Codename: Highlander
Time Frame: Second Half 2007
Theme: Web and desktop client development with .Net

"Highlander" is a planned release that is both a major upgrade to Delphi .NET and a roll up of Delphi 2007 for Win32 and C++Builder 2007 into the complete 2007 RAD Studio. Highlander is planned to enhance Delphi's .NET support up to .Net v2.0 including both framework, design, and language enhancements.

Delphi developers will be able to develop rich, full-featured websites using RAD techniques and ASP.NET 2.0. VCL developers will be able to easily migrate code to managed code using VCL.NET. Delphi developers will also be able to use model-driven development to drastically improve their productivity.

Specific areas of focus under consideration for Highlander are: .

• Net Framework 2.0 support, compatible with .Net Framework 3.0
  1. Support for ASP.NET development in Delphi.
     • Support for the "Code Behind" model of Web development.
     • Implementation of ASP.NET's Provider model that allows developers to implement membership, roles, etc., using any DBX4-capable database.
  2. Support for VCL.NET development in Delphi
     • Support for Vista's new controls and APIs.
     • ECO for VCL.NET
• Consumption and creation of parameterized types (generics) for Delphi for .Net.
• Continued enhancements for supporting the Vista API
• Updated DBX4 database architecture with support for ADO.NET 2.0.
  1. Exposes any DBX4-compliant database as an ADO.NET 2.0 data source.
  2. Unified metadata used for both DBX4 and ADO.NET drivers.
     • Extended to provide richer metadata support for database tooling.
     • Provider-based allowing other drivers to share the same metadata provider.
  3. DBXClient -- a thin DBX4 driver written in 100% native Delphi for single EXE or package based deployment.
     • Written 100% in Delphi, thus single-sourced for both native and managed platforms.
     • Full Unicode support for all drivers
  4. New Visual Query Builder with integration into the DataExplorer and all Query based property editors
• ECO IV
  1. Support for ASP.NET v2.0
  2. Support for VCL.NET (.NET v2.0)
  3. Full source to the runtime parts of the framework
  4. Reduced traffic to database.
  5. Simple API to programmatically fill the object cache
  6. Reach operations on all CLR value types from OCL for better access to managed code
  7. Flush an EcoSpace to disk and resume it on another machine
  8. Support for new .Net2 data-binding interfaces
  9. Significant design time enhancements and simplifications
  10. OCL type system matches that of .Net
  11. New Persistence mappers (native oracle, SQLDatastore)
• SQLDatastore
  1. SQLDatastore is a simple to deploy, fully managed (.Net 2.0), SQL-compliant database engine with full transaction support.
  2. DBX4 Win32 thin DBXClient driver can connect to any SQLDataStore Server.
  3. ADO.NET 2.0 driver for both in-process and out of process execution.
  4. XCopy database server/kernel deployment for easy deployment
  5. Developers can write stored procedures for SQLDatastore in Delphi for .Net or any other .Net-compatible language.
  6. Deployment licensing to allow developers to deploy SQLDatastore right out of the box.
• Continuously improved and frequently updated documentation

Codename: Tiburón
Time Frame: First Half 2008
Theme: Delphi and VCL development with Unicode and Generics

A Delphi release codenamed "Tiburón" is planned to add and enhance features for both Delphi for Win32 and Delphi for .Net.

Tiburón is planned to focus on three main themes:

• Delphi Win32 Unicode This means that the IDE, the VCL, and all types of development should be made fully Unicode-compatible. The standard string in the Delphi language will become a Unicode string, meaning that the IDE, the VCL – that is, the entire product – will be Unicode-based. Developers around the world will be able to develop applications for use in any language using the Unicode standard.
• Providing parameterized types throughout the Delphi language, for both the managed and native languages. This should include creating and consuming parameterized types, as well as updating the RTL and VCL to take advantage of this new language feature.
• Updated and improved VCL. VCL for Win32 is scheduled to be improved to support fully Unicode development. In addition, the VCL for both Win32 and .Net are expected to be given new support for UI elements such as Ribbon controls, theming, and other UI improvements to allow developers to modernize the look and feel of their applications. The VCL for both Win32 and for .Net are planned to delve deeper into the Vista API's to support the new controls and features of the Vista operating system.

Specific areas of focus under consideration for Tiburón are:

• IDE Enhancements, including:
  1. A Resource File Manager integrated into the Project Manager
  2. A common open tools interface for source control access for the IDE with integrated source control features.
     • An implementation of this new interface for Subversion is planned.
  3. Enhanced COM and Type Library file support
  4. Improved package handling
• BDE replacement based on SQLDataStore with highly compatible TTable/TQuery components
  1. Can be used as a highly compatible replacement for BDE Paradox applications.
  2. Win32 and .net DBXClient DBX4 client with navigational data access extensions.
  3. Larger storage capacity. 8 Terabyte database file size limit.
  4. Transaction support with crash recovery.
  5. Full Unicode support.
  6. Entry-level SQL-92.
  7. Permanent bookmarks.
  8. SQL or Delphi language server-side stored procedures and triggers
• DataSnap enhancements
  1. .Net Connection layered on top of DBXClient DBX4 driver. Shared with win32 as well.
  2. ADO.Net DataSet access to remote data modules
  3. DbExpress Server
     • Middle tier DBX/ADO drivers accessible from the client using the thin DBXClient DBX4 driver
     • Simplified client deployment. Single exe or package based deployment without a database vendor client installs.
     • Stored procedures written in Delphi or any other .net compatible language for all DBX4 and ADO.Net drivers.
     • Database acceleration: Connection pooling. Statement, result set caching
     • Server side DbExpress driver delegates (connection pooling, tracing, etc).
• DBXClient enhancements
  1. Unified transport for Remote data modules, dbExpress server and SQLDataStore.
  2. Native and managed DBXClient. Compact Framework and java script clients possible.
  3. Single DBXClient provides connectivity to all servers.
  4. High performance JSON based streaming with text and binary modes.
  5. Pluggable TCP/IP, HTTP(s) transports. SSL/TTL are possible as well.
• Continuously improved and frequently updated documentation

Codename: Barracuda
Time Frame: Middle of 2008
Theme: C++Builder and VCL development with Unicode

Following soon after Tiburón, C++Builder will be updated to match the features of Tiburon. In addition, specific areas of focus under consideration for Barracuda are:

• Compiler support for new keywords and language features
• Full, two way modeling support
• Continued compiler conformance enhancements
• Additional C++ refactorings
• Audits and Metrics for C++
• Project wide class browser
• Pre-built Boost included
• Option Sets and Source Pools
• Continuously improved and frequently updated documentation

Codename: Commodore
Time Frame: Winter 2008
Theme: 64-bit native Development

Following after Barracuda, specific areas of focus for consideration as part of the Commodore project are bringing 64-bit native development to Delphi, C++Builder and the VCL

As part of development beyond the Commodore project, specific areas of focus for consideration for both Delphi and C++Builder are:

• multi-core/multi-threaded development

In addition, CodeGear is researching longer term development plans for Delphi and the VCL that may include:

• Development for PDAs and the Compact Framework
• Language enhancements and standards conformance
• Rich Internet Application (RIA) development
• Cross-compilation to other operating systems
• Continuously improved and frequently updated documentation