News

New Embarcadero Tool Targets Mobile Development, Windows XP Modernization

• By David Ramel
• April 17, 2014

Embarcadero Technologies this week upgraded its cross-platform tool for building natively compiled apps, emphasizing mobile targeting and a well-timed fix to modernize Windows XP applications.

RAD Studio XE6 lets Windows Visual Component Library (VCL) developers more easily extend VCL apps to target mobile devices and wearables such as Google Glass via a new App Tethering component, according to Embarcadero. "Developers can create easy-to-build and powerful mobile companion apps for VCL applications, and pick the features that make sense for mobile and can easily interact with existing Windows applications," without having to port a complete Windows application, the company said.

Along with the well-timed Google Glass feature marketing -- the wearables were released to the general public for just one day this week -- the company exhibited more excellent timing by emphasizing the ability to modernize Windows XP, for which Microsoft ended official support last week.

The new studio "makes it easier for users to take advantage of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 features and style to transition customers from the no longer supported Windows XP to modern Windows 7 and 8.1 operating systems," the company said. "App developers can modernize VCL Windows applications; preview and interact with multi-windowed applications with new Windows taskbar components; give applications a fresh, updated Windows 7 and 8.1 or custom look; and fully style applications, including menus and borders, to deliver a modern user experience."

New support for Android is also built in, which, according to the company, makes Studio XE6 the first IDE that developers can use for visual development of C++ applications for the main OSes: Windows, Android, iOS and Mac. "A simple recompile delivers the same app with either a native or custom user interface (UI) to iOS, Windows, and Mac OS X with no code changes," according to a statement.

Other new enhancements listed by the company include integration with Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) providers; mobile app monetization capabilities; better support for building Windows applications; better database connectivity via FireDAC; and more.

RAD Studio XE6 and similar Delphi and C++ IDEs are available now, with a free trial offered.