Future of CrossVCL?
Issue #79
resolved
Is CrossVCL still in development? Or will it die, when the next Delphi 64 Bit compiler for macOS coming with ARC and is not compatible with the VCL anymore?
Comments (19)
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repo owner
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repo owner
- changed status to resolved
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reporter
Apple will fade out 32 Bit App on macOS too: https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/06/apple-to-phase-out-32-bit-mac-apps/
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repo owner
Yeah, we know about it and are investigating possibility of CrossVcl future in LLVM compilers. We successfully compiled VLC source (of course with patching) using Linux Compiler (LLVM, which is mostly successor for 64-osx). But it is only compiling, we still don't know how it will work with ARC. Second issue is third-party components, all of them should be adopted to next-gen compiler which looks not realistic.
As for now, we certainly going to stop development of 32-bit CrossVcl and continue investigating possibility of using LLVM-compiler.
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reporter
But the 64 bit macOS compiler is on the roadmap for next year. The macOS App store closes its door for 32 bit at Jan 2018. I fear that the Delphi compiler does not come on time and the few Delphi Mac Developer have to leave the Delphi train. Me too.
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reporter
You see an any chance to use the FreePascal macOS 64Bit compiler instead of the Delphi compiler? Like crosskylix for Linux do? https://crosskylix.untergrund.net/
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repo owner
CrossVcl based on Emba's VCL i'm not sure it is legal to compile VCL using FreePascal compiler.
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Any chance of releasing the source code ? :)
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LCL is high compatible with VCL. So why dont test on Lazarus + FPC
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repo owner
What to test ?
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You are rigth, i forget LCL already works on every operative system in the world. I hop seme day lazarus have a great debugger like Delphi one. Is the only thing i miss there.
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reporter
How big is the chance that VCL programs and components, coming from non-ARC and AnsiString, running on nextgen compilers? My experience with the mobile compilers is not good.
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repo owner
It depends on programs and components. Actually it is not big deal if you don't use AnsiStrings, asm a lot.
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reporter
Good to hear. My experience is, beside the "pure compiling", that ARC bring alot of runtime trouble. TObject aren't free when calling free (cross references or they are listed in any TList<>). Most famous pointer lists like TList and TStrings.AddObject() not working and many many more ..
The Win32 and Win64 compiler are here and the nexgen compilers compile much slower and generate worse and slower code. I'm not sure that many developer will follow that track or that DevExpress make their code somtimes ARC compatible.
But it will be nice to see, that I'm wrong.
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I dont undesrtand why do you suspend development? I have more interest on linux than mac os, and seems very promising for linux. I have a lot of projects very difcoult to migrate to console app so crossvcl is perfect the. I can pay tomorrow for a release if theres one.
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repo owner
We don't suspend development. We released 0.5 with possibility compile Linux App (now just for testing your code). Internally we have a good progress, lots of things already work on Linux. We going to release it soon.
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Glad to ear that! Let me preorder this!
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repo owner
Preorder isn't available yet. Just try it from www.crossvcl.com if you want.
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repo owner
Few screenshots from Linux:
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We suspend CrossVcl development at this time, first we are waiting for Apple WWDC in order to get news about next macOS. Second, you are right CrossVcl will never work on next-gen compiler.