Embarcadero Delphi 11.1: What’s New and Should You Upgrade?

Migrating Projects to Embarcadero Delphi 11.1: A Step-by-Step PlanMigrating an existing Delphi project to Embarcadero Delphi 11.1 can breathe new life into your application with updated compiler improvements, platform support, and IDE enhancements. A successful migration balances planning, testing, and incremental validation to minimize downtime and unexpected regressions. This guide provides a practical, step-by-step plan to migrate projects—Win32/Win64, FireMonkey (FMX), VCL, and multi-platform—into Delphi 11.1 with minimal risk.

Why migrate to Delphi 11.1?

Delphi 11.1 includes a number of improvements over earlier versions: updated compilers and RTL, IDE refinements, improved Windows 11 compatibility, enhanced high-DPI support, platform tooling updates, and numerous bug fixes. Migrating lets you take advantage of performance optimizations, modern libraries, and better tooling for contemporary OS versions and devices.

High-level migration strategy

Inventory and prioritize projects.
Prepare the environment.
Update third-party libraries and components.
Adjust project settings and compiler directives.
Build, fix compile errors, and resolve warnings.
Run automated and manual tests.
Deploy to a controlled staging environment.
Roll out to production with a rollback plan.

Pre-migration checklist

Backup current source repositories and build artifacts.
Ensure version control tags/releases for the last known-good state.
Document current build toolchain (Delphi version, third-party components, external SDKs).
Create a migration branch in your VCS.
Identify platform targets (Win32, Win64, Android, iOS, macOS) and prioritize by business need.
List automated tests and manual test cases to verify after migration.

Step 1 — Prepare your environment

Install Delphi 11.1 on a dedicated migration machine (or VM). Keep an older Delphi install available for comparison/testing.
Install matching SDKs for platforms you target (Windows SDKs, Android NDK/SDK, iOS toolchains, macOS SDK if applicable).
Install or configure signed certificates and provisioning profiles for mobile platforms.
Install required third-party components and libraries compatible with Delphi 11.1 where available. If a component lacks a 11.1 build, plan recompilation from source or replacement.

Step 2 — Inventory third-party dependencies

Create a dependency manifest listing packages, versions, and whether source code is available.
For components without source, contact vendors for Delphi 11.1 builds or obtain updated installers.
For open-source libs, fetch the latest repositories and test builds against Delphi 11.1.
Consider replacing deprecated or unmaintained components with modern alternatives.

Step 3 — Update your project files

Open your project group (.groupproj) and project (.dproj/.dpr) files in the Delphi 11.1 IDE. The IDE may prompt to upgrade project files—allow it but keep backups.
Review and update library paths, search paths, and conditional defines to align with new compiler behavior.
For multi-target projects, ensure platform configurations (Target Platforms node) are present and correct. Add missing platforms if required.
Check project options for Runtime Packages: decide whether to use them or switch to static linking depending on deployment needs.

Step 4 — Address compiler and RTL changes

Rebuild using the Delphi 11.1 compiler. Expect the compiler to enforce stricter rules in some cases.
Typical issues to watch for:
- Deprecated RTL/Framework routines or changed overloads.
- Differences in string handling, Unicode, or codepage operations.
- Record helper and generics compatibility differences.
- Warnings elevated to errors if multi-stage builds or stricter flags are set.

Use conditional compilation to isolate version-specific code:


{$IF CompilerVersion >= 35.1}  // example; check actual Delphi 11.1 compiler version constant // Delphi 11.1-specific code {$ELSE} // older compiler fallback {$IFEND}

Step 5 — Rebuild packages and components

Rebuild design-time and runtime packages under Delphi 11.1. Load design-time packages into the IDE to verify component palette integration.
For components distributed as DCUs only, you will need vendor-provided DCUs compiled for Delphi 11.1 or source to recompile.
Update package dependencies and package versioning if you maintain private component suites.

Step 6 — Fix UI and high-DPI issues

Delphi 11.1 includes improved high-DPI and Windows 11 support; validate UI layouts under different DPI/scaling settings.
For VCL apps:
- Check manifest settings and DPI Awareness flags.
- Test custom controls for scaling artifacts.
For FMX apps:
- Verify modal dialogs, forms, and 3rd-party FMX controls render correctly on different platforms and GPU drivers.

Step 7 — Update mobile and platform-specific code

For Android:
- Update Gradle/SDK/NDK settings if targeting newer Android API levels.
- Re-sign APKs with updated keystores.
For iOS/macOS:
- Ensure Xcode compatibility and provisioning profiles.
- Validate any Objective-C/Swift bridges or frameworks for ABI changes.
Re-test platform-specific services: notifications, location, sensors, Bluetooth, in-app purchases.

Step 8 — Automated and manual testing

Run unit tests and integration tests; fix failing tests iteratively.
Execute UI/acceptance test scripts where available.
Perform performance tests and memory profiling; watch for regressions introduced by compiler or RTL changes.
Test installers/updaters and ensure deployment packaging works (MSI, installer, or app store bundles).

Step 9 — Staging deployment and user acceptance

Deploy builds to a staging environment that mirrors production.
Conduct UAT with power users to validate real-world workflows.
Collect and triage bug reports, focusing on crashes and data integrity issues.

Step 10 — Production rollout and rollback plan

Plan a phased rollout (canary, then broader).
Ensure backups and rollback artifacts (old builds, DB backups, release notes).
Monitor telemetry, logs, and crash reports closely after release.

Common migration pitfalls and how to avoid them

Missing vendor DCUs: maintain a list of vendors and confirm Delphi 11.1 support early.
Hidden assumptions about compiler behavior: enable compiler warnings and fix issues rather than suppressing them.
UI scaling regressions: test on multiple DPI settings and devices.
Build environment drift: use scripted builds (CI) to standardize the toolchain and avoid “it works on my machine” issues.

Example CI build steps (brief)

Checkout code and switch to migration branch.
Install or make available Delphi 11.1 command-line tools on the build agent.
Restore third-party packages and SDKs.
Run dcc32/dcc64/msbuild with proper targets.
Run unit tests and static analysis.
Package artifacts for staging.

Post-migration housekeeping

Update developer documentation and README with new build steps and required SDK versions.
Tag the migration commit in version control.
Schedule periodic updates for third-party libs that were deferred.
Train developers on new IDE/compiler features and best practices.

Appendix — Quick troubleshooting tips

“Unit not found” — verify search/library paths and package references.
“Incompatible DCU” — obtain DCUs compiled for Delphi 11.1 or recompile from source.
Unexpected layout changes — check DPI awareness manifest and VCL/FMX scaling settings.
Linker/runtime crashes — enable debug info and use MadExcept/ReportMemoryLeaks or platform-specific crash reporting to trace.

Migrating to Delphi 11.1 is an investment that pays off in modern platform support, performance, and maintainability. With careful planning, thorough testing, and staged rollout you can minimize risk and update your applications reliably.