Delphi Programming Language: Guide and Uses in 2026

Delphi is an object-oriented language based on Object Pascal, created by Borland in 1995 and maintained by Embarcadero. It compiles to native code and uses the IDE (Integrated Development Environment) RAD Studio to create apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

• What is Delphi?
• Is Delphi still used in 2026?
• History of Delphi: from Borland to Embarcadero
• What are Delphi's main characteristics?
• What are the advantages of developing in Delphi?
• Delphi use cases in the market

What is Delphi?

Delphi is an object-oriented programming language based on Object Pascal, distributed together with a rapid application development environment — the RAD (Rapid Application Development) model. With Delphi, the developer designs the interface by dragging visual components in the editor and compiles the project directly to native code, without depending on virtual machines or interpreters.

Delphi offers strong static typing, support for classes, inheritance, interfaces, generics, and memory management with reference counting for strings and interfaces. This combination favors the creation of modular and reusable code, with common errors detected still at compile time.

Two interface libraries define the ecosystem: VCL (Visual Component Library), geared toward classic Windows applications, and FireMonkey (FMX), which allows sharing a single codebase across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. For persistence, the FireDAC framework connects the application to virtually any relational database on the market, from SQLite to Oracle.

In practice, the commercial package sold by Embarcadero is called RAD Studio and includes the Delphi compiler, C++Builder, and the visual IDE. That is why many developers use "Delphi" to refer to both the language and the complete tool.

Is Delphi still used in 2026?

Yes. Delphi/Object Pascal holds the 10th position of the TIOBE index in 2026, with about 1.8% share, and was cited by 1.8% of respondents in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025. The language remains alive mainly in long-running corporate systems, and Embarcadero maintains an active release cycle.

RAD Studio 13 "Florence", released on September 10, 2025, brought the tool's first fully 64-bit IDE, native AI (Artificial Intelligence) components, and language extensions like the ternary operator. The 13.1 update added support for Android API 36.1, a mandatory requirement of the Google Play Store from August 2026.

The scenario resembles that of other veteran languages: just as COBOL continues to support critical banking systems, Delphi sustains ERPs, point-of-sale systems, and fiscal software — a market less visible than that of the most used programming languages in the world, but constant.

History of Delphi: from Borland to Embarcadero

Borland released the first version of Delphi in 1995, as a direct evolution of Turbo Pascal, its hugely successful compiler in the 1980s. The great innovation was combining Object Pascal with a visual IDE: for the first time, building a Windows application with windows, buttons, and data access was a matter of dragging components and writing the logic behind the events.

The project's chief architect was Anders Hejlsberg, who later left Borland for Microsoft, where he created C# and, later, TypeScript — an indicator of the technical weight Delphi had in the history of development tools.

Over the 2000s, the product changed hands: Borland transferred its developer tools to the subsidiary CodeGear, sold in 2008 to Embarcadero Technologies, which maintains Delphi to this day within the RAD Studio package. During this period, the language gained generics, closures (anonymous methods), 64-bit compilers, and, with FireMonkey, cross-platform reach.

This longevity explains the profile of the current ecosystem: decades of systems in production, a large base of well-established legacy code, and annual updates that keep the tool compatible with modern operating systems and app stores.

What are Delphi's main characteristics?

Delphi stands out for bringing together, in a single product, a compiled language, a component library, and a visual tool. These are the characteristics that define the platform:

1. Object orientation — Object Pascal supports classes, inheritance, polymorphism, interfaces, and generics, enabling modular architectures and reusable code in large projects.
2. Native compilation — the compiler generates machine executables for each target platform, with no virtual machine, which results in fast startup and low memory consumption.
3. Visual RAD IDE — RAD Studio includes a screen designer, integrated debugger, refactoring, and LiveBindings to connect data to the interface, accelerating the delivery of complete applications.
4. VCL and FireMonkey libraries — VCL covers traditional Windows development with hundreds of mature components; FireMonkey shares interface and logic between desktop and mobile.
5. Data access with FireDAC — native drivers for the main relational databases, with transactions, local cache, and synchronization, dispensing with heavy intermediate layers.
6. Backward compatibility — projects written decades ago usually compile in new versions with minimal adjustments, a rare differentiator among commercial languages.

What are the advantages of developing in Delphi?

Delphi's main advantage is productivity: the RAD model with visual components allows delivering a functional application with interface, business rules, and data access in much less time than assembling the same stack manually. For small teams that maintain large systems, this gain is decisive.

Performance is the second highlight. Since Delphi compiles directly to native code, applications open fast and use little memory — a characteristic valued in point-of-sale systems, self-service terminals, and modest machines, a common scenario in Brazilian retail.

Long-term maintenance also weighs in favor. Object orientation, strong typing, and compatibility between versions mean Delphi systems survive decades of evolution without complete rewrites. Companies that depend on these systems continue to hire specialists, which makes the language a real entry point for those deciding whether it is worth studying programming with a focus on the corporate market.

Finally, the community: active forums like Delphi-PRAXiS, Embarcadero's official documentation, and dedicated events offer continuous support, and the Community Edition lowers the barrier to entry for students and small projects.

Delphi use cases in the market

Delphi dominates corporate niches where stability and native performance matter more than trend. The most frequent use cases are:

1. Enterprise management systems (ERPs) — management software, invoicing, and store back-office, a segment with a massive presence of Delphi in Brazil.
2. Commercial automation — point of sale, integration with fiscal printers, scales, and TEF, where direct hardware access and the lightweight executable make a difference.
3. Financial applications — transaction, reconciliation, and portfolio management systems that require reliability and fast processing of large volumes of data.
4. IoT (Internet of Things) solutions — RAD Studio includes components for devices connected via Bluetooth LE and IoT protocols, bringing Delphi to sensor and automation projects.
5. Services and integrations — REST servers created with frameworks like Horse and DataSnap expose legacy business rules as modern APIs, connecting Delphi systems to current web and mobile applications.

This usage profile explains the language's resilience: the cost and risk of rewriting critical systems that have worked for twenty years rarely pay off, and Embarcadero keeps the modernization path open within the platform itself.

Conclusion

Delphi does not compete for headlines with Python or JavaScript, but remains one of the most rational choices for native corporate software: it compiles fast, runs fast, and protects decades of investment in code. For the Brazilian developer, CodeCrush's reading is pragmatic — mastering Delphi in 2026 is betting on a niche with stable demand and little competition, especially in ERPs, commercial automation, and financial systems. If your goal is the real job market, not just hype, the language deserves a place on your study list.