GUI Application Frameworks
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RAD Studio provides two different application frameworks to build graphical user interface (GUI) applications: the VCL and FireMonkey.
The main difference between these GUI application frameworks is the platforms that they support:
| Framework | Platform Support | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | OS X | iOS | Android | |
| FireMonkey |  |
|
|
|
| VCL | |
|||
Other than platform support, FireMonkey is somewhat similar to the VCL. FireMonkey and the VCL share ancestry from TObject to TComponent, but they diverge beyond TComponent. Some of the classes, components, controls, and functions in FireMonkey are equivalent to their VCL counterparts.
However, FireMonkey is a newer framework that offers vector-based dynamic controls, and other features that the VCL does not offer. For example, FireMonkey has sophisticated 2D and 3D graphics, and special effects such as filters.
Topics
- FireMonkey
- VCL
- Commonly Encountered Differences Between the VCL and FireMonkey
- Migrating VCL Applications to FireMonkey