Understanding Packages A package is a specially compiled library used by applications, the IDE, or both. Packages allow you to rearrange
where code resides without affecting the source code. This is sometimes referred to as application partitioning.
Runtime packages provide functionality when a user runs an application. Design-time packages are used to install
components in the IDE and to create special property editors for custom components. A single package can function
at both design time and runtime, and design-time packages frequently work by referencing runtime packages in their
requires clauses.
On Win32, package files end with the .bpl (Borland package library) extension. On the .NET platform, packages are .
NET assemblies, and end with an extension of .dll
Ordinarily, packages are loaded statically when an applications starts. But you can use the
LoadPackage
and
UnloadPackage
routines (in the
SysUtils
unit) to load packages dynamically.
Note: When an application utilizes packages, the name of each packaged unit still must appear in the uses clause
of any source file that references it.
