25Jan 2026 by richard@baronsoftware.com No Comments
Borland’s Decline: Key Events Behind the Fall

Borland’s Decline: Key Events Behind the Fall

Idera, Microsoft Development, Rad Studio Delphi Development, Software development
Delphi Work Area Over the years since Phillipe Kahn moved Turbo Pascal to the forefront Delphi has had its struggles. The fall of Borland was driven by aggressive, ill-timed acquisitions. Intense competition with Microsoft contributed as well. Additionally, there was a lack of clear strategic direction. Here are the key steps and events that led to Borland decline: Aggressive Acquisitions (1987-1991): Borland expanded rapidly. It purchased Ansa Software (makers of Paradox) for $38 million in 1987. Later, it acquired Ashton-Tate, the maker of database management software. This acquisition cost $440 million in 1991. These acquisitions, particularly the costly buy of a struggling Ashton-Tate, put significant strain on the company's finances. The Spreadsheet Price War (1989-1994): Borland launched its Quattro Pro spreadsheet. This launch initiated a fierce price war against Lotus 1-2-3 and…
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23Jul 2022 by richard@baronsoftware.com

What employers are looking for in a new hire.

News Items, Software development, Software development Concepts
A resume has a person's history of previous held positions to the most current. After a resume is viewed the natural next step is for the employer to request the interview. During the interview a person has to tell the employer why they are the best choice. Just providing a technical background the employer is also looking for something discussed as a "soft skill" Are you able to work with current product line and provide support to customers ? Are you a team player or a lone wolf. a new study by ZipRecruiter suggests 93 percent of employers think soft skills play a “critical” role in the hiring decision. Some of the top skills that have been suggested: CommunicationCustomer serviceSchedulingTime managementProject managementAnalytical thinkingComplianceIndependent workInterpersonal skills Baron Software requires that employees present…
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16Feb 2021 by richard@baronsoftware.com

Notes from the field

Computer PC Tips - bits and bytes, News Items, Software development, Software development Concepts
In writing "Notes from the field" allows Baron Software to list quick fixes or observations from the programming world. Anchors away! Using PHP and HTML it can remember the window position as to where the user left off. Without the need of elaborate coding using an "Anchor" can solve the issue. Anchor Syntax <a id="anchor-name">The name where you want to jump</a> Anchors can be used when pages have considerable amounts of text. You would typically make an index at the top of the page linking to the anchors that have been added to key places in the text that follows. When displaying a list of records within a PHP while loop you can place the record ID within the data. The code listed below has the anchor next to the…
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23Jan 2021 by richard@baronsoftware.com

Steps for a successful code review

Computer PC Tips - bits and bytes, Rad Studio Delphi Development, Software development, Software development Concepts
Successful programming teams always have followed department or company guidelines on how code reviews should be done. Technical specifications provide the programmer the initial steps for application development. Excellent specifications provide insight on libraries and APIs. The coding standards should be part of this document. Preparing for a code review Self checking items: What are the company policies ?Did you follow company coding standards ?Have you read the company guidelines ?Did the code successfully compile ?Was testing successful ?Check for duplicate code or very large functions and procedures. These steps should be adhere to by any programmer. Code should be formatted and indented. Comments listed at the top of the module providing a brief description along with update history. You must be able to accept any type of criticism. This…
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07Jan 2021 by richard@baronsoftware.com
What to do if you get Acecore couldn’t start last time.

What to do if you get Acecore couldn’t start last time.

Microsoft Development, Rad Studio Delphi Development, Software development
Sometimes you wonder about Microsoft and their wisdom on older applications that still work. Due to a recent Office Update, applications that use Microsoft Access as a backend database received the message "Acecore couldn't start last time". This file is part of the Microsoft Office system. ACECORE.DLL is developed by Microsoft Corporation. It’s a system and hidden file. ACECORE.DLL is usually located in the %PROGRAM_FILES% sub-folder and its usual size is 1,751,904 bytes. Somehow there was an update to the office application that damaged it. The following are steps you can take to repair it so the message cannot be displayed any longer. Go to any Office Application.Click AccountClick Update Allow office to perform the latest updates to repair any broken feature. Wait for the successful completion and then attempt to start…
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