Major version number change

[Numdydar]

I noticed that the next version of WiF is going to be numbered 2.0 Since this is a big jump from the previous version, I wondered what warranted this major change in release numbering?

Typically this would mean that major items have been added/changed. Is this the case or simply due that there is a new system compiling the code [:)]?

[Courtenay]

The compiler has changed, necessitating large numbers of changes of various libraries.

One would hope that simply changing the compiler would not affect anything. Unfortunately, this is the real world.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

The compiler has changed, necessitating large numbers of changes of various libraries.

One would hope that simply changing the compiler would not affect anything. Unfortunately, this is the real world.

Yes.

I guess the big change is more in my mind than anything else. The source code for the visual component libraries had to be changed (by me) to support the 5 year's of updates to the compiler. That worked out to probably over 300 changes to the code. In theory, that should be no effect on how the program runs (that was my goal). But after making so many changes to code that I did not originally write, I wanted to make an exclamation mark that the program was different.

[Numdydar]

That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

[Courtenay]

The Wikipedia entry for Delphi indicates that both the Visual Component Libary and the Run-Time Library have changed in the last five years. Having standard libraries change on you is not fun.

At least Steve never had to use Dephi XE7, about which Wikipedia had this to say:

Newer editions of Delphi have been reported to be unstable. This is especially true for Delphi XE7 for which most users encounters slowness and severe memory leaks.

[pzgndr]

ORIGINAL: Courtenay
At least Steve never had to use Dephi XE7, about which Wikipedia had this to say:

Newer editions of Delphi have been reported to be unstable. This is especially true for Delphi XE7 for which most users encounters slowness and severe memory leaks.

Just curious if the new (XE8) Delphi compiler and debugger offer any improvements that will noticeably help MWiF development. It obviously won't help identify logic bugs but hopefully it will provide some additional checking or something to help in the long run.

[Courtenay]

ORIGINAL: pzgndr

ORIGINAL: Courtenay
At least Steve never had to use Dephi XE7, about which Wikipedia had this to say:

Newer editions of Delphi have been reported to be unstable. This is especially true for Delphi XE7 for which most users encounters slowness and severe memory leaks.

Just curious if the new (XE8) Delphi compiler and debugger offer any improvements that will noticeably help MWiF development. It obviously won't help identify logic bugs but hopefully it will provide some additional checking or something to help in the long run.

Steve reported that the new debugger is a considerable improvement over the old one. That it to say, it actually functions, unlike the old one.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: pzgndr

ORIGINAL: Courtenay
At least Steve never had to use Dephi XE7, about which Wikipedia had this to say:

Newer editions of Delphi have been reported to be unstable. This is especially true for Delphi XE7 for which most users encounters slowness and severe memory leaks.

Just curious if the new (XE8) Delphi compiler and debugger offer any improvements that will noticeably help MWiF development. It obviously won't help identify logic bugs but hopefully it will provide some additional checking or something to help in the long run.

Having the debugger work is a big plus. But Delphi is still a fragile tool. Over the past 3 weeks I was able to crash it fairly easily - unintentionally. There is still one minor annoyance that I had with the old compiler that was fixed by the new one, but then that problem reappeared. I am going to reinstall Delphi XE8 and see if that fixes the problem. By the way, I did have to reinstall XE8 once already (last week sometime) because it was totally broken: closing Delphi caused an infinite error message loop.

---

Most of the changes to the compiler and libraries have to do with supporting more operating systems (e.g., UNIX and Apple's OS), delivery platforms (e.g., phones and tablets), and user interface devices (e.g., gestures and touch). MWIF isn't using any of those features. Adding them at this time would be difficult - the user interface having so many capabilities already (e.g., ways to pick up a unit for movement).

[pzgndr]

Well, that's one plus, having a working debugger now. I'll try not to think of how you've been working around a non-working debugger all these years! [X(]

And so now we can start nagging about touch tablet support? [:D]