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C++Builder Frequently Asked Questions

Use best-in-class libraries and visual design to build Windows apps fast!

C++Builder is the award winning rapid C++ application development toolset for high-performance native Windows development, with broad Cloud and IoT support. It features updated Clang and C++17 support with the fastest Windows 11 development tools. C++Builder is your choice for ultra-fast enterprise development™. Enhancements include first-class high DPI support for both your applications and the IDE itself, C++ language extensions to meet the common problems that C++ developers encounter, and a beautiful, native, incredibly fast to use UI design system Whether it's consumer-facing, business, database, engineering, scientific or any other kind of software, C++Builder is 5x faster than alternative solutions for development and deployment for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 11.

C++Builder - The Dedicated C++ Application Development Platform for Windows.

C++Builder includes a comprehensive set of additional tools to help you do more than ever before. These are generally special editions of the tools created to be bundled with C++Builder and the feature sets may differ from the full commercial versions.

  • FastReport VCL RAD edition and FastReport FireMonkey Embarcadero Edition from Fast Reports so you can quickly design and generate reports
  • TeeChart Standard from Steema provides quick and easy-to-use charting components
  • CodeSite Express logging tools for building quality applications
  • AQtime Standard from SmartBear for performance profiling
  • Beyond Compare Text Compare lets you view differences between source files
  • IntraWeb from Atozed for building web applications in the same way you build C++Builder applications

C++Builder is available in English, French, German and Japanese. The installer lets you choose any combination of languages and it's easy to switch between languages in the IDE.

You can view pricing and purchase C++Builder from Embarcadero Sales, one of our valuable partners, or our online Embarcadero Shop site.

We also have a Community Edition for non-commercial use (please check the EULA to see if you are eligible) and an Academic license for students and schools.

Plus, if you want the option of a much more affordable license, we also have a subscription Term license!

The first year of Support & Maintenance is included at the time you purchase your C++Builder product. The Update Subscription agreement gives you a year of upgrades (including major version releases) and a specified number of support incidents. See here for more information.

With Support & Maintenance, you get the latest feature updates and upgrades as they are released. C++Builder is under very active development with major new language and productivity features regularly, as well as constant ongoing quality work. Update Subscription is generally the most cost effective way to stay up-to-date with the latest versions.

Updates and additional software for C++Builder users are available on the Registered Products Portal. More major new feature upgrades are available only to users with current Support & Maintenance agreements. Notifications for those upgrades are delivered via email and the upgrades can be downloaded via the Maintenance Portalor by following the instructions in the email.

C++Builder is available in five editions - Community, the Pro Term License, Professional, Enterprise, and Architect. See the C++Builder product editions page and Feature Matrix for details on the differences between the editions.

For more information on the newest features in C++Builder, be sure to visit the C++Builder What's New page and the Feature Matrix.

C++Builder is available with multiple licensing options including:

  • Individual named user licenses delivered via electronic software delivery (ESD) as a download and serial number. Discounted 5-packs and 10-packs are also available.
  • Network Named and Concurrent user licenses which provides the additional flexibility of managing licenses on a license server plus software provisioning.
  • Network licenses managed by Flexera FlexNet are available on a special request basis.
  • Academic individual licenses for students and educators as well as volume licenses for classroom use.
  • Subscription Term license significantly cheaper and more affordable, and ideal for solo devs or small teams.

Yes, 11 Alexandria and earlier versions to C++Builder 7 are included with your purchase of the latest version. See the Previous Versions page for further details.

Term licenses do not include access to older versions.

No. They are considered part of your license and are tied to your user account. They cannot be given away or sold.

Your earlier version license, and the version you upgrade to, are considered one named user license that covers both versions. If you already own an earlier version and go to the web page and request the same version license, you will just get a resend of your existing serial number.

Some of those earlier products are only available as Professional and Enterprise editions.

We can't guarantee that the older versions will be available indefinitely, so you should be sure to download your earlier version software and licenses within 180 days.

The earlier versions are available in English, French, German and Japanese. For versions 2007 and later, there is a single download and you choose the language at install time. For version 6, there is a separate download for each localized version.

The Academic edition can be used only for learning in an academic or classroom environment. Educational institutions cannot use the academic version to produce software for use within their institution. Academic products do not qualify for upgrade pricing to commercial licenses.

It could be a little confusing for some customers when they purchase C++Builder and receive fifteen different serial numbers and download links, especially when most people use either the latest version only, or the latest plus a single older version they are upgrading from. We tried to keep it simple by just delivering the license for the purchased version and allow you to request the other licenses as needed.

Version 2006 included some third party licensed code that we are no longer able to ship. C++Builder 5 and earlier were discontinued years ago and we don't have plans to bring them back.

That version used an earlier version of our licensing technology.

Yes. When you first run the product, a small application will open and ask you to register the product. Once that is done, and your product key is validated, then your product will be registered and installed.

InterBase Developer Edition is InterBase Server licensed for up to 20 users (80 database connections). The InterBase software is automatically installed with a default install of Delphi and licensed with your Delphi serial number. An InterBase ToGo Test Deployment license is also included in your Delphi license. You can deploy InterBase ToGo for testing purposes using the ToGo Test Deployment serial number included as part of your Delphi order delivery email. This is not available for AppWave Network license users.

When you're ready to deploy applications using InterBase, Embarcadero offers a variety of editions (Desktop, Server and ToGo) and a variety of licensing options (subscription licensing for ToGo, flexible server licensing, multi-packs, OEM licensing). Contact Embarcadero Sales or Partners for more information. See the license terms in the C++Builder license.rtf file for additional licensing details.

The export status for the RAD Studio IDE and C++Builder is 5D992C - Mass Market

The open source project is http://sourceforge.net/projects/radstudioverins/. The repository for the open source code is available from the "Code" tab when you're logged in to SourceForge web site or at https://svn.code.sf.net/p/radstudioverins/code/trunk/.

C++Builder focuses on Windows development. You can target mobile devices by downloading a license for an older version, such as 11.3.

FireDAC provides easy-to-use, high performance, multi-device enterprise database connectivity for Delphi, C++Builder and RAD Studio. With its powerful universal architecture FireDAC enables direct access from your application from your Windows and iOS C++Builder applications to Oracle, SQL Server, InterBase, DB2, Firebird, SQLite, IBLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Anywhere, Advantage DB, Access, Informix, DataSnap and more. In addition to blazing speed and universal access, FireDAC also supports vendor specific database features as well as deployment across multiple client operating systems and device platforms.

FireDAC is included as part of the install. Features vary by edition with local/embedded database connectivity to select databases in Professional edition and local/embedded plus enterprise database connectivity in Enterprise edition or higher. More information is available at the FireDAC page.

Yes. You can develop applications on any of the supported development platforms and deploy your app to any of the supported deployment platforms - even if they are different.

For latest supported platforms and installation requirements, please see Supported Platforms and Devices document.

Because of the use of Unicode as the default string type, Windows 98, 95, and ME will not run applications produced with C++Builder 2009 or later. These operating systems do not support Unicode strings, and Microsoft has dropped support for them.

Applications built with C++Builder 2009-XE2 and VCL will run on Windows 2000 or later. Applications built with C++Builder XE3-XE5 will run on Windows XP and later. Applications built with C++Builder versions from XE6 onwards will run on Windows 7 or later.

Most existing code will work fine using the new default String = UnicodeString. Code that does byte level manipulation of string data, or that carries data in string variables probably needs to be examined and perhaps updated to account for the new character sizes inherent in Unicode string data. For more information, see the documentation and Embarcadero Developer Network for information about moving existing code to Unicode.

Yes, you should be able to do so, depending on the installed components required by your projects. C++Builder uses the MSBuild system for the build engine, and thus requires a new project file if you are upgrading from version 2007 or earlier. However, the IDE will seamlessly update your projects to the new format.

Very old projects, such as C++Builder 6, can no longer be opened directly. However you can create a new project and drag-and-drop your files from Explorer into it.

No. C++Builder produces native binaries for Windows. You can import .NET assemblies as COM objects, but the code produced by C++Builder is strictly native code.

Some of the functionality of the IDE requires these software packages.

No. Applications produced with C++Builder do not require any .NET runtime support. The product produces native compiled Windows applications based on the Windows API.

Yes, C++Builder coexists nicely with earlier versions of RAD Studio, C++Builder, and Delphi.

Yes, the 64-bit Windows compiler is included in C++Builder.

The Migration & Upgrade Center page has videos, information, resources and tips on creating 64-bit applications with C++Builder.