In this section, we will guide you through creating your first Delphi application. This will help you get familiar with the Delphi IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and understand the basic workflow of developing a Delphi application.

• Understand the Delphi IDE layout.
• Create a simple Delphi application.
• Compile and run the application.

1. Open Delphi IDE: Start by launching the Delphi IDE from your desktop or start menu.
2. Create a New Project: Go to File > New > VCL Forms Application - Delphi. This will create a new project with a default form.

• Project Manager: Displays the files and resources in your project.
• Form Designer: Allows you to design the user interface by placing controls on the form.
• Object Inspector: Used to set properties and events for the selected component.
• Code Editor: Where you write and edit your Delphi code.

1. Add a Button:

   • From the Tool Palette, drag a TButton component onto the form.
   • Set the Name property of the button to btnClickMe in the Object Inspector.
   • Set the Caption property to Click Me.

2. Add a Label:

   • Drag a TLabel component onto the form.
   • Set the Name property of the label to lblMessage.
   • Clear the Caption property so that the label is initially empty.

1. Double-click the Button: This will open the Code Editor and create an event handler for the button's OnClick event.
2. Add the Following Code:

   procedure TForm1.btnClickMeClick(Sender: TObject);
   begin
     lblMessage.Caption := 'Hello, World!';
   end;
   

   • This code sets the Caption property of lblMessage to "Hello, World!" when the button is clicked.

1. Save the Project: Go to File > Save All. Choose a directory and name your project files.
2. Compile the Project: Click the Run button (green arrow) or press F9. This will compile and run your application.
3. Test the Application: Click the Click Me button in your running application. The label should display "Hello, World!".

1. Objective: Modify the application to change the label's text color to red when the button is clicked.
2. Steps:
   • Add the following line to the btnClickMeClick procedure:

     lblMessage.Font.Color := clRed;
     

   • The complete procedure should look like this:

     procedure TForm1.btnClickMeClick(Sender: TObject);
     begin
       lblMessage.Caption := 'Hello, World!';
       lblMessage.Font.Color := clRed;
     end;
     

3. Compile and Run: Save, compile, and run the application to see the changes.

• Forgetting to Save: Always save your project before compiling to avoid losing changes.
• Incorrect Property Names: Ensure you use the correct property names (Caption, Font.Color, etc.).
• Event Handler Not Linked: Make sure the event handler is correctly linked to the button's OnClick event.

In this section, you have learned how to create a simple Delphi application, design a basic user interface, write event-driven code, and compile and run your application. This foundational knowledge will be crucial as you progress through more complex topics in Delphi programming. Next, we will delve into the basic syntax and structure of Object Pascal.