The Journey
The journey of QTX, also known as Quartex Pascal, is a story of innovation, resilience, and a passion for programming languages. It began in the spring of 2014 as a personal research project aimed at exploring new frontiers in programming languages and compiler technology.
The Genesis of Quartex Pascal
At the time, the developer behind QTX was heavily involved with Smart Mobile Studio, a commercial development tool that enabled developers to create mobile applications using Object Pascal. However, a desire to push the boundaries beyond what was possible with Smart Pascal led to the birth of QTX. The initial goal was to experiment with cross-compilation, support for multiple languages, and even bytecode compilation. The first iteration of QTX was a private endeavor, a personal playground where ideas could be tested and refined without the constraints of a commercial product.
A Vision Beyond Boundaries
As time passed, it became evident that the original vision for Smart Mobile Studio and QTX diverged. The challenges of working within a company structure, where different stakeholders had varying ideas, led to a pivotal decision. In 2018, the developer chose to leave the company and focus entirely on QTX. This decision was not easy, but it was necessary to preserve the integrity of the vision.
Building a New Foundation
With the freedom to innovate, the next step was to create a new development toolchain from scratch. This involved converting the personal research library, known as the QTX Framework, into a fully independent runtime library and integrated development environment (IDE). The goal was to optimize the JavaScript runtime for performance and to ensure that QTX could generate high-performance JavaScript code from Object Pascal.
The Birth of Quartex Pascal
After months of research and development, the RTL (runtime library) and IDE were added to a Patreon page, marking the official launch of Quartex Pascal. QTX was now a standalone product, offering developers the ability to create web, mobile, and server applications using a modern, web-centric Pascal language. The IDE was designed to be lightweight, yet powerful, with features like a robust property inspector, visual form designer, and support for third-party libraries and packages.
The Evolution of QTX
As QTX evolved, it incorporated features that set it apart from other development environments. These included cluster computing capabilities, support for Node.js, and platform independence inspired by the legacy Commodore Amiga OS. QTX also placed a strong emphasis on educational use, making it an ideal tool for teaching modern web development using a language that has stood the test of time.
Looking to the Future
Today, QTX stands as a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of staying true to one’s vision. It continues to evolve, driven by a passionate community of developers and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with Pascal. The journey of QTX is far from over, with plans to further enhance its capabilities, expand its user base, and solidify its place as a leading development environment for modern applications.
Quartex Pascal is not just a product; it’s a movement that seeks to redefine how we think about programming languages, development tools, and the future of software development.