Delphi introduction

see also:

Math routines in Delphi
original web page of this document with links intact
3rd party tools:
- Woll2Woll InfoPower 1stClass VCL bundle $US739
- TMS VCL UI Pack incl Smooth € 320
  - FlexCell € 175 or can get both plus lots of others for € 835 as VCL Subscription pack
- DevArt UniDac Pro $US499
- Steema TeeChart Pro w/o source $US398
- QBS QuickReport Pro
  - ?no ongoing support as founder died in 2019; latest version supports up to Delphi 10.2 Tokyo Win32/64
- $US2000
How to abort a Delphi application before it starts

Delphi Programming Main Index

Categories in this index:
- Creating a Real World Database Program in Delphi
- The Delphi programming environment
  - Object Pascal language:
    - basics
    - advanced
    - support routines
    - Windows API
  - General VCL's
  - Application design
  - Delphi IDE
- Specific tasks:
  - Text files
  - Multimedia
  - Printing
  - Database programming:
    - Databases
    - Database Engines
    - Client Server
  - Reports
  - Charts
  - Crosstabs
  - Communicating with other applications:
    - Windows handles
    - DDE
    - OLE / COM
    - DCOM
  - Communicating with other computers:
    - serial communications
    - LANs
    - WANs/Internet/Email(MAPI)
    - Telephony (TAPI)
  - Games
  - Creating Components
  - 3rd party components
  - Other Resources
See also:
- Borland Delphi
- Software design process

Creating a Real World Database Program in Delphi:

Decide on a database to use
Create a database
Create tables for the database with indices and constraints as needed
Create a way for Delphi to access the database:
- BDE alias +/- ODBC
- other middle ware database interface
Decide on which style of database user interface:
- single tier
- single tier with briefcase capability
- two tier
- n-tier
- n-tier with briefcase capability
Open Delphi and create the application:
- Create a datamodule and add TDatabase & TDatasets as needed and configure
  - consider adding TProviders to this datamodule for each dataset
- Create a second datamodule to hold the TDatasource components & TClientDataSets if used
- Create a basic form:
  - add a TPanel and set align to alTop, place a DBNavigator on this panel
  - add a TStatusBar and use its panels property to create 3 panels, the left to be used for hints, the right for your copyright
  - add a TScrollBox and set its align to alClient, this will create scrollbars if user resizes application too small
  - add a TNotebook and set its align to alClient, then right click to create new pages as needed
  - add data-aware controls as needed to the notebook page (eg. TDBGrid) and set their datasource property +/- fieldname
  - add menu system with functions such as:
    - Cut/Copy/Paste via a TActionList
    - table search or filtering
    - access to reports
    - import/export functions
    - preferences/defaults
    - context-sensitive help
  - add help - flyover hints, hints in status bar, context-sensitive help
  - consider security - password dialogs
  - consider progress bars for time consuming procedures
- Consider adding reports or import/export functions

The Delphi Programming environment:

what is Delphi & what can it do?
Delphi versions:
- Delphi 2 - DI Oct 1995, Feb 1996
- Delphi 3 - DI May, June1997
- Delphi 4 - DI July 1998
- Delphi 5 - DI Aug 1999
- Delphi for Linux (Kylix) - DI Aug 2000, Jan 2001 (CLX)
Object Pascal language:
- Computer programming languages:
  - Pascal vs C++ - DI Nov 1995
- Object Pascal basics:
  - project files & basics of OP language
  - variables, data types & structures
    - Subranges, enumerated types, sets - DI Nov 1995
    - TDateTime - DI Nov 1996
    - Dynamic arrays - DI Feb 1997 (D2);
    - Linked lists - DI May 1998
    - TList - DI Nov 2000
  - methods of reading & writing to files on disk (typed/untyped/text files/ini files/registry)
  - virtual & dynamic methods - DI May 1996, Jan, Feb1997
  - parentage & ownership:
    - using ComponentCount - DI Oct 1996, DI Apr Oct 1997
  - using the Sender parameter - DI Oct 1996
  - run time type information (RTTI) - DI June 1998, D5 - Nov 1999
  - Events:
    - OnCloseQuery event DI Oct 1997
    - manipulating events via TMethod & pointers: DI Jun 2000
  - Error handling:
    - handling cleanup & resource allocations; trapping RTL exceptions - DI Feb 1996
    - exception scope, re-raising, silent, creating custom, DI Mar 1996
- Object Pascal advanced:
  - conditional compiles - DI Nov 1996, May 1998
  - VCL internal component messages - DI Jan 1997
  - changing a VCL's functionality or appearance:
    - using polymorphism to create morphing grids that alter depending on data being accessed - DI Nov 1996
    - property over-riding - extending a VCL class: DI Apr 1999
    - via intercepting Windows messaging using TControl.WindowProc - DI Feb 2000
    - extending VCL controls - DI Jun 2000
    - breaking through a VCL's protected barrier:
      - polymorphic programming - DI Nov 2000
      - accessing protected members - DI Feb 2001
  - classes:
    - "nice classes" - DI Aug 1997
    - object vs class: DI July 1999
  - creating objects including forms dynamically at runtime - DI May 2000
  - manipulating event properties using TMethod - DI Jun 2000
  - object oriented patterns:
    - the builder pattern - DI Jun 1999
  - dependency tracking (updating dependent objects effectively - the observer pattern) - DI Aug 2000
  - Re-programming keyboard actions:
    - Keyboard Strokes in Delphi;
    - making "Enter" act like "Tab" - DI Oct 1995 p58; DI Mar 1997
  - Command line parameters - DI Mar 1996, SysUtils.FindCmdLineSwitch: DI Feb p70, Dec 1999
  - bit manipulation
  - database persistent objects (automatic storage of objects) - DI Sep 2000 - part I, partII
  - multi-object signalling DI Aug 96
  - "multiple inheritance" DI Jan 2000
- support routines:
  - string handling:
    - string types in Delphi 1: DI Aug 1995
    - stripping blanks, autoFilenames, move, fillchar: DI Sept 1995
    - stripFirstWord, limiting length of strings, text files: DI Oct 1995
    - soundex - DI Mar 1998
    - sysUtils.StringReplace: DI Feb 1999 p71
    - sets to strings & vice versa - converting enumerated types to strings: DI Apr 2000
  - maths
    - random numbers - DI Mar 1997
    - building an advanced expression calculator / recursion techniques - DI Aug 2000
  - algorithms:
    - trees / sorting data:
      - classic sort routines - Bubble, Selection, Quick, Counting - DI Jan 1998
      - recursion, factorials, plotting trees/fractals, sorted binary trees: DI June 1996
      - decision trees - DI June 1998
      - determining the shortest path through a network - DI Dec 1998
      - topological sorting - sorting based on conditions such as "item1 < item2" - DI Oct 1998
      - introduction to trees - creating, recursion, testing, B+, climbing: DI Jan 1999
    - searching a list:
      - exhaustive, binary, interpolation: DI Apr 1999
      - hash tables, linear/quadratic probing - DI Feb, Sept 1999
    - getting line of best fit:
      - linear least squares / Gaussian elimination:
        
        DI Sept 1998 p54-58
    - cartography - coloring maps so that each adjacent part is different color - DI May 1999
  - file I/O:
    - searching multiple directories for a file DI Oct 1997
    - finding a file: FileExists vs FileSearch: DI Feb 1999 p71
    - read/write appended data to an exe file - see Delphi Super Recall - DBK #691
- Windows API:
  - raw API without VCL for speed - DI Sep 2000
  - long filenames
  - displaying abbreviated pathnames- removing the middle: DI July1997 p84
  - adding a file to the Win95 documents menu - DI May 1997 p73
  - Window's dialog boxes - DI Apr, May1999, Win2000 OpenDialog DI Aug 2000
  - application:
    - how can a program check if another program is running? DI Jul 1996
    - determining if your program was started from within Delphi IDE - DI Nov 1998
    - relaunching an application at Windows Start Up - DI Nov 1997 p63
    - listing open windows using EnumWindows - DI Feb 2001
    - making current window title or minimised icon flash - Delphi Super Recall - DBK#626
    - restoring Win animation when resizing a form from minimise-restore - DI Mar 1998
  - custom message handlers, transforming window's messages into event handlers: DI Oct 1999
  - security:
    - Windows CryptoAPI - encrypt/decrypt files - DI Feb 1999
    - Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) - DI Jan 2001
  - Control Panel applets - DI Jan, Mar 2001;
  - tray icons - DI Nov 1998
  - hiding Windows taskbar
  - getting information about user & system:
    - determining environment variables (eg. TEMP directory) - Delphi Super Recall - DBK#686, 666; DI Jan 2001;
    - accessing the API - DI April 1996
    - file system info
    - Registry:
      - Gary's SysInfo tools
    - ini files:
      - DI Aug 1995
      - iniPlus.pas - adds Read/Write methods for color, font, control position
    - cursors, sleep, getLogicalDrives - DI Aug 1998; get drives DI Mar 2001
    - performance monitoring in NT - DI Sep 1998
    - NT event log - DI Oct 1998
    - Shell notification - DI Mar 1999
    - Network resources - DI Aug 1999
    - PIDLs - DI Dec 1999
    - Time zones - DI Feb 2000
    - winNT/2000 active directories - changing usernames, etc. DI May 2000
    - file shortcuts - DI Oct 2000
general visual component library (VCL's):
- TApplication:
  - DI Mar 1997
- TThread & Multithreading:
  - DI June, Sept (Queries)1996, Dec 1997, Jun, Nov 2000,
  - request threads DI Jan 2000
- TForm:
  - Sharing components between forms - DI April 1996
  - visual form inheritance - DI Mar, Aug 2000
  - controlling form sizing using Win API- DI Nov 1997 p64; Apr, May1998
  - creating forms & controls at runtime: DI May 2000
- Delphi 5 Frames:
  - DI Dec 1999
- TMenu:
  - Creating a MRU list - DI Dec 1995; Jan 1997;
  - Simple menu-level security system - DI Mar 1996 p68
  - Fancy menus (colors, rotated text, etc) using OwnerDraw - DI Dec 2000
- TLabels:
  - blinking text DI Nov 1996
- Invisible hotspots - DI Dec 1995
- TScreen - DI Feb 1997
- edit controls:
  - automatically setting focus to next control once user enters data DI Jul 1996
  - onChange event - DI Apr 1997
  - justifying text DI Jan 2001;
  - highlighting controls depending on focus or database data DI Jan 1998
- TOutline:
  - DI Dec 1995; creating a DBOutline - DI Feb 1996
- TDBGrid:
  - column editor, multi-select, displaying a dialog form when user clicks grid button - DI Jul 96
  - adding images via OnDrawColumnCell - DI Jan 2001;
- TStream:
  - DI Dec 1995, April 1996
  - Filestreams to import/export data - DI June 1998
- TProgress:
  - DI Mar 1997
Application design:
- The basics of creating an application
- planning for multi-tier database independence - DI Jan 1999
- Object oriented application & designing for reuse - DI Nov 1995, Sept 1997
- Internationalisation:
  - resource strings DI Jul 2000
- Preventing more than one instance of application from running
- Attractive & intuitive user interfaces:
  - DI April, July1996 (also how to keep users waiting patiently)
  - Highlighting data entry controls - DI Jan 1998
  - Interface Hall of Shame - examples of poor GUI techniques
  - Lighthouse International - effective color contrast
  - Better UI design - DI Feb 2001
- MDI applications:
  - DI Aug 1995
  - using Active X in MDI apps - DI Sept 1999
- DLL's:
  - introduction to creating DLLs - DI Mar, April, May, June 1996
  - exporting a class & its methods from a DLL - DI Oct 1996
  - creating & managing memory-mapped files; mutex; - DI Nov 1997
  - Reports in DLL's: DI Oct 1998
  - thread-safe DLLs - DI Nov 1998
  - plug-in DLLs - DI Dec 1998
- Online help in your apps:
  - DI Aug 1995
  - HTML help - DI Apr 1998
  - What's this? Help implementation - DI Apr 1998
  - Hints - DI Dec 1999, Jan 2000
- Quality assurance/documentation:
  - Practical QA - DI Mar, April, May 1996
  - Table documentor - DI Mar(16bit D1),Aug (32bit D2) 1996
  - Using a naming convention - DI Jan 1997
  - Commenting code - DI May 2000
- Deployment:
  - D2 & Installshield - DI May, June1997
Delphi IDE:
- Object repository:
  - DI Sept 1996, Nov 1998
- Object browser:
  - DI Nov 1995
- Code editor - code Insight:
  - DI Feb, Mar 1998
- Debugging:
  - DI Feb, Mar 2001
  - CPU window:
    - Machine code DI Oct 1997
    - CPU window usage DI Sept 1999
- Packages:
  - DI Feb 1998
- Customising Delphi:
  - OpenTools API & Delphi Experts:
    - DI July, Sept 1997, Jul 1999
    - an add-in to automate module versioning: DI Oct 1999
    - enhancing a Delphi expert DI Dec 1999, Jan 2000
- Property editors:
  - Owner-drawn - DI Mar 2000;
- Comparisons with other programming tools:
  - Powerbuilder 4 - DI Sept 1995
  - Powerbuilder Enterprise 6.5
Problems in Delphi

Specific tasks:

Text files:

Rich Text Files (RTF):
- TRichEdit control - see also DI Apr 1997
methods of reading & writing to text files on disk
import/export of ASCII text files
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files:
- Build an HTML generator - DI May 1996; using interfaces: DI May, June1999
- Bare Bones Guide to HTML
- HTML Elements
- parsing the web - extracting data from the web - DI May 2000
- getting dynamic data to web pages
Dynamic HTML / Document Object Model (DOM):
- via IE4: DI Aug 1998; Aug 1999
Extensible Markup Language (XML):
- DI July 1999; Feb 2000; SAX - DI Mar 2000;
- using XSLT to format XML documents - DI Nov 2000
Simple glossary look up system for TMemos - DI Aug 1995 p66-67
Wireless Markup Language (WML):
- sending text to mobile phones via Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) services - DI Apr 2000
- WAP/WML applications - DI Aug 2000

Multimedia programming:

multimedia methods
File formats:
- The Programmer's Guide to File Formats
- Achim's File Format Library
Drawing - DI Dec 1997
Anti-aliasing - DI Apr 1998
demystifying Window's palettes - DI July 1998
3D graphics programming:
- TGMP:
  - 3D rendering, DIBs- DI Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Jul 1997
  - adding a camera coordinate system & animated textures - DI Nov 1998
- transformations, rotation, homogeneous coordinates, drawing, surface plots: DI Aug 1998
Shrinking, enlarging & rotating images perfectly - DI Nov 1998
streaming audio over a TCP/IP network - DI July 1999
TRect & rectangles - DI Aug 1999
using PlgBlt to create parallelograms in NT - DI Jan 1999
working with waveforms DI Feb, Mar 2001
Books:
- Delphi 2 Multimedia Adventure. Jarol, Haygood & Coppola. Coriolis Books 1996
- The Tomes of Delphi - 32-bit Multimedia Programming. Moore. Wordware 1999
- C++ based:
  - Windows 95 Multimedia & ODBC API Bible. Waite Group Press 1996
  - Advanced Multimedia Programming. Windcrest Books 1994
  - A Programmer's Guide to Sound. Kientzle. Addison-Wesley 1997
  - Maximum MIDI. Messick. Manning Publications 1997

Printing:

TPrinter:
- DI Nov 1997

Database programming:

Databases:
- overview
- handling auto-incrementing fields
- Database formats:
  - File based:
    - Paradox:
      - Paradox file format - also:
        
        table format, header & family files, data blocks, table levels DI Apr 1997
        
        DI June,July 1997
        
        properties, field names, record & table sizes - DI May 1997
        
        passwords, encryption - DI Aug 1997
        
        locking - DI Sept 1997
        
        Randy Beck's website - file format documentation
  - SQL servers:
    - Interbase:
      - Interbase vs Paradox - DI June 1996
      - Locking, transaction isolation, versioning - DI Oct 1996
      - Stored procedures, Triggers, Generators, IBEventAlerter- DI June1997
      - Indexes - DI July1997
      - Security levels - DI Aug 1997
      - Maintenance - DI Sept 1997
      - Multi-generational architecture - DI Oct 1997
      - IB6 - DI Sep 2000
    - Oracle:
      - inside oracle queries - DI Sept 1999
    - MS SQL Server:
      - SQL Server 7 DMO: DI Jun, Jul 2000
    - Sybase:
  - Object Oriented Databases (ODBMS):
    - introduction - DI Mar 1998
- single-user databases
- multi-user databases
- relational database management systems
  - implementing many-many database relationships - DI Aug 1997
- creating databases:
  - creating tables at runtime - DI Oct 1995, Nov 1996
- accessing databases from Delphi:
  - database access solutions
  - accessing AS400 - DI Jan, May1998; optimising SQL: Nov 1999
  - accessing MS Access: DI July 1999
  - Palm handheld devices - DI Jun, Jul 2000
Database engines:
- Borland Database Engine (BDE):
  - BDE configuration options
  - Borland TechInfo IDAPI evolution
  - Borland TechInfo for v3
  - Borland known bugs
  - BDE basics: packing tables, displaying table information, BDE calls:
    - DI Mar 1996, Nov, Dec 1997, Aug1998
  - BDE configuration for Paradox - DI Feb 1997
  - Sharing the BDE on a network - DI Feb 1999
  - Gary's DBTools
- BDE alternatives:
  - Kyle Cordes BDE/MIDAS alternatives website
  - Client Server middleware tools
  - ADO:
    - DI Dec 1998, Oct 1999, Oct, Nov 2000
  - Borland DBExpress:
    - DI Mar 2001
Client Server techniques:
- overview
- minimising network traffic
- cached updates - see also DI May, June, OnUpdateRecord/OnUpdateError - July1997
- Two-tier client server
  - Gary's TQuery cached updates tools
- Multi-tiered client server:
  - MIDAS - multi-tier, briefcase, thin client:
    - DI Nov 1997; D4 - Aug 1998; D5 - DI Feb, Aug 1999;
    - row-level business rules, real transaction processing, controlling the app. server: DI Jan 1999
    - planning for database independence - DI Jan 1999
    - building modular applications: MIDAS & COM - DI Aug, Sep 2000
    - using TClientDataset :
      - as Single tiered - DI Jan, Apr 1998
      - briefcase model - DI Mar 1999
      - Gary's CDS Tools
      - moving data with COM - DI Nov 2000
- Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS):
  - DI Dec 1998, Jan, Feb 1999
Data-aware VCL's:
- TSession:
  - DI Apr 1997
- TDatabase:
  - DI Nov 1998
- TBatchMove:
  - DI Nov 1995
- Datamodules:
  - DI Dec 1998; D5 designer Nov 1999;
- Datasets:
  - tables, queries & stored procedures: DI Oct 1998
  - navigation & editing: DI Jan 1999
Databases on the net:
- DI Mar 1997
- D3 - TWebApplication, TWebModule, CGI - DI Feb 1998
- Active Server Pages (ASP's) - DI Mar 1999, Jul 2000
- MS Remote Data Services (RDS) - DI Sept 1999
- WebMIDAS Client
- Maintaining state - cookies, etc DI Apr, July 2000
- Building session-aware ISAPI DLLs with WebBroker - DI July 2000, Feb 2001
SQL:
- Introduction - DI Oct 1995
- creating C/S databases with SQL data definition language
- extracting data using SQL
Data validation techniques see also: DI Aug, Sept 1995, May 1999
Filtering data: DI Jan, Feb, June 1996, Apr 1999
Searching for records: Sequential vs FindKey vs Locate vs Parameterised Query - DI Feb 1999
Customising DBNavigator buttons - DI Mar 1997
Multi-user aspects
Designing for future upsizing
Import/Export of ASCII text files - DI May 1998, using TTable: DI June 1999

Reports:

QuickReport:
- QR2.0: DI Aug 1997
- Customising the previewer - adding page selections to print, etc. DI Aug 1997
- DBGrid - DI Sept 1997
- creating mailing labels - DI Sept 1997
- Reports in DLL's: DI Oct 1998
- polymorphic reports - DI Jan 1999
- Gary's advanced techniques
Crystal Reports:
- using within Delphi: DI Oct 1998

Charts:

TeeCharts:
- DI Oct 1997
- Toolbar - DI Apr 2000

Crosstabs:

DecisionCube: DI Nov 1997

Communicating with other applications:

Window's messaging:
- sending an object via its handle - DI Nov 1997
- Running a DOS application then close its console window - Delphi Super Recall - DBK#687
- Terminating other applications
DDE
OLE:
- Mastering Delphi 3 - Chapter 21 - OLE/COM
- Delphi OLE Methods
  - creating an OLE object manager - DI Feb 1996
  - Netscape Navigator as an OLE Server - DI May 1996
  - Word Basic (MSWord 95 & earlier) - DI Mar 1996
  - OLE Automation:
    - DI Oct 1996, MS Word - DI May 1997, Excel - DI June1997, Access - DI July1997
  - Active X / Active Forms:
    - DI May, 1997, Feb 1998; deployment - DI Mar 1998; intranet - DI June 1999
    - using Active X in MDI apps - DI Sept 1999
    - using MS Agent - text-to-speech API: DI Oct 1999
    - using MS Scripting Control - Letting user use VBScript or JScript in your app.: DI Dec 1999
      - scriptable OLE server plug-ins - DI Feb 2000
    - using unknown Active X controls at runtime - DI Jan 2000
    - using Office 2000's OWC Chart & Spreadsheet controls - DI Dec 2000
    - using Office 2000's OWC Pivot Table control - DI Jan 2001
COM & Interfaces:
- creating COM objects in D3: DI June1997
- COM automation: File notification - VB vs Delphi - DI Apr 1998
- Interfaces - DI Apr 1998, Apr 1999, Mar, Apr 2000
- COM callbacks:
  - interface manager - creating a simple chat program - DI June 1998
  - connectable objects - DI July 1998
- IE:
  - IE4 - Dynamic HTML / Document Object Model (DOM) - DI Aug 1998, DI Aug 1999
  - IE5 - IE as an automation server - DI Jan, Feb 2001
- designing a COM automation server - ie. allowing other programs to control your app - DI Dec 1999
- MS Outlook:
  - as an automation server - DI Sept 1999
  - internet messaging using Collaborative Data Objects (CDO) - DI Nov 2000
- creating Office 2000 add-ins - DI May 2000
- accessing WinNT/2000 Active Directories services via COM: DI May 2000
- SQL Server 7 Distributed Management Objects (DMO):
  - Building a SQL Server scripting tool - DI Jun, Jul 2000
- building modular database applications: MIDAS & COM - DI Aug, Sep 2000
- MS Word as an automation server - DI Sep, Oct, Nov 2000
- passing data in a variant via COM - DI Nov 2000
- Gary's COM functions for exporting data to MS Excel97/MS Word 97
COM+:
- Windows 2000 Com + for scalable distributed systems - DI Nov, Dec 2000
DCOM:
- in D3: DI Sept 1997
- DCOM streaming to pass objects - DI Mar 1998
CORBA:
- DI Nov 1999, Feb, Mar 2000
- Visibroker 3.3 - writing clients for non-Delphi CORBA servers - DI May 2000

Communicating with other computers:

Serial communications:
- Introduction to serial communications - DI Nov 1995
Multicasting - sending data to multiple clients via User Datagram Protocol (UDP) sockets:
- see DI Sept. 1998 p38-51
LANs:
- network debugging components - TSonar, TEchoC, TTrace - DI May, July1997
- Winsock - DI June, multithreading - July 1998
- streaming audio over a TCP/IP network - DI July 1999
WANs / Internet aspects:
- Delphi Web tools
- Email (MAPI) techniques
- Finger - DI Aug 1996
- Creating an SMTP email client program - DI July1997;
- POP - DI Aug 1997;
- MIME - DI Sept 1997
- FTP programming - DI Dec 1997
- getting dynamic data to web pages
Telephony (TAPI) techniques:
- introduction - DI July, Aug 1998; DI Sept. 1998 p24-32
- playing & recording sounds during calls: DI Nov 1999

Games:

card deck - DI Dec 1995
asteroids clone/TSprite; Mastermind clone; - DI Feb 1997

Creating Components:

DI Sept 1995 - SlideBar, dynamic Toolbar, Stopwatch
DI June 1996 - encapsulating multiple controls
DI July 1996 - 3D Rotatable Labels; GDI monitor; TAnimator;
DI Aug 1996 - adding property editors & online help; database table documentor;
DI Sept 1996 - signalling objects / notification mechanisms; Experts/wizards;
DI Oct 1996 - an expert to generate a screen saver application; creating INI-aware controls;
DI Nov 1996 - database to HTML generator; custom color property editor; subproperty editors;
DI Jan 1997 - custom barcode label;
DI Mar 1997 - status gauge dialog box;
DI May 1997 - NetCheck; creating Active X components; building a custom ReportSmith component.
DI July 1997 - NetCheckII;
DI Aug, Sept 1997 - Expert Tool; QuickReport extensions - database grid, custom previewer with zoom factors, page selection
DI Aug 1997 - custom component editor; construction guidelines for creating VCL components;
DI Oct 1997 - persistent object manager - save/load state of objects to registry
DI Oct 1997 - formula compiler for extra speed
DI Dec 1997 - component templates
DI Jan 1998 - using the ToolsServices object to build a property explorer expert
DI June 1998 - TSeatChecker - checks if licence max user count is exceeded; Formula compiler;
DI Mar 1998 - multimedia button with variable images depending on state & audio capabilities
DI Dec 1998 - Use of plug-ins to allow changing features
DI Mar 1999 - The singleton pattern & using it to create a global user configuration object in providing persistence
DI May 1999 - The template pattern to build a UI application framework
DI June 1999 - The builder pattern to extend the application framework by use of packages
DI Dec 1999, Jan 2000 - An expert that adds wav-file playing capabilities to components
DI Jan 2000 - TEmbeddedForm - Embedding forms within TabbedNotebook
DI Jan 2000 - resource threads - a MTS replacement
DI Mar 2000 - TFormShaper - drop on form to change its shape to any bitmap image shape

3rd party components:

General components:
- ABC for Delphi - DI Mar 1996
- TWorldMap - DI Jan 1997
- SysTools - DI Jan 1997, Dec 1998
- STDynArray for D2 - DI June1997
- Sentry Spelling Checker - DI Sept 1997
- WPTools - word processing components - DI Oct 1998
- dtSearch - text retrieval engine - fast search of text in files - DI July 1999
- Woll2Woll 1stClass - DI Dec 1999
Database components:
- Woll2Woll Infopower - DI Aug 1995, v2: Jan 1997, v3: Sept 1997, v4: Dec 1998;v2000: Apr 2000;
- [re]Structure - DI Oct 1995 (complete programmatic control of Paradox tables)
- Open Horizon's Application Broker - DI Sept 1996
- MER Systems UDFlib (user-defined functions to extend Interbase) - DI Sept 1996
- Raize Components - DI Jan 1998, Nov 1999
- Tamarack Assoc' Rubicon database search engine - DI Mar 1998
- ODBC Express - DI Aug 1998
- TSQLBuilder - DI Jan 1999
- Advantage Database Server - DI Aug 1999
- DBISAM - small footprint database that compiles into exe - DI Sept 1999
- Orpheus - DI Jan 2000
- ASTA - thin client n-tier tool, no DLL's or BDE on client - DI Mar 2000
Report writers:
- Nevrona ReportPrinter - DI Dec 1995; Sept 1996;
- Nevrona AdHocery - DI July 1997
- Reportsmith: DI Aug, Sept 1996
- QuickReport: DI Aug 1996
- Ace Reporter: DI Aug 1996
- Crystal Reports: v6 DI Mar 1998
- ReportBuilder: DI Mar 1999, Sep 2000
Imaging:
- Light Lib - DI April 1996, Feb 1997
- Image Lib - DI July 1996, Sep 1998
- LEADTOOLS Imaging - DI Feb 1999
Communications components:
- serial communications - Turbopower Async - DI June 1997, Sep 1998
- HREF's WebHub - DI Nov 1997
- PBear's HTML viewer
Component creation experts:
- Potomac Component Create - enhanced editor: DI Oct 1995
- Eagle Software's Component Developer Kit - DI May 1997
IDE extensions:
- HyperAct's HyperTerp - scripting language - DI Feb 1996
- American Cybernetics' Multi-Edit - DI Apr 1997
- Eagle Software's Raptor: DI Oct 1997
- AppVision's GenerationXpert - an expert for creating experts - DI Aug 1997
- WinGREP (search utility) - DI Jan 1998
- Propel - easy subclassing of components to add new features - DI July 1998
- Wanda the Wizard - wizard creator - DI Nov 1998
- CodeRush - code editor - DI Oct 1999
- Marotz Cost Expert - project maintenance & cost estimating - DI Aug 1999
Debugging/Memory Monitoring:
- Borland RADpack - DI Nov 1995
- MemMonD - DI June 1996
- BoundsChecker - DI Mar 1997
- Raize CodeSite - DI Jan 1999
CASE tools:
- MicroGOLD Software's With Class - DI Oct 1996
- ModelMaker: - cheap UML tool, reverse engineering DI Oct 1999
Deployment:
- WISE installation system - DI Feb 1996, Oct 1998, Jul, Aug 2000
- Youseful - DI June 1999
Anti-piracy:
- TurboPower OnGuard - DI June 1998
Compression/Encryption:
- TurboPower's Abbrevia & LockBox - DI Feb 1998
Help authoring:
- JG Software's HelpScribble - DI May 1998
- Auric Visions' DotHLP - DI May 1998
- WinHelp Office / RoboHELP - DI May 1998
- MS HTML Help Compiler (free)

Other Resources: