Delphi Version Features

Feature	Version
& operator for treating keywords as identifiers	Delphi 2006
{$ALIGN} compiler directive can take additional parameter 16 to set 16 byte alignment	Delphi XE
{$CODEALIGN} compiler directive	Delphi XE
{$EXCESSPRECISION} compiler directive for 64 bit compilers only	Delphi XE2
{$EXTERNALSYM} compiler directive	Delphi 4
{$HIGHCHARUNICODE} compiler directive	Delphi 2009
{$IF} & {$IFEND} compiler directives	Delphi 6
{$IFEND} directive no longer required to close {$IF} statements: {$ENDIF} can now be used instead.	Delphi XE4
{$IFOPT} compiler directive supports long directives: e.g. {$IFOPT SCOPEDENUMS ON}	Delphi 13
{$LEGACYIFEND} compiler directive	Delphi XE5
{$LIBPREFIX}, {$LIBSUFFIX} & {$LIBVERSION} compiler directives	Delphi 6
{$MESSAGE} compiler directive	Delphi 6
{$METHODINFO} compiler directive	Delphi 2006
{$POINTERMATH} compiler directive	Delphi 2009
{$PUSHOPT}& {$POPOPT} compiler directives	Delphi 13
{$REGION}& {$ENDREGION} compiler directives	Delphi XE
{$STRONGLINKTYPES} compiler directive	Delphi 4
{$TEXTBLOCK} compiler directive to determine how line breaks are treated in multiline strings.	Delphi 12
{$WARN} compiler directive	Delphi 7
{$WRITEABLECONST} compiler directive default value changes from ON to OFF.	Delphi 6
[ref] attribute	Delphi XE3
0..9
32 bit compiler & support for Windows 95	Delphi 2
64 bit compiler	Delphi XE2
64 bit binary versions of the Delphi 32 and 64 bit compilers	Delphi 12.2
A
Abstract classes	Delphi 2006
Actions & action lists	Delphi 4
Android 32 bit compiler & support	Delphi XE5
Android 64 bit compiler	Delphi 10.4
Anonymous methods / closures	Delphi 2009
AnsiString replaces ShortString as the default string type	Delphi 2
AnsiStrings (System.AnsiStrings) unit introduced	Delphi XE4
Atomic intrinsic functions AtomicExchange, AtomicIncrement, AtomicCmpExchange & AtomicDecrement	Delphi XE3
Attributes	Delphi 2010
B
Binary integer literals, e.g. %100101	Delphi 11
Build groups	Delphi XE
C
class constructors / destructors	Delphi 2010
Class data (class var)	Delphi 2006
Class helpers	Delphi 2006
Class helpers and record helpers can no longer access private data of the related class or record	Delphi 10.1
Class properties	Delphi 2005
Currency type	Delphi 2
Custom managed records, with Initialize and Finalize class operators	Delphi 13
Custom managed records, with Initialize and Finalize class operators simplified with implicit Self references	Delphi 10.4
D
Default intrinsic compiler routine (undocumented) that gets the default value of a given type	Delphi 2009
Default parameters in functions, procedures & methods	Delphi 4
delayed keyword (for loading of DLLs)	Delphi 2010
dependency directive (for specifying the dependencies of an external library)	Delphi XE4
deprecated directive	Delphi 6
deprecated directive with comment	Delphi 2009
DirectX 10 support	Delphi XE3
DirectoryExists function moved to SysUtils unit from FileCtrl	Delphi 6
Digit separators in integer and floating point literals: e.g. 1_000_000	Delphi 11
dispid directive	Delphi 3
dispinterface directive	Delphi 3
Dynamic array concatenation and addition extensions. Dynamic arrays can be initialised by assigning an array constant, as in DI := [1, 2, 3]; and can be concatenated using code like DI := DI + [1, 2, 3]; or DI := DJ + DK, where DI, DJ DK are all dynamic integer arrays	Delphi XE7
Dynamic array intrinsic routines. The Concat, Insert & Delete compiler intrinsic routines now operate on dynamic arrays	Delphi XE7
Dynamic arrays	Delphi 4
E
EncodePath, EncodeAuth, EncodeQuery & EncodeForm functions	Delphi 10.1
EOSError (instead of EWin32Error)	Delphi 6
ExcludeTrailingPathDelimiter function	Delphi 6
Exit with result parameter	Delphi 2009
experimental hinting directive	Delphi 6
Extended type changes size depending upon the hardware and operating system	Delphi XE2
F
FastMM memory manager	Delphi 2006
Final methods	Delphi 2006
FireMonkey cross platform framework (FMX)	Delphi XE2
FireMonkey cross platform framework v2 (FM)	Delphi XE3
FixedInt & FixedUInt types - 32 bit signed & unsigned integers respectively across all platforms	Delphi XE8
Floating point number comparison routines added to Math unit.	Delphi 6
Focus mode in IDE editor	Delphi 12.2
for.. in loops	Delphi 2005
Form inheritence	Delphi 2
Frames	Delphi 5
Function inlining	Delphi 2005
G
Generics	Delphi 2009
GetCompilerVersion & GetRTLVersion routines to get compiler & RTL versions as 16 bit unsigned integers with major version in the high byte and minor version in the low byte	Delphi 12
GetTypeKind intrinsic compiler function (undocumented)	Delphi XE7
H
HasWeakRef intrinsic compiler function (undocumented)	Delphi XE7
Hash (System.Hash) unit	Delphi XE8
I
IInterface	Delphi 6
implements keyword for properties	Delphi 4
IncludeTrailingPathDelim function	Delphi 6
Inline keyword	Delphi 2005
Inline if statement (Conditional Ternary Operator)	Delphi 13
Inline variable declarations	Delphi 10.3
Inner exceptions	Delphi 2009
Insert and Delete RTL routines can be used with dynamic arrays in a similar way to how they are used with strings	Delphi XE7
Int8 type	Delphi 2009
Int16 type	Delphi 2009
Int32 type	Delphi 2009
Int64 type	Delphi 4
Interface to object casting	Delphi 2010
iOS 32 bit compiler & support reintroduced	Delphi XE4
iOS 64 bit compiler	Delphi XE8
IOUtils unit	Delphi 2010
is not operator	Delphi 2013
IsConstValue intrinsic compiler function (undocumented)	Delphi XE7
IsManagedType intrinsic compiler function (undocumented)	Delphi XE7
IUnknown (COM based interfaces)7	Delphi 3
L
LargeUint type	Delphi 13
library directive	Delphi 6
Linux compiler for server applications	Delphi 10.2
Linux client platform support added via 3rd party FMXLinux library	Delphi 10.3.1
Live bindings for VCL & FMX	Delphi XE2
Long string literal support: string literals can now be longer than 255 characters	Delphi 12
LongInt & LongWord type sizes become platform dependent: 32 bit on 32 bit platforms, 64 bit on 64 bit platforms	Delphi XE8
LongWord type	Delphi 4
M
MacOS ARM 64 bit compiler	Delphi 11
macOS 32 bit compiler	Delphi XE2
macOS 64 bit compiler	Delphi 10.4
Margins and Padding properties on TControl	Delphi 2006
MariaDB support added	Delphi 10.2
Markdown support in IDE	Delphi 11.2
Metropolis UI for Windows 8 back to XP	Delphi XE3
Mobile form designer	Delphi XE4
MSBuild & build events	Delphi 2007
Multiline string literals, delimited by triple quotes (''')	Delphi 12
MySQL support	Delphi 2006
N
Namespaces [more info]	Delphi 2005
NaN intrinsic function	Delphi 13
NameOf type	Delphi 4
NativeInt & NativeUInt types	Delphi 7
NativeInt & NativeUInt types become weak references. They can no longer be used as separate types	Delphi 12
Nested constants within classes / records	Delphi 2005
Nested types within classes	Delphi 2005
not in operator	Delphi 13
O
OLE automation	Delphi 2
Operator overloading on records	Delphi 2006
out parameters & keywords	Delphi 3
overload directive	Delphi 4
Overloading for functions, procedures and methods	Delphi 4
P
package keyword and change to install components in packages	Delphi 3
Parallel library in RTL	Delphi XE7
platform directive	Delphi 6
Pointer type size becomes platform dependent: 32 bit on 32 bit platforms, 64 bit on 64 bit platforms	Delphi XE2
PosEx introduced	Delphi 7
PosEx became obsolete. Pos got third offset argument	Delphi XE3
R
real type changes from 8 bytes in size to 6 bytes and becomes an alias for Double. The Real48 is introduced as a 6 byte replacement for the old real	Delphi 4
RaiseLastOSError procedure	Delphi 6
Record Helpers for simple types	Delphi XE3
Record Helpers for simple types TDateTime and Currency types	Delphi 11
Records with methods	Delphi 2006
register calling convention	Delphi 2
Regular expression library	Delphi XE
resourcestring statement	Delphi 3
REST services components	Delphi XE5
RTTI enhancements	Delphi 2010
S
SafeLoadLibrary function	Delphi 5
Scoped enumerators (must have type name prefix)	Delphi 2009
Sealed classes	Delphi 2006
Sensor support for VCL & FMX	Delphi XE3
Skia integration	Delphi 12
Smart Code Insight with embedded AI	Delphi 12.2
Split editor views in IDE	Delphi 12
static directive for class methods	Delphi 2005
strict private and strict protected visibility specifiers	Delphi 2005
string type is UnicodeString	Delphi 2009
StrUtils unit	Delphi 6
T
TApplication.MainFormOnTaskbar property	Delphi 2007
TArray type in System unit	Delphi 2010
TBytes alias for array of Byte	Delphi 2007
Text format form files	Delphi 5
TForm.ShowInTaskbar property	Delphi 12
TFormatSettings and overloaded format and conversion routines that use it	Delphi 7
threadvar keyword and threading support	Delphi 2
TNoRefCountObject non-reference-counted IInterface implementation	Delphi 11
TOrderedDictionary - a sorted generic dictionary class	Delphi 12.2
TObject.Equals virtual method	Delphi 2009
TObject.GetHashCode virtual method	Delphi 2009
TObject.ToString virtual method	Delphi 2009
TObject.UnitName method	Delphi 2009
Touch support	Delphi 2010
TPair<TKey,TValue> record	Delphi 2009
TParallelArray - a class to enable running of some operations in parallel threads	Delphi 12.2
TProc<T1,...>, TFunc<T1,...> & TPredicate<T>	Delphi 2010
TRegistry supports access flags	Delphi 6
TRegistry.OpenKeyReadOnly method	Delphi 4
TryStrToXXXX routines added to SysUtils	Delphi 6
TStream supports 64 bit size and seek offsets	Delphi 6
TStringList.Create(OwnsObjects: Boolean) constructor overload	Delphi 2009
Typed constants can no longer be assigned values by default. The {$J+} compiler directive must be used to restore previous behaviour	Delphi 6
Types unit	Delphi 6
U
UInt8 type	Delphi 2009
UInt16 type	Delphi 2009
UInt32 type	Delphi 2009
UInt64 type	Delphi 7
Unicode identifier names	Delphi 2005
Unicode source files	Delphi 2005
Unicode support (inc Windows API)	Delphi 2009
UnicodeString type	Delphi 2009
Unit conversion handling (that's unit as in mm or inches, not unit as in source code unit)	Delphi 6
Unit scope names [More info]	Delphi XE2
UTF8 source files	Delphi 2005
UTF8Decode and UTF8Encode routines	Delphi 6
UTF8String type	Delphi 6
V
Variants unit	Delphi 6
VCL styles	Delphi XE2
W
WebStencils - scriptable text-processing engine	Delphi 12.2
WideString type	Delphi 3
Windows 7 & 8.1 styles	Delphi XE6
Windows 10 styles	Delphi 10
Windows Vista support (glass & themes)	Delphi 2007
Windows XP themes	Delphi 7
X
XML support	Delphi 5
XMLDoc documentation	Delphi 2005
Z
Zip file support added with new TZipFile class	Delphi XE2

Footnotes

1. All this information relates to the native Delphi compiler, not the .NET compiler.
2. From Delphi XE5 the use of the {$IFEND} directive results in a compiler error unless a {$LEGACYIFEND} directive precedes the first {$IFEND} directive or unless the use of legacy {$IFEND} is enabled in project options.
3. Source: EFG's Computer Lab (defunct website). This source also stated that the Math unit did not change from Delphi 4 to Delphi 5.

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Embarcadero Delphi 10.4 does not support Windows 7. Delphi 10.3 still does.

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RAD Studio 12 offers official support for iOS 17 (for Delphi only), Android 14, and macOS Sonoma. RAD Studio 12 also supports Ubuntu 22 LTS and Windows Server 2022.