dzBdsLauncher

dzBdsLauncher is a Windows console utility that prevents you from accidentally opening a Delphi project with the wrong Delphi version.

While .dproj files can be opened with newer Delphi versions than the one that created them, it does not work the other way round. So if you open a Delphi 10 .dproj file with e.g. Delphi 2007 all you will get is an error message. If you open a Delphi 2007 .dproj file with Delphi 10 it will automatically convert it to the new format used by that version and it will become unreadable by Delphi 2007.

dzBdsLauncher detects the correct Delphi version for a project file and launches the matching IDE. If it cannot determine the version unambiguously, it will ask the user to select from the possible versions.

Detection Methods

The tool employs four strategies to identify the correct Delphi version:

1. File name suffixes (most reliable) — e.g. project.2007.dproj, project.xe2.dproj, project.10-3.dproj
2. ProductVersion tag from .dproj files — note: these identifiers are not always unique across versions
3. DllSuffix entry from .dproj files — only applicable to DLL and package projects
4. Excluded_Packages entries from project configuration files

Supported File Types

• .dproj files (Delphi 2007 and later)
• .bdsproj files (Delphi 2005–2006)
• .dof files (Delphi 6–7)
• .dpr / .dpk files (searches for corresponding metadata files)
• .groupproj files (analyzes projects in the group)

Supports Delphi 6 through Delphi 13. Released under the MPL. Source code available on SourceForge.

Downloads

1.0.20 (2026-04-06)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.20.zip

• Added support for Delphi 13.1 (.dproj version 20.4)
• Added bash build scripts (build_release.sh, build_debug.sh) for building from WSL/Linux
• Added --RawOutput and --NoWait parameter support to .cmd build scripts

1.0.19 (2026-04-05)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.19.zip

• Fixed HandleDof to check for .dpk when .dpr does not exist (Delphi 6/7 package projects)
• Also ask the user if the Delphi version for a .groupproj file cannot be determined
• Refactored console I/O via IdzBdsLauncherOutput interface injection, decoupling core logic from console dependencies
• Added DUnit test infrastructure for TDelphiInfo
• Added CLAUDE.md project description

1.0.18 (2025-10-19)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.18.zip

• Optionally delete the Delphi 12 or Delphi 13 shortcut link which the IDE puts in the Start Menu

1.0.17 (2025-09-12)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.17.zip

• Added support for Delphi 13 (.dproj version 20.3, same as Delphi 12.3)

1.0.16 (2025-07-16)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.16.zip

• Bugfix: The default for .dproj files without ProjectVersion (Delphi 2007) did not work
• Added support for Delphi 12.2
• Added support for Delphi 12.3
• Add quotes to parameters if they don't have some, so paths with spaces work

1.0.13 (2024-06-16)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.13.zip

• Output a warning if no useful excluded package can be found
• Bugfix: No entry exists for dvUnknown -- raise an exception with a meaningful error message rather than EListError
• If the Delphi version of a .dproj cannot be determined (but only two are possible), ask the user
• Adapted error messages to the additional file types supported
• If there are multiple possible Delphi versions, check which ones are installed; if only one is installed, open it
• Bugfix: Unambiguous detection was broken

1.0.12 (2024-06-15)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.12.zip

• Support a second .groupproj file format
• Raise an exception if neither a .dproj, .bdsproj, nor .dof file is found for a given .dpr file
• Fixed compiler warnings

1.0.11 (2023-11-11)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.11.zip

• Added support for Delphi 12

1.0.10 (2022-09-26)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.10.zip

• Added support for Delphi 11.1 and 11.2

1.0.9 (2022-07-31)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.9.zip

• Now checks whether the main project file is a .dpr or .dpk file

1.0.8 (2022-01-22)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.8.zip

• Additionally check for the Delphi version anywhere in the .groupproj file name (including the path), with improved prefix/suffix matching (D, Delphi, BDS, RS)

1.0.7 (2021-09-12)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.7.zip

• Added support for Delphi 11

1.0.6 (2021-03-15)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.6.zip

• Added support for Delphi 10.4.1 and 10.4.2
• Added more possible filename extensions: 10.x and 10_x
• Bugfix: FreeAndNil is wrong for string arrays
• Can now also handle .dpk files

1.0.5 (2020-06-01)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.5.zip

• Bugfix: Support for Delphi 10 was broken
• Added support for Delphi 6 and 7 (via .dof file)
• Added support for Delphi 2005 and 2006 (via .bdsproj file, based on excluded packages)
• Handle .dpr files by analysing the corresponding .dproj, .bdsproj, or .dof file
• When run in the debugger, remove BDS and DELPHI environment variables from the environment passed to the started IDE

1.0.4 (2020-05-31)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.4.zip

• Added support for Delphi 10.4

1.0.3 (2020-03-01)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.3.zip

• Refactored the code
• Added support for .groupproj files
• In addition to the suffixes and ProjectVersion from the .dproj file, now also uses the DllSuffix if there is one
• Added diagnostic output

1.0.1 (2019-10-14)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.1.zip

• Now also interprets the ProductVersion entries in the .dproj files
• Bugfix: Used wrong registry keys for Delphi 10, 10.1, and 10.2, so accidentally launched Delphi 10.3

1.0.0 (2019-08-03)

Download: dzBdsLauncher-1.0.0.zip

• First working version (console program, must be compiled with Delphi 10.3)