A project is a collection of files
that make up an application or dynamic-link library. Some of these files are
created at design time. Others are generated when you compile the project
source code.
You can combine projects into a project group. Project groups let
you organize and work on related projects, such as applications and DLLs that
function together or parts of a multi-tiered application.
You can view the files that make
up a project in the Project Manager (see Viewing a project’s contents).
Although you can edit many of these files directly, it is often easier and more
reliable to use the visual tools in this product. You should, however,
understand the files and file types that make up a project.
Single project files, which
describe individual projects, have a .dpr extension. Project files contain
directions for building an application or library. When you add and remove
files using the Project Manager, the product updates the project file.
The product reads the uses clause of the project (.dpr) file to determine which units are part of a project. Only units that appear in the uses clause followed by the keyword in and a file name are considered part of the current project. For example, here is the default project file for new applications:
program
Project1;
uses
Forms,
Unit1 in 'Unit1.pas' {Form1};
{$R *.res}
begin
Application.Initialize;
Application.CreateForm(TForm1, Form1);
Application.Run;
end.
The project defined above uses two
units: Forms and Unit1. Only Unit1, however, is actually part of the project.
The project group file contains
make commands to build the projects in the project group, has a .bpg extension.
Any time you add a project to the project group, a reference to that project is
added to the .bpg file.
You can also add additional types of files to your project (using drag and drop or Project|Add to Project) and view them in the editor as text files. You can also add resource files, and they are compiled into .res files and linked when you compile the project.