Mega Code Archive

Delphi compared to VB, C++ and PowerBuilder

Title: Delphi compared to VB, C++ and PowerBuilder Question: I couldn't hold myself back to upload this comparison from Delphi with Visual Basic, C++ and PowerBuilder. It's from Marotz.com ! Marotz is a global consulting and technology firm, specializing in internet and intranet business applications settled in San Diego ! You can find them under www.marotz.com It may help you to find arguments in these 'religious' discussions about development tools... (you know what i mean ;-) Seriously: Of course every language or tool has it's advantages or disadvantages. I think what makes sence is to figure out the 'hard facts' to choose the right tool for the right job ! Discussions about this are highly desired in our new forum-category: Delphi and other programming tools ! Answer: Delphi is better than Visual Basic because... ActiveX controls created with VB5 require 1.5 megabytes of files to accompany them when distributing them, and those controls will run 10-20 times slower than ActiveX controls created using Delphi. The reason: ActiveX controls created using VB are interpreted, ActiveX controls created using Delphi are compiled. One of VB5's new features is a native code compiler. However executables created with this compiler still require the Visual Basic Runtime Interpreter to be distributed along with the executable. Even with this new feature, Delphi apps still run 5-10 times faster VB5 advertises Enterprise Scalability, but to get this scalability VB5 requires that you use MSSQL Server on Windows NT. Delphi is database and platform independent and has native drivers for Oracle, Sybase, Paradox, Access, Foxpro, dBase, Informix, DB2, Interbase, MSSQL, and AS400 so you don't have to use the limited functionality and slow speed of going through ODBC. The Delphi IDE speeds development time and sets the standard that others follow. Delphi offers the programmer the ability to trap and handle exceptions, VB does not. The ability to handle exceptions makes for more robust applications. Delphi is a true object oriented language, VB is not. Delphi is better than C++ because... Delphi is much more English-like and less cryptic than C++ Pascal's strong typing discourages bad programming practices Delphi is much easier to learn than C++ Delphi's compiler is much faster than C++ compilers Delphi objects are all pointers which Delphi implicitly dereferences. This makes Delphi objects very easy to deal with. Delphi makes dealing with strings very easy Delphi's compiler doesn't just short-circuit boolean expressions, it simplifies them down to the smallest fastest statement possible Delphi optimizes CASE statements to jump to the correct block There is no ANSI standard for Delphi which gives Borland the freedom to change the language to integrate very tightly with their IDE, and enables them to come up with new innovations in the IDE Delphi is better than PowerBuilder because... Delphi is a true object oriented language with inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation. PowerBuilder is not an object oriented language. PowerBuilder is interpreted at runtime, and so Delphi exes will run much faster. Delphi offers the programmer the ability to trap and handle exceptions, PowerBuilder does not. The ability to handle exceptions makes for more robust applications. Delphi has the Borland Database Engine which allows it to connect to many different databases using native language drivers. PowerBuilder connects to databases through ODBC, which is much more limited and many times slower in accessing data. When compiling in PowerBuilder, the compiler stops at the first error found. Delphi scans the entire unit and displays all the errors found. So rather than compiling & fixing, re-compiling & fixing, etc, you can compile once and fix all the problems in the unit at once. (c) Marotz Inc. Some links that might be also for you: Battle of the visual masters: http://www.borland.com/delphi/news/battle/battle.html Delphi Leaves Visual Basic In the Dust...Again: http://www.zdnet.com/computershopper/edit/cshopper/content/9708/cshp0011.html Visual Basic and Delphi Head to Head: http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/issues/1415/pcm00122.htm Why I really like Delphi: http://www.vbda.org/Newsletters/99%2D12%5FNullWriter.htm The case of Delphi: http://www.delphimag.com/opinion/2000/01/di200001fn%5Fo/di200001fn%5Fo.asp Next-Generation Windows Development: http://www.borland.com/delphi/papers/wpwndev.html