Pascal Generic Win32 "Hello World"

Borland-Delphi is the most successful Pascal-dialect worldwide. Part of it's success is the VCL (Visual Component Library) which allows even unexperienced people to write stable Windows- applications. The only drawback is it's size. A simple "Hello World" results in a EXE somewhere between 170kB and 350kB depending on the Delphi-Version used! That's why I avoid using the VCL.

The advantage of this method: Your programs get small.

The disadvantage: you spend hours reinventing the wheel... (I've warned you, so don't complain!)

{********************************************} { Platform : 32Bit Windows } { Compiler : FreePascal } { } { Description : Generic Object Pascal Dialog } { Copyright : © 2025 Thomas Bigler } { } {********************************************} {$A+,B-,C+,D-,H+,I-,J+,M-,O-,P-,Q-,R-,S-,T-,U-,V+,W-,X+,Z1} {$APPTYPE GUI} {$SMARTLINK ON} Program DlgTest; uses windows; Const AppName='DlgTest'; var DlgTemplate:TDlgTemplate; b,u,s:array[0..512] of Char; w,w2:array[0..512] of WideChar; l:Integer; function WtoUTF8(s:PUnicodeChar):Pchar; var r:array[0..1024] of char; begin UnicodeToUtf8(r,s,sizeof(r)); WtoUTF8:=r; end; function DialogProc(D:HWND;Msg:UINT;wParam:WPARAM;lParam:LPARAM):LRESULT;stdcall; Procedure CreateControls(W:Hwnd); Const Grid=5; var r:Trect; t:Hwnd; begin GetClientRect(w,r); t:=createwindowEx($0,'STATIC','&Titel:', ws_Child OR ws_Visible OR SS_LEFT, r.left+2*Grid,r.top+2*Grid+grid div 2,12*Grid,3*grid,W,0,hInstance,NIL); SendMessage(t,WM_SetFont,GetStockObject(DEFAULT_GUI_FONT),0); t:=createwindowExW($200,'EDIT',#$041d+ #$0435+ #$0442+' '+#$0432+ #$043e+ #$0439+ #$0435+'!', ws_Child OR ws_Visible OR ws_TabStop or ES_AUTOHSCROLL, r.left+10*Grid,r.top+2*Grid,50*Grid,4*grid,W,101,hInstance,NIL); SendMessage(t,WM_SetFont,GetStockObject(DEFAULT_GUI_FONT),0); t:=createwindowExW($0,'STATIC', 'Beliebiger Text, kan auch Unicode-Zeichen enthalten:'#13'Kein Krieg! = '#$041d+ #$0435+ #$0442+' '+#$0432+ #$043e+ #$0439+ #$0435+'! (Russisch)', ws_Child OR ws_Visible OR ws_Group, r.left+5*Grid,r.top+11*Grid,r.right-r.left-10*Grid,8*grid,W,102,hInstance,NIL); SendMessage(t,WM_SetFont,GetStockObject(DEFAULT_GUI_FONT),0); t:=createwindowExW(0, 'BUTTON','OK', BS_PUSHBUTTON or bs_Center or ws_Child OR ws_Visible or ws_TabStop, 5*grid,r.bottom-8*Grid, 18*grid,5*grid,W,IDOK,hInstance,NIL); SendMessage(t,WM_SetFont,GetStockObject(DEFAULT_GUI_FONT),0); t:=createwindowEx(0,'BUTTON','Abbrechen', BS_PUSHBUTTON or bs_Center or ws_Child OR ws_Visible OR ws_TabStop, r.right-25*Grid,r.bottom-8*Grid,18*Grid,5*grid,W,IDCancel,hInstance,NIL); SendMessage(t,WM_SetFont,GetStockObject(DEFAULT_GUI_FONT),0); end; begin DialogProc:= 1; case MSG of wm_InitDialog: begin CreateControls(d); SetWindowTextW(d,'Test Dialog'); Exit; end; wm_Command: case LoWord(wParam) of IdOK: begin GetDlgItemText(d,101,s,sizeof(s)); GetDlgItemTextW(d,101,w,sizeof(w)); EndDialog(D,wparam); end; IdCancel:EndDialog(D,wparam); end; end; DialogProc:=0; end; begin Fillchar(DlgTemplate,SizeOf(DlgTemplate),#0); with DlgTemplate do begin style:=DS_MODALFRAME or DS_NOIDLEMSG or DS_SETFOREGROUND or WS_POPUPWINDOW or WS_VISIBLE or WS_CAPTION or WS_SYSMENU or ds_Center or ds_3dlook; dwExtendedStyle:=$10; cdit:=0; x:=100; y:=100; cx:=160; cy:=80; end; if DialogBoxIndirectParam(0,DlgTemplate,GetDesktopWindow,@DialogProc,0)=IDOK then begin lstrcpy(u,PChar(AnsiToUtf8(s))); l:=lstrlen(u); wvsprintf(b,'ANSI: Länge = %i Zeichen',@l); MessageBox(0,u,b,MB_OK or MB_IconHand); UnicodeToUtf8(u,w,sizeOf(u)); l:=lstrlen(u); wvsprintf(b,'UTF8: Länge = %i Zeichen',@l); MessageBox(0,u,b,MB_OK or MB_IconExclamation); UnicodeToUtf8(u,w,sizeOf(u)); l:=lstrlenW(w); wvsprintf(b,'Unicode: Länge = %i Zeichen',@l); MultiByteToWideChar(CP_ACP, 0, b, -1, w2, 512); MessageBoxW(0,w,w2,MB_YesNoCancel or MB_IconInformation); end; end.

{*******************************************************} { Platform : 32Bit Windows } { Compiler : Delphi 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 } { } { Description : Generic Object Pascal Application } { Copyright : © 2002 Thomas Bigler } { } {*******************************************************} {$A+,B-,C-,D-,E-,F-,G+,H+,I-,J+,K-,L-,M-,N-,O-,P+,Q-,R-,S-,T-,U-,V+,W-,X+,Y-,Z1} {$MINSTACKSIZE $00004000} {$MAXSTACKSIZE $00100000} {$IMAGEBASE $00400000} {$APPTYPE GUI} {$HINTS ON} {$WARNINGS ON} PROGRAM Generic; USES Windows,Messages; {$r GenericX.res} CONST AppName='Delphi-Generic'; ClsName='DelphiGenericCls'; cm_New = 101; cm_Open = 102; cm_Save = 103; cm_SaveAs = 104; cm_About = 901; cm_Close = 199; FUNCTION DProc(D:HWND;Msg:UINT;wParam:WPARAM;lParam:LPARAM):LRESULT;stdcall; BEGIN DProc:=1; CASE MSG OF wm_InitDialog : BEGIN SetClassLONG(D,GCL_HICON,LoadIcon(hInstance,'i')); SetWindowText(d,'Input Dialog Example'); exit; END; wm_Command : CASE LoWord(Wparam) OF idOK,id_Cancel :BEGIN EndDialog(D,wparam);exit;END; END; END;DProc:=0; END; PROCEDURE Paint(w:hwnd); VAR DC: hDC; ps: TPaintStruct; r : TRect; i : Integer; s : ARRAY[0..4000] of char; fh: HFont; BEGIN DC:=BeginPaint(w,ps);GetClientRect(w,r); inc(r.left,8);inc(r.top,8);dec(r.bottom,8);dec(r.right,8); framerect(dc,r,GetStockObject(Gray_BRUSH)); inc(r.left,4);inc(r.top,4);dec(r.bottom,4);dec(r.right,4); SetBkMode(dc,transparent);SetTextColor(dc,$00ff0000);SetBkColor(dc,$00c0c0c0); lStrCpy(s,#0); FOR i:=0 to 100 DO lStrCat(s,'Hello world, this is Delphi-Generic! '); fh:=Createfont(-14,0,0,0,400,0,0,0,Ansi_Charset,Out_Default_Precis, clip_Default_Precis,Draft_Quality,variable_Pitch OR ff_swiss,'Tahoma'); fh:=SelectObject(dc,fh); DrawText(DC,s,-1,r, DT_WordBreak or DT_EXPANDTABS or DT_NOPREFIX or DT_TABSTOP or MakeWord(0,14)); DeleteObject(SelectObject(dc,fh)); EndPaint(W,ps); END; FUNCTION WindowProc(W:HWND;Msg:UINT;wParam:WPARAM;lParam:LPARAM):LRESULT;stdcall; BEGIN WindowProc:=0; CASE Msg OF WM_Paint: Paint(w); WM_Keydown: IF (GetKeyState(vk_Control)<0) THEN BEGIN // additional accelerators... CASE LoWord(wParam) OF Ord('N') : SendMessage(w,wm_Command,cm_New,0); Ord('O') : SendMessage(w,wm_Command,cm_Open,0); Ord('S') : SendMessage(w,wm_Command,cm_Save,0); END; END ELSE BEGIN CASE LoWord(wParam) OF vk_F1 : SendMessage(w,wm_Command,cm_About,0); END; END; WM_Command: CASE LoWord(WParam) OF cm_New : DialogBox(HInstance,'INPUT',w,@DProc); cm_Open , cm_Save , cm_SaveAs : MessageBox(w,'Not implemented.',AppName,mb_Iconhand or mb_OK); cm_About : MessageBox(w,AppName,'Info',mb_IconInformation or mb_OK); cm_Close : SendMessage(w,wm_Close,0,0); END; WM_Destroy: PostQuitMessage(0); // important! ELSE WindowProc:=DefWindowProc(W,Msg,wParam,lParam); END; END; PROCEDURE WinMain; CONST WndClas: TWndClassEx=( cbSize:0; style:0; lpfnWndProc:@WindowProc; cbClsExtra:0; cbWndExtra:0; hInstance:0; hIcon:0; hCursor:0; hbrBackground:0; lpszMenuName:AppName; lpszClassName:ClsName; hIconsm:0); VAR Window:hwnd; Msg: TMsg; Accs:THandle; BEGIN IF hPrevInst=0 THEN BEGIN WndClas.cbSize:=Sizeof(TWndClassEx); WndClas.Style:=cs_HRedraw or cs_VRedraw; WndClas.lpfnWndProc:=@WindowProc; WndClas.hInstance:=HInstance; WndClas.hIcon:=LoadIcon(hinstance,'i'); WndClas.hCursor:=LoadCursor(0, IDC_Arrow); WndClas.hbrBackground:=GetStockObject(white_brush); WndClas.lpszMenuName:='MENU_1'; WndClas.lpszClassName:=clsName; IF RegisterClassEx(WndClas)=0 THEN Halt(255); END; Window:=CreateWindowEx($200,clsName,AppName,ws_OverlappedWindow, Integer(cw_Usedefault),Integer(cw_Usedefault), Integer(cw_Usedefault),Integer(cw_Usedefault), 0,0,hinstance,NIL); ShowWindow(Window, sw_Shownormal);UpdateWindow(Window); Accs:=LoadAccelerators(hInstance,'MENU_1'); WHILE GetMessage(Msg,0,0,0) DO IF TranslateAccelerator(Window,Accs,Msg)=0 THEN BEGIN TranslateMessage(Msg);DispatchMessage(Msg); END; END; BEGIN WinMain; END. {$WARNINGS off} // so I can put the resource-file here: // Save contents below the line as GenericX.rc // Create a RES-file: BRCC32.EXE -r -v -w32 genericx.rc //------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MENU_1 MENU { POPUP "&File" { MENUITEM "&New\tCtrl+N", 101 MENUITEM "O&pen...\tCtrl+O", 102 MENUITEM "&Save\tCtrl+S", 103 MENUITEM "Save &as...", 104 MENUITEM SEPARATOR MENUITEM "E&xit\tAlt+F4", 199 } MENUITEM "&?", 901 } INPUT DIALOG 15, 21, 220, 60 STYLE DS_MODALFRAME | 0x1004L | WS_POPUP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU FONT 8, "MS Sans Serif" { CONTROL "", 101, "EDIT", ES_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER | WS_TABSTOP, 10, 15, 200, 12 CONTROL "OK", 1, "BUTTON", BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 50, 40, 50, 14 CONTROL "Cancel", 2, "BUTTON", BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 117, 40, 50, 14 } MENU_1 ACCELERATORS { VK_F1, 901, VIRTKEY "N", 101, VIRTKEY, CONTROL "O", 102, VIRTKEY, CONTROL "S", 103, VIRTKEY, CONTROL } I ICON { '00 00 01 00 03 00 20 20 10 00 00 00 00 00 E8 02' '00 00 36 00 00 00 20 20 02 00 00 00 00 00 30 01' '00 00 1E 03 00 00 10 10 10 00 00 00 00 00 28 01' '00 00 4E 04 00 00 28 00 00 00 20 00 00 00 40 00' '00 00 01 00 04 00 00 00 00 00 80 02 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 80 00 00 80 00 00 00 80 80 00 80 00' '00 00 80 00 80 00 80 80 00 00 C0 C0 C0 00 80 80' '80 00 00 00 FF 00 00 FF 00 00 00 FF FF 00 FF 00' '00 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF FF 00 00 FF FF FF 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 78' '88 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '7F FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF F7 80 00 00 7F' '78 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 88 87 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' '7C CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC C7 80 00 00 7F' '7C CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC C7 80 00 00 7F' '7C CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CC C7 80 00 00 7F' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 80 00 00 7F' 'FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 80 00 00 77' '77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 70 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 FF FF' 'FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 FF FF' 'FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 28 00' '00 00 20 00 00 00 40 00 00 00 01 00 01 00 00 00' '00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 FF FF FF 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 1F FF FF F8 10 00 00 08 17 FF FF E8 17 FF' 'FF E8 17 FF FF E8 17 FF FF E8 17 FF FF E8 17 FF' 'FF E8 17 FF FF E8 17 FF FF E8 17 FF FF E8 17 FF' 'FF E8 17 FF FF E8 17 FF FF E8 17 FF FF E8 10 00' '00 08 17 FF FF E8 10 00 00 08 10 00 00 08 10 00' '00 08 10 00 00 08 1F FF FF F8 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 FF FF' 'FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00' '00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 C0 00 00 03 FF FF' 'FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 28 00' '00 00 10 00 00 00 20 00 00 00 01 00 04 00 00 00' '00 00 C0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 80 00 00 80' '00 00 00 80 80 00 80 00 00 00 80 00 80 00 80 80' '00 00 C0 C0 C0 00 80 80 80 00 00 00 FF 00 00 FF' '00 00 00 FF FF 00 FF 00 00 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF FF' '00 00 FF FF FF 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 07 88' '88 88 88 88 88 00 07 F7 77 77 77 77 78 00 07 F7' '77 77 77 77 78 00 07 F7 77 77 77 77 78 00 07 F7' '88 88 88 88 78 00 07 F7 77 77 77 77 78 00 07 F7' 'CC CC CC CC 78 00 07 F7 CC CC CC CC 78 00 07 F7' '77 77 77 77 78 00 07 FF FF FF FF FF F8 00 07 77' '77 77 77 77 77 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00' '00 00 00 00 00 00 FF FF 00 00 FF FF 00 00 80 01' '00 00 80 01 00 00 80 01 00 00 80 01 00 00 80 01' '00 00 80 01 00 00 80 01 00 00 80 01 00 00 80 01' '00 00 80 01 00 00 80 01 00 00 80 01 00 00 FF FF' '00 00 FF FF 00 00' } 1 VERSIONINFO FILEVERSION 1, 0, 0, 0 PRODUCTVERSION 1, 0, 0, 0 FILEFLAGSMASK VS_FFI_FILEFLAGSMASK FILEOS VOS_NT_WINDOWS32 FILETYPE VFT_APP { BLOCK "StringFileInfo" { BLOCK "080704E4" { VALUE "CompanyName", "http://home.datacomm.ch/t.bigler/\000\000" VALUE "FileDescription", "Delphi-Generic · Freeware\000\000" VALUE "FileVersion", "1.0.0.0\000\000" VALUE "InternalName", "Generic\000\000" VALUE "LegalCopyright", "Freeware, © 1995-2002 Thomas Bigler\000\000" VALUE "OriginalFilename", "Generic.exe\000\000" VALUE "ProductName", "Bigler's Utilities\000\000" VALUE "ProductVersion", "1.0.0.0\000\000" } } BLOCK "VarFileInfo" { VALUE "Translation", 2055, 1252 } }

How to create a RES-file more easily?
In Borland-Pascal for Windows 7.0 you can find the Resource Workshop 4.5
Unfortunately this product isn't sold anymore. But I'm sure you can find it somewhere in cyberspace!

Alternatively you may use FreePascal's Windres windres.exe generic.rc generic.res