Delphi GUI Programming with FireMonkey

Book excerpt: Create modern yet effective multi-platform applications by building interactive UIs following a single codebase approach to boost productivity Key FeaturesDelve into the FireMonkey framework and explore its powerful capabilitiesEnhance the user experience by using various technologies included in Delphi and FMXBoost developer productivity through the cross-platform capabilities enabled by the frameworkBook Description FireMonkey (FMX) is a cross-platform application framework that allows developers to create exciting user interfaces and deliver applications on multiple operating systems (OS). This book will help you learn visual programming with Delphi and FMX. Starting with an overview of the FMX framework, including a general discussion of the underlying philosophy and approach, you’ll then move on to the fundamentals and architectural details of FMX. You’ll also cover a significant comparison between Delphi and the Visual Component Library (VCL). Next, you’ll focus on the main FMX components, data access/data binding, and style concepts, in addition to understanding how to deliver visually responsive UIs. To address modern application development, the book takes you through topics such as animations and effects, and provides you with a general introduction to parallel programming, specifically targeting UI-related aspects, including application responsiveness. Later, you’ll explore the most important cross-platform services in the FMX framework, which are essential for delivering your application on multiple platforms while retaining the single codebase approach. Finally, you’ll learn about FMX’s built-in 3D functionalities. By the end of this book, you’ll be familiar with the FMX framework and be able to build effective cross-platform apps. What you will learnExplore FMX’s fundamental components with a brief comparison to VCLAchieve visual responsiveness through alignment capabilities and layout componentsEnrich the user experience with the help of transitions and visual animationsGet to grips with data access and visual data bindingBuild exciting and responsive UIs for desktop and mobile platformsUnderstand the importance of responsive applications using parallel programmingCreate visual continuity through your applications with TFrameStand and TFormStandExplore the 3D functionalities offered by FMXWho this book is for This book is for Delphi developers who are looking to discover the full potential of the FireMonkey framework in order to build interactive cross-platform GUI applications and achieve an optimal UI/UX. Basic familiarity with Delphi programming and the VCL will be beneficial but not mandatory.