Chris Rolliston is the sole author of Delphi XE2 Foundations. He had idly thought of writing such a book for a while, and put the idea into practice when Embarcadero finally reintroduced an entry-level edition of Delphi in February 2011. At that time the XE version was current; Delphi's yearly release cycle and a desire to cover the material properly led to the book being published for Delphi XE 2.

Chris is an experienced Delphi developer with a deep interest in the language's foundations and runtime library. His writing aims to provide a detailed reference and conceptual overview that serves both newcomers and seasoned developers.

• Personal blog: Delphi Haven
• Contributor to: DelphiFeeds.com

Chris Rolliston brought years of practical Delphi development experience to the task of writing Delphi XE2 Foundations. His deep interest in the language's core mechanics and runtime library drove him to create a reference that goes beyond surface-level tutorials. Rather than simply documenting features, he sought to explain how the language truly works under the hood, making the book valuable for both newcomers and seasoned developers looking to solidify their understanding of Delphi's foundations.

The author's approach to the material reflects a commitment to thoroughness and clarity. Each chapter builds logically from the basics of simple types and enumerations through object-oriented fundamentals, string handling, and collections, then advances to more complex topics such as streams, XML processing, RTTI, and multithreading. This structure allows readers to develop a coherent mental model of Delphi XE2 rather than memorizing isolated facts.

Writing for a rapidly evolving platform presented unique challenges, as Embarcadero's yearly release cycle meant the book had to target a specific version while remaining conceptually relevant. Chris Rolliston's decision to focus on foundations rather than transient features ensures the material retains its value as a reference. The result is a detailed conceptual overview that documents the language and runtime library in a way that supports genuine understanding and practical application.