Where to start with Delphi?

[L3gacy]

Hello everyone,
I have been programming in C++ for a while although I am not an expert yet, I would like to take a small break and learn another programming language that's a tad easier and I decided on Delphi. I looked for the stuff I need to no avail, all the software I find needs to be paid for, are there free alternatives?. I understand Delphi is used to make the GUI while the underlying code is a dialect of Pascal, but where do I start?

[Dervish1]

I am far from an expert on Delphi, although I've been maintaining some inherited code that has been written in the language. I understand there are some differences, but you'll find it's almost identical to Pascal -- and there are a number of free alternatives to Pascal. Since Borland has sold TurboPascal and the new versions are far from cheap, I'm trying to port my code to FreePascal under Lazarus. I'm not sure it's the best choice, but it seems to be working; the only real issues I'm having are related to the database libraries (Units, in Pascal parlance), and it looks as if that will be a relatively easy interface issue to fix.

If you're used to the object-oriented structure as implemented in C++, FreePascal's will probably seem a bit clunky to you at first, but most of the features you can find in C++ are also available in Pascal/Delphi. Others will no doubt be able to tell you much more than I can.

[L3gacy]

Thanks but, where do I start like to compile and write code what IDE do I need?
More specifically a free one

[Dervish1]

Try: http://www.freebyte.com/programming/delphi/

It gives you a selection of environments, as well as assorted libraries that might be useful. Lazarus FreePascal includes an IDE that might be familiar if you've done Windows programming.