Runtime Packages

Runtime Packages is a set of packages containing units and classes that are used by the other packages on my Delphi Website.

Last updated 13th September 2009

LowLevel120

The LowLevel120 package contains low level units and classes:

• Import units for the RichOLE, MultiLanguage and HTML help libraries
   
• Simple functions for rotating & manipulating bitmaps and creating web colour palettes
   
• Functions for converting Delphi strings (unicode) to and from the various Internet character sets
   
• A set of functions to help store program settings - in the registry, in .ini files or as XML
   
• Text I/O classes that let you read and write text files, including unicode text files a line at a time
   
• Enhanced search functions, including Google-like string searching.

ImageTypes120

The ImageTypes120 package used to contain all sorts of classes for manipulating images, including GIF & PNG images.  However equivalent classes now come with Delphi 2009 as standard.  So the package simply contains:

• The TExIcon & TExCursor classes.  These allow you to manipulate the individual images within an icon or cursor, including changing their pixel format and colour palette on-the-fly.

ResourceUtils120

The ResourceUtils120 package contains classes to manipulate Windows modules (.dll, .bpl, .exe, .obj etc.) and resource files (.res & .rc)

• Module level classes allow you to access modules and access their sections - code sections, data sections and the various other sections that make up a Windows module including of course, resource sections.
  
  These are powerful classes.  Imbedded within them is the ability to create new .exe files from scratch.  There's even an experimental disassembler class to disassemble code sections from modules and .obj files
   
• Resource file classes allow you to extract resources from .res files and .rc files.  The .rc extractor contains a C expression parser in order to be able to handle the 'include' statements in the RC files.  In addition, the .res extractor classes allow you to create new .res files.
   
• Resource encapsulation classes are provided to allow you to manipulate, bitmap, icon, cursor, menu, accelerator, dialog, string, HTML & XP manifest resources.  They even let you extract for display the compressed bitmap 'RC Data' resources that Delphi 2009 uses to store it's Ribbon Controls!

You can see the ResourceUtils120 classes in action in my Resource Editor

NTLowLevel120

Seeing as how Delphi 2009 only supports NT based operating systems - XP & Vista - I should really subsume this package into LowLevel120.  Nevertheless, for historic reasons it remains stand-alone.  It contains:

• Import units for the IP helper API, the Lan Manager API (still useful, even with Active Directory), Selective useful bits from the NTDDK, SSPI & SChannel (the low level functions that let you write SSL clients & servers), and WinCrypt
   
• Classes for controlling the access control lists of NT objects (files, registry keys, security descriptors, etc.)
   
• A powerful helper class for SSPI which lets you easily do NTLM user/password validation, challenge/response sessions leading to impersonation and SSL encryption and decryption