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I've been using Delphi (Turbo Pascal before that) and have always been a windows guy. My wife bought me one of the new iPads for my birthday and I used it for the first time last night. Wow!... I had no idea how addicting that thing can be.

So, now I need to think about writing an app or two for this iPad. I'm guessing I need to upgrade from Delphi 2010 to Delphi XE2 and I'm looking for a good Delphi resource on development and distribution of iPad apps.

Ken White
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Michael Riley - AKA Gunny
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  • See this [docs link](http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/en/Creating_a_FireMonkey_iOS_App) for the "official" way to create iOS (iPad/iPhone/iPod) applications. Note that a Mac is required for the process. :) – Ken White Apr 04 '12 at 21:54
  • @dontcheckMyBlog: I specifically said "official way" referring to XE2, and providing a link to the XE2 docs. Using XE2 to develop for iOS, a Mac is definitely required (but don't believe me - read the docs I linked to). MonoTouch is hardly part of RAD Studio; at least I can't find it on my ISO download. Can you point out where it is as part of your off-topic rant? :) – Ken White Apr 05 '12 at 00:40

4 Answers4

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If you want to go the Delphi way you have to upgrade to XE2. Google for (FireMonkey iOS).

Some resources:

http://blogs.embarcadero.com/ao/2011/10/26/39188

http://www.embarcadero.com/coderage/sessions

http://www.andreanolanusse.com

http://www.felix-colibri.com/papers/firemonkey/firemonkey.html

Jan Doggen
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Bob Swart has a course manual called 'Delphi XE2 native iPhone/iPad Development'. It is not free, I have no stocks in it, but I can recommend it.

Erwin
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Check out:

http://op4js.optimalesystemer.no/

and

http://www.unigui.com

Denzil Bowmaker
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  • Wait, how is `uniGUI` related to the iPad development ? – TLama Apr 04 '12 at 13:34
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    @TLama, `uniGUI` just like [`Smart Mobile Studio`](http://op4js.optimalesystemer.no/) compiles object pascal (Delphi style) into javascript code. This code can be executed in any html5 compatible web-browser. [Gabr](http://stackoverflow.com/users/4997/gabr) wrote a nice example for the iPad [handling-touch-events](http://www.thedelphigeek.com/2012/01/handling-touch-events.html). See [MultiPaint](http://www.gabrijelcic.org/MultiPaint/). – LU RD Apr 04 '12 at 14:06
  • @LURD: Except the question specifically asks for **Delphi** resources, not just **Pascal** resources. `uniGUI` is not **Delphi**. Denzil should delete this or make it a comment to the original question, as it is not an answer to the question asked. "Delphi style" is not "Delphi". – Ken White Apr 04 '12 at 21:42
  • @KenWhite, some lateral thinking must be allowed in answers. In the end it is up to the OP to decide. These technologies might (I'm not saying they will) be what Delphi needs to be back in the top again. – LU RD Apr 04 '12 at 22:13
  • @LURD: Nope. :) If you want to offer an answer to the actual question, and *then* offer alternatives, it's fine. But the answer should at least address the original question in some way, which this one does not. (There is no mention of Delphi resources in any of the links provided; nothing in the text does so either.) I was doing Denzil a favor by not downvoting without a chance to fix or remove it; as it is, it's 100% wrong because it doesn't provide any solution to the question asked. It's the equivalent of "How do I do this in C?" - "Well, in Perl you could." or "Use Java instead." – Ken White Apr 04 '12 at 22:17
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    @KenWhite, hmm quoting from uniGUI "Supported Delphi versions: Turbo Delphi Pro, Delphi 2006, Delphi 2007, Delphi 2009, Delphi 2010, Delphi XE and Delphi XE2 (Win32 & Win64)". I see both of the links as more like a third party Delphi library or extension. Closer to Delphi than Delphi Prism. And perhaps a shorter way to the application than learning and debugging FireMonkey applications. – LU RD Apr 04 '12 at 22:25
  • @KenWhite uniGUI is a 3rd Party lib for Delphi. In what way it is not for Delphi? See demo created and compiled purely in Delphi for mobile devices: http://prime.fmsoft.net/demo/canvasmobile.dll – Farshad Mohajeri Apr 24 '12 at 21:02
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I think to compile a program for an iPad, you either need Delphi Prism, which creates a .NET application that could be run in Mono, a cross platform .NET framework.

Or, if you want to write native code, I think you will need a MacBook to compile the last step and publish it to your iPad. I think there is no compiler included with Delphi XE2, that runs in Windows and creates an executable for the iPad. The compiler for iOS (the FreePascal compiler, which is shipped with Delphi 2) needs to run on a Mac.

GolezTrol
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  • This is wrong. :) Delphi XE2 has support for iOS development; it ships with a FreePascal version and support libraries in the ISO image (or via the web installer). You're right about having to have a Mac computer (doesn't have to be a MacBook, though) for testing and debugging purposes. It's pretty useless to be able to write an app in a Windows IDE but not be able to debug it, so the Mac is a requirement. :) There is a compiler that creates apps for OS X, but iOS requires libraries and functionality that isn't available under Windows. – Ken White Apr 04 '12 at 21:46
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    Allright, any Mac, not just MacBooks. But still you cannot compile in Windows to get an executable that runs on the iPad. FreePascal needs to run on the Mac to do that. So even though to tools ship with Delphi, you will still need the Mac. So Cape Cod Gunny, being a Windows guy, cannot just purchase Delphi XE2 and start developing for his iPad. – GolezTrol Apr 04 '12 at 22:02
  • I was saying that your first paragraph is wrong (you don't need Prism; Delphi XE2 works - see the link I posted in the comment to the original question), and your second is wrong (minor quibble about "MacBook" when it can be any Intel-based Mac). I didn't downvote your answer; I just mentioned places it was wrong so you could correct it. :) – Ken White Apr 04 '12 at 22:05
  • And I thank you for that. :) I tried to clarify the last sentence, which was indeed unclear. Prism is just an alternative, either or... Indeed you don't need both. If you got all the tools and hardware to do it with XE2, there's no need to get Prism. – GolezTrol Apr 04 '12 at 22:07