Untouched - TurboPower Components
Delphi's open-source is in ruins. There are hardly any vibrant Delphi open-source projects. Embarcadero's poor business practices killed the Github stars.
It has been nearly two decades since TurboPower failed.
You would think, twenty years later, a vibrant Delphi open-source community would develop by now. Instead, you can visit the shipwreck of Opherus, flotsam of OfficePartner on SourceForgotten, OnGuard on ruins of Github and all the libraries TurboPower used to sell, nearly all untouched.
Every year, certain Embarcadero MVPs or someone associated with Embarcadero would add files so various open-source GetIt libraries would compiles with the latest version of Delphi. Beyond that, not much else.
A mighty stalwart of Delphi sank.
What happened?
For a backgrounder, see Compulsive hoarding Delphi edition. In TurboPower’s situation, TurboPower business failed due to compulsive hoarders sharing their private libraries.
Brief introduction
TurboPower was a mighty Borland third-party development company. The difference between TurboPower and Sheridan (of Sheridan Controls), and other VBX or OCX vendors, is how Delphi works.
In Delphi, you can hide source-code within your EXE. Thus, GPL source-code, any pirated or illegal source-code gets compiled no-matter what. You can disrespect the licenses, include any source-code into your Delphi EXE file, and nobody would notice.
In C# and Visual Basic, you cannot easily do so. The namespace would be sticking out, there would be files you have to redistribute. So… you get caught red-handed and have to pay licensing fees.
In C# and Visual Basic, you need to ensure all the licenses are compiled or complete, or else the VBX or OCX can’t load. Since redistributing a file is a dead give-away, you could be sued for illegal usage.
In due time, a dozen QuickPDF-enabled PDF tools, a couple of shameless PDF libraries ripped from QuickPDF, a dozen former clones based off DevExpress QuantumGrid used to be redistributed. All without giving a dime to the hapless QuickPDF and DevEx. developers.
TurboPower open-sourced its product for a greater good. Its owner KK (I am putting his initials) and CDS (that company that laid-off the TurboPower developers) thought that open-source would further its development.
The opposite happened. If you see c#, rust, PHP there is a vibrant open-source community.
For Delphi? Dead as a dodo. You see repositories that are years old with no updates.
Embarcadero nickel and dimes the open source developers. If your organization makes more than $5000 profit you must pay to use Delphi. Pay to win.
Can you see the scam?
Years passed, and the former owner of TurboPower was right. He bet on the wrong horse. Doubling down on Delphi didn't pay dividends.
Delphi is very productive. I’m sure someone can… derive or make new components and maintain them.
Sadly, as another year passes, it is untouched.