Borland has a forthcoming second generation 32 bit Delphi environment, known as Delphi Client/Server Suite 2.0, for Windows NT and Windows 95. This 2.0 release incorporates several new technologies in order to further improve the productivity of developers and the performance of applications. The Delphi Client/Server Suite 2.0 is based on a new 32 bit optimizing native code compiler offering three to four times greater performance than before, and a new 32 bit Borland Database Engine with a faster, scaleable query engine. An expanded Open Tools API allows Delphi Client/Server Suite 2.0 to interface with third party tools and libraries to customize the development environment thereby increasing overall productivity.

Delphi includes a rich suite of such tools such as an Editor, Debugger, Visual Form builder, Compiler, Linker, Resource Builder, and Project Manager. For many projects this suite provides everything you would need to jump right in and start developing great code.

However, more complex client/server projects in large organizations typically have differing requirements for specialized tools. The number and variety of such tools is almost as varied as the developers and teams who use them. They can range from custom built suites that model the organizations procedural model, to off-the-shelf solutions from Developer tool vendors. These fulfill purposes such as CASE (Computer aided systems engineering), Object Oriented Analysis and Design, Version Control, Code analyzers and various software metric tools, testing and quality assurance tools, and more.

In this paper we are going to review how Delphi integrates with the latest leading edge technologies, and 'tried-and-true' software development tools to provide developers with an environment unparalleled in PC software development. Delphi itself was written in Delphi, and Borland has exposed interfaces into the environment's internal structures, called the Open Tools API, which allow organizations to provide tight integration with their preferred suite of tools. Finally we will see how some of the industry's most prominent developer tool vendors have integrated their respective technologies with Delphi. At the end of this paper is an appendix that briefly documents the published interfaces into Delphi to give you a head start in developing your own integration solutions.

• Design Interface for creating custom object property editors
• Tools Interface for generic tool integration
• Expert Interface for creation of easy to use experts
• Version Control Interface for Source Control Management in a team environment
• File Interface for custom file management

Delphi provides a well defined Open Tools API that allows developer of custom technologies to integrate into the Delphi development environment. Delphi provides a series of interfaces so that any developer can build their own tools in Delphi and integrate them seamlessly into the environment.

Today, vendors of custom tools for developers are capitalizing on the Open Tools API by integrating their solutions directly into the Delphi environment. The OpenTools interface comprises: a Design Interface, a Tools Interface, an Expert Interface, a Version Control interface, and new in Delphi Client/Server Suite 2.0, a File Interface. We shall cover them in further detail later and the Appendix covers the technical interface more clearly.