[fpc-pascal] Pascal dialect -- was: Re: fpc-pascal Digest, Vol 72, Issue 12

[Marco van de Voort]

In our previous episode, Graeme Geldenhuys said:
> > And porting 3rd party delphi code.
> 
> I've already ported OS/2 Pascal, C#, Java and C/C++ code to Free
> Pascal. It's not that hard at all, so even if FPC is not very Delphi
> compatible, porting will still be much easier than porting from other
> languages.

Maybe. But the point is that a lot of users think it is more important to
really minimize that.
 
> What annoys me most is that there is no clear cut line between
> portability and improvements. Sometimes the FPC core developers all
> all ok with improvements, and sometimes flatout refuse even minor
> improvement (at which point they throw the Delphi Compatibility card).
>  It's like mood swings. If we catch you guys on a good day, then
> things go smooth - but dare we propose something on a bad day, then
> all hell breaks loose.

Well, situations where there is a possible conflict always requires a
comparison of both arguments. That is always a bit subjective. That's why
there usually are always several devels in such discussions.
 
> The other problem with Delphi Compatibility is that not even the FPC
> team knows which version of Delphi we are supposed to be Delphi
> compatible with.

That's a moving target. 

> First TP, then D5, then D7, then a bit from D2007,

(1.0.x Delphi mode was aimed at D2-d3, and inbetween there), but keep in
mind that is over say 13 years. (17 if you count the TP-only years).
Logically also the user base changed versions over such periods.

>  Compatibility with Delphi is drastically declining,

I've not even a clue what you mean with that. IMHO it is still vastly
improving.

> but still no improved design or other goods ideas are allowed (most of the
> time).

That is awfully subjective. And I don't agree.

>  How long are we supposed to wait until you guys finally give up
> the compatibility race, and see how flawed (and broken) it is at this
> current point in time?

I don't see a change coming there. I've learned to never exclude anything
long term though.

Btw, you are not the first to have such feelings and arguments. I was the
same roughly in the period '98-'02 (e.g. I was very opposed to many D4+
features being implemented). The same with the multi platform angle (being
very opposed to Kylix too, due to its Linuxisms)

This disappeared when I got more experience in Delphi (and the reasons
behind these features), and when I had a couple of years of bugfixing under
the belt (which causes you to be confronted with earlier, in retrospect, bad
decisions)

I'm still not fond of Kylix though. Both deviating of the VCL and the
extreme linux/x86 centricity made it IMHO a "worst of both worlds". However it
was canned before it could be cleaned up.