KB02: Abbreviation of Components

BCB Component Prefix Table

The following reference provides a practical naming convention for common BCB (C++Builder VCL) components. The naming pattern follows: <prefix><FunctionName>.

Examples: btnClose, lblStatus, edtUserName

Naming Rules

• Use a short lowercase prefix for the component type.
• Use PascalCase for the function name.
• Make the function name meaningful and descriptive.
• Avoid generic names such as Button1, Edit2, or Label3.

Standard Components

This category contains the most commonly used visual controls and containers in VCL applications. These components are typically used to build the main user interface, including text display, text input, buttons, selection controls, layout containers, and action lists. Use components in this category when building the basic structure of forms, dialogs, data entry screens, and general desktop application interfaces.

Additional Components

This category includes extended VCL controls that provide richer interaction, better layout support, toolbar systems, enhanced text input, color selection, docking support, tray icons, and modern container behaviors. Use these components when standard controls are not enough, and the application needs more advanced UI features, an improved user experience, or a more flexible visual organization.

Win32 Components

This category contains Windows-specific controls that wrap classic Win32 user interface elements such as tab controls, tree views, list views, toolbars, status bars, date pickers, and image lists. Use these components when building traditional Windows desktop interfaces that need native-style controls or when working with established VCL design patterns based on the Win32 API.

System Components

This category contains non-visual or system-level integration components that connect the application to operating system services such as timers, notifications, Bluetooth, media playback, sharing features, DDE, and OLE embedding. Use these components when the application needs to communicate with Windows services, schedule repeated tasks, show notifications, or integrate with external devices and system features.

Dialogs Components

This category contains built-in dialog components for user interaction through standard Windows dialog boxes, such as file open/save, font and color, print, find/replace, and other common system dialogs. Use these components whenever the application needs a familiar, consistent dialog experience for file handling, text editing, printing, formatting, or other standard user operations.

Data Access Components

This category contains core non-visual data access components used to connect datasets to user interface controls and to manage in-memory or provider-based data flow. Use these components when building database applications, local data processing tools, or data-aware forms that require a structured link between stored data and the visual interface.

Data Controls Components

This category contains visual data-aware controls that display or edit records from datasets directly. Use these components when the application needs forms, grids, navigators, editors, or lookup controls that are automatically connected to database fields through a data source.

FireDAC Components

This category contains FireDAC database access components used for modern, high-performance connection management, SQL execution, cached datasets, metadata queries, local SQL processing, and event monitoring. Use these components when building database applications that require direct SQL access, cached data handling, transaction control, or a scalable database layer across multiple database engines.

REST Client Components

This category contains components for communicating with REST-based web services, including client configuration, individual requests, response storage, dataset adapters, and authentication helpers. Use these components when the application needs to access HTTP APIs, cloud services, JSON-based endpoints, or token-protected web services.

Net Components

This category contains HTTP networking components designed for direct web communication at the request and client level. Use these components when the application needs lightweight HTTP access for downloading data, uploading content, calling web endpoints, or building custom network communication logic without a full REST component stack.

Windows 10 Components

This category contains newer VCL controls and helpers designed for modern Windows user interface patterns, including toggle switches, search boxes, split views, image collections, virtual image lists, stack panels, date pickers, and title bar integration. Use these components when building a more modern-looking Windows application or when you need scalable image handling, adaptive layout containers, or newer UI interaction patterns.

Samples Components

This category contains sample or demonstration controls that are often used for quick utilities, educational examples, prototype interfaces, visual indicators, and legacy helper controls. Use these components when building demo applications, lightweight utility tools, teaching materials, or quick UI prototypes, where they can provide useful functionality with minimal setup.