User’s Guide for Virtual Pascal v2.1 containing Introduction Installation Virtual Pascal Features Compatibility with Borland Pascal and Delphi The VP User Interface Writing programs using VP Configuration and tools Debugging programs with VP VP example programs Extending Virtual Pascal Index Copyright © 1996-2000 by Allan Mertner. All rights reserved. All brand names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. For further information, please refer to http://www.vpascal.com/. Produced in the European Union. Contents 3 CHAPTER 1.............................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................7 About this manual...................................................................................7 What is Virtual Pascal?..........................................................................7 History of development...........................................................................8 System Requirements..............................................................................9 Conventions used....................................................................................9 Contacting Product support.................................................................10 CHAPTER 2...........................................................................................11 INSTALLATION ..........................................................................................11 Running the installation program ........................................................11 The default installation options............................................................11 Component selection ............................................................................12 Drive selection......................................................................................12 Directory case ......................................................................................12 Installation directory............................................................................12 Source code and upgrades ...................................................................13 Finishing the installation .....................................................................13 Directory structure...............................................................................14 CHAPTER 3...........................................................................................16 VIRTUAL PASCAL FEATURES ....................................................................16 The two OS/2 IDE variants ..................................................................16 Key IDE Features.................................................................................16 The Debugger .......................................................................................................................18 Key Compiler Features ........................................................................20 The Run-Time Library..........................................................................22 The built-in linker, VPLink...................................................................23 Program Examples...............................................................................24 CHAPTER 4...........................................................................................26 COMPATIBILITY WITH BORLAND PASCAL AND DELPHI .............................26 Run-Time Library compatibility...........................................................26 Data Type Compatibility ......................................................................28 Integers .................................................................................................................................28 Reals .....................................................................................................................................29 Pointers.................................................................................................................................29 Classes ..................................................................................................................................29 Compiler directives ..............................................................................30 Built-in assembler (BASM)...................................................................30 Inline statements and inline subroutines..............................................31 Turbo Vision.........................................................................................31 Object Windows Library (OWL) ..........................................................32 Visual Component Library (VCL)........................................................32 Code generation ...................................................................................33 4 Contents CHAPTER 5...........................................................................................34 THE VP USER INTERFACE.........................................................................34 Starting the VP IDE..............................................................................34 Text-mode controls...............................................................................35 File associations...................................................................................36 Windows of the IDE..............................................................................36 Local Menus .........................................................................................................................36 The editor window: Colours .................................................................................................37 Cursor navigation .............................................................................................................37 Editing..............................................................................................................................38 Block operations...............................................................................................................38 Searching..........................................................................................................................39 Undo and Redo.................................................................................................................40 Other editor options..........................................................................................................40 Macros..............................................................................................................................40 Tools.................................................................................................................................41 Syntax Highlighting..........................................................................................................42 Getting Help..........................................................................................................................42 The menu bar ........................................................................................................................43 The VP/PM Smartbar ...........................................................................................................44 Configuring the IDE .............................................................................................................45 Options|Resource compiler...............................................................................................45 Options|Directories...........................................................................................................46 Options|Environment|Preferences.....................................................................................47 Options|Environment|Editor .............................................................................................48 Options|Environment|Mouse ............................................................................................50 Options|Environment|Colours...........................................................................................50 Options|Save options........................................................................................................50 CHAPTER 6...........................................................................................52 WRITING PROGRAMS USING VP ................................................................52 Writing your first program...................................................................52 Your second Virtual Pascal program...................................................53 For more information...........................................................................54 CHAPTER 7...........................................................................................55 CONFIGURATION AND TOOLS ....................................................................55 Changing settings in the IDE ...............................................................55 Options|Compiler..................................................................................................................55 Fastest setup .....................................................................................................................55 Smallest setup...................................................................................................................55