pascal. Even in respect to those who created the language.