5 reasons why you should replace Delphi!

The number of Delphi developers continues to decline and fewer and fewer people are really familiar with this programming language. Delphi has long been a reliable choice for organisations looking to develop robust and scalable applications. Like the ancient oracle site in Greece, Delphi is symbolic of a bygone era and underlines the need to turn to more modern technologies to drive digitalisation forward.

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Cédric Portmann
Technical Program Manager

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We know Delphi programming in detail and have the expertise to maintain and further develop Delphi applications. But we are also realistic enough to realise that it is important to think outside the box and explore alternatives that may be more sustainable. Here are the challenges facing the Delphi platform.

Outdated technology and limited support
Delphi has been on the market for many years and some versions may now be obsolete, in particular the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit architecture (and possibly even from 16-bit to 32-bit) can be challenging. This is because old Delphi programmes were designed for 32-bit architecture and there may be compatibility issues with new operating systems or other technologies. In addition, support from the manufacturer is limited, which can lead to security risks and a lack of updates.
Dependence on experts
The number of Delphi developers is decreasing rapidly as many experts are turning to new technologies or retiring. This can lead to a heavy reliance on individuals with Delphi expertise. Should such a person leave your organisation, whether through resignation, retirement or other reasons, this can lead to significant problems. The development of new features, bug fixing and general maintenance of Delphi applications will come to a standstill, which can lead to business disruption and loss.
Limited integration
As technologies and systems become increasingly intertwined, seamless integration of applications and systems is essential. However, Delphi struggles to integrate smoothly with modern architectures and platforms, which can lead to siloed, isolated solutions. Replacement by modern integrated systems is therefore almost inevitable.
Limited support and resources: Compared to more modern languages, there may be fewer libraries, frameworks and resources for Delphi. This can make the development of new projects more difficult.
Speed and performance: Delphi can be slightly slower when processing very large amounts of data compared to other languages that are specifically optimised for working with large amounts of data, such as Python. For certain applications that require particularly fast processing, such as real-time applications, Delphi may not be the optimal choice. Other languages such as C++ often offer better performance and speed for such use cases.

Leave the Delphi programming language behind?

Companies are faced with the challenge of updating outdated Delphi technology or switching to a more modern development environment in order to solve compatibility problems and ensure access to the latest support. The use of middleware and APIs facilitates the integration of Delphi applications with other systems and platforms, improves compatibility with other systems and avoids isolation. To overcome the shortage of Delphi developers, companies should invest in internal training programmes or find a company that still has Delphi experts on staff. It’s a good thing that we still have enough Delphi specialists in our development teams!

Alternatively, and probably inevitably in the medium term, you can choose new technologies that are better suited to scalability and integration, such as web or cloud-based solutions, and consider hybrid approaches if necessary. Modern development environments and programming languages offer possibilities that go far beyond the capabilities of Delphi. Find out what the future really holds for Delphi here!

Your competent Delphi partner

The migration of Delphi requires careful planning and a structured approach. At soxes, we have extensive experience in migrating legacy systems such as Delphi and are happy to support you in making this process run smoothly.

With over 20 years of experience in individual software development, soxes has the expertise to take over old Delphi applications, analyse them, continue programming and, if necessary, carry out re-engineering in a targeted manner.

Our team analyses your existing Delphi applications and develops an individual plan for your company. We stabilise your application and maintain or extend it according to your wishes and requirements.

Are you more interested in entering a new development environment instead of an extension? We bring outdated applications back into the present through the re-engineering process by porting them to modern and more powerful technologies such as C# (C-Sharp) or Python.

Our aim is to offer a comprehensive solution that meets the specific requirements of your company and facilitates the transition to modern, more powerful products and technologies.

How can we support you with your software project?