Marco Cantu's blog post celebrates Delphi's 30th anniversary, reflecting on its enduring relevance in the software development world. He highlights Delphi's initial groundbreaking impact with its rapid application development (RAD) approach and visual component library, emphasizing its evolution over three decades to encompass cross-platform development, mobile, and now, even web and Linux. Cantu acknowledges challenges and missteps along the way but underscores Delphi's resilience and continued commitment to providing developers with robust and productive tools. He concludes by looking forward to the future of Delphi, anticipating further innovations and its ongoing contribution to the software landscape.
A0.dev is a newly launched React Native app generator built to streamline mobile development. It allows developers to quickly create fully functional React Native apps with pre-built features like authentication, navigation, and data storage, significantly reducing boilerplate coding. The generated codebase follows best practices, uses TypeScript, and is designed for easy customization and extension. A0.dev aims to simplify the initial setup and development process, allowing developers to focus on building core app features rather than infrastructure.
The Hacker News comments on A0.dev, a React Native app generator, are generally positive and intrigued. Several commenters express interest in the speed and ease of use, praising the low-code/no-code approach. Some question the long-term viability and flexibility compared to building from scratch, raising concerns about vendor lock-in and limitations when needing to customize beyond the provided templates. Others point out the potential benefits for rapid prototyping and MVP development. A few commenters share their experiences with similar tools, drawing comparisons and suggesting alternative solutions. There's a brief discussion around pricing and the target audience, with some feeling the pricing might be high for individual developers.
Tapestry is a new, minimalist menubar app for macOS designed to declutter and streamline your menu bar. It allows users to hide less-frequently used menu bar icons, organizing them into a customizable dropdown menu accessible with a single click. This helps keep the menu bar clean and focused while still providing quick access to all your apps and utilities. Tapestry offers granular control, allowing you to choose exactly which icons to hide and the order they appear in the dropdown. It also boasts smart features like automatic hiding of rarely used icons and the ability to pin favorites for constant visibility.
HN commenters generally expressed positive sentiment towards Tapestry, praising its clean design, speed, and focus on privacy. Several appreciated the lack of algorithmic feeds and the chronological presentation of followed accounts. Some compared it favorably to Twitter, finding it a refreshing alternative. The pricing model, a one-time purchase, also received positive feedback, with some expressing willingness to pay even more. A few commenters raised concerns, including the potential difficulty of attracting a large user base and the lack of a web interface. Others questioned the long-term viability of a small, independent social network. The overall tone, however, leaned towards cautious optimism about Tapestry's potential to offer a calmer, more user-focused social media experience.
Summary of Comments ( 36 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43051598
Hacker News users discuss Delphi's 30th anniversary, acknowledging its past dominance and questioning its current relevance. Some commenters reminisce about their positive experiences with Delphi, praising its ease of use, rapid development capabilities, and stability, particularly in the 90s and early 2000s. Others express skepticism about its future, citing its perceived decline in popularity and the rise of alternative technologies. The conversation also touches on the limitations of its closed-source nature and pricing model compared to newer, open-source options, while some defend Embarcadero's stewardship and highlight Delphi's continued use in specific niche markets. There's a sense of nostalgia mixed with pragmatic assessments of Delphi's place in the modern development landscape.
The Hacker News post "Delphi Is 30" has generated a modest number of comments, mostly reflecting on personal experiences and observations about the Delphi language and its ecosystem.
Several commenters reminisce about using Delphi in the past, often for educational purposes or early career projects. One user recalls learning Delphi in high school and being impressed by its rapid application development capabilities compared to C++. Another mentions using Delphi 5 for early web development, while another still speaks fondly of Delphi's database connectivity features. These comments paint a picture of Delphi as a powerful and accessible tool, particularly in its heyday.
The decline of Delphi is also a recurring theme. Commenters discuss factors like the rise of web technologies, the perceived mismanagement by Borland and later Embarcadero, and the limitations of the VCL framework. Some express disappointment at Delphi's failure to adapt and evolve with the changing technological landscape, leading to its diminished relevance in the modern software world.
Despite this decline, a few commenters note that Delphi maintains a niche following and continues to be used in specific industries, such as industrial automation and embedded systems. One comment points out the strengths of Delphi's native code compilation and performance advantages in resource-constrained environments. Another mentions the continued use of Delphi in legacy systems, highlighting the longevity of the language and the potential for ongoing maintenance work.
A couple of commenters discuss the challenges of cross-platform development with Delphi, while others touch upon the language's syntax and features. One user expresses appreciation for Delphi's object-oriented nature, while another mentions the availability of third-party libraries.
Overall, the comments reflect a mix of nostalgia, disappointment, and pragmatic assessment of Delphi's past, present, and future. While acknowledging its decline, many commenters recognize the enduring legacy and niche relevance of the language. The conversation provides a glimpse into the experiences and perspectives of developers who have interacted with Delphi over the years.