> Just try to build even a small program written for Windows 95 or 98 today.
This largely works if it was written in Delphi.
This largely works if it was written in Delphi.
Well...
The code might very well work the same, but the dependencies were a nightmare: They were scattered across 14 different CDs and web sites. One provider of often used components had gone out of business, luckily those components were released on sourceforge.
Since there wasn't pom.xml (forgive me for mentioning a Java-thing here, but this was long before package.json or ProjectName.csconf was invented) in Delphi projects one also had to go through a bit of research, trial and error to figure out which versions was needed and the exact ones that were compatible with each other.
Luckily we had a seasoned, well paid Delphi expert at hand and we got it working in just under 3 days.
If anything I'd say this is a great example of (one form of) bit rot.
Now that I think of it it might very well have been the same week that I left behind my last bit of prejudice against Java and started openly preferring it.