Re: Going from C++Builder 5.0 to C++BuilderX

[Mathew Duafala (Borland)]

Getting your vcl app to build in BCBX probably won't be that difficult
,at the least, you can generate a makefile from BCB6 and use that in
bcbx (see code central for directions on doing that). As to porting
your app to Linux and Solaris, you are probably looking at a complete
rewrite. If you only use very simple gui controls (ie frames and buttons
etc) then rewriting the app using QT, WxWidgets, FLTK etc shouldn't that
that bad (all things being relative).

Mat

P.s. Please don't crosspost.

RussR wrote:
> Hi,
>
> How easy is it to take code written in Borland C++ Builder version 5.0 (code
> has visual components such as forms, buttons, etc.) and port it to CbuilderX
> for a Windows app?
>
> Taking it one step further, how easy is it then to make a linux or solaris
> app from that? Currently, the visual components we use in BCB5 are things
> such as TButton, TForm, etc. Can we still use those?
>
> Just trying to get a feel for what's involved in taking are existing apps
> from BCB5 and porting them to Solaris/Linux.
>
> Thanks,
> RR
>
>

[Alisdair Meredith (TeamB)]

RussR wrote:

> How easy is it to take code written in Borland C++ Builder version
> 5.0 (code has visual components such as forms, buttons, etc.) and
> port it to CbuilderX for a Windows app?

Good question.
CBuilderX does not ship with the VCL, so you will have to use the
version installed with your CBuilder5. However, CBX does ship with the
CBuilder6 compiler, and I'm not sure how that would get on with the
earlier VCL.

So you will probably want to create a new toolset to use the CBuilder5
compiler as well, which you can probably manage by cloning the regular
Borland toolset, and fixing up a few paths (not tried this myself)

> Taking it one step further, how easy is it then to make a linux or
> solaris app from that? Currently, the visual components we use in
> BCB5 are things such as TButton, TForm, etc. Can we still use those?

No. The VCL is a Windows only library. CLX was designed as a
crossplatform library similar to VCL (right down to class names, for
easy porting of source!) However, CLX is not being actively developed
at the moment, while other projects take priority.

The original plan with CBX was to use wxWidgets as the crossplatform
library, as this offers many advantages over CLX (which was build on
top of Qt) However, progress on the form designer has been slow, and
word from the wxWidgets Open Source community is that Borland are not
as involved as they once were.

Any way you look at it, taking a BCB5 GUI cross-platform is going to be
difficult. I don't know of any cross-platform libraries offering the
ease-of-use of VCL, and am not aware of any plans to take the VCL
cross-platform.

AlisdairM(TeamB)