Why are there so many $IF DEFINED(CLR) in the VCL/RTL?

Question

I've just compared the Delphi 2009 VCL/RTL code to the 2010 one.

I noticed that there are many $IF DEFINED(CLR) conditional defines and they got more in the 2010 version.

I thought that these conditional defines have fall into disuse, since Delphi .NET has been discontinued. The VCL/RTL aren't really used in Delphi Prism? Or are they?

Answer 1

We're still using Delphi.NET internally for parts of the IDE and for some of the .NET versions of DBXpress delivered with Delphi Prism. Because of that, we're maintaining the CLR portions insofar as what is needed by those parts of the product. We're also actively reworking things to reduce and eventually eliminate our own dependence on Delphi.NET.

I suppose we could have stripped those portions of the code out...