Delphi, a commercial software development tool, may not be as popular as it once was, but it still has several key features that made it successful. These features include fast compile times and a short time to generate an executable, strongly typed loops, runtime type information, straightforward dependency management, extensible libraries, and a source-based component model. Delphi also had the ability to read and debug into the source code, as well as a fully synchronized visual designer for easy form design. However, Delphi faced challenges in the areas of web development, cost, quality issues, and interfacing with other systems. Despite its shortcomings, Delphi’s design principles can teach us valuable lessons for future software development tools.
https://accu.org/journals/overload/27/153/martin_2703/