? A 35-Year-Old Turbo Pascal Program Gets a Delphi 11.3 FMX Facelift

[DP News-Robot]

Back in 1989, while stationed at MCAS Cherry Point as a U.S. Marine, I wrote a debt reduction program using Turbo Pascal. I called it Zilch. It was a side project—a DOS program to help people get out of debt faster by applying logic and structure to their monthly payments.

What I didn’t expect was that the program would still be alive 35 years later… and that I’d be rewriting it in Delphi 11.3 FMX to run natively on both Windows and macOS.

Today that same program—has helped over 16,000 people eliminate more than $114 million in debt. It’s been featured on Good Morning America, profiled in Military Lifestyle magazine, and used by people from all walks of life who just wanted a fair shot at financial freedom.

Turbo Pascal 1991 (640 x 480)

Delphi 5 2000 (640 x 480)


Delphi 5 2019 (640 x 480)


Delphi 11.3 FMX 2025 (Light)



Delphi 11.3 FMX 2025 (Dark)

? Rewriting It with Delphi 11.3 FMX

After years of maintaining a Windows-only VCL version, I finally gave the software a full FireMonkey makeover. The new version runs beautifully on 64-bit Windows and macOS, thanks to Delphi’s powerful cross-platform capabilities.

Here’s what I used:

• Delphi 11.3 Alexandria (FMX)
  
• SQLite for local embedded storage
  
• FastReport FMX for printable reports
  
• Pure native code — no external dependencies, no subscriptions, no nonsense

I designed the UI using nested TLayout structures with TRectangle backgrounds and TLabel overlays for text. Simple. Clean. Predictable. Just the way I like it.

? Hoping to Share This Story Wider

I recently sent out a press release titled:

“Veteran’s 34-Year-Old Software Quietly Wipes Out $114M in Debt”

I'm hoping it catches the attention of journalists—not because it's flashy, but because it's quietly helped people get out of debt with logic, structure, and a clear plan.

But if the story does spread, I want the Delphi community to know this moment belongs to all of us.



I didn't build this alone.

? Thank You, Delphi Community

I want to take a moment to thank the developers and authors who helped me along the way—people whose work made this possible, directly or indirectly:

• Jeff Duntemann, whose Complete Turbo Pascal (1989) was my original gateway into programming. Without that book, none of this would have happened.
  
• Ray Konopka, for his generous email responses and beautifully structured coding guidance. His style continues to shape how I write and organize code.
  
• Cary Jensen, for his FireDAC and database wisdom. Cary’s knowledge and books helped me modernize the back-end without losing the software’s soul.
  
• Ian Barker, for both encouragement and that persistent (okay, desperate) nudge to add a dark theme. You were right, Ian. It looks sharp. ?
  
• Andrea Magni, for Delphi GUI Programming with FireMonkey. His insights helped me tame layouts and think more visually in FMX.
  
• David Cornelius, for Fearless Cross-Platform Development with Delphi. That book gave me the confidence to finally step outside of the Windows-only box.
  
• Harry Stahl, for Cross-Platform Development with Delphi 10.2 and FireMonkey, which filled in several key gaps during this transition.
  
• William Meyer, for Delphi Legacy Projects. His book helped me realize where I’d been going off track from the beginning—and finally set me straight in the right direction.
  

To all of you—thank you. Whether it was your book, your blog, your talk, or a few kind words on Twitter or in an email… you’ve helped keep ZilchWorks alive.

? Final Thoughts

I’ve always believed that code should serve people—and this project has served thousands. Not because it’s cutting edge, but because it’s clear, honest, and built to last.

Delphi made that possible.

If you’re a Delphi developer with a legacy app—or a dusty old Turbo Pascal project—you don’t have to rewrite it in something new. Sometimes, all it needs is a fresh FMX coat of paint.

Thanks for reading.



Semper Fi,
Gunny Mike
https://www.zilchworks.com







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