What is the "current" Delphi web app framework?

Question

I'm looking at Delphi web server apps, and the first thing I notice when I go into the New Items dialog is that there are several different frameworks.

WebBroker looks the nicest from a conceptual standpoint, but in the documentation it looks like its DB and session-management code is tied to the BDE, which makes it somewhat less than useful today.

WebSnap looks very similar, but the documentation says it's deprecated and IW ("VCL for the Web") should be used instead.

So I look at IW, and I can't make heads or tails of how it's supposed to work. The sample code is full of stuff that looks like it belongs in a desktop app, like clicking a button to fire an event handler to change the caption of a form element. (Wouldn't that have to be done client-side in JavaScript if we're creating a webpage?)

So what's the current standard framework for building a web server in Delphi?

Answer 1

While there are several commercial options available for writing web apps with Delphi, in my opinion Delphi no longer ships with a modern web development solution included as part of the package.

If I had to give an answer to your question though I would say that the current out of the box Delphi web framework is WebBroker. WebBroker is the only web framework included with Delphi that isn't deprecated or restricted in its functionality.

WebBroker was introduced perhaps as far back as Delphi 4. It's a good honest work horse but it hasn't really been improved much since it was first introduced. It leaves you to do most of the heavy lifting but it also doesn't get in your way. WebSnap and IntraWeb were built using WebBroker as their foundation which gives you idea of the level of services it provides.

A full version of IntraWeb has been bundled with Delphi Enterprise for many years but as of Delphi XE it now has several limitations (no SSL, no ISAPI deployment, 20 minute idle timeout) that will very likely mean you'll need to buy a license from AtoZed to use it seriously.

The version of IntraWeb bundled with Delphi Pro has always been far too limited to be considered anything other than an evaluation version.

Answer 2

Old question but still deserves an up-to-date answer.

Current 'settled in' solutions are:

IntraWeb:

https://www.atozed.com/intraweb/

uniGUI:

http://unigui.com/

Introduction
uniGUI Web Application Framework extends Web application development experience to a new dimension. uniGUI enables Delphi developers to create, design and debug web applications in IDE using a unique set of visual components. Each component is designed to provide same functionality of its counterpart visual component in Delphi VCL. This provides a very comfortable development environment very close to native VCL application development with an easy learning curve.  uniGUI Web applications can be deployed to a server using one of the available deployment options such as Windows Service, Standalone Server or ISAPI Module.

Product Highlights:

Based on industry's most advanced JavaScript library Sencha Ext JS.
Includes OEM license for Sencha Ext JS. (Please see licensing for details).
A unique platform to create stateful web applications.
Complete IDE support for creating projects, designing forms, frames and handling data modules.
Advanced support for scripting client side JavaScript events.
Library core is fully optimized to achieve highest level of scalability.
Including advanced Stress Test Tool utility.
Comes with various deployment options: ISAPI Module, Standalone Server and Windows Service.
Supported Delphi versions: Turbo Delphi Pro, Delphi 2006, Delphi 2007, Delphi 2009, Delphi 2010, Delphi XE, XE2, XE3, XE4, X5, XE6, XE7, XE8, Delphi 10 Seattle, 10.1 Berlin, 10.2.3 Tokyo and 10.3.3 Rio (Win32 & Win64 platforms). (Linux support is in the roadmap)
C++ Builder supported.
Supported Browsers: IE 9+, Microsoft Edge, FireFox, Chrome, Safari and Opera
New state-of-the-art uniGUI HyperServer technology.

TMS WebCore:

https://www.tmssoftware.com/site/tmswebcore.asp

RADical Web
Modern SPA web application model
Pure HTML5/CSS3/Javascript based applications
Standard component framework for common UI controls and access to browser features
Debugging in Pascal code via the browser
Backed by a solid & proven Delphi Pascal to Javascript compiler that was years in development

Reuse skills and components Component based RAD development integrated
in the Delphi IDE A truly revolutionary & innovative TMS FNC component
framework that is now also web enabled, allowing to create UI controls
that can be used on VCL, FMX, LCL and WEB! Open to consume other
existing Javascript frameworks & libraries Open to use HTML/CSS for
design Open to use other jQuery controls or even other Javascript
frameworks Offers Pascal class wrappers for jQuery controls from the
jQWidgets library Easy interfacing to REST cloud services including to
TMS XData for database

Easy Deployment Application consists of HTML & Javascript files only
that can be easily deployed on any light or heavyweight webservers Use
any existing load-balancing software and/or techniques for highest
performance Small and convenient debug webserver is included for fast
RAD development

Answer 3

http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/en/DataSnap_Overview_and_Architecture

DataSnap has been there for a long time, and the latest releases is DCOM-free. You can utilize it to build up server side piece (S in both C/S and B/S). Its current role is almost like WCF in .NET world.

Then if you are building a web site front end, you can use IW. But DataSnap makes it even possible to build up front end using PHP or other web technologies.