• MSBuild: The IDE now supports the MSBuild build engine instead of the previous internal make system. When you open a pre-existing project, the IDE automatically converts the project to the MSBuild format and changes the project extension. You can also use the MSBuild Console (on the Start menu) or MSBuild.exe to build projects from the command line.
• Build events: You can specify both DOS commands and macros that are to be performed either before or after compiling your project.
• Build Configurations: You can now create named build configurations on the Project Options window. To apply a named build configuration to a project or project group, use the new Build Configuration Manager, available on the Project menu.
• Vista and XP Themes: The IDE now supports Vista and XP themes. Themes are on by default, but you can disable themes for either the IDE or for individual applications.
• Multi-select in Project Manager: You can select multiple files for commands such as Open, Save, Save As, and Remove from Project in the Project Manager context menu.
• New File Browser: You can invoke the new File Browser to view files on disk and interact with the Windows shell.

• Prevent scrolling of the event log: A new option on the ToolsOptionsDebugger OptionsEvent Log page prevents the event log from scrolling new events into view as they occur.
• CPU windows: You can now open individual panes of the CPU window, such as the Disassembly, CPU Stack, and Registers panes. These single panes of the CPU window are dockable; you can undock the panes and dock them elsewhere in the IDE according to your needs. The CPU window also now automatically closes when you end the debugging session, and the Disassembly pane contains two new options (Show Opcodes and Show Addresses).
• Call Stack Window: You can now set a breakpoint on a particular frame.
• Ignore non-user breakpoints: You can now specify that the debugger is to ignore breakpoints that you did not specifically set using the IDE.
• Debug Source Path: The source path for debugging is now a global setting that you create on the ProjectOptionsDebugger page.
• New toolbar button: The Notify on Language Exceptions command is now an icon on the ViewToolbarsCustomizeCategories Run page. You can click and drag the icon to your toolbar for quick access.
• Transparent tooltips: To make a debugger evaluator tooltip transparent, press the CTRL key when the tooltip is displayed. Making a tooltip transparent enables you to read the screen behind the tooltip.

Many changes have been made to improve support for database application development in RAD Studio.

Unicode support has been added to the Oracle, Interbase, and MySQL dbExpress drivers. 

New driver clients have been added: Interbase 2007 and MySQL 4.1 and 5. 

A new dbExpress framework has been created. You can use this framework both to interface with existing drivers and to write new drivers by extending dbExpress framework's abstract classes. You can use the framework directly for both native and managed applications.  

A delegate driver is a driver between the application and the actual driver. Delegate drivers allow for pre and post processing of all public methods and properties of the dbExpress 4 framework. Delegate drivers are useful for connection pooling, driver profiling, tracing, and auditing. Sample delegate drivers area provided. 

The dbExpress VCL component's API has changed slightly. Most applications are not affected by changes to the dbExpress VCL. However, there are some methods, properties, events, constants, and enums that were removed or replaced with equivalent functionality.  

You can also use the dbExpress VCL components that are layered on top of the framework for both native and managed applications. There are some minor API changes in the VCL components to the TSQLConnection class (method changes), TSQLDataSet (new property), and data structures (some are removed or replaced). See dbExpress Framework Compatibility for more information. 

The dbExpress driver framework:

• is written entirely in the Delphi language and allows drivers to be written in Delphi.
• uses strongly typed data access instead of pointers. For instance, the framework uses String types rather than pointers to strings.
• is single sourced. This means that a single copy of the source can be compiled with either the native DCC32 or managed DCCIL compilers.
• has only Abstract base classes that are used for drivers, connections, commands, readers, and so on.
• uses exception-based error handling rather than returning error codes.

AJAX: RAD Studio supports AJAX-based RAD VCL for the Web development. 

Microsoft Vista Compatibility: RAD Studio provides components, classes, methods, and properties that are compatible with the look and feel of the Vista operating system. 

New components: The following new components have been added to the Visual Component Library:

• TFileOpenDialog
• TFileSaveDialog
• TTaskDialog

• TCustomFileDialog
• TCustomFileOpenDialog
• TCustomFileSaveDialog
• TCustomTaskDialog
• TFavoriteLinkItem
• TFavoriteLinkItems
• TFavoriteLinkItemsEnumerator
• TFileTypeItem
• TFileTypeItems
• TTaskDialogBaseButtonItem
• TTaskDialogButtonItem
• TTaskDialogButtons
• TTaskDialogButtonsEnumerator
• TTaskDialogProgressBar
• TTaskDialogRadioButtonItem

MSBuild Overview 

Creating Build Events 

Build Configuration Manager 

Disabling Themes for the IDE and for the Application 

dbExpress Framework Compatibility 

File Browser