Zsolt Tövis - Strategic Master Architect
Zsolt TövisStrategic Master Architect
What is Turbo Pascal
What is Turbo Pascal

What is Turbo Pascal?

Turbo Pascal is a legacy programming language and IDE from the 1980s–90s for DOS applications. It’s procedural and compiles to machine code. Its DOS-era architecture imposes inherent limitations. No longer actively developed, it is a closed legacy platform that won’t run natively — or only with major constraints — on modern systems.

The Essence of the Technology

Turbo Pascal is a software package released in 1983 that combines a structured programming language with an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The technology is built on the procedural programming paradigm and compiles instructions directly into machine code. Designed decades ago, its architecture reflects the limitations and logic of DOS operating systems of that era. Today, it is no longer developed and is considered a technologically closed, "legacy" platform that cannot run natively, or runs only with limitations, in modern environments.

Business Benefits

The current business value of this technology lies exclusively in ensuring the continuous operation of existing, critical systems. Turbo Pascal-based software has extremely low resource requirements, allowing it to operate stably in industrial environments with minimal hardware capacity. Due to the system's deterministic nature, the behavior of existing code running for decades is predictable. However, it is unsuitable for initiating new projects from a business perspective. Its advantage lies solely in preserving already "manufactured," functioning features.

Drawbacks and Risks

The most significant business risk is technological obsolescence and the lack of support. The software is incompatible with modern operating systems (Windows 10/11, Linux), running it requires emulation layers, which increases the number of potential failure points. The system lacks built-in protection against modern cybersecurity threats, and its networking capabilities are obsolete. The developer company (Borland) no longer exists in this form, so official bug fixes and security updates are unavailable, representing a critical operational risk.

Practical Application

The technology's presence today is limited to specific, closed industrial segments. It typically runs older manufacturing line controls, custom engineering systems, and specialized inventory software where hardware replacement is uneconomical or technically unfeasible. It is not used at all in modern corporate environments for web or mobile application development. Large enterprises still possessing such code are running active migration projects to phase out the technology.

Executive Summary

Turbo Pascal is a defunct technology, the application of which poses a strategic risk to the company. Initiating new projects on this platform is prohibited. For existing systems, the strategic goal must be to prepare for technology replacement (migration) as soon as possible. Maintenance costs are rising exponentially due to the shortage of professionals and incompatibility. The decision is clear, the technology must be kept in an isolated environment until final replacement, and resources must be allocated for the transition to a modern platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

The software is officially no longer commercially available and is considered "Abandonware." While there is no direct license fee, the legal background of usage may be uncertain. The real cost is not the software price but the legal risk and the complete lack of support.

The supply of professionals is at a critically low level. Most developers familiar with the technology are no longer active in the labor market. The compensation for available specialists is exceptionally high due to the scarcity, and replacing them is nearly impossible.

It does not meet standards. The system does not support modern encryption standards, authentication protocols, or auditing capabilities. From a GDPR and general data protection perspective, the use of the system is classified as high-risk.

The risk is maximal. The code is written in a unique, vendor-specific dialect that is difficult to port to other environments. Migration cannot be fully automated, resulting in a strong dependency on the existing, undocumented codebase.

Modern server environments do not support it natively. DOS emulators (e.g., DOSBox) or virtualization solutions are required for execution, which complicates operations and increases system administration burdens.

Support does not exist. There is no vendor background, no official help desk, and no security updates. The company is entirely reliant on its own (or contracted) experts for any errors that arise.

As a partial solution, the Free Pascal / Lazarus platforms can be used, which are capable of handling parts of the old code on modern operating systems. This represents a technical bridge but does not replace the transition to a modern architecture.

Development is extremely slow and cumbersome. Modern development support tools, automated testing frameworks, and collaboration features are missing, drastically reducing efficiency.

Direct integration is not possible. Data exchange can only be solved via file-based, obsolete methods, which are slow, prone to errors, and do not allow for real-time data communication.

Instead of passive maintenance, a proactive replacement plan must be created. To minimize risks, the system should be disconnected from the corporate network, and the migration of functions to modern technology must be initiated.

Share on:

Need experts for the next project?

An expert team is ready to help you understand your business needs and challenges and provide customized solutions. Take a look at our services and contact us today.

Contact Us

BASICArtificial Intelligence