External Systems

Your Pascal program does not have to live on an island. This section shows you how to exchange data, call web services, store information, run system commands, and serve content of your own.

Pick a Connection

• Exchange structured data: Read JSON and XML.
• Talk to the web: Make HTTP requests, add API authentication, or launch a small web server.
• Keep useful information: Work with SQLite databases and environment-based configuration.
• Reach the operating system and beyond: Run system calls or send an email.

Choose the connection your project needs and build outward from there. The recipes are independent, so there is no required reading order.

Need the tools first?

Set up the Free Pascal Compiler and Lazarus IDE, then come back and connect your first program to the outside world.