20 ms·

Still Delphi was better. - DSL for UI (Forms) - fast native compiler that produced self sufficient binaries - great component library and many open source lib

by vrodic 5y ago

Still Delphi was better. - DSL for UI (Forms) - fast native compiler that produced self sufficient binaries - great component library and many open source libraries - Object Pascal was extended to fit perfectly the needs of UI programming

nawgz 5y ago
Building things that have no real-world constraints does often result in great beauty. Unfortunately, the web and all its ugliness became the dominant platform because it enabled no-download no-install information & application interaction
- DarylZero 5y ago
  The user downloads a browser that downloads the site-specific javascript application.
- beamatronic 5y ago
  But in today's reality, there is a lot of Javascript that is getting "downloaded and installed" into your browser's cache. It's all being managed for you and it mostly works.
  - nawgz 5y ago
    Please, you must not be pedantic in this way, it's clear that I mean there's no install wizard and OS-native interactions the user must go thru, they just provide a string URL and immediately begin application-style interactions after a brief load
    - DarylZero 5y ago
      It's not really pedantic. Since any application (not just a browser) could provide the same download-interpreted-code-then-run-it functionality. It's probably not this particular feature of the web browser matters but the fact that web browsers come preinstalled with new computers.
      - nawgz 5y ago
        > It's not really pedantic I mean, if not pedantic, then perhaps grinding an axe - he said 'there is a lot of Javascript that is getting "downloaded and installed"' as if that has anything to do with the user experience I was referring to > any application (not just a browser) could provide the same download-interpreted-code-then-run-it functionality I have never heard of such a platform besides the web. That is why the web became the dominant platform. I do not know what theoretical could've would've should've has to do with the reality of technological evolution > It's probably not this particular feature of the web browser ... yes, it's not the ease of use that makes users like web, it's that computers in 2021 come with browsers installed that makes users prefer web over bloated desktop applications without good accessibility anyways! I have no clue what your comment is meaning to get at.
        DarylZero 5y ago
        >I have never heard of such a platform besides the web. Steam comes to mind. > ... yes, it's not the ease of use that makes users like web, it's that computers in 2021 come with browsers installed that makes users prefer web over bloated desktop applications Wasn't comparing to "desktop applications." I was saying that the reason that the download-code-then-run-it functionality was shoved into the browser rather than coming in some other form, was that the browsers were already on all the desktops.
    - beamatronic 5y ago
      Compare and contrast today's Javascript-in-browser dependent applications versus a pure server-side-rendering model. With the latter, there is truly no software downloaded, only static assets such as images.
- cosmodisk 5y ago
  It was probably 20 or so years ago when I played for some time with Delphi. It was extraordinary easy to make program interfaces. Fast forward to today and we are in this clusterfuck, where everyone keeps reinventing the wheel and complexities just keep growing.
  - ohgodplsno 5y ago
    In the same way that Visual Basic offered simple, drag & drop interface builders. What happened is also changing hardware, UIs that need to adapt to changing screen sizes, different needs, theming, and many more.
    - pjc50 5y ago
      Everyone seemingly unaware that this still exists and you can still do it in Hejlsberg's C#? Drag and drop WPF components and program in code-behind? With themes and responsive design? (Big asterisk: mostly Windows-only and has recently lost product direction coherency)
      - fmxexpress 5y ago
        Delphi still exists and you can still do it in Delphi. Responsive. Cross-platform on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux. Single codebase single UI.
        zeroc8 5y ago
        Can you point to any Delphi app on the android playstore that doesn't look and feel like shit? Or a Linux app? I used to be a Delphi fan, but the results I've come across are not exactly convincing. Compare this to Flutter, which looks and feels gorgeous, at least on Android.
      - cosmodisk 5y ago
        Windows forms are great, whilst WPF is a bit odd,to say the least.. Here's an example: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/get-started/csharp/tutorial-wpf?view=vs-2022 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/get-started/cs...
k__ 5y ago
It was the pinnacle of an era that was gone with the rise of the Internet.
- ldng 5y ago
  That does not diminish the accomplishment in my eyes.
  - k__ 5y ago
    It doesn't, but that doesn't help us now. See Flash.

by vrodic 5y ago

nawgz 5y ago

Building things that have no real-world constraints does often result in great beauty. Unfortunately, the web and all its ugliness became the dominant platform because it enabled no-download no-install information & application interaction

DarylZero 5y ago
The user downloads a browser that downloads the site-specific javascript application.
beamatronic 5y ago
But in today's reality, there is a lot of Javascript that is getting "downloaded and installed" into your browser's cache. It's all being managed for you and it mostly works.
- nawgz 5y ago
  Please, you must not be pedantic in this way, it's clear that I mean there's no install wizard and OS-native interactions the user must go thru, they just provide a string URL and immediately begin application-style interactions after a brief load
  - DarylZero 5y ago
    It's not really pedantic. Since any application (not just a browser) could provide the same download-interpreted-code-then-run-it functionality. It's probably not this particular feature of the web browser matters but the fact that web browsers come preinstalled with new computers.
    - nawgz 5y ago
      > It's not really pedantic I mean, if not pedantic, then perhaps grinding an axe - he said 'there is a lot of Javascript that is getting "downloaded and installed"' as if that has anything to do with the user experience I was referring to > any application (not just a browser) could provide the same download-interpreted-code-then-run-it functionality I have never heard of such a platform besides the web. That is why the web became the dominant platform. I do not know what theoretical could've would've should've has to do with the reality of technological evolution > It's probably not this particular feature of the web browser ... yes, it's not the ease of use that makes users like web, it's that computers in 2021 come with browsers installed that makes users prefer web over bloated desktop applications without good accessibility anyways! I have no clue what your comment is meaning to get at.
      - DarylZero 5y ago
        >I have never heard of such a platform besides the web. Steam comes to mind. > ... yes, it's not the ease of use that makes users like web, it's that computers in 2021 come with browsers installed that makes users prefer web over bloated desktop applications Wasn't comparing to "desktop applications." I was saying that the reason that the download-code-then-run-it functionality was shoved into the browser rather than coming in some other form, was that the browsers were already on all the desktops.
  - beamatronic 5y ago
    Compare and contrast today's Javascript-in-browser dependent applications versus a pure server-side-rendering model. With the latter, there is truly no software downloaded, only static assets such as images.
cosmodisk 5y ago
It was probably 20 or so years ago when I played for some time with Delphi. It was extraordinary easy to make program interfaces. Fast forward to today and we are in this clusterfuck, where everyone keeps reinventing the wheel and complexities just keep growing.
- ohgodplsno 5y ago
  In the same way that Visual Basic offered simple, drag & drop interface builders. What happened is also changing hardware, UIs that need to adapt to changing screen sizes, different needs, theming, and many more.
  - pjc50 5y ago
    Everyone seemingly unaware that this still exists and you can still do it in Hejlsberg's C#? Drag and drop WPF components and program in code-behind? With themes and responsive design? (Big asterisk: mostly Windows-only and has recently lost product direction coherency)
    - fmxexpress 5y ago
      Delphi still exists and you can still do it in Delphi. Responsive. Cross-platform on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux. Single codebase single UI.
      - zeroc8 5y ago
        Can you point to any Delphi app on the android playstore that doesn't look and feel like shit? Or a Linux app? I used to be a Delphi fan, but the results I've come across are not exactly convincing. Compare this to Flutter, which looks and feels gorgeous, at least on Android.
    - cosmodisk 5y ago
      Windows forms are great, whilst WPF is a bit odd,to say the least.. Here's an example: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/get-started/csharp/tutorial-wpf?view=vs-2022 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/get-started/cs...

k__ 5y ago

It was the pinnacle of an era that was gone with the rise of the Internet.

ldng 5y ago
That does not diminish the accomplishment in my eyes.
- k__ 5y ago
  It doesn't, but that doesn't help us now. See Flash.