Getting back into old XE5 C++Builder platform

Question

I have an instance of C++Builder XE5, which was installed years ago and hasn't been touched for quite a while. I need to create a new application and have forgotten everything about how to get a project up. The help documentation for that platform isn't the easiest to navigate, to say the least.

The closest I've come to is a demo on Youtube, that says to create a VCL Application - on my installation that isn't available, only a VCL Forms Application. I've tried to find out what a VCL Forms Application is, but once again the IDE help system just seems to assume that you already know that.

So, my question is simple: Will a VCL Forms Application do what I want, which is to create a basic GUI screen and run some C++ code behind it?

Also, what's the essential difference between the two project types?

Answer 1

The closest I've come to is a demo on Youtube, that says to create a VCL Application - on my installation that isn't available, only a VCL Forms Application.

They are the same thing.

Will a VCL Forms Application do what I want, which is to create a basic GUI screen and run some C++ code behind it?

Yes. It will create a VCL-based project with a default MainForm added to it, which you can then customize as needed.

Also, what's the essential difference between the two project types?

Well, since there is no `VCL Application" project type, the question is moot.