Embarcadero Technologies has launched RAD Studio XE8 with improved features to enable Delphi/Object Pascal and C++ developers to leverage existing Windows applications to quickly build new solutions for mobile, cloud and the Internet of Things.
RAD Studio XE8 provides easy-to-add connectivity and mobile platform support to develop distributed and connected apps for a wide range of platforms such as Windows, Android, iOS, OS X, IoT gadgets and devices, middleware, cloud and enterprise services.
With the help of RAD Studio XE8, developers will be able to easily add IoT features such as proximity awareness with beacons, improve app performance and developer productivity and better understand user app behaviour. The new GetIt Package Manager included with the release provides easy discovery of source code libraries, components, and more from within the IDE.
RAD Studio XE8 features new iOS 64-bit Object Pascal and C++ compilers in addition to linkers and tools to build an iOS 64-bit target. It also provides support for Apple Universal apps, which offers both 32 bit and 64 bit binaries in a single package as well as a wide range of iOS platform native controls to deliver a highly specialized iOS user experience.
The Multi-device preview showcases any number of target form factors and orientations including desktop, tablets, phones and smart watches. Moreover, new component level beacon support in RAD Studio XE8 makes it incredibly easy to add proximity and location-awareness to existing Windows and mobile apps.
AppAnalytics included with RAD Studio XE8 captures anonymous usage statistics on how users are using applications built with the IDE. If you don’t know AppAnalytics is a hosted pay-per-use service that offers VCL and FireMonkey support to embed into existing Windows applications as well as OS X, Android and iOS apps.
The GetIt Package Manager provides easy discovery, download and update of source code libraries, components, and other features from Embarcadero GetIt servers with the help of one-click installation. The manager includes all TurboPack projects.
RAD Studio XE8 includes an upgraded Enterprise Mobility Services that offers an easy-to deploy middleware server that delivers user authentication, custom REST APIs management with analytics, an embedded and server side secure database and data access to major Enterprise databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, Informix, DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL and much more.
Some of the other enhancements included with RAD Studio XE8 are as follows
- Developer productivity boosters from the integrated Castalia plug-in with Object Pascal refactoring
- Project Statistics
- Code Analysis
- Time-saving code editor shortcuts
The new configuration settings migration tool included with RAD Studio XE8 helps developers to migrate configurations of older versions of the product to a newer version or between different installations of the same version.
