There's quite a bit of new stuff here and, as usual, we can't cover it all. But a special call-out needs to go to the latest iteration of ECO (Enterprise Core Objects). I've studied modeling and design for a long time, and the question has always been whether you get more out of using a modeling tool than you do without. The answer is usually a qualified “yes” but with ECO, that qualification gets a lot smaller.
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ECO allows you to deal at a very high level in a very smooth way, and it gives you some very easy and rather flexible solutions to problem of object persistence. It allows
you to define state machines —without coding. It allows you to build your own patterns. It even, oh-by-the-way gives you an ridiculously easy way to put your data on the Web.
Together with Borland's Togetherproduct (Architect version), you have a package that's compelling for serious design with enough instant gratification to make it a fun
choice even when you're writing a small program. Substantial portions of ECO III are available even in the pro version of DX—a very smart move on Borland's part to introduce everyone to this framework. ECO is strictly .NET, too, and one of the more compelling and progressive uses of the platform.
Building applications with ECO's modeling tool.
Overall
There's a ton more in the total package than I can cover in less than a book. I didn't touch on the addition to the Delphi language of methods to records (shades of the original object classes in Borland's Pascal versions 6 and 7), but they're great if you need them. I also didn't mention C#, C++, the new refactorings, or the cool little system tray component (so that you can finally get rid of that third-party add-on you've been using since Delphi 5). But Borland has always been good about packing value into their
products, and this a trend that's gotten stronger in recent years.
If you've been using D8 or D9, DX is just a logical upgrade. It just feels better, faster, stabler, and more fun, even with the warts and hiccups. If you've never used a Borland IDE, you could do worse than start with this one. But what if you're a D7 user?
Yeah, I've griped a lot here. Still am griping. But the fact is, I'm using DX a lot more than any Delphi since 7. I have a bunch of Delphi 7 projects, and DX loads them almost seamlessly. I find myself less interested in going back, though — not because of the promise of .NET, but due to the super-cool features. Borland has a lot to be proud of with this release. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
