Book Description
Delphi is the most powerful Object Pascal IDE and component library for cross-platform native app development. It enables building natively compiled, blazingly fast apps for all major platforms including Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux.
If you want to build server-side applications, create web services, and have clear GUIs for your project, then this book is for you.
The book begins with a basic primer on Delphi helping you get accustomed to the IDE and the Object Pascal language and will then quickly move on to advanced-level concepts. Through this book, we’ll help you understand the architecture of applications and will teach you the important concepts of the FireMonkey library, show you how to build server-side services, and enable you to interact with the Internet of Things. Towards the end, you will learn to integrate your app with various web services and deploy them.
By the end of the book, you will be able to build powerful, cross-platform, native apps for iOS and Android with a single code base.
What You Will Learn
- Understand the basics of Delphi and the FireMonkey application platform as well as the specifics of Android and iOS platforms
- Complete complex apps quickly with access to platform features and APIs using a single, easy-to-maintain code base
- Work with local data sources, including embedded SQL databases, REST servers, and Backend-as-a-Service providers
- Take full advantage of mobile hardware capabilities by working with sensors and Internet of Things gadgets and devices
- Integrate with cloud services and data using REST APIs and scalable multi-tier frameworks for outstanding multi-user and social experience
- Architect and deploy powerful mobile back-end services and get super-productive by leveraging Delphi IDE agile functionality
- Get to know the best practices for writing a high-quality, reliable, and maintainable codebase in the Delphi Object Pascal language
Table of Contents
1: Fasten Your Seat Belts
- Delphi installation
- Delphi compilers and toolchains
- Hello World app
- Deploying to mobile devices
- Summary
2: Mind Your Language
- Do you speak Object Pascal?
- Object Pascal Phrase Book
- Summary
3: Packing Up Your Toolbox
- Parallel Programming Library
- Working with files
- JSON
- XML
- Summary
4: Playing with FireMonkey
- Drawing in code
- Get moving with timers
- The power of parenting
- Touch me
- Game of Memory
- Summary
5: FireMonkey in 3D
- Cross-platform 3D rendering
- Using Context3D
- Custom Wireframe component
- Objects 3D
- Moving Earth
- Building an interactive 3D scene
- Using 3D models
- Starfield simulation
- Mixing 3D and 2D
- Summary
6: Building User Interfaces with Style
- Working with built-in styles
- Using custom styles
- Embedding styles as resources
- Customizing styles
- Using frames
- Working with inherited views
- Previewing forms on devices
- Summary
7: Working with Mobile Operating System
- James Bond's toy
- What I'm running on?
- The life of an app
- Sensing the world
- Taking photos
- Using share sheets
- Camera, light, action!
- Working with address book
- Notify me!
- Navigating the web
- Working with maps
- Creating and consuming Android services
- Delphi language bridges
- Summary
8: Extending to the Internet of Things
- Communication protocols
- Understanding BLE
- Connecting to things with ThingConnect
- Getting close with beacons
- Proximity solutions with BeaconFence
- App tethering
- Summary
9: Embedding Databases
- Architecting data-driven apps
- Modeling data
- Choosing a database
- Accessing databases with FireDAC
- Building data-driven user interface
- Using visual live bindings
- Fast user interface prototyping
- Summary
10: Integrating with Web Services
- Understanding web services
- Native HTTP client
- Consuming XML SOAP web services
- Integrating with REST services
- Backend as a service client
- Integrating with the cloud
- Summary
11: Building Mobile Backends
- Delphi and multi-tier architectures
- Getting low-level with WebBroker
- Do it yourself with DataSnap
- Easy REST API publishing with RAD Server
- Summary
12: App Deployment
- Deploying to App Stores
- Enhancing your apps
- Summary
13: The Road Ahead
- What we have learned
- Staying on top of everything
- Your next Delphi mobile app
- Summary