On Wednesday, February 17, 2016 I am presenting a webinar that shows you how to easily move your existing Delphi and C++Builder VCL applications forward with the new Windows 10 look, feel and new components and have the apps run on Windows 7,8 and 10.

Webinar Description:

This Webinar will take an existing Delphi and C++Builder customer and orders business VCL application, the Marine Adventure App, and show you how to update it to look like a Windows 10 app. You’ll see how easy it is to use some of the new 10 Seattle VCL controls and Windows styles to create an app that looks great on Windows 10, 8 and 7. Your app will still run on all of the versions of Windows that we support. The webinar will include detailed technical demonstrations.

Date/Times:

• 6am PST San Francisco / 9am EST New York / 2pm London (GMT/UTC) / 3pm CET
• 11am PST San Francisco / 2pm EST New York / 7pm London (GMT/UTC) / 8pm CET
• 5pm PST San Francisco / 8pm EST New York / 1am London (GMT/UTC) / 12noon Sydney AEDT (Thursday)

Registration Links:

• 6am - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/123819675114596609
• 11am - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2507106785830782721
• 5pm - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9102848342440474369

When the webinar is completed, I will post the replay on the Embarcadero YouTube channel and post the link in this blog post.

Slide Deck on Slideshare - http://www.slideshare.net/davidintersimone/easily-add-windows-10-look-feel-and-new-components-to-existing-vcl-apps 

Below you will find some of the resources and links to help you move your VCL applications forward with RAD Studio, Delphi and C++Builder 10 Seattle.

Resources – 5 new VCL Controls

• RelativePanel
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/Vcl.WinXCtrls.TRelativePanel
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/CodeExamples/Seattle/en/VCL.RelativePanel_Sample
• ToggleSwitch
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/Vcl.WinXCtrls.TToggleSwitch
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/CodeExamples/Seattle/en/VCL.ToggleSwitch_Sample
• SearchBox
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/Vcl.WinXCtrls.TSearchBox
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/CodeExamples/Seattle/en/VCL.SearchBox_Sample
• SplitView
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/Vcl.WinXCtrls.TSplitView
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/CodeExamples/Seattle/en/VCL.SplitView_Sample
• ActivityIndicator
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/Vcl.WinXCtrls.TActivityIndicator
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/CodeExamples/Seattle/en/VCL.ActivityIndicator_Sample

Resources – IBMastApp Sample

• Docwiki Sample
  • http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/CodeExamples/Seattle/en/IBX.IBMastApp_Sample
• Delphi Sample on disk
  • C:\Users\Public\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\Samples\Object Pascal\Database\IBX\IBMastApp
• Samples on Sourceforge
  • http://sourceforge.net/p/radstudiodemos/code/HEAD/tree/branches/RADStudio_Seattle/Object%20Pascal/Database/IBX/IBMastApp/
  • http://sourceforge.net/p/radstudiodemos/code/HEAD/tree/branches/RadStudio_XE6/CPP/Database/IBX/IBMastApp/
• Getting Started with InterBase Express (IBX)
  • http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Getting_Started_with_InterBase_Express

Additional Resource Links to come - bookmark this blog post

Stephen Ball recently posted a blog with information and resource links to help Delphi developers move their 32-bit Windows projects to 64-bit Windows. I also provided C++Builder resource links for those C++ developers that want to move their 32-bit Windows projects to the new C++11 compiler and also want to migrate their 32-bit apps to 64-bit Windows. Here are the links that will help you move forward.

Updating 32-bit code to Delphi 64-bit by Stephen Ball

• https://delphiaball.co.uk/2016/02/16/delphi-64bit-code/

On the whole moving to 64bit (on iOS or Windows) is beautifully simple to achieve! It can be just as simple as adding the Delphi 64bit Windows target platform in the project manager and rebuilding the project. A lot has been recorded on moving from Windows 32bit to Windows 64bit Delphi and this blog post gives you a useful summary if your just planning now moving up from older versions of Delphi to Delphi 10.

Updating C++Builder 32-bit projects to 64-bit

For C++Builder users looking to upgrade your apps from 32-bit to 64-bit we have documentation available on our docwiki

• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/C%2B%2BBuilder_64-bit_Windows_Application_Development
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Upgrading_Existing_C%2B%2B_Projects_to_64-bit_Windows
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/C%2B%2BBuilder_64-bit_Windows_Differences
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Debugging_C%2B%2BBuilder_64-Bit_Windows_Applications

Bruneau Babet, a member of our C++ compiler team, did a CodeRage 7 C++ session about migrating 32-bit to 64-bit Windows applications.

• Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv1Lgv37xlA
• Download - http://cc.embarcadero.com/item/29240

I also have a blog post that goes over some of the language extensions we made to the C++Builder 64-bit compiler. You can find that blog post at https://community.embarcadero.com/article/technical-articles/162-programming/2010-the-25-days-of-cmas--december-13--migrating-cbuilder-code-to-64bits.

Last Wednesday, February 17, I presented a webinar that showed you how to easily move your existing Delphi and C++Builder VCL applications forward with the new Windows 10 look, feel and new components and have the apps run on Windows 7,8 and 10. Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 24, 2016 I will present a follow on webinar that shows you how to add Windows 10 specific features to your existing Delphi and C++Builder VCL applications.

Webinar Description:

This webinar will show you how to enhance your existing Delphi and C++ VCL and FireMonkey Windows applications with new Windows 10 capabilities including Local Notifications, Application Sharing Contracts and 40 new WinRT API units. You will learn key new Windows 10 UI paradigms and how you can leverage them for both existing and new Windows applications. You’ll learn how to move your applications forward and attract new customers by taking advantage of new Windows 10 features. The webinar will include detailed technical demonstrations.

Register for this week's Webinar:

• 6am Pacific Time registration link - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6531678883977250049
• 11am Pacific Time registration link - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2542606717940834817
• 5pm Pacific Time registration link - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6771645097716143361

Link to Last Week's webinar blog containing additional links including the replay, slides and source code - http://community.embarcadero.com/blogs/entry/feb-17-webinar-easily-add-windows-10-look-feel-and-new-components-to-your-existing-vcl-applications

Additional Resources and Links:

Below you will find some of the resources and links to help you move your VCL applications forward to Windows 10 using RAD Studio, Delphi and C++Builder 10 Seattle.

Draft source code projects and slide deck on CodeCentral: coming soon

Windows 10 Specific Resources - Local Notifications

• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Using_Notifications
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Using_Notifications#Windows_Notifications
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/System.Notification
• Samples
  • C:\Users\Public\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\Samples\Object Pascal\VCL\Windows 10 Notifications
  • C:\Users\Public\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\Samples\CPP\VCL\Windows 10 Notifications

Windows 10 Specific Resources - Sharing Contract

• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Sharing_Content_Using_the_Sharing_Contract
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/Vcl.ShareContract
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/Vcl.ShareContract.TCustomSharingContract
• http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Libraries/Seattle/en/Vcl.ShareContract.TSharingContract
• Samples
  • C:\Users\Public\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\Samples\Object Pascal\VCL\Windows 10 SharingContract

Windows 10 Calendar API

• Uses: Winapi.winrt, Winapi.Foundation.Collections, Winapi.Globalization
• C:\Users\Public\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\Samples\Object Pascal\VCL\Windows 10 Calendar

Resources – IBMastApp Sample

• Docwiki Sample
  • http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/CodeExamples/Seattle/en/IBX.IBMastApp_Sample
• Delphi Sample on disk
  • C:\Users\Public\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\Samples\Object Pascal\Database\IBX\IBMastApp
• Samples on Sourceforge
  • http://sourceforge.net/p/radstudiodemos/code/HEAD/tree/branches/RADStudio_Seattle/Object%20Pascal/Database/IBX/IBMastApp/
  • http://sourceforge.net/p/radstudiodemos/code/HEAD/tree/branches/RadStudio_XE6/CPP/Database/IBX/IBMastApp/
• Getting Started with InterBase Express (IBX)
  • http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Getting_Started_with_InterBase_Express

Additional Resource Links to come - bookmark this blog post

My next RAD Studio 10 Seattle webinar, "Learn how to Quickly Build and Deploy a complete REST/JSON based enterprise business application", will take place on Wednesday, March 17, 2016 at 6am, 11am and 5pm Pacific Daylight Time (Note: US starts summer time on Sunday March 13 at 2am). This webinar will show you how to build and deploy a complete Sales, Employees and Projects business application using Embarcadero RAD Studio 10 Seattle Enterprise Edition.

You’ll learn how to build a multi-device desktop and mobile client application that integrates with custom endpoint business logic using Embarcadero’s Enterprise Mobility Services (EMS). EMS offers a comprehensive solution including REST API, remote database access, and mobile push notifications. You will also learn how to use EMS capabilities to manage user accounts, user groups, and track application use and crash reports with EMS’s API Analytics. You’ll see how easily it is to build the server application with access to the database and business logic. You’ll learn how to design and build thin desktop and mobile client applications that connect to EMS’ industry standards based REST/JSON architecture.

Learn how to Quickly Build and Deploy a complete REST/JSON based enterprise business application

Date: Thursday, March 17, 2016

Times and Webinar Registration Links:

• 6am - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7040937486102152450
• 11am - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2213969289979531778
• 5pm - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3055856547274607362

Each webinar will include detailed technical demonstrations and live Q&A.

Jim McKeeth, Embarcadero's global lead evangelist, is presenting a webinar "Migrating from Delphi 2007 to 10 Seattle: Easy!" this Thursday, March 24 at 6am, 11am and 5pm Pacific Daylight Time. Jim will show developers, who still using Delphi 2007, how to move your projects forward to Delphi 10 Seattle. Delphi 10 Seattle represents many huge improvements in reach, connectivity, productivity and flexibility. The improvements from Delphi 2007 to 10 Seattle are greater than from Delphi 1 to Delphi 2007. While a lot has changed, it is still the same great Delphi we all know and love, just better. Two lucky attendees will walk away with $2,000 towards the purchase of any embarcadero products or services. Register today and be entered to win!

Note: you can find the learning resources and additional webinar information on Jim McKeeth's blog post at http://community.embarcadero.com/blogs/entry/webinar-from-delphi-2007-to-10-seattle-easy

Join the webinar and you will learn how Delphi 10 Seattle gives you:

• Greater Reach for your Applications
• Complete Connectivity
• Developer Productivity
• More Flexibility

We have 3 webinar sessions available to fit into your busy schedule:

• 06:00 San Francisco / 09:00 New York / 13:00 London / 14:00 Berlin - REGISTER NOW
• 11:00 San Francisco / 14:00 New York / 18:00 London / 19:00 Berlin - REGISTER NOW
• 17:00 San Francisco / 09:00 Tokyo (25 March 2016) / 11:00 Sydney (25 March 2016) - REGISTER NOW

Come to the webinar with your questions about the barriers, complexities and opportunities and Jim along with our evangelism team will give you advice, guidance and links to resources to help you move forward.

I am at the annual Evans Data Developer Relations conference (#drc2016) this week in Palo Alto, California. This is the 12th year that this conference has taken place. It is the one conference where developer relations team members from a wide collection of hardware, platform, service and software companies get together and discuss best practices, technical details, developer evangelism, developer marketing and everything else related to helping developers create cool apps and leverage APIs. During my sessions I talked in general about developer relations and developer communities. I also had the opportunity to talk about our Embarcadero Community, Delphi, RAD Studio, C++Builder and the joy of using our products to build solutions for a wide range of platforms, services and technologies. You can find my slide decks on Slideshare.

• Best Practices for a World Class Developer Relations Program - http://embt.co/drc2016-bestpractices
• 10 Essential Developer Relations Program Features http://embt.co/drc2016-basic

This annual conference is also a great place for me to learn new ideas about developer evangelism, developer communities and also to network with other developer relations professionals from top companies to new startups. It is amazing how many many companies have developer programs and APIs these days. If you take any company domain name and put "developer." or "api." in front of the domain you will find that just about every company has a developer relations program. I had the pleasure to talk with Uber, Walgreens, Philips, Hitachi, Amazon, Huawei, Google, Cisco, Intel, SAP, IBM and more.

I can't wait to show developers how to do more with Delphi, C++Builder and RAD Studio integrating with the APIs (which are almost all REST/JSON based) at many of the attendee companies.

From time to time I get asked how developers can customize their IDE experience. There are many ways to set options that affect the IDE, registry settings you can change and external 3rd party tools you can use. Here are a few ideas about what you can do to take control of the look and feel of the Embarcadero RAD Studio, Delphi and C++Builder 10 Seattle IDE.

Use the IDE Tools | Options menu items

The tools options dialog box contains a wide array of environment, code editor, tool palette and other options to control the look and feel of the IDE. Included are option settings for

• Environment options - including customizing the Tool Palette, component toolbar, difference and merger viewer, form designer, structure view and project manager.
• Editor options - includes display options, font size, code formatting, code color, code folding, brace matcing and more.
• HTML options - HTML highlighting, color settings, page layout, etc.
• Code Formatting - Pages in the Formatter group define the formatter options that customize the behavior of the source code formatter as you are typing in code for Delphi and C++.

Customize your Desktop layout

You can create any number of desktop layouts to alter the use of screen real estate when you are coding, designing, debugging, exploring and working with different projects and phases of development. Built into the standard IDE install are pre-defined desktop layouts. You can also create and save your own desktop layouts. The following layouts are pre-installed:

• Classic Undocked - Emulates earlier Delphi versions, with separate windows for the menus and palette, designer, etc.
• Debug Layout - Customized for debugging, with call stack, thread, and other views shown instead of the default windows used for designing applications.
• Default Layout - Shows all windows docked into one container, with the most-used designing windows shown, including the tool palette, object inspector, design form, etc. 

You can also choose to save a custom desktop layout for IDE form design and code editing operations. You can also save a custom layout for debugging operatiions. To find out more about saving desktop layouts read the DocWiki article at http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Saving_Desktop_Layouts

Use the IDE Command Line Switches and Options

The following IDE command line switches and options are available when starting the IDE from the command line. You must precede all options (unless otherwise noted) with either a dash (-) or a slash (/). The options are not case-sensitive. Using command line options you can:

• ns to supress the splash screen
• np to turn off the welcome page
• p to set the programming language personality
• r to set an alternate registry key for the IDE to use

Use an external 3rd party tool to customize your IDE

• One of our MVPs, Rodrigo Ruz, has created an IDE plug-in, the "Delphi IDE Colorizer (DIC)"  which lets you skin the look and feel of the RAD Studio, Delphi and C++Builder IDE. His GitHub page says that DIC is compatible with RAD Studio XE2-XE8, 10 Seattle. The source code for the plug-in with screen shots is available on his DIC GitHub page. You can see what else Rodrigo does with Delphi on his blog at https://theroadtodelphi.wordpress.com/
• Erik Berry and a team of community members work on GExperts. GExperts is a free set of tools built to increase the productivity of Delphi and C++Builder programmers by adding several features to the IDE. This open source project have IDE extension features including: ASCII chart (one of my favorites), creating IDE editor shortcuts, code editor enhancements, editor experts, to do list, code proofreader and a whole lot more.
• CnPack IDE Wizards is a free open source plug-in tools set for Delphi and C++Builder. It provides a number of IDE enhancements to improve your productivity inside the IDE. Included in the pack are Code Input Helper, Code Structure Highlighter, Multi-line Component Palette, Uses Unit cleaner and a whole lot more! The CnPack team members are Chinese Delphi and C++Builder community members. They have several open source projects including CnPack IDE Wizards, CnPack Component Package and CVSTracNT. The source code for all projects is available on the CnPack GitHub.
• Parnassus Bookmarks replaces the IDE’s inbuilt bookmark functionality with new, improved navigation. Parnassus Navigator lets you move between any section of code quickly, easily, and without your fingers leaving the keyboard. I really like Navigator's "Minimap" view of your code and how you can jump visually to a spot in the source where you want to explore further. You can find more about Parnassus IDE plug-ins at https://parnassus.co/delphi-tools/

I'm sorry if I didn't list all of the many other ways you can customize, optimize and enhance your RAD Studio, Delphi and C++Builder 10 Seattle IDE look, feel and experience. Post a comment with your other favorite 10 Seattle IDE enhancement tools.

A DataSnap migration question came up in today's webinar, “Delphi 2007 to Delphi 10 Seattle Migration: Easy!". Miguel Angel Moreno asked “Is there any webinar/document covering an easy way to convert old Midas remote provider based applications to the new DataSnap 2009 Rest remote dataset based approach? This is about one of the hardest functionalities to convert/migrate in old Delphi/C++Builder applications.” Here are four resources that will help you migrate your legacy DCOM based DataSnap servers to Delphi 2009/2010 all the way up to Delphi 10 Seattle.

1. Bob Swart’s “Delphi 2009 Development Essentials book”

DataSnap chapter by Dan Miser covers the topic “Reusing Existing [DataSnap] Remote Data Modules”

http://www.bobswart.nl/weblog/Blog.aspx?RootId=5:2732

[Note: David I. text copied/edited from newsgroup post from Bob Swart to Jon Robertson to help in preparation for his CodeRage 5 presentation/demonstration]

If you have existing TRemoteDataModule classes, then you can still use these in combination with DataSnap 2009/2010. But you have to cut some functionality from the server, especially the COM-stuff.

First of all, if it’s an existing DataSnap Server application that you want to migrate, and not just the remote data module, you need to unregister the DataSnap server by running the executable from the command-line with the /unregister command-line option. If you don’t do that right from the start, you will not be able to unregister the remote data module from the registry (unless you can restore a backup of the project later).

In the unit for the remote data module, we must remove the code from the initialization section. If you want to keep your unit compatible between Delphi 2007 and 2009/2010, you can place this code inside {$IFDEF}s as follows:

{$IF CompilerVersion <= 20}

initialization

   TComponentFactory.Create(ComServer, TMyRemoteDataModule,

     Class_MyRemoteDataModule, ciMultiInstance, tmApartment);

{$IFEND}

end.

You should also remove the UpdateRegistry routine from the project, or place it in {$IFDEF}s as well.

{$IF CompilerVersion <= 20}

   class procedure UpdateRegistry(Register: Boolean;

     const ClassID, ProgID: string); override;

{$IFEND}

The most important change - to turn the project into a COM-less DataSnap Server - involves the removal of the type library (or .ridl files) and the type library import unit.

These cannot be left in {IFDEF}s, so if you need to keep a Delphi 2007 (COM-enabled) and Delphi 2009/2010 (COM-less) version of the DataSnap server you need to make a copy of the project now. We should use a TDSServerClass component in the DataSnap server application and return the TRemoteDataModule class, just as we have done before.

Finally, we should make sure that all custom methods that were added to the TRemoteDataModule are moved from the protected section (the default in COM-enabled DataSnap) to the public section (so method info is generated in the COM-less DataSnap architecture).

2. Migrating Delphi DCOM DataSnap Projects to Delphi 2009 DataSnap
Jon Robertson - jmrSoftware
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHuUdXtAwdY

CodeRage 5 Video Replay
Friday, October 8, 2010 at 7am

Learn some of the challenges and solutions of migrating mature DCOM DataSnap servers to the new Delphi 2009 DataSnap architecture.

3. White Paper: The New DataSnap in Delphi 2009 by Marco Cantu

https://www.embarcadero.com/images/dm/technical-papers/new-datasnap-in-delphi-2009-marco-cantu-2.pdf

For a long time Delphi has included a technology for building multi-tier database applications. Formerly known as MIDAS and later as DataSnap, Delphi's multi-tier technology was based on COM, even if the remote connectivity could be provided by sockets and HTTP, instead of DCOM. For some time, it even supported CORBA--a slightly modified version that provided SOAP connectivity. Delphi 2009 still includes the classic DataSnap, but provides a new remoting and multi-tier technology as well. It is partially based on the dbExpress architecture. This new technology is still called DataSnap, but to avoid confusion is generally referenced as “DataSnap 2009”.

4. DataSnap 2009 Overview

By Steven Shaughnessy

http://edn.embarcadero.com/article/38682

Developer Network article with an overview of the new capabilities in DataSnap 2009 including the move from DCOM based Remote Data Modules.

After you have developed your Enterprise Mobility Services (EMS) and DataSnap applications you will want to deploy them in a production environment. Below you will find additional license information, links to redistributable files and documentation URLs that will help you deploy your RAD Studio 10 Seattle, Delphi 10 Seattle and C++Builder 10 Seattle EMS and DataSnap applications to your production servers.

License Information and Redistributable File directories 

In accordance with the section of the Software License and Support Agreement ("Agreement") entitled "GENERAL TERMS THAT APPLY TO COMPILED PROGRAMS AND REDISTRIBUTABLES," you may redistribute Embarcadero-supplied runtime packages only for the purpose of executing Works (as defined in the Agreement) created with the product. You may not modify these packages in any way.

Although this software may include packages other than those listed, only the packages identified as redistributable may be redistributed by you. For third party redistributable files included in this product, please see the third party documentation for other redistribution limitations. You will find most of the redistributable runtime packages installed in the C:\Program Files(x86)\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\Redist directory.

In accordance with the section of the Agreement entitled "ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS FOR ENTERPRISE MOBILITY SERVICES", there are additional files and associated resource files that are redistributable if you have obtained an Enterprise Mobility Services Deployment License. You will find the development and deployment EMS Console and EMS Server executables and DLLs in the C:\Program Files(x86)\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\bin and C:\Program Files(x86)\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\bin64 directories. You will find EMS server and client executables in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\ObjRepos\en\EMS.

Deploying Embarcadero Delphi 10 and C++Builder 10 Applications

file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Embarcadero/Studio/17.0/radstudio_deploy_en.htm

The deploy HTML file (part of your product installation) includes information about deploying the applications that you build with 10 Seattle.

Runtime Packages and Assemblies

file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Embarcadero/Studio/17.0/radstudio_deploy_en.htm#CodeGearRuntime

Inside of the deploy HTML file you can find the list of runtime packages and assemblies that you can include with your deployed applications. As part of the Enterprise edition and above, you have a license to redistribute files required for a running DataSnap client and server application. The DataSnap redistributable files are included in your Enterprise edition and above product installation directories.

Enterprise Mobility Services (EMS)

file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Embarcadero/Studio/17.0/radstudio_deploy_en.htm#EMS

Inside of the deploy HTML file you’ll find additional information about the applications and DLLs that you can include with your deployed EMS applications. The files listed can be redistributed as long as you have a specific license for EMS deployment. To obtain a valid EMS license and user keys for your production environment, please contact an Embarcadero sales representative at http://www.embarcadero.com/company/contact-us.

Installing the EMS Server or EMS Console Server on a Production Environment

http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Installing_the_EMS_Server_or_EMS_Console_Server_on_a_Production_Environment

For a production environment, we recommend you set up the EMS Server and the EMS Console Server on a web server for scalability. We currently support Microsoft IIS Server. For smaller business installations, you could choose to install your applications on a Windows server or desktop (but this is recommended only for development testing).

Microsoft IIS Support (Windows ISAPI)

http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Installing_the_EMS_Server_or_EMS_Console_Server_on_a_Production_Environment#Microsoft_IIS_Support_.28Windows_ISAPI.29

This section of the installing EMS on a production environment shows you how to set up your EMS Server and Console running on an IIS Server. The documentation shows you how to install IIS (if it is not already installed), check that IIS is running and how to create the “web site” for your EMS application.

Configuring IIS 7 for your EMS Application

http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Installing_the_EMS_Server_or_EMS_Console_Server_on_a_Production_Environment#Configuring_IIS_7_for_the_ISAPI_DLL

This section of the above mentioned IIS deployment document contains the steps for the configuration of your EMS 32-bit and 64-bit application packages on Microsoft IIS version 7.

EMS Runtime License

http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/EMS_Runtime_License

Enterprise Mobility Services (EMS) is an optional and separate purchase for the customer. For testing EMS in a developer environment, RAD Studio comes with a 5 EMS Users valid license. For deploying EMS in a production environment, you must pay an annual license fee per EMS User for continued maintenance and new releases. To obtain a valid EMS license and user keys for your production environment, please contact an Embarcadero sales representative at http://www.embarcadero.com/company/contact-us.

EMS Database Requirements for a Production Environment

http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/EMS_Database_Requirements_for_a_Production_Environment

EMS works with an InterBase XE7 encrypted database while deploying in a Production Environment. You need to use a valid EMS license to install it. As part of your EMS application you can also connect with other applications, databases, cloud services and other web services.

Elite Developers – Show us your Cool Apps! Join our club of elite developers by showcasing your app and enter to win $2,000 in Embarcadero Credits!

How does it work? 1) Submit a title for your cool app 2) Provide a description for your submission 3) Share your short video URL or request a recording (Date & Time) 4) MVPs & Embarcadero Evangelists vote 5) Winner each month - $2,000 toward any of our products

This contest awards prizes and showcases cool applications built using Embarcadero's RAD Studio, Delphi and C++Builder. We are looking for cool applications across all industries including personal use, using any type of application you can build with our products. Your cool app can use VCL, FireMonkey, DataSnap, EMS, FireDAC, InterBase and any other components, libraries, services, sites, infrastructures, APIs, devices and other capabilities.

Q: Does the video have to be five minutes in length?
A: We hope your submitted video will be approximately 5 minutes in length. But, the video can be a little shorter or a little longer if you need to show the coolness of the app. Is there a video submission that might be too short, say 2 minutes in length? The video can be shorter, as long as you can show the coolness of the app in action, the UI, some source code or architecture and anything else that will help the “judges” evaluate the cool app submission.

Q: Do I maintain ownership of the 5 minute video? I would have no issue granting permission for the video to be used as that becomes the positive marketing from your side.
A: You own the video and the app. The last item on the submission form asks you to give your name, email address and company (or self) as confirmation that you want your cool app entered into the Embarcadero Cool Apps Contest and that we can use the information and video you provide as part of the marketing of our Cool Apps Contest. We will put the video and information on our site and also our YouTube channel.

Q: If I submit am app once and then later make significant update to it with which I extend my apps features can I update my submission to reflect the latest changes?
A: You can always update your submission whether it has won a monthly award entry or not. We will create a landing page and YouTube playlist for the videos and can update videos as you do, or change the link. Just let us know.

Q: In your article you state that it is necessary to submit the cool app only once and the judges will vote for best app every month. Can one app can be nominated as best several times?
A: We will pick a cool app each month from the complete set of submissions. You do not have to re-submit the same cool app. One specific Cool App can only win once. A Cool App submitted can win once and only once.

Q: Is this strictly for mobile apps, or are groundbreaking desktop apps also eligible?
A: We like all types of applications – desktop, mobile, server, cloud, personal, professional, industrial, etc. There is no limit to the type of application, except that it must be a cool app. The app does not have to be a for sale app. The app does not have to be open source based. The app can be used inside a company or delivered to specific users. The app just has to be cool.

Q: Since this appears to be a monthly contest, when is the cutoff date for the first month? End of April?
A: We will take submissions over time. The “judges” will take a look at all submissions (except for past winners) at the beginning of each month (for April, this means early May). We will choose one winner each month from the complete list of submissions. Once a cool app video has won a monthly prize, it will not be considered for any additional month’s awards.

I received a comment on one of my blog posts from Wilfred Oluoch who was happy to see our renewed focus on development tools. He also said he would like to see a revamped "Database Desktop" style tool that works with InterBase/SQLite and other databases. Thank you Wilfred. We do have several database tools integrated into the IDE and also as standalone applications. Inside of the IDE you can use the Data Explorer to work with your FireDAC and dbExpress based database connections. Outside of the IDE we have three database application tools you can use with FireDAC database connections: FireDAC Explorer, FireDAC Administrator, FireDAC Monitor and FireDAC Executor. You'll find the first three applications in the product installation "bin" folder. The FireDAC Executor can be found in the Samples\Object Pascal\Database\FireDAC\Bin folder.

IDE Data Explorer

You can create, modify and browse FireDAC and dbExpress database connections inside of the IDE using the Data Explorer. You'll find the Data Explorer in the Project Manager View as a separate tab. In the Data Explorer you can browse database objects, view data, and run stored procedures. DocWiki entries that will help you:

• Using the Data Explorer - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Browsing_a_Database_in_the_Data_Explorer
• Executing SQL in the Data Explorer - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Executing_SQL_in_the_Data_Explorer

FireDAC database application tools

• FireDAC explorer (FDExplorer.exe) - a hierarchical database connection browser with data editing and SQL script execution capabilities.http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/FDExplorer
• FireDAC Administrator (FDAdministrator.exe) - tool you can use to manage FireDAC connection definitions. http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/FDAdministrator
• FireDAC Monitor (FDMonitor.exe) - Tracing a communication between a FireDAC application and a Database Management System (DBMS) and exploring details of commands, parameters, states, execution statistics, and so on.http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/FDMonitor
• FireDAC Executor (FDExecutor.exe) - SQL script command line tool, supporting many SQL scripting dialects. FDExecutor supports: 1) Standard SQL commands, such as INSERT or SELECT, 2) Stored procedure language commands, such as CREATE PROCEDURE, 3) Script execution control commands, such as SPOOL, SET ECHO, and so on. http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/FDExecutor

These tools work with all of the databases that FireDAC supports including InterBase, SQLite, Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, etc. http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Database_Connectivity_(FireDAC)

Roman Yankovsky has announced that FixInsight verison 2016.3 has been released. FixInsight, compatible with Delphi, performs static code analysis on your project's source code to help you find bugs while you are developing. FixInsight seamlessly integrates into the Delphi IDE and outputs messages in the IDE's Messages window. Roman reports: "I’m happy to introduce the FixInsight 2016.03 release. It has been delayed several times, but finally it’s here."

From Roman's post and the FixInsight web site - What’s New

• Introduced rule W529 (“Should be ‘raise’ instead of ‘raise object’?”)
• Rule O802 now works in entire project scope
• Added buttons ‘Save as Default’ and ‘Load Defaults’ to FixInsight Settings window
• Improved parser
• Minor fixes

You can find additional information, documentation, blog posts, how to buy and try on the SourceOddity website Congratulations Roman and thank you for your support of Delphi and our customers.

Our Embarcadero technology partner, CData, has a wide range of tutorials in their support knowledge base that show Delphi and C++Builder developers how to integrate enterprise application data into your projects. Technical articles are included that show how to use the CData ODBC drivers with the FireDAC ODBC data source in your Delphi and C++ applications to bind data from Salesforce, Biztalk, SAP, Facebook, Netsuite, SugarCRM, Google Analytics, Quickbooks, and more. You will find a complete list of supported enterprise applications at http://www.cdata.com/drivers/?cat=other. The CData knowledge base and online help documentation contains a large number of tutorials that show you how to use Delphi, C++Builder and FireDAC to create the connections and data bindings.

Find Data Binding Articles

To find enterprise application data bindings articles for Delphi and C++Builder use the following CData knowledge base search links:

• Delphi - http://www.cdata.com/search/default.aspx?p=1&q=delphi
• C++Builder - http://www.cdata.com/search/default.aspx?p=1&q=c%20%20Builder

Example Tutorials

Here are two example articles (with steps, screen shots and source code) for connecting Delphi and C++Builder to Salesforce data:

• Delphi - http://www.cdata.com/kb/tech/salesforce-odbc-delphi.rst
• C++Builder - http://www.cdata.com/kb/tech/salesforce-odbc-cppbuilder.rst

FireDAC Information

You can find additional information about using FireDAC with ODBC data sources on the FireDAC DocWiki at http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Connect_to_ODBC_Data_Source_(FireDAC)

With the introduction of the Parallel Programming Library (PPL) and Embarcadero C++Builder support for C++11 lambda functions on the Win32, Win64, iOS and Android platforms, you can now use the two in combination in your applications. Below you will find C++Builder example source code that uses lambda functions with the Parallel For, Tasks and Futures. If you use C++11 features (including lamda functions) in your applications that target Win32, make sure you turn off (set to False) the "Use classic Borland compiler" in the Projects | Options | C++ Compiler dialog.

Parallel For

The Parallel Programming Library (PPL) includes a Parallel for loop method. The TParallel.For accepts anonymous methods in Delphi whereas in C++ you create an Iterator event function or C++11 lambda and pass that as part of the TParallel::For loop call. In this example, I show you the two ways to use an iterator function in the Parallel::For method: using an event style iterator and using a C++11 lambda. I've commented out the use of the iterator function in favor of using the C++11 lambda function. Note: the variable Tot is defined in the public section of the form class. 

#include <System.Threading.hpp>
#include <System.Diagnostics.hpp>
#include <System.SysUtils.hpp>

...

// test if a number is a prime number
bool IsPrime(int N) {
  bool aPrime = true;
  for (int Test = 2;Test<=N-1;Test++) {
	if (N % Test == 0) {
	  aPrime = false;
	  break; //jump out of the for loop
	}
  }
  return aPrime;
}

// Parallel For Iterator Event Proc
void __fastcall TForm2::MyIteratorEvent(TObject* Sender, int AIndex)
{
	if (IsPrime(AIndex)) {
		TInterlocked::Increment(Tot);
	};
}

// Button event handler that finds prime numbers using Parallel::For
void __fastcall TForm2::Button2Click(TObject *Sender)
{
  // counts the prime numbers below a given value
  int Max = 50000; // 50K
  Tot = 0;
  System::Diagnostics::TStopwatch sw = System::Diagnostics::TStopwatch::Create();
  sw.Start();
  // TParallel::For(NULL,1,Max,MyIteratorEvent);  // using an iterator "event" method
  // using C++11 Lambda for the parallel for (Note: for Win32 turn off option "Use Classic Compiler"
  TParallel::For(NULL,1,Max,
	  System::Sysutils::_di_TProc__1<int>(
		  // [this] (int AIndex) {
		  [&] (int AIndex) {
			  if (IsPrime(AIndex)) {
				  TInterlocked::Increment(Tot);
			  };
		  }
	  )
  );
  sw.Stop();
  Memo1->Lines->Add (
	String().sprintf(L"Parallel For loop. Time (in milliseconds): %lld, Primes found: %d",
				sw.ElapsedMilliseconds,Tot)
  );
}

// Button event handler that uses sequential for look to find prime numbers
void __fastcall TForm2::Button1Click(TObject *Sender)
{
  // counts the prime numbers below a given value
  int Max = 50000; // 50K
  Tot = 0;
  System::Diagnostics::TStopwatch sw = System::Diagnostics::TStopwatch::Create();
  sw.Start();
  for (int I = 1;I<=Max;I++) {
	if (IsPrime(I)) {
	  Tot++;
	  // Application.ProcessMessages;
	}
  }
  sw.Stop();
  Memo1->Lines->Add (
	String().sprintf(L"Sequential For loop. Time (in milliseconds): %lld, Primes found: %d",
				sw.ElapsedMilliseconds,Tot)
  );
}

Parallel Task

The Parallel Programming Library (PPL) provides a TTask class to run one task or multiple tasks in parallel. A Task is a unit of work you need to get done. The PPL does the association between the task and the thread that performs the task so you can run several tasks in parallel without having to create your own custom threads and managing them. This example creates two parallel tasks that use C++11 lambda functions. Inside of the button event handler, the Parallel Task WaitForAny and WaitForAll methods are used.

#include <System.Threading.hpp>

...

void __fastcall TForm1::Button1Click(TObject *Sender)
{
   int counter = 0;
   _di_ITask tasks[2];

   tasks[0] = TTask::Create([&] () {
	   Sleep(3000);
	   TInterlocked::Add(counter,1);

   });

   tasks[1] = TTask::Create([&] () {
	   Sleep(5000);
	   TInterlocked::Add(counter,1);

   });

   for(auto task: tasks) {
	   task->Start();
   }

   Label1->Caption = "All Tasks Started";
   Label1->Update();


   TTask::WaitForAny(tasks,(sizeof(tasks)/sizeof(tasks[0])-1));
   Label1->Caption = "At least one task is done! "+IntToStr(counter);
   Label1->Update();

   TTask::WaitForAll(tasks,(sizeof(tasks)/sizeof(tasks[0])-1));
   Label1->Caption = "All tasks are done! "+IntToStr(counter);
   Label1->Update();
}

Parallel Future

This sample shows you how to use C++11 lambda functions with the Parallel Future feature in the Parallel Programming Library. Parallel Future uses TTask::Future to launch a function that returns a specific type. TTask::Future<T>, where the type parameter, T, represents the return type. Using a future allows you to calculate something or run some query and at the same time you can do other tasks, getting the value when you want via future's value. If the value is not completed yet, the Parallel Programming Library blocks the current code waiting for this value to be calculated. This allows you to prioritize code blocks to run in the order you want, but still ensure you get the value at the point you need it.

#include <system.threading.hpp>

...

void __fastcall TForm1::Button1Click(TObject *Sender)
{
	auto future = TTask::Future<int>([&] () -> int {
		// very long computation can go here
		Sleep(2000);
		return 42;
	});
	// do other things while the future has not been given a value
	Sleep(1000);
	// the thread will block until the future value is computed/set
	int computedValue = future->Value;
	ShowMessage("Future has a value: "+IntToStr(computedValue));

}

Links to Additional Resources

• C++ option - use 'classic' Borland compiler - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/C%2B%2B_Compiler#Classic_Compiler
• Using the Parallel Programming Library - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Using_the_Parallel_Programming_Library
• Using Parallel For - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Using_TParallel.For_from_the_Parallel_Programming_Library
• Tutorial: Using Parallel For - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Tutorial:_Using_the_For_Loop_from_the_Parallel_Programming_Library
• Using Parallel Tasks - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Using_TTask_from_the_Parallel_Programming_Library
• Tutorial: Using Parallel Tasks - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Tutorial:_Using_Tasks_from_the_Parallel_Programming_Library
• Using Parallel Futures - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Using_TTask.IFuture_from_the_Parallel_Programming_Library
• Tutorial: Using Parallel Futures - http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Seattle/en/Tutorial:_Using_Futures_from_the_Parallel_Programming_Library
• C++ Lamda Functions - http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/lambda
• C++ Lambda Closures - http://www.cprogramming.com/c++11/c++11-lambda-closures.html

Source Code on Code Central

You can download the source code examples (tested using C++Builder 10 Seattle) for all three projects using the CodeCentral link - "Using C++11 Lambda functions with the C++Builder PPL" - http://cc.embarcadero.com/item/30508.

On the Community forums, David J recently asked: "Most iOS apps have the preferences set into the Settings > General section instead of embedded in the app. Any example on how to split that and take it out of the app and place it in the correct place on iOS? Thanks for any light"

I replied: David Clegg wrote an article that shows you how to do this for Delphi (would work the same for C++Builder). you can find the article at http://community.embarcadero.com/article/technical-articles/162-programming/1852-persisting-settings-in-delphi-ios-applications. Cleggy notes: "In Cocoa apps created in Xcode, the way to specify settings associated with your app is to include a settings.bundle when compiling your app. For Delphi apps, the approach is no different. You can leverage Xcode to create the settings bundle, which you can refer to when specifying the resources to bundle in your compiled Delphi app." Cleggy goes on to show you how to create a settings.app bundle to include in your Delphi or C++Builder iOS application. He also includes code for reading and writing the settings.

Here are my posted Tweets for the week of Sunday, April 3, 2016 to Saturday, April 9, 2016. Embarcadero specific posts are in bold.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

• Oracle wants Google to pay it $9.3 billion for using Java's APIs in Android http://buff.ly/1RwObd1
• This SAP president has a fabulous career because he spent one sad and lonely holiday at work http://buff.ly/1PyxtaR
• Why IT can’t handle data breaches alone http://buff.ly/1RmuTua
• 4 security discoveries that should raise the alarm http://buff.ly/1RxiUsv
• Two Superpowers We Wish We Had  - Time and Energy - Bill and Melinda Gates 2016 letter - http://buff.ly/1WSghD8
• Registering OAuth clients for Google Sign-In | Android Developers Blog http://buff.ly/25qVeNG
• MIT’s Clever New Drone Draws What You Do. Mostly http://buff.ly/1Som3e9
• Tech and policy can make Bill Gates’ ‘energy miracle’ a reality - Bill and Melinda Gates most recent annual letter - http://buff.ly/1SolQYy

Monday, April 4, 2016

• The future of business is that the customer is the labor and the capital http://buff.ly/1Y0mXPA
• Will capitalism survive the robot revolution? http://buff.ly/1Ti8XBv
• Women aren’t the only ones who feel they’re not paid fairly in tech http://buff.ly/1PF7deP
• What’s trending in the IoT space - Tech Crunch - http://buff.ly/1WXhDML
• Microsoft AI bot Tay returns to Twitter, goes on spam tirade, then back to sleep http://buff.ly/1LZvuSb
• Behind Facebook Messenger's plan to be an app platform http://buff.ly/1PF5VjW
• As FBI's iPhone exploit remains secret, Apple's security operation in transition http://buff.ly/1q1bSTY
• Kuvée is trying to reinvent wine with a ridiculous Wi-Fi bottle - The Verge - http://buff.ly/1UZCobu

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

• FireEye: Hackers are racing to infiltrate retail POS systems http://buff.ly/1LZHfYS
• Report: Google to cut off support for physical Wallet card on June 30 http://buff.ly/25w2NTt
• This 'brain-inspired' supercomputer will explore deep learning for the U.S. nuclear program http://buff.ly/1LZH3ZD
• Apple wants the FBI to reveal how it hacked the San Bernardino killer's iPhone http://buff.ly/1WXlGbT
• Google fixes 39 Android flaws, 15 of them critical http://buff.ly/1q44Sp0
• Why Apple and Google are struggling to design simple software http://buff.ly/1Y0nvoK
• Java vs. C Performance - conference talk&  slide deck by Cliff Click CTO Co-Founder H2O - http://buff.ly/1Ry81o7
• Why I (still) write code - Ka Wai Cheung: "I write code ... to help people" - DoneDone http://buff.ly/1LZyFt2
• Uber announces a more immersive ‘Ride Request’ option for third-party apps http://buff.ly/22NTKhI

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

• Mayo Clinic Technology Said To Alleviate Nausea From VR http://buff.ly/1SmZNPo
• Microsoft introduces the Desktop App Converter for bringing Win32 apps to the Windows Store http://buff.ly/1RL60UF
• Putting the Internet of Things Into Practice | Automation World http://buff.ly/1RL5Dtq
• Buy now or wait? Apple's new iPhone SE vs. the rumored 'iPhone 7' http://buff.ly/1TiRcCg
• Waze Helps You Avoid Speeding Tickets http://buff.ly/1PFRL25
• Ubuntu’s bash and Linux command line coming to Windows 10 http://buff.ly/1UCFJPD
• Microsoft confirms Windows 10 'Redstone' 1 will be available this summer | ZDNet http://buff.ly/1TiQEMH
• Quantum computing is now a big step closer thanks to a new breakthrough: the Fredkin gate http://buff.ly/1LZHFP0

Thursday, April 7, 2016

• Idea to retire: Cybersecurity kills innovation http://buff.ly/1TiSddz
• MySQL Master Slave Replication - DevX - http://buff.ly/1PFSRuM
• IBM, Microsoft Lead New Spark-Based Offerings -- ADTmag http://buff.ly/22P6k0f
• Microsoft now lets you turn any Xbox One into a development kit http://buff.ly/1Y0ZH42
• Using C++11 Lambda functions with the C++Builder Parallel Programming Library http://buff.ly/1S5zzGV
• Clippy’s Back: The Future of Microsoft Is Chatbots http://buff.ly/1MTcaAR
• Microsoft: Windows 10 now runs on 270M monthly active devices http://buff.ly/1q2vzuQ
• Join our club of elite Embarcadero developers - show us your Cool Apps using a Cool Video! http://buff.ly/1SfMZdj
• Embarcadero MVP of the Year for 2015 – Stefan Glienke http://buff.ly/1q91mtq
• Microsoft extends its Windows Hello login security features to apps and the web http://buff.ly/22P5RLq
• How to Pick the Perfect App Name - 6 good name factors, ideas that work and don't work - http://buff.ly/1TiRSr6
• Mayo Clinic Technology Said To Alleviate Nausea From VR http://buff.ly/1SmZNPo

Friday, April 8, 2016

• Microsoft touts developer tools, business software http://buff.ly/1ZP9yve
• Microsoft snubs its own Phones, Windows chief Terry Myerson - developer focus elsewhere - http://buff.ly/1TmqRmQ
• Apple at 40: The forgotten founder who gave it all away Ronald G Wayne - BBC News http://buff.ly/1q7G0xa
• Microsoft’s Azure Service Fabric microservice platform hits general availability. TechCrunch http://buff.ly/1UWRIXH
• New highlights of RAD Studio webinar and the Berlin event http://buff.ly/1MkSZ8C
• Embarcadero Weekly Round-up for Developers #8/2016: Jens Fudge this week's spotlight MVP  - http://buff.ly/1UNZfIK
• Embarcadero FireDAC database application tools included in Delphi, C++Builder & RAD Studio http://buff.ly/1VVpL23
• Instantly expose a data table as JSON/REST using Embarcadero Delphi components - http://buff.ly/1SBvx5V
• Unleashing Artificial Intelligence with Human-Assisted Machine Learning http://buff.ly/1pL9Bvq
• Survey: With all eyes on security, talent shortage sends salaries sky high http://buff.ly/1UCHZGl

Saturday, April 9, 2016

• Internet of things, analytics expected to push U.S. ahead of China for manufacturing | ZDNet http://buff.ly/1V105Sf
• Oculus Rift Shipments Delayed By Unexpected Component Shortage - Forbes http://buff.ly/1Vkg38F
• Apple's first 40 years: An oral history from inside the loop http://buff.ly/22Va8wZ
• Stop panicking! Here's why Apple and the iPhone are far from doomed | ZDNet http://buff.ly/1UHTXif
• Tackling the Security Risks of BYOD: How to Ensure Data Safety http://buff.ly/22V6uTO
• Set Up Custom Vibrations on Your iPhone [How To] http://buff.ly/1RC7x04
• New MIT research opens door for password-free Wi-Fi http://buff.ly/1ZP9M5M
• Xamarin CEO Nat Friedman on getting acquired by Microsoft http://buff.ly/1RAWwfC

You can follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/davidi99

This webinar will offer on overview of the latest release of RAD Studio, Delphi and C ++ Builder. RAD Studio Product Managers Marco Cantu and Sarina Dupont will cover the overall product directions and provide details about today's product and hints about its future. See how RAD Studio works with and will continue extending its support for Windows 10, multi-device development, and the Internet of Things. Embarcadero presenters will discuss among other things the following topics: A new installation tool with GetIt technology and the choice of what you want to install Extended support for Bluetooth LE on Windows 10 and a framework for IoT components FireUI App Preview - Preview your forms on any target device (desktop or mobile) ... and much more!

There is one link for the 3 global webinars –
you can choose the time that fits your schedule.

Please register for the date and time that works best for you. Register now!

    https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/8114586402052971010

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

I am often by parents how they can get their kids interested in technology and programming in a fun and educational way. When I was a kid growing up I played with erector sets, built my own crystal radio, used my Edmund Scientific kit to create microscopes and telescopes. I used to show my Lego Mindstorms kit, my IMSAI 8080 computer that I build from a kit in 1974, my Arduino boards and now my RaspberryPi 2 device. There are many other computer programming education systems including Alice, Scratch, Squeak and Logo. For high school students you can set them in front of an integrated environment and let them use Delphi, C++, Java, Python, Javascript and Ruby to learn how to create applications. For younger kids, I think one of the best ways to learn about technology and programming is to use Arduino and RaspberryPi type boards connected to their PCs and Macs. The combination of the computer kids already use and these low cost and fun devices allows them to explore and integrate with world around them. There is a new visual programming environment for Arduino based fun called Visuino by Mitov Software.

Visuino is an Arduino IDE built using Embarcadero Delphi that allows you to build Arduino programs on your PC and compile the programs for Arduino and wide range of connected devices, sensors and circuits. On the Visuino page it states "A visual programming environment allowing you to program your Arduino boards. Although it currently supports the official Arduino boards, it is not restricted to their support alone and requests to support new hardware are welcome. If you are a hardware developer and don’t have much time to become an expert in software development then you can let Visuino become your personal software expert. If you’ve been exposed to the existing offering from Arduino you may be overwhelmed by the complexity of designing code to run your hardware components."

I have been working with some of the beta releases and having fun with LEDs, motors, gears and sensors. Sure, hardware, programmers, makers and tinkers can use Visuino to the max. Kids can also collaborate with their parents and other kids to learn real world technical and programming skills using Visuino.

You can download a trial at https://www.visuino.com/. Also, read the FAQ on the Visuino site. You can follow the discussions about Visuino on the Google+ group at https://plus.google.com/communities/116125623808250792822

Disclaimer: Mitov Software is an Embarcadero Technology Partner. While I was involved in the beta test of Visuino and it is built using Embarcadero Delphi, I have no direct involvement in Visuino development or marketing. I absolutely think Visuino is way cool, a great learning tool for kids and a testament to what you can build using Embarcadero development tools.