Can't open previous saved project

Good Evening all,

I hope you will be able to assist. First, I am very new to programming and need plenty of help.

I have just started with the text book yesterday. I have installed Delphi 2009 which I got through UNISA press.

I have done some of the first exercises where we create the button and change the colour to purple when you click on the "colour" button. I have, once I completed this part did the "Save all" as instructed in the text book. Now this evening when I tried to open the project I get the following error:

The Project can not be loaded because the required personality is not available

So now to be able to continue working through the text book, I redid what I did yesterday without closing the project down, but I did save all. I have now gotten as far as doing the two buttons but need to carry on. After I closed Delphi down I tried to open up the new project and I am getting the same error.

Can someone please help as I can't find where I have gone wrong and it doesn't seem that UNISA CTN is going to be having Tutorials so there is no lecture that I can go and get assistance from.

Any help will be much appreciated.

If you would like to talk over the phone let me know and I will give you a call.

Thanks
Ashley

Hi Ashley.
Just to be sure, is this the procedure you follow when you start and save a project.
To start new project.
File -> New -> VCL Forms Application - Delphi.
To save project
File -> Save As -> File name: Sample.pas
File -> Save Project As -> File name: Sample.dproj

Now to open Sample.dproj
File -> Open Project -> Sample

Now if you followed that procedure and you still getting the error, then I suggest you re-install Delphi.

If you still have no luck then we can arrange to meet up so that I can see if I can physically help. 6 eyes is always better that two. I am also in Cape Town.

I have a problem with Delphi 7 saving. Save All does not work correctly either.
I use Save As for the unit and Save Project As for the project. Which is fine, but the file names cannot be the same.
ie sample.pas and sample.dpr (even though there have different extensions)

Question: Can you now use the same filename in Delphi 2009?

Hi kiolb.

My bad. I was wrong. You cannot save the unit file and the project with the same name, even if they have different extensions. The manual is also very clear on this, and instructs us to mark the unit file with a "u" and the project file with a "p".
So our case would be:
File -> Save As -> File name: SampleU.pas
File -> Save Project As -> File name: SampleP.dproj

As for the "Save All". Mine works.
Does your "Save All" not work at all? What about after you did the initial "save as" and "save project as" routine?

I will try Save All some time again and post back.

Hi guys,

Ok, I found the solution - it does sometimes help to have a team of Delphi guys sitting two floors down from my office

Retlaw, thanks for getting back to me. Now the solution. firstly I am running Delphi 2009 on my windows 7 machine. Secondly (even though I am administrator) when I run Delphi, I need to right click and say run as administrator and then work on my projects. Only then will you be able to open up a previous project.

Now apparently I can change it in my OS to not require me to run the programs as administrator. I just need to try and locate it

Kiolb, maybe see if you need to do the same? When you want to run your Delphi program, right click and see if you have the option to say "Run as Administrator"

Retlaw, are you doing INF151-1 this semester? If you are how do you feel about us organizing a study group for this module, decide on a day of the week or Saturday after other UNISA classes?

let me know, you can contact me on ashleyvds@gmail.com

Just a suggestion, consider running VirtualBox on your machine. Run a virtual OS like Windows2000 or WindowsXP. The great thing about a virtual instance is you can create a dedicated development enviroment.

You can create a virtual instance for each module if you want to. This is what I do. I have a instance for INF151, an instance for COS221, etc

Whats also great is you can export the virtual instance to another PC. Great for when you do upgrades or work at separate enviroments

--------------------------------------------------------------
Don't Assume Everything is a Nail Just Because You Have a Really Big Hammer

Hi Ashley, glad you are sorted out. I thought things were supposed to be easier with windows 7?
As for the study group suggestion: I will give that one a pass. Maybe there is some other guys that would like to. I just think that this is not as difficult a module to warrant forming a study group. If there is something we can't fix or solve via this online medium, then yes I will consider taking time out to meet with anyone or group who is willing.

Hi cbrunsdonza, How does the licencing work with various instances of an OS? Do you need a licence per instance or just one for all? Please explain.

Microsoft licensing is weird - they are forever revising it. For a Virtual OS instance you are only allowed one instance to run at a time (as per Vista licence).

I've done this with WindowsXP. I have about 3 instances currently but only ever run one at a time. I created a single instance, registered it and then cloned it. I've kept the "master" instance clean and only use that for cloning. My physical WindowsXP install has its own licence.

Not here to advocate piracy and breaking licence conditions, but what you do at home is your indaba and M$ is unlikely to bust you. Now doing this at work is a different thing and do it legal or don't do it at all. (At work I use a single licensed WindowsXP virtual instance)


EDIT: BTW I have 3 separate,legal, WindowsXP licenses: Physical one at home; Home virtual instance; work virtual instance

--------------------------------------------------------------
Don't Assume Everything is a Nail Just Because You Have a Really Big Hammer

Too much red tape for me. I'll stick to my Ubuntu/WindowsXP dual boot.

retlaw Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Too much red tape for me. I'll stick to my
> Ubuntu/WindowsXP dual boot.


Well you can even run Delphi in Ubuntu under wine anyway.

Except for CEM101 (Office2007) I've been able to use Ubuntu for every module so far

--------------------------------------------------------------
Don't Assume Everything is a Nail Just Because You Have a Really Big Hammer

I agree, I've been using Ubuntu +-80% of the time.

Save All work...
now that I understand the unit and project files need different names.

i installed vIrtual box, whole new concept to me, in Ubuntu and now I have no clue whats next. Do i need an OS disk?
What is this virtual box. Does it mean whatever i do in there, say i have xp running, stays inside this V-box?
i doubt any windows viruses will prosper on linux, so does it mean i can do all i want in Vbox xp and still be able to do my banking in Ubuntu?
what are the risks?

@basicgerm
Now you create a VM (virtual machine) and configure it. One step is to say which OS you will install. So you will need a install disc or ISO of that OS for installation.
Like installing a clean, new PC, but virtual. If installing Windows, the VM can be infected with viruses/malware.

with the VM infected, will it affect Ubuntu or just that VM.?

Just the VM instance.

Thats also why I create a virgin install of XP and then replicate the VM instance. Should me VM get infected, I delete and then replicate/clone the virgin install.

It takes a while to truley understand the VM concept, but once you do you will never look back.

A lot of guys even do XP VMs on their XP machines, so its not just for Linux users.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Don't Assume Everything is a Nail Just Because You Have a Really Big Hammer