Installing Package

[svtdoug]

Back to Delphi after some years away - last used Delphi 5. Using RAD Studio 10.1 Berlin - Community addition now. Downloaded zeosdbo-7.2.12-stable.zip. Unzipped contents. Trying to install this package using the following menu selections in Delphi - Components, Install Packages, Add, point to the downloaded \packages\DelphiXE10.1 folder, and it can't find any .bpl files? Found .dpk files, and tried to select them, but Delphi gave an error - Invalid package file. What am I missing?

Thanks,

Doug

[aehimself]

Any particular reason you are using 7.2 and 10.1? 10.4 has Community out and it improved a lot.

But all in all, you have to open and compile the packages (.dpk / .dproj) in order, finally to install ZComponentDesign.

[svtdoug]

Thanks for the reply and hints. I upgraded to 10.4 Sydney Community. Now I see that there really are no packages above DelphiXE10.4 - is that what I should be using? Thinking the DelphiXE is earlier version... Thanks!

Doug

[marsupilami]

Hello Doug,

Thanks for the reply and hints. I upgraded to 10.4 Sydney Community. Now I see that there really are no packages above DelphiXE10.4 - is that what I should be using?

Yes, please use these packages. Packages for Delphi 11 are in SVN currently but we don't distribute that version (yet).

Thinking the DelphiXE is earlier version...

DelphiXE is meant for the first Delphi XE from 2011.

Best regards,

Jan

[aehimself]

Doug,

If you are already upgrading, give Zeos 8 a try, it's pretty stable for a long time now. I was using it in production applications even when it was called 7.3 :)
It does have a package for 10.4 and maybe your compilation / installation issue will be solved, too.

[svtdoug]

Thanks aeHimself. Ok, trying to find Zeos 8. Latest on main SourceForge Zeos link is 7.2.14.
Doug

[marsupilami]

Hello Doug,

FPC 8.0 currently can opnly be found on the SVN. See https://sourceforge.net/p/zeoslib/code-0/HEAD/tree/branches/8.0-patches/. Another option it the github repository, that get synchronized once per day: https://github.com/marsupilami79/zeoslib/tree/8.0-patches.

Best regards,

Jan

[svtdoug]

I am really lost. I downloaded the Zeos 11.0 package from https://sourceforge.net/p/zeoslib/code- ... /Delphi11/. I tried to build or compiling each project and I get nothing but errors. Why is this so difficult? In Delphi 5, I was used to getting a component package and just installing it. This is like a mine field.

I appreciate the help so far, but has someone written comprehensive instructions for installing these components?

Thanks,

Doug

[marsupilami]

Hello Doug,

I am really lost. I downloaded the Zeos 11.0 package from https://sourceforge.net/p/zeoslib/code- ... /Delphi11/.

You need to download the whole package from https://sourceforge.net/p/zeoslib/code-0/HEAD/tree/branches/8.0-patches/. Downloading only the package files will not help you much.

I tried to build or compiling each project and I get nothing but errors.

Which errors do you get? You cannot mix the package files from Zeos 8.0 with tha package files from Zeos 7.2.

I appreciate the help so far, but has someone written comprehensive instructions for installing these components?

Did you have a look at the (old) documentation in our files section on SourceForge?

Best regards,

Jan

[svtdoug]

Thank you Jan,
I had not found the documentation which you linked. I see that you wrote it - thanks. But I have to disagree with your statement on page 8 - that "installing Zeos is not that complicated"! Maybe for you!

First off, the instructions in the doc say to "Open the delphi project group ZeosDbo.bpg from subdirectory packages\delphi7 ZeosDbo.bpg and install the following components in given order:" But there are no bpg files or bpl files in the download zeosdbo-7.2.14-stable.zip, or in any of the files in the 8.0 patches branch. What am I missing? This is where I am getting lost.

Also confusing is there are packages for Delphi 7, Delphi 9, Delphi 11, Delphi 2005 - 2010, Delphi XE1 - Delphi XE10.4, but nothing for Delphi 10.4 (Sydney) which I am using. Which package to install?

Thanks,
Doug

[aehimself]

Delphi 10.4 = DelphXE10.4

You have to open ZeosDbo.groupproj and compile the packages one-by-one in order from top to bottom. Finally, install the last (ComponentDesign).

[svtdoug]

Thanks AE.

Ok, Thanks for the hint on the package name. But why is the 10.4 package labelled XE10.4? That is very confusing! Nowhere in Embarcadero do they use the designation XE10.4, that I have seen. I suggest that be changed pronto.

"You have to open ZeosDbo.groupproj and compile the packages one-by-one in order from top to bottom. Finally, install the last (ComponentDesign)." That is not consistent with the documentation which Jan forwarded, or any of the documentation from Embarcadero on installing packages. Is it any wonder people get lost? Looks like I will be writing up current instructions for new users...

I did find a YouTube video which was a bit dated, but still helpful, basically following AE's advice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH2as9rij7o. Following this, I was able to get the components installed! The same guy has another video on using the Zeos components - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmSh7jCuO2M - again helpful. I now have the components working and connecting to a MySQL db on local machine. Next step is to connect to MySQL server on anther machine.

I appreciate the help. Really. I will write up some documentation and submit for your review.

Doug

[miab3]

Hi Doug,

What does it say here?:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=44184

Michał

[marsupilami]

I had not found the documentation which you linked. I see that you wrote it - thanks. But I have to disagree with your statement on page 8 - that "installing Zeos is not that complicated"! Maybe for you!

Sorry - but I didn't write that documentation - I just collected it, so it will be more easy to find for users. Having old documentation is better than having no documentation at all.

First off, the instructions in the doc say to "Open the delphi project group ZeosDbo.bpg from subdirectory packages\delphi7 ZeosDbo.bpg and install the following components in given order:" But there are no bpg files or bpl files in the download zeosdbo-7.2.14-stable.zip, or in any of the files in the 8.0 patches branch. What am I missing? This is where I am getting lost.

Again - the documentation is old. But I seem to rememeber that Delphi still allows to filter for project groups on its open file dialog. This should lead you to the ZeosDbo file - which is a bpg on Delphi 7 (which we still support) and isn't a bpg on newer versions of Delphi anymore.

Ok, Thanks for the hint on the package name. But why is the 10.4 package labelled XE10.4? That is very confusing! Nowhere in Embarcadero do they use the designation XE10.4, that I have seen.

This is because Embarcadero called all versions before Delphi 10 "Dephi XE somenumber". The original creator of the Delphi 10 packages decided to keep the XE around. I removed it for Delphi 11.

I suggest that be changed pronto.

No - I will not rename these because everybody who uses Zeos is used to the folders having the XE names. You are the first one to not find the correct packages. Also I do get an allergic reaction if somebody tells me to do something "pronto".

"You have to open ZeosDbo.groupproj and compile the packages one-by-one in order from top to bottom. Finally, install the last (ComponentDesign)." That is not consistent with the documentation which Jan forwarded, or any of the documentation from Embarcadero on installing packages. Is it any wonder people get lost? Looks like I will be writing up current instructions for new users...

I will not argue about consistency here. If you decide to write new instructions, I will be happy to include them in the documentation.

Best regards,

Jan

[aehimself]

Nowhere in Embarcadero do they use the designation XE10.4, that I have seen. I suggest that be changed pronto.

I agree that this can be confusing the first time you meet this terminology, but yes, almost all components label D10+ as Delphi XE10+. Just do a search on "Delphi XE 10.2" for example and you'll see many-many hits. I have no idea who and why started it, but it got stuck - it seems.

"You have to open ZeosDbo.groupproj and compile the packages one-by-one in order from top to bottom. Finally, install the last (ComponentDesign)." That is not consistent with the documentation which Jan forwarded, or any of the documentation from Embarcadero on installing packages.

Umm.. none of that is true, actually. The difference between the documentation and my method is that lately a group is created for all the packages. It does nothing else than to contain all buildable packages in order, so you go from up to down. You'll see the order is the same as in the documentation.
Emba will never release a documentation about how to install complex component packages, that is the responsibility of the component owner. But the structure is ALWAYS the same:
- Have at least one runtime package which contains the actual code (in Zeos we have 5 of these, for optimization / separation reasons). These packages can NOT be installed on the IDE toolbar but can be compiled on any platform.
- Have at least one design time package with as less code as possible. This package can be installed in the IDE and therefore have dependencies of IDE-related stuff (like custom component editors). Because the Delphi IDE is 32 bit only, this can only be compiled in Win32.

Zeos actually follows this pattern pretty good.

Is it any wonder people get lost?

I remember I got lost many times when I started to use Zeos back in the v6 era. As my programs got more complex I was required to have more components installed in my IDE and got myself familiar with the layout.

What wanted to say is the more experience you gain about components, the more clear installing Zeos will become.

Later on, you'll even automate building from the command line.

Looks like I will be writing up current instructions for new users...

Contributions are always welcome, especially documentation. So yes, if your time allows, please do.

I now have the components working and connecting to a MySQL db on local machine. Next step is to connect to MySQL server on anther machine.

Good news, welcome aboard! You'll see quickly why Zeos became my first component package I install after a reformat. It's easy to use but extremely powerful (and lightning fast if you ditch the components and use the DBC layer).
All of this, completely free of charge.