[DUG] What is the future for Delphi programmer?

[Trevor]

1. Still maintaining Delphi code?

  Definitely.  The folks that I contract for have a huge installed base of
Delphi code.  The things that you know and love about Delphi (especially the
ability to build quickly)  have been the reasons why this code base has
grown so much.

2. Started a new Delphi project in the last year?

  Yep - it took quite a bit of fast talking to get budget approved to
upgrade everyone to D2009.  I was really annoyed when D2010 appeared shortly
after my project had been approved, and the upgrade licenses had been
purchased.

3. Started a new project in another language in the last year (what was 
the language)?

  Absolutely. XCode + IB with Objective-C, Cocoa and Cocoa Touch.  The
similarities between Delphi and the apple environment are tantalising, and
Cocoa is much more fun than the VCL simply because Cocoa is part of the OS
whereas the VCL has always just tried to make the OS OO.  The VCL has done a
wonderful job, but it is always fighting MS.  Cocoa is seamless.

4. What other languages are you using learning?

  See above.  The language is not the killer, the framework is.  Obj-C is
great when you work with other stuff that works.  My Obj-C apps are talking
to Jade and Teradata using SOAP and other stuff.  The java boys are still
producing good stuff, but today's apps seem to be heterogenous.  To date,
Delphi is winning in the performance stakes, but the business solution seems
to be more rooted in interopability