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Nim (programming language) VS Free Pascal

Compare Nim (programming language) VS Free Pascal and see what are their differences

Nim (programming language) logo Nim (programming language)

The Nim programming language is a concise, fast programming language that compiles to C, C++ and JavaScript.

Free Pascal logo Free Pascal

Free Pascal (aka FPK Pascal) is a 32 and 64 bit professional Pascal compiler.
  • Nim (programming language) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31
  • Free Pascal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-29

Nim (programming language) features and specs

  • Performance
    Nim compiles to C, C++, or JavaScript, which can offer performance close to languages like C and C++. This makes it suitable for high-performance applications.
  • Expressive Syntax
    Nim offers a clean and expressive syntax that is inspired by Python, making it relatively easy to write and read code, which can speed up development.
  • Metaprogramming
    Nim supports powerful metaprogramming features such as macros and templates, which allow for more flexible and reusable code.
  • Memory Management
    Nim gives developers control over memory management while also providing an efficient garbage collector, effectively balancing manual and automatic memory management.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Nim can compile code for various platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as the web through JavaScript.
  • Interoperability
    Nim has excellent interoperability with C and C++ code, making it easier to incorporate existing libraries and gain performance benefits.

Possible disadvantages of Nim (programming language)

  • Smaller Community
    Compared to more established languages like Python or JavaScript, Nim has a smaller community, which can lead to fewer resources, libraries, and third-party support.
  • Ecosystem Maturity
    While Nim is growing, its ecosystem is not as mature as some other languages. This can mean fewer libraries, tools, and frameworks for various tasks.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its expressive syntax, Nim has unique features and paradigms that can present a learning curve for new developers, especially those coming from more mainstream languages.
  • Less Corporate Backing
    Nim does not have as much corporate support or adoption compared to other languages like Go or Rust, which could influence its long-term viability and industry adoption.
  • Compiler Bugs
    As a relatively young language, Nim's compiler may still have some bugs or less polished features compared to more established languages.

Free Pascal features and specs

  • Cross-platform Compatibility
    Free Pascal supports a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and more. This allows developers to write code that can be compiled and executed on multiple operating systems without extensive modifications.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source compiler, Free Pascal is freely available for use and modification. This openness encourages community collaboration and continuous improvement of the software.
  • Strong Community Support
    Free Pascal has a dedicated and active community, providing extensive documentation, forums, and user support, which can be invaluable for troubleshooting and learning.
  • Compatibility with Delphi
    The compiler aims to be highly compatible with Delphi, making it easier for Delphi developers to transition their applications to Free Pascal with minimal changes.
  • Rich Set of Libraries
    Free Pascal comes with a comprehensive set of libraries and tools, allowing developers to create a variety of applications, from small utilities to complex software systems.

Possible disadvantages of Free Pascal

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For developers unfamiliar with Pascal, the language and its concepts may present a learning challenge compared to more modern languages such as Python or JavaScript.
  • Limited GUI Toolkit Support
    While Free Pascal does support some GUI toolkits, it may not have as robust or modern GUI options compared to other programming environments, which can be a limitation for developing desktop applications.
  • Less Popular
    Pascal is not as widely used in the programming community as other languages like Java or Python, which can result in fewer third-party tools, libraries, and resources.
  • Performance Overheads
    While Free Pascal is generally efficient, there can be some performance overheads compared with compilers specifically optimized for newer languages and architectures.
  • Limited Modern Language Features
    Free Pascal might lack some of the modern programming features found in newer languages, which can be a disadvantage for developers looking to use the latest paradigms and practices.

Nim (programming language) videos

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Free Pascal videos

Tin 8. Bài Thực hành 1: Làm quen với Free pascal.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Nim (programming language) and Free Pascal)
Programming Language
86 86%
14% 14
Generic Programming Language
IDE
0 0%
100% 100
OOP
87 87%
13% 13

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Nim (programming language) seems to be a lot more popular than Free Pascal. While we know about 149 links to Nim (programming language), we've tracked only 2 mentions of Free Pascal. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Nim (programming language) mentions (149)

  • I built a hardware processor that runs Python
    > I'm interested to see whether the final feature set will be larger than what you'd get by creating a type-safe language with a pythonic syntax and compiling that to native, rather than building custom hardware. It almost sounds like you're asking for Nim ( https://nim-lang.org/ ); and there are some projects using it for microcontroller programming, since it compiles down to C (for ESP32, last I saw). - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
  • Is Rust a good fit for business apps?
    I think Nim might be a good candidate. https://nim-lang.org. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • A 10x Faster TypeScript
    It’s not popular compared to Go/Rust, but many find Nim scratches that itch: https://nim-lang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Transfinite Nim
    FWIW, Nim (the programming language) is certainly interesting and possibly underrated. https://nim-lang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • State of Python 3.13 Performance: Free-Threading
    If not, Nim is probably the closest most 'Python-like' language that is almost as fast as C. https://nim-lang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
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Free Pascal mentions (2)

  • AoC 2015 in multiple languages: Day 3 Pascal
    I used Free Pascal which I was quite impressed with. It supports multiple dialects and many targets. Source: over 3 years ago
  • One Commander – a new Windows 10 file browser
    As a tangent, I found it fascinating that Double Commander is developed with Free Pascal and Lazarus. https://github.com/doublecmd/doublecmd/wiki/Development https://freepascal.org/ https://www.lazarus-ide.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Nim (programming language) and Free Pascal, you can also consider the following products

Crystal (programming language) - Programming language with Ruby-like syntax that compiles to efficient native code.

Lazarus - Lazarus is a cross-platform IDE for the Free Pascal compiler.

V (programming language) - Simple, fast, safe, compiled language for developing maintainable software.

Python - Python is a clear and powerful object-oriented programming language, comparable to Perl, Ruby, Scheme, or Java.

Go Programming Language - Go, also called golang, is a programming language initially developed at Google in 2007 by Robert...

Rust - A safe, concurrent, practical language