The Way of Delphi

The Way of Ferns. Why This Book Is For You. About This Book. Foreword. Delphi for C++. Programmers. Mapping Windows Messages. Different APP (application) Framework Approaches. All the Objects. The Object-Based Hierarchy. Learning Delphi as a C++ Programmer. Wonderful Things. Things That Work Differently Than in C++. Object Pascal Features in Common with C++. Object Pascal Features That Aren't in C++. C++ Features That Aren't in Object Pascal. What Delphi Needs. Garbage Collection. Persistence. Project Development Support. Comment Documentation Syntax. Ability to Build OLE Objects. Auto-Wiring. The Way of Delphi. Patterns. Long Strange Trips, Single Steps, and Object Art. OOP in 1988, Our Benchmark. Actor and Delphi. C++ and Delphi. Class Declarations. State of the Object Art: Windows, Delphi, Visual Basic, Smalltalk, C++. Inheritance, a Difference of Opinion. Delphi's Object Model. Delphi-Messages and Composition. On to the Beginning. Chapter 1. Code Design-Classes, Objects, Patterns, and Strategies. What's Special About a Class? Why Delphi? About The Projects in The Way of Delphi. Dynamic Design. Reusing Code. Two-Way Thinking. Code Design Patterns and Strategies. A Few Symbols and Boldface. Chapter 2. An Object-Oriented Philosophy. Types. Classes-The Big Difference. Units. Access Specifiers. Record and Class Declarations. A Hierarchy of Inherited Forms. Class (and Object) Scope. Balancing Class Functionality and Reuse. Composing Classes. Class Scope. Polymorphism-Many Shapes. Constructors and Destructors. Static, Virtual, and Dynamic Methods. Class (Object) Properties. Some OOP Design Guidelines. Looking Ahead. Chapter 3. The Practice of OOP. Project: scope1.dpr. The Unit Interface. The Unit Implementation. Scope1.dpr...Begin. Project: scope2.dpr. Project: Scope3.dpr. Project: Scope4.dpr. Project: Object1.dpr. TCell Class. TWatch Class. TBaseSim Class. Simulation Hierarchy. A Few Implementation Details (Bool1.pas). Creating a User Interface. A Few Implementation Details (Statsim1.pas). Reimplementing Form Methods. Object Responsibility. Repainting Controls. Canvas.Pixels. Clearing a TImage Canvas. Setting Control Focus. Chapter 4. Approaching Components. The TComponent Class. Comp1.dpr. Adding a Component to the Palette. Creating a Property. Access Methods. Invoking Component Methods. Sets and Enumerated Types as Object Fields. Install Component. TPersistent Objects. Object Responsibility. Testing Components. In Sum. Chapter 5. In the Path of Exceptions. Exception Handling. Tryfin.dpr. try..except Blocks. Setting Up an Exception Handler. An Exception Handling Component. Deriving a New Component. Creating a Property. TestException and the Is Operator. Adding a New Component to the Palette. Testing the Exception Handler. Exception Wrap-Up. Chapter 6. Focusing on Events ...Dynamic ToolBars and Dynamic Menus. Toolbar Click Events. How to Create a Toolbar. First Step: The User Interface-a Form and Components. Edit the MenuItems Property. The Dynamic Toolbar-How Do We Make It Work? Delphi and Delphi 2.0 Database Tools. Create the Toolbar Table. Unit Variables. The FormCreate Event Procedure. GetButtonsFromTable. Creating a New Speedbutton and the TNotifyEvent Type. AddButtonsClick. RemoveButtonClick. SaveSpeedButton. The GenericSpeedButtonClick. DeleteItemFromTable. FreeButtons. ExecuteFile. Staying On Top. The FormClose Event Procedure. Speedmnu.dpr. Chapter 7. From Form to Component to Build a Database Editor. The Database Editor. Two-Way Thinking. Set Properties. Define the Wrapper Interface. The Wrapper Implementation. Compile, Install, Use, and Reuse. A Pleasantness to the Madness. Testing Form Components. DbVu3.Dpr. Chapter 8. A Component Dialog for Finding Files Anywhere in the System. Projects and Techniques. Create a Form, Add Components. Implementing Private Methods. The TFindFilesDlg.GetDirectories Method. The TFindFilesDlg.CreateDirList Method. FindFirst. FindNext. TFindFilesDlg.FindFiles Method. Implement Click Event Procedures for the Form. Return to ListForm.pas. Wrapping a Form into a Component. Compile, Install, Use, and Reuse. Chapter 9. Data, Data Everywhere. FieldByName Function. Projects. EcoSim.dpr. Begin. Object2.dpr: Revising a Prototype. Adding Database Capability. Chapter 10. Dynamic Procedures, Objects, and Components. Procedural Types. Near and Far. ProcType.dpr. The Timer Component. Waytime1.dpr. Application.ProcessMessages. WhileTest. Filling a Little Array Created on the Stack. Creating and Filling Bigger Arrays (on the Heap). Dispose. MemAvail and MaxAvail. Fill a TStringList. MenuItem Click Event Procedures. Dynamic1.dpr. TControlClass. ShowHierarchy-ClassName and ClassParent. FreeObjects. Dynamic2.dpr. Chapter 11. Objects and a Component for Exploring Strange Attractors. A Model Project to Reuse Code. Creating a Component. Compile and Install the PhaseSpace Component. Strange Attractors. The Interface. The Base Model: Abstract and Virtual Methods. Interface: Deriving Models. Implementation: Getting Scales. Scaling the Results and Exception Handling. Setting Up a Model. Processing a Model. Models2.dpr...begin. Application.ProcessMessages. Erase Images. Code Pattern Languages. Components and Patterns. Forms and Patterns. Unit Patterns. Appendix 1. Some Differences Between Delphi 1.0 and Delphi 2.0.