Friday, July 29, 2016

Install Delphi 2010 on Windows 10 (Borland / CodeGear / Embarcadero RAD IDE)

Installing Delphi 2010 on Windows 10 Works!

Installing Embarcadero Delphi 2010 on Windows 10 surprisingly worked.

I was actually a bit surprised, when it finally came time to migrate an old, and rather dated,  Embarcadero (nee Borland, nee CodeGear) Delphi 2010 Enterprise software development virtual machine from an old Windows 7 (x64) install to a new Windows 10 (x64) install... the installation into my new Windows 10 VM was successful on the first attempt.

Although I do not use the Delphi 2010 RAD IDE very often these days, I still have some "legacy" Win32 executable compiled applications that depend on Delphi 2010. I must note that even though I have the "Enterprise" edition, I really don't use many of those supposed enterprise features — in fact, the only real reason I had ever bought the enterprise edition was for the native Microsoft SQL Server database connectivity features (i.e., not ODBC).

I cannot attest to whether every single component of Delphi 2010 will function under Windows 10 properly.  I used a rather stripped-down Delphi installation, selecting only the bits I need or use with any frequency:

  • My D2010 installation included: the core stuff, plus dbGo and dbExpress database stuff;
  • My D2010 install omitted: all the old BDE stuff, the visual database designer, the ribbon controls, DDE stuff, Office controls, samples, XML Mapper, Interbase, WebSnap and Help files, and probably some other junk I don't use and completely forget about (e.g., FireBase and Blackfish SQL and the like, I presume)

After installing Delphi 2010 Enterprise from its original media, I then applied the various "updates" that were published, including delphicbuilder_2010_3513Upd1_win.exe, followed by: Update4, Update5_Database_Pack, and such (these used to be available on the Embarcadero website for registered users, and I presume they still are).

Compiling Delphi projects on Windows 10 (x64)

After getting the core Delphi 2010 setup installed on my development virtual machine, of course I next had to install some of my homegrown custom Delphi VCL components and controls, and even a packaged set of controls (Raize VCL Components) — this all went smoothly, and was the first sign that things would be fine under the Win10x64 operating system.  I did full "builds" on my various custom packages code and installed those and the commercial packages just fine.

Then came the most important step: I next confirmed that all my homegrown legacy Delphi-based software applications still compiled successfully on Windows 10, and subsequently confirmed that the resulting EXE (executables) all ran properly and behaved properly on Windows 10 as well as on my older Windows 7 VM's (which, are now going away as I migrate to Windows 10) — again, I was delighted, as this all went smoothly and everything worked just fine.

I was expecting more problems and potential issues, but in the end, everything went just fine.  Maybe some of those other "Enterprise" features that I do not use would have posed a problem, but I have no idea, nor do I care now. I can compile and build the software I need to.  Also, I have a feeling that I was lucky to only be reliant upon the one commercial Delphi VCL controls pack: Raize Components (which worked just fine).  

And, as for using Windows 10 (Pro) for a development platform: fantastic!  Actually, Windows 10 has been remarkably, if not utterly stable and quite responsive.  I now use it for nearly everything, including hosting my local SQL-Server 2016 Developer Edition against which I test my web and client-server applications, and it is performing quite nicely.  I even managed to consolidate some development machines / VMs (Vmware Workstation or Player; they both work fine) — where I used to have a dedicated Microsoft Windows Server 2008r2 VM for SQL-Server, I am now just running SQL-Server Developer in the same Windows 10 Virtual Machine as my Delphi platform, along with the latest Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 and a few other things... all working wonderfully together.  I must note: I had to strip a LOT of shit out of Windows 10's default installation, since, my god was there a ton of useless stuff installed by default that I would never use in a development environment (e.g., all their damn promotional software, games, apps, and varied "social platforms" related garbage. ughh!)

Bottom line: very pleased with Delphi 2010 on Windows 10!



Continue to read this Software Development and Technology Blog for computer programming, software development, and technology Techniques, How-To's, Fixes, Reviews, and News — focused on Dart Language, SQL Server, Delphi, VMware, TypeScript, SVG, other technology tips and how-to's, and my varied political and economic opinions.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Leaked: Donald Trump’s 2016 Cleveland RNC Nomination Acceptance Speech


Donald Trump is about to deliver his Republican National Convention acceptance speech to the world. How about a preview by way of a sneak-peak leak of that speech?

As a long-time computer programmer and software developer here in Cleveland, Ohio, I am not going to say how I came by this information, but I will simply post it here for your reading pleasure… at least the better parts...

The introductory stuff, chopped off for brevity, begins rather predictably... 
Thank you [to family, supporters,.... etc. etc…]. 
Thank you for making me your Republican nominee and I enthusiastically accept this nomination so I can now begin to Make America Great Again and Make America Safe Again, with your help. 
[...some more basic predictable intro stuff..., blah blah...]
Then the speech starts to get good!
My behavior throughout this election cycle has been truly appalling. Truly awful. Do I care? No. Not really.  Why should I?  I have intentionally said and done everything possible to demonstrate how completely broken American politics is. I needed to get America to wake up and vote for change. Melania even went as far as to appear to plagiarize portions of a speech originally written by Michelle Obama, just to gauge voter reaction and stir things up a bit. It was all planned. I am a brilliant businessman and an even more incredible politician because I know how this game works, and now I am going to use my natural gifts and business acumen to fix everything that is wrong with Washington politics.
Is he serious?!
Seems so...
I ran the calculations and have done exactly what was necessary for an “outsider” to be heard and to have a chance to lead this great country. This is how you win at business and at politics these days. Learn how the system works and use it to your advantage. This is what American politics has been reduced to. And this is because Washington insiders have taken over your democracy. American politics has been hijacked by the wealthy elite and corporate interests for decades now, and the only way to take on that establishment is to use their own tactics against them, without them knowing it. I have done it! Now you know! Time to tell all these insiders that their time is over and your time is here instead. Vote for me this fall and use this opportunity to take back your government and your political system. And, if you have even the slight doubts in voting for me, at least consider the fact that I am man enough admit that I have lied and distorted facts in order to be seen and heard and have a chance to represent you. Crooked Hillary will never admit her lies and misrepresentation and the fact that she is deeply entrenched in the Washington establishment political machine, will she?
OK, I see where this is going, I think.
So, how are we going to Make America Great Again and Make America Safe Again? Just like how I made my businesses and family successful. We are going to look at the numbers and the facts and do what it takes to get this country back on track. We do not have time to mess around with politics as usual any longer. It is time to get serious about fixing what is wrong in this country.
Trump, getting serious?  Could this be for real?
Let’s start with the government budget mess. I am a businessman. This country is essentially an enormous business. It is a giant business that we partake in, and a portion of our paychecks go to pay for protecting our freedom and our position of being the most powerful country in the world. But, a business must manage its revenue and its expenses. America spends more than it takes in, in a HUGE way… huge… it would be considered essentially bankrupt were it not for its ability to print money. We need to get our financial house in order. And no, we are not filing for bankruptcy, but rather we are going to address both our spending and our taxation. 
Guys like me are so wealthy due in large part to the favorable tax system here in the USA. And yet you constantly hear this political rhetoric about the need to cut taxes, when taxes are the revenue side of our government’s accounting system. We have an enormous federal deficit and debt, but yet for some reason we are supposed to ignore the revenue side of the equation and not charge taxes. Then again, we ignore the expense side of the equation too and spend crazy amounts on all sorts of insane stuff, but I will get back to that topic in a bit.
Could Donald Trump really treat America's budget like that of a business and be serious about both increasing revenue and cutting expenses?  I'll believe that when I see it. But, maybe. If I were to believe him.
For now, let me talk taxes, revenue. I hardly pay any taxes relative to my earnings. And, I’m not alone. Warren Buffett has pointed out repeatedly how he pays a lower tax-rate than his secretary. That’s great for us guys at the top, but not so good for the country’s coffers. Voters need to understand the math here. I have billions. Not just one billion, a few billion dollars. Warren Buffett makes me look rather poor though — that guy has like 20 times as much as me, something like 60 or 65 billion dollars. Do american voters even realize how much money a billion dollars is? 
Each billion I have is one thousand million. From what I read recently, 25% of american citizens do not even have a net worth of ten dollars to their name. So, if one of those 25-percent of people walks down the street and loses a dollar out through a hole in their pocket, they have just lost one tenth of their net worth. Ouch! A ten percent loss in one day makes for a bad day, but it can happen. For me to lose one tenth of my net worth, if I was ONLY worth one billion (which I am not, I have a few billion, I am quite wealthy,... very wealthy… but not quite like Buffett or Gates, those guys are crazy wealthy)... I would have to be walking down the street and lose a briefcase containing 100 million of my dollars! One hundred million dollars is mathematically no more significant to me than a dollar is to a quarter of the american population
Voters in this country need to grasp this disparity before they can understand why the only winners in this trickle-down ultra low tax-rate system, that is full of loopholes for the wealthy to exploit and tax-breaks which only benefits the top, are the top guys like me. If we want to make america great, we need to help everyone have a fighting chance to become great. So, stop voting against yourselves and start listening to me, a very successful businessman who understands numbers very well. Very well. 
Increasing taxes on the top, not to mention forcing US corporations to repatriate the TRILLIONS of dollars they are holding overseas and pay taxes, and pay taxes now or else be hit with fines, is how we are going to begin making america great again for the average american worker and small business owner. Forget this misdirection and smokescreen talk of job-killing-regulation,... the only thing killing jobs is the lack of tax incentive to keep people employed rather than simply piling up corporate profits in overseas bank accounts. Give tax breaks for employing people, not for hoarding cash and not putting it to work building up america.
Wow!  Trump, I'm with you on this stuff... I may just vote for you. And it continues to improve:
We have a system that is further rigged to deliver pay packages to CEOs of the big companies that are on average 300 times what a typical worker makes every year. So, right now, you can work your entire 30 year career with a company, and after all that time, you will be lucky to have made one tenth of what the top guy at your company makes in a single year. This needs to change. 
For america to be great, it must recognize that every american contributes to the success of guys like me and CEOs and everyone else at the top, and give them a better share of things. With our current tax system and income inequality, this is impossible. Or, if not impossible, there surely is no incentive to do so. 
The current tax system is telling me: take as much as possible for myself because there is no reason not to. So, ask yourself, if I can lose a suitcase containing $100 million dollars and lose the same one-tenth of my wealth as the person who only has 10 dollars to their name, why can’t I be expected to pay that into the tax system? Heck, I will still have $900 million dollars out of each billion left over to enjoy, and I tell you, I am still in a lot better shape that the average american with their nine dollars left in their pocket! I can buy whatever I want, whenever I want. Shouldn’t you, the american people, have a bit more in your pocket too?
And on and on... but, now to infrastructure and the spending-side of things...
And, we spend so much money, it is just insane. Where do I start… we spend it on things that do not deliver any return on investment. It’s like we are trying to be stupid with our cash. If you build a business, you invest where the money will generate more money… that’s why they call it investing. You build your infrastructure so that you can expand and move more products and services. You modernize to improve efficiency. 
But our government cannot even consistently invest in its roads and bridges, and wow, don’t even think about investing in anything like high-speed rail or any serious modernization. And what little we do spend on our infrastructure, especially relative to military spending, isn’t even spent in a way that ensures that the infrastructure lasts. I have seen old cast-iron or brick railroad bridges from the 1800s still standing, with little maintenance, throughout the world, but yet I have seen bridges here in the USA that are falling apart and having their concrete replaced after a mere few years. Can we really not build better bridges now that over one hundred years ago, so that we don’t keep wasting money on the re-building same thing over and over?

And, how about investing in education in a serious way? I’ll come back to this too in a bit.

A bit rambling, but sounds reasonable.
Ah, let's skip forward to immigration:
But first, I want to talk about Immigrants and immigration. My wife is an immigrant. Many great people I know are immigrants. And America’s growth and prosperity has outpaced the bulk of the rest of the world for the past eight years thanks in large part to its ability to attract foreign workers to join its fantastic pool of American talent when we need them. Why? Because everyone knows America is awesome, truly awesome, and they all want to come here to enjoy our American Dream. Who can blame them? And, we all benefit. The numbers don’t lie. 
We want the best educated and skilled people from around the world; who wouldn’t? You always want the best talent on your team. And, if we educated our own people better, our talent pool would be that much deeper. Let's do that to: let's invest in educating our young people.  But, even when we educate our own people well, and recruit the brightest from everywhere, we may find that we still need some additional workers or laborers to fill in the gaps in our employment pool that exist from time to time in our system, like when we build all our better bridges and roads and high-speed train systems and other times of increased labor needs. There will be plenty of work for everyone once I start things moving after I am in office. You watch.
Sounds like a lot to deliver.  But, OK.  Bring it on.  How about those controversial topics of gun control and such?
And, if you are worried about terrorism with any immigration, I have one question: why are you worried? How can anyone say we are not safe? We are the strongest country in the world, and will continue to be so. We spend more on our military than the next 7 highest spending countries combined. We have a million people spying on our own citizens to watch out for bad guys. 
How many people have died from terrorism on US soil in the past year? Any number is terrible. Truly awful. It is under 100 people even over this last year by my count, which includes the horrible Orlando night club attack of complete cowardice. And, my condolences go out to everyone and their families that were touched by terrorism. 
But, being a businessman and a numbers-guy, I really think the average american should be more concerned with how many people die from gun violence in America, prescription medicine deaths, and even automobile accidents. 100 people every single day, on average, are dying from gun violence in america, and that is not due to terrorism. We have nearly 40 people per day dying from prescription opioid overdoses in america (and that is just opioids… double that figure if you want to count ALL prescription-drug overdoses), and that number is rising. Last year 105 people also died in road traffic fatalities every single day of the year on average. The numbers do not lie: this campaign-of-fear being waged on america, the fear of terrorism in america, just seems crazy when we consider the fact that there are 100,000+ Americans dying every year from gun violence, prescription drug overdoses, and traffic deaths. But, we don’t spend 100’s of billions per year trying to prevent THOSE deaths.
Indeed.  Terrorism is seriously bad news, but when you look at the numbers inside the USA, how can you ignore that fact that for every death-by-terrorist there are one thousand other highly-preventable deaths by these other means?  Don't those lives matter too?

I surely agree with the next statement quite a bit:
The fact is, Washington and US politics are broken.
And, finally, after some rambling for a bit, comes the best part:
And, as for Mike Pence as my VP pick: sorry dude, you have to go. You were just a placeholder and another typical mainstream politician that represents more of the status quo… the only other true outsider in this race right now beside me is Bernie Sanders, so, guess what Mike Pence? You’re gone… outta here… from here on, it is Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders who together are going to usher in a wave of real change in America as we share the 2016 Republican ticket for President and Vice-President of the USA!
Hmmm....  that last part sounds a bit suspicious. I'm beginning to question the authenticity of this alleged Trump speech data leak. lol.

I want to thank my source of inspiration for this… the comic genius Lee Camp of RT America’s Redacted Tonight, and how Lee uses his extremely witty and intelligent comedy to point out the insanity in our political, financial, and social systems — topics including the 2016 election fraud incidents, civil rights violations, corporate control of our government, and so forth.  This was a long-form attempt at something like his "Headlines from the Future" segment.  I cannot compete with Lee Camp's brilliant comedy, but hopefully a few people find this "news" entertaining.