Embarcadero upgrading former Borland tools

RAD Studio 2010 suite covers C++, Delphi development

Embarcadero later this month plans to update a suite of Windows  and .Net developer tools acquired when the company bought the former software development arm of Borland Software, adding capabilities for application gestures and Firebird database support.

The RAD Studio 2010 suite, to be launched on August 25, features upgrades to the Delphi, C++ and Delphi Prism tools. It provides "a complete Microsoft development environment for both native and .Net environments," said Mike Rozlog, senior director of Delphi solutions at Embarcadero, which acquired CodeGear in 2008 after it had been spun out of Borland in 2006.

[ Cut straight to the key news for technology development and IT management, with our once-a-day summary of the top tech news. Subscribe to the InfoWorld Daily newsletter. ]

Delphi  Prism  is a .Net environment based on the Visual Studio Shell.  Delphi and C++ Builder are built on Embarcadero's own internal IDE framework.

Capabilities in the suite include native support for the Firebird open source database. "Firebird is one of the most used open source databases out there, like MySQL," Rozlag said.

Also offered is support for native gestures, including touch, multi-touch, and mouse-based gestures for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.  Gesture capabilities, which provide a new way of interacting with a computer,  also are expected to work with the upcoming Windows 7 release.

The suite also is likely to support the Windows 7 API for native applications, enabling developers to leverage Natural Input Libraries and Direct2D graphics.

Among the IDE improvements in the suite is IDE Insight, enabling developers to more easily find files, components, features and settings. A new code formatter is featured for Delphi and C++. The DataSnap server  in the suite, offering a multi-tier development infrastructure for writing business logic, extends to rich Internet applications,  enterprise Java, REST and AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime).

The suite is priced at $2,799 for the Enterprise edition for a new user. Products within the suite also will be available separately.