Virtual Pascal

infobox Software



caption =
collapsible =
author = Allan Mertner
developer = Vitaly Miryanov
released =
latest release version = 2.1.279
latest release date = 2004-05-13
frequently updated =
programming language = Object Pascal and Assmbler
operating system = Microsoft Windows, OS/2, Linux
platform =
status = unmaintained
genre = Compiler, Integrated Development Environment
license = Freeware
website = [http://web.archive.org/web/20051229123611/www.vpascal.com/ vpascal.com (archived)]

Virtual Pascal is a free 32-bit Pascal compiler, IDE and debugger for OS/2 and Microsoft Windows, with some limited Linux support. Although it had a wide user base in the late nineties, VP has not evolved significantly for several years, and the owner declared in 2005 that development had ceased [http://web.archive.org/web/20051229123611/www.vpascal.com/news.php] . Virtual Pascal was developed by Allan Mertner.

There has been pressure from some users for the compiler source to be made into open-source software. This has not been done, the main reasons being:
* The compiler source is mostly written in Intel assembly and is complex and hard to maintain
* Part of the run-time library is proprietary to Borland
* Documentation and help is maintained with expensive proprietary tools

The compiler is compatible with Turbo Pascal, Borland Delphi and Free Pascal, although language- and RTL-compatibility is limited for features introduced after Delphi v2 and FPC 1.0.x. VP was primarily useful for the following purposes:
* Easily port existing 16-bit Turbo Pascal programs to 32 bits
* Port existing 16-bit OWL programs to 32-bit Windows
* Write console (text-mode) programs for several platforms
* Pascal development using the 32-bit Windows API
* Learn object-oriented programming

Significant features of Virtual Pascal include:
* Text-mode IDE
* Debugger of VP is built directly into the IDE and is reminiscent of Turbo Debugger
* Fast compilation
* Tool-chain written mostly in Intel assembly

See also

* Pe2elf
* Free Pascal

External links

* [http://vpascal.com/ vpascal.com] Dead link|date=July 2008
* [http://softpedia.com/get/Programming/Coding-languages-Compilers/Virtual-Pascal.shtml Download site that has the last version]
* [http://vpascal.ning.com/ Community set up by the author of Virtual Pascal]