NitroPascal v0.2.0

[jarroddavis68]

🎯 NitroPascal v0.2.0: The RTL Wrapping Breakthrough

TL;DR

NitroPascal can now compile Delphi syntax directly to high-performance C++ through our innovative Runtime Library (RTL) wrapping strategy. Write pure Delphi, get native C++ performance.

💡 The Breakthrough: RTL Wrapping Architecture

Instead of complex code generation that attempts to map Delphi semantics to C++, we've taken a revolutionary approach: wrap every Delphi construct in a C++ runtime library (under the np:: namespace).

What this means:

• Delphi's for loops → np::ForLoop() - handles inclusive ranges perfectly
• Delphi's div/mod → np::Div()/np::Mod() - exact Delphi semantics
• Delphi's String → np::String - UTF-16 with 1-based indexing, just like Delphi
• Delphi's WriteLn → np::WriteLn() - variadic templates, handles any types

The result? The code generator is now trivial - just simple syntax translation. All complexity lives in the RTL, which is written once, tested once, and reused forever.

🎉 What's New in v0.2.0

This release establishes the foundation with comprehensive Delphi language support:

Type System

• Complete scalar types: Integer, Boolean, Char, Double, Single, Byte, Word, Cardinal, Int64
• Complex types: String (UTF-16), Pointer, Record, Array (static & dynamic), Set, Enum
• Full pointer semantics with New/Dispose

Operators & Expressions

• Arithmetic: +, -, *, /, div, mod
• Comparison: =, <>, <, >, <=, >=
• Logical: and, or, xor, not
• Bitwise: shl, shr, and, or, xor
• Set operations: in, +, -, *

Control Flow

• Conditional: if..then..else, case..of
• Loops: for..to..do, for..downto..do, while..do, repeat..until
• All with proper Delphi semantics (inclusive ranges, evaluated-once bounds, etc.)

Functions & Procedures

• Full function/procedure declarations
• Parameter modes: const, var, out
• Result variable handling
• Forward declarations

I/O & System Functions

• Console I/O: Write, WriteLn, Read, ReadLn
• Memory management: New, Dispose, GetMem, FreeMem
• String functions: Length, Copy, Pos, IntToStr, StrToInt

🔥 Why This Architecture Matters

By wrapping Delphi semantics in C++, we achieve:

• ✨ True Delphi compatibility - not approximations or "close enough"
• ⚡ C-level performance - via Zig's LLVM optimization pipeline
• 🌐 Cross-platform everywhere - Windows, Linux, macOS, embedded, WebAssembly
• 🎯 Simple, maintainable compiler - complexity lives in RTL, not in code generation
• 🔧 Debuggable output - generated C++ is readable and understandable

Write pure Delphi → Get native C++ performance. No compromises.

📚 Documentation

Want to see what's working RIGHT NOW?

• COVERAGE.md - Complete feature checklist: [x] implemented vs [ ] planned
• DESIGN.md - Deep dive into the RTL wrapping architecture
• MANUAL.md - User guide and getting started

Check the docs to see exactly what Delphi syntax you can use today!

🚀 Getting Started

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/tinyBigGAMES/NitroPascal
cd NitroPascal

# Compile your first Delphi program
nitropascal hello.pas

Example Delphi program:

program Hello;
var
  i: Integer;
begin
  for i := 1 to 10 do
    WriteLn('Hello from NitroPascal! Count: ', i);
end.

Compiles to optimized native code via C++ → LLVM → machine code.

🌐 Community

• GitHub: tinyBigGAMES/NitroPascal
• Discord: Join our community
• Issues: Found a bug or have a feature request? Open an issue

🔮 What's Next?

Each update expands the RTL with more Delphi semantics! Upcoming features:

• Classes and objects (OOP support)
• Generics (TList<T>, TDictionary<K,V>)
• Exception handling (try..except..finally)
• Unit system and separate compilation
• Standard library (System, SysUtils, Classes)

What Delphi features do YOU want to see in the next release? Let us know in the discussions!

---

The future of Pascal is here, and it's wrapped in a beautiful C++ runtime library. 🎁

---

Full Changelog: v0.1.0...v0.2.0

File Integrity

Files are signed with minisign using this public key:
RWTqBYfsUOCQscb6ZeknLC0On3cvWCVzMzlHamtgXNaDOO4bNs3WCSkV

---

This discussion was created from the release NitroPascal v0.2.0.