delphi xe7 runtime package compatibility with delphi 7

Question

I've created a huge delphi project with delphi 7.

This program consists of several runtime packages (bpl's), and what we are trying to do is to upgrade our components and sources to delphi xe7 components so that this program can be compiled by delphi XE7.

But since it's not a simple program, we made up an idea to upgrade some of the runtime packages first and go on to nexts packages so that we can upgrade our software step by step.

I'm wondering if this idea would work: for example,

main.exe(delphi7) + bpl1(delphi7) + bpl2(delphi7) + ... + bpl9(delphi xe7) + bpl10(delphi xe7)

has anyone tried these ways?

Answer 1

Runtime Packages are compiler-version-specific. You cannot use D7-written BPLs in XE7-written projects, and vice versa.

Answer 2

Perhaps it would not be the bad idea to try and move as much code from these runtime packages into Dynamic link libraries. Why?

Becouse you would probably be able to use Delphi 7 compiled DLL's in Delphi XE7 without any major difficulties.

And then you can go and update each of these DLL's to newest Delphi version one by one.

It would in the end even ease up the updating process for the future Delphi updates.