I’ve installed the new Delphi from Embarcadero. I want to enthuse about this product, as a long-time Delphi enthusiast, but a few things have dampened my zeal:
1. The install on Windows 7 64-bit was not totally smooth. First Avira Antivir claimed that a file installed during setup, called convert.exe, contained a virus (not the fashionable new one, something else called DR/Delphi.Gen dropper). I thought this was most likely a false positive. I tested the file with with Kaspersky which declared it clean, and I’ve emailed Avira about the problem.
I’m not sure why I bother at all with running anti-virus software. It is very little use. After all, what is the point of having it, if when it claims to find something you ignore it? On the other hand, what is the chance that this is a real virus on Embarcadero’s new CD, that Kaspersky does not detect?
None of this is Embarcadero’s fault, of course, unless it has shipped a virus, which I doubt.
2. Next, on running and quitting Delphi 2010 for the first time, the Windows Program Compatibility Assistant was triggered. See this earlier post for what this guy looks like and what it does. This one made the same change, ELEVATECREATEPROCESS.
A minor niggle perhaps, but it looks bad. At this stage, the Delphi team should have come to terms with UAC and made RAD Studio properly UAC-aware. I’m guessing most of the team run with UAC disabled.
3. Another UAC issue. When the IDE starts up, you get a message:
Error executing ‘C:\ProgramData\{BBD31133-40F8-4B57-9BA6-DB76C03D153B}\Setup.exe’: The parameter is incorrect
This does not occur if you run as administrator.
4. I ran up the IDE and noticed there is a new documentation wiki with user contributions. I think this is a great idea. It seems to be built with mediawiki. Unfortunately it failed with “A database query syntax error has occurred”. Update: it’s working now.
5. I’d understood that Delphi 2010 is somewhat Windows 7 ready. It has great support for multi-touch and gestures. That’s fine, but I was interested to see how to support the Windows 7 Jump Lists. A Jump List is the menu that pops up when you right-click a taskbar icon.
Well, if support for this is there I can’t find it. There is support for the Windows 7 Direct 2D Canvas, and as I mentioned for multi-touch, but that’s about all I can find.
It’s a shame because only a few people will be using multi-touch in the near future, and Direct 2D is not a feature visible to users, but the new Windows 7 taskbar and its features – there’s also the ability to add controls to taskbar preview windows – is the thing that every Windows 7 user will notice.
Of course you can easily call the Windows API from Delphi, and the community will figure out how to support these features before long; there’s already an alpha “Windows 7 controls for Delphi” that Daniel Wischnewski has come up with. But I’d like to have seen it in the box, and it would have been a nice selling point.
Don’t let me put you off. There are other new features – including Firebird support, integrated code formatter, better thread debugging - and no doubt the core of Delphi is as good as ever (no 64-bit yet, but it will come eventually).
Still, my impression is that Embarcadero still has to work a bit on that last degree of polish. One final gripe: why is the discussion forum so darn slow? It has also been in beta forever.
More information here.
Tim —
This error:
Error executing ‘C:ProgramData{BBD31133-40F8-4B57-9BA6-DB76C03D153B}Setup.exe’: The parameter is incorrect
Occurs because Vista/Win7 won’t let you execute a program with the phrase “setup” in it without elevated permissions. The SETUP.EXE is the thing that checks for updates when you start Delphi.
Not sure what can be done about that short of not naming our setup.exe something that doesn’t have “setup” or “install” in the name.
Nick
Nick, why is it trying to execute setup.exe every time it runs? Surely you could use some other mechanism to check for updates?
Normally you can prevent UAC taking decisions for you by embedding a manifest in the executable that makes it UAC-aware and specifies the desired execution level. I’m not 100% sure it works with setup.exe and install.exe but it may do.
Of course this would have to be different from the setup.exe that installs the product, which *does* have to run with elevated permissions.
Tim
There is a choice at the end of the install process.
When you finish installing the product, it asks you “Check for updates every time the IDE starts”
If you uncheck this, it won’t try to run the auto-update process when you launch the IDE and it won’t need elevation.
(and it *is* the very same setup.exe that installs the product)
@David thanks for the further explanation.
I’ve also spotted it in HKCUSoftwareCodeGearBDS7.0AutoRunUpdateCheck
I’m surprised though that this is the default, when it can’t work without elevation when UAC is enabled. Wouldn’t a simple version-check web service be lighter weight, UAC-friendly, and just as effective?
Tim
Quote: Occurs because Vista/Win7 won’t let you execute a program with the phrase “setup” in it without elevated permissions.
Nick,
That is not true. All you have to do is tell Windows what privileges you want by adding the correct manifest.
If you add a manifest to the setup.exe file requesting asInvoker privileges all will be fine.
Jan Derk
Tim,
thx for this nice ‘first look’. Despite my 25 years of experience with Borland products, which shows a certain involvement, I’m on the (very positive) move towards PCSOFT’s Windev and Webdev.
Is my assumption wrong that this is, once again, only half the product it should be? Not fully supporting Win7, lacking 64-bit support, lacking a rock solid help system (D7 was the last to recall) and once again prooving that industry leadership is taken away by other companies?!
Embarcadero: D2009 – 2nd Edition, this is what it seem’s to me.
Markus:
Your info is out of date. Delphi 2010 takes the help quality level of 2009 which was higher than Delphi 7, by many people’s reckoning, to an all new high level. Check it out. They really worked hard to make D2010 a great release.
Download the trial, before you repeat all the same tired assertions. These guys build a product and all you do is repeat negativity without even giving the product a try? Poor show.
Not supporting Win7? Wrong. 64-bit support is still on the road-map, maybe not fast enough for your tastes, but hey, not everybody needs it yet, I sure don’t.
Warren
@Warren
I only made an assumption; in German this means “eine Vermutung anstellen”.
But nevertheless:
– the help quality level of D2009 never-ever reached the level we had with the D7-version. Sorry, but that is my working-experience. And not only a few developers agree with that.
It seems to be a good idea with the wiki. But it as well means that the community has to pay time and effort for this. Does the product become cheaper by this?
– things on the road-map look fine for the marketing guys. Developers need facts, not promises. And yes, there are a few applications that need 64-bit support.
– I’m not asserting. I’m frankly (and friendly) asking. In the past I bought nearly every ‘product’, as you call it. Some of them were more or less beta-versions, not products (D8, D2005).
– You seem to be very ‘engaged’, why do you leave discussion level by talking about ‘poor show’? Does it help you? Fine…
I’m going to consult my local dealer and I’ll watch the road-show that was announced a few days ago. But Tim’s short review drew attention on me.
Markus
@Markus
You can also have a look at http://wings-of-wind.com. They have enough information about RAD Studio 2010.
@Warren
I think your info about Help is out of date, press F1 in Object Inspector.
@ m. Th.
thx for the link!
So it seems that Nick Hodges hasn’t yet got to grips with UAC based on his bizarre and incorrect comment “Vista/Win7 won’t let you execute a program with the phrase “setup” in it without elevated permissions”.
This doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence. Surely there must be somebody at EMBC that runs with UAC on?
@warren:
Quality of the help …to an all new high level??
Just highlight the word “integer” in the editor and press F1 and you get a page with no info except:
——————————-
Description
Embarcadero Technologies does not currently have any additional information.
Please help us document this topic by using the wiki Discussion page. Click the
Current Wiki Page button below to access the wiki.
——————————-
Huhh? No information about the datatype “integer”? Users are supposed to write their own help in the wiki?
That is the “all new high level”?
@warren:
Quality of the help …to an all new high level??
Just highlight the word “integer” in the editor and press F1 and you get a page with no info except:
——————————-
Description
Embarcadero Technologies does not currently have any additional information.
Please help us document this topic by using the wiki Discussion page. Click the
Current Wiki Page button below to access the wiki.
——————————-
Huhh? No information about the datatype “integer”? Users are supposed to write their own help in the wiki?
That is the “all new high level”?
I am surprised to see this. I feel, you might not have installed the Help.
I did the same thing and got
“Index Results for Integer -11 topics found”
and the help is comprehensive.
I feel that this help is the most faster, most ‘helpful’ … far far better than the VS.NET help system.
Please install Help while you install Delphi next time…
It’s a pity Embarcadero don’t do an “Educational” version of their software. I would think hobbyists would welcome this. Microsoft seem happy to give versions for free!
PS using C++ Bulder 5 on Win 7 64bit and the only thing that doesn’t work is the Help
Stan said: “using c++ builder on win 7 64 bit… only help does not work.” I am too, but you can get the help to work by going to microsoft.com and getting .HLP patch. Install that, and the help works like it always did.
Cheers!
It is very strange for my installation. I can install my C++Builder 6.0 on Windows 7 (32-bit), but I can’t get my C++Builder2010 installed on it. Why?
Another problem is, I found when I run my c++builder 6 under windows 7, when I save the project, it always raise an error dialog: “access violation …”, then I click again the “save” button for the second time, it would work. Is there anybody got problem same with me? Or anyone can tell me the reson or solution to it.
Thanks!
salut tout le monde j’ un problème d’installation de C++Builder 6 en Windows 7 SVP Aidez-moi
merci