Released: Sep 10, 2021
Updates in 11 Alexandria
Features
Key new features and improvements from this release:
- Use RAD on 4k+ Screens:
- Embarcadero RAD Studio 11 adds high-DPI support to the IDE, enabling developers to work on larger, high-resolution screens. Full support for the latest 4k+ high-resolution monitors improves daily developer activities with cleaner, sharper fonts and icons, and high-resolution support throughout the IDE windows, including in the VCL and FMX form designers and code editor.
- FireMonkey for Microsoft Windows now uses the same DP model (rather than Pixel model) of all platforms, offering significant enhancements of the apps rendering on Windows HighDPI and 4K monitors.
- Use VCL Styles at Design Time - VCL Styles now provides design-time support: You can now prototype stylish UIs even faster by seeing immediately at design-time how your styled forms and controls will look when running. Viewing at design time how styles will impact the UI at runtime improves the design and testing process for modern UIs. Creating better UIs faster is especially useful when working with per-control styles.
- Be Ready for Microsoft Windows 11 - Added support for Windows 11 with:
- Integrated MSIX generation.
- WebBrowser component for Windows, with support for both the Microsoft Internet Explorer ActiveX and the new Microsoft WebView 2 control (Chromium-based Edge).
- Enhanced VCL Form Designer to visually build native Windows applications, with live snap-to hints and layout guidelines.
- Enhanced Embarcadero Delphi RTL for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.
- Deploy on M-Series Apple Silicon - Compile for Apple macOS (M-series Apple Silicon) and use the new universal package for AppStore submission.
- You can now compile for both existing Intel and new M-series macOS processors (Apple Silicon).
- Compiling for the newest processor versions enables the fastest performance across all platforms, and supports universal packaging for the macOS app store.
- Compile for Android API 30 - Android API and Libraries has been updated to API 30, Google Play V3 and Android X. Keep current with the latest requirements for Android as the platform evolves. This includes:
- The latest billing API (required by Google Play Store).
- Enhanced Delphi RTL for Android, with support for Android API level 30.
- Support for the new “AndroidX” libraries.
- In-app purchase component to help monetize your applications.
- Android solution Google Play Billing Library Version 4.
- Enhanced FireMonkey Application Platform for creating native Android ARMv7 applications for Android 11, 10, Pie (9.0) and Oreo (8.1).
- Work Remotely - Improved Remote Desktop support for VCL and IDE, helping developers working remotely from the office. Enhanced debugging for remote and local 64-bit Windows applications and macOS 64-bit applications (Intel and ARM). The enhanced remote desktop support boosts your team’s efficiency and improves your bottom line.
Full release notes:
- IDE
- Added High-DPI support to the IDE, covering the latest 4k+ monitors, with cleaner and sharper fonts and icons throughout.
- Multi-monitor and multi-window improvements: You can now design and edit code for the same form at the same time in multiple windows.
- Completely rebuilt Welcome Page with a native look and feel, a UI that fits the IDE and with a customizable layout and content.
- Improved remote desktop support for VCL and IDE.
- FireMonkey design-time guidelines: You can now prototype faster with visual lines and enhanced margin and padding support.
- VCL
- Rich Edit component update removes Microsoft XP dependencies and introduces new features to TRichEdit control.
- VCL Styles add design-time support: You can now prototype stylish UIs even faster by seeing immediately at design-time how your styled forms and controls will look when running.
- Support for CheckBoxes in TreeViews has been added, with each node supporting 3 states (Partial, Dimmed, Exclusion) to help customize the UI.
- Added new TDBLabeledEdit component offering a data-aware version of TLabelEdit for faster prototyping.
- Numerous VCL improvements including default form size and font, exception dialog copy button, margins on Memo and RichEdit and many more.
- FMX
- Improved FMX High-DPI support for Windows and Desktop with a visibly superior desktop UI.
- Added support for Microsoft’s WebView 2 control (Edge Chromium) in the WebBrowser component.
- Added support for the latest Android 30 API, the latest Billing APIs and migration to use the AndroidX libraries.
- Added Android support for multiple classes.dex files, simplifying integration of external Android dependencies.
- Platforms
- Added a Delphi macOS 64bit ARM compiler and toolchain that includes building universal binaries for Intel/Arm AppStore submissions.
- Improved Delphi language support for binary decimals and digits separator.
- RTL
- Improved RTL Quality focus: TZipFile, 64bit improvements for large data structures and Bluetooth LE.
- Added Record Helper for TDateTime in System.DateUtils.
- Added Record Helper for TCurrency in System.SysUtils which makes working with Currency simpler and easier.
- LSP
- Added the ability to use Microsoft Visual Studio Code to edit Delphi source with full code completion.
- Improved LSP awareness of Include files.
- Added the ability to auto restart LSP server.
- Added auto code completion with Tab key.
- Improved Class helper support.
- Added array suggestions when assigning arrays.
- Data
- FireDAC in the new release offers specific improvements for the PostgreSQL, Oracle and Firebird databases.
- HTTP and REST client libraries have been extended with timeout mechanisms, support for HTTP/2, TLS 1.3 and Base64 URL Encoding.
- Added new component TRESTRequestDataSetAdapter which simplifies uploading datasets to RAD Server.
- Added new low-traffic RAD Server Lite which allows unlimited deployment of your multi-tier solutions, alongside with the fully scalable RAD Server engine.
- For DataSnap, the REST URL mapping logic is now fully configurable.