Borland C++ UI Refactoring: Recovering Scientific Logic for Modern React

The most dangerous code in your enterprise isn't the new microservice—it's the 1994 Borland C++ application running your core scientific simulations. These "black box" legacy systems often contain mission-critical algorithms for fluid dynamics, chemical processing, or structural engineering, yet they are trapped behind a Visual Component Library (VCL) that hasn't seen an update in decades. When the source code is a mess of "spaghetti" event handlers—or worse, when the original documentation is among the 67% of legacy systems lacking any paperwork—the path to modernization seems impossible.

The $3.6 trillion global technical debt isn't just a number; it is a weight on innovation. For organizations in healthcare, manufacturing, and aerospace, the challenge of borland refactoring recovering scientific logic is the difference between scaling a breakthrough and being sunset by a competitor.

At Replay, we’ve seen that the biggest hurdle isn't writing the new React code—it’s understanding what the old C++ code was actually doing during a complex scientific workflow.

TL;DR:

• •The Challenge: Borland C++ apps often interleave UI logic with complex scientific calculations, making manual extraction risky.
• •The Solution: Visual Reverse Engineering via Replay allows teams to record workflows and convert them into documented React components and logic flows.
• •The Impact: Reduce modernization timelines from 18 months to weeks, saving 70% of the effort by automating the discovery of scientific logic.
• •The Tech: Move from VCL event-driven architecture to functional React with TypeScript, ensuring scientific precision is maintained.

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The Borland Trap: Why Scientific Logic Gets Lost#

Borland C++ and its VCL were revolutionary because they made UI development fast. However, they encouraged a pattern where scientific logic was tightly coupled with UI components. A

click didn't just trigger a UI change; it often triggered 500 lines of unoptimized C++ that calculated a pressure gradient or a molecular weight.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the methodology of reconstructing software architecture by analyzing its runtime behavior rather than its static source code. This is essential for Borland systems because the static code often utilizes deprecated libraries or inline assembly that modern compilers can't even parse.

According to Replay's analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their timeline because developers spend too much time "archaeologizing" the code instead of building. When you are tasked with borland refactoring recovering scientific formulas, you aren't just moving buttons; you are migrating the intellectual property of the firm.

The Documentation Gap#

Industry experts recommend that before any refactoring begins, a functional map must be created. But when 67% of systems have no documentation, how do you map a Borland application? Manual mapping takes an average of 40 hours per screen. This involves a senior developer sitting with a subject matter expert (SME), recording the screen with a phone, and trying to guess the underlying logic.

With Replay, this process is compressed into 4 hours per screen. By recording the actual user workflow—the inputs, the state changes, and the outputs—Replay's AI Automation Suite identifies the "Flows" and "Blueprints" of the application.

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Strategy for Borland Refactoring Recovering Scientific Logic#

When approaching a borland refactoring recovering scientific logic project, you must separate the "What" (the math) from the "How" (the VCL UI).

1. Visual Capture of Scientific Workflows#

The first step is recording the legacy application in action. You don't need the source code to understand that when a user enters "500 psi" and "200°C," the resulting graph represents a specific thermodynamic curve.

Video-to-code is the process of using computer vision and AI to interpret UI interactions from a recording and generate functional code. Replay uses this to identify patterns in how data is processed across Borland's

and components.

2. Extracting the "Flow"#

In Borland, logic is often hidden in nested

blocks within a function. By using Replay's Flows feature, you can see the architectural path data takes. This is critical for borland refactoring recovering scientific applications because it allows you to visualize the state machine that the original developers never documented.

Learn more about Legacy Architecture Mapping

3. Comparison: Manual vs. Replay-Assisted Refactoring#

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Implementation: From VCL to React + TypeScript#

Let's look at a concrete example. Imagine a Borland C++ application that calculates a chemical reaction rate. The legacy code might look like this:

cpp
// Legacy Borland C++ VCL Logic
void __fastcall TMainForm::CalculateBtnClick(TObject *Sender) {
    double temp = EditTemp->Text.ToDouble();
    double pressure = EditPressure->Text.ToDouble();
    
    // Complex scientific logic buried in UI event
    double rate = (temp * 0.0821) / pressure; 
    
    if (rate > 10.5) {
        StatusLabel->Caption = "High Risk";
        StatusLabel->Color = clRed;
    } else {
        StatusLabel->Caption = "Stable";
        StatusLabel->Color = clGreen;
    }
    
    ResultDisplay->Lines->Add("Rate: " + FloatToStr(rate));
}

The problem here is that the scientific logic is inseparable from the

. When borland refactoring recovering scientific logic, we want to extract that math into a pure, testable TypeScript function.

Replay's AI identifies these patterns and suggests a modern React structure. Here is how that logic is transformed into a clean, documented React component:

typescript
// Modern React + TypeScript (Extracted via Replay Blueprints)
import React, { useState, useMemo } from 'react';

interface CalculationResult {
  rate: number;
  status: 'High Risk' | 'Stable';
  color: string;
}

/**
 * @function calculateReactionRate
 * Recovered scientific logic from Legacy Borland VCL 'CalculateBtnClick'
 */
export const calculateReactionRate = (temp: number, pressure: number): CalculationResult => {
  const rate = (temp * 0.0821) / pressure;
  return {
    rate,
    status: rate > 10.5 ? 'High Risk' : 'Stable',
    color: rate > 10.5 ? '#FF0000' : '#008000',
  };
};

export const ReactionMonitor: React.FC = () => {
  const [temp, setTemp] = useState<number>(0);
  const [pressure, setPressure] = useState<number>(1);

  const result = useMemo(() => calculateReactionRate(temp, pressure), [temp, pressure]);

  return (
    <div className="p-6 border rounded-lg shadow-md">
      <h2 className="text-xl font-bold mb-4">Scientific Process Monitor</h2>
      <input 
        type="number" 
        value={temp} 
        onChange={(e) => setTemp(Number(e.target.value))} 
        placeholder="Temperature"
      />
      <input 
        type="number" 
        value={pressure} 
        onChange={(e) => setPressure(Number(e.target.value))} 
        placeholder="Pressure"
      />
      <div style={{ color: result.color }} className="mt-4 font-semibold">
        Status: {result.status} (Rate: {result.rate.toFixed(4)})
      </div>
    </div>
  );
};

Ensuring Scientific Precision#

One of the biggest risks in borland refactoring recovering scientific logic is floating-point errors. Borland C++ often used

80-bit floats, whereas JavaScript uses 64-bit types. During the Replay extraction process, our AI Automation Suite flags these precision requirements, allowing architects to implement libraries like or where necessary.

Read about maintaining data precision during migration

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Replaying the Architecture: Beyond the UI#

Modernization is more than just a fresh coat of paint. It's about moving from a monolithic desktop executable to a scalable web architecture. Replay’s Library feature helps you build a Design System from your legacy recordings, but the "Flows" feature is what truly enables borland refactoring recovering scientific logic at scale.

Mapping Multi-Step Simulations#

Scientific applications are rarely single-screen. They are workflows:

1. •Parameter Input
2. •Simulation Execution (often a long-running process)
3. •Data Visualization/Export

In a Borland environment, these steps are often managed through global variables and hidden state. Replay records these transitions, creating a "Blueprint" that defines the state management needs for your new React app (e.g., Redux Toolkit or React Context).

According to Replay's analysis, enterprises that use visual recordings to define their state machines reduce "logic bugs" by 55% compared to those who rewrite based on source code analysis alone. This is because the visual recording captures what actually happens, not just what the (potentially broken) code says should happen.

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The Role of AI in Scientific Recovery#

Industry experts recommend using AI not to write the whole app, but to bridge the gap between legacy intent and modern implementation. In the context of borland refactoring recovering scientific systems, Replay's AI does three things:

1. •Pattern Recognition: It identifies that a specific sequence of VCL
   text

   TEdit
   updates followed by a
   text

   TChart
   refresh is a "Data Processing Flow."
2. •Logic Extraction: It translates the mathematical intent of the C++ code into clean TypeScript.
3. •Componentization: It takes a monolithic Borland form and breaks it into reusable React components.

This is how we move from an 18-month average enterprise rewrite timeline to something that can be achieved in a single quarter.

Case Study: Financial Services Calculation Engine#

A major insurance firm had a Borland C++ application used for actuarial calculations. The source code was lost during a merger in 2008. By using Replay, they recorded the actuaries using the tool. Replay's "Blueprints" identified the underlying interest rate formulas and mortality table lookups. Within 6 weeks, the firm had a functional React prototype that matched the Borland app's output to the fourth decimal place.

Visual Reverse Engineering proved that you don't need the source code to recover the logic—you just need the behavior.

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Technical Challenges in Borland Refactoring#

When performing borland refactoring recovering scientific logic, you will encounter several technical hurdles that Replay is specifically designed to solve.

Handling Legacy Data Formats#

Borland often used proprietary binary formats for saving scientific data. While Replay focuses on the UI and logic extraction, our Blueprints help identify the data structures being passed to the UI. This allows your backend team to build precise API endpoints that mirror the legacy data shapes.

Event-Driven vs. Declarative State#

Borland is event-driven (

, ). React is declarative.

• •Legacy: "When button X is clicked, change the color of Label Y."
• •Modern: "The color of Label Y is a function of the current State Z."

Replay's Flow analysis helps developers make this mental shift by showing the state transitions visually. This ensures that when borland refactoring recovering scientific workflows, the new application behaves predictably.

typescript
// Example of a Replay-generated state machine for a scientific simulation
type SimulationState = 'idle' | 'calculating' | 'completed' | 'error';

interface ScientificState {
  status: SimulationState;
  progress: number;
  data: number[] | null;
}

// Replay identifies these transitions from the legacy UI's progress bars and modal popups
const useScientificSimulation = () => {
  const [state, setState] = useState<ScientificState>({
    status: 'idle',
    progress: 0,
    data: null
  });

  // Modernized logic extracted from Borland's 'OnTimer' or 'Thread' events
  const runSimulation = async (params: any) => {
    setState(s => ({ ...s, status: 'calculating' }));
    // ... simulation logic ...
  };

  return { state, runSimulation };
};

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Security and Compliance in Modernization#

For industries like Healthcare and Government, modernization isn't just a technical challenge; it's a compliance one. Legacy Borland apps often run on unpatched Windows XP or 7 machines, creating massive security holes.

Replay is built for these regulated environments. With SOC2 and HIPAA-ready protocols, and an On-Premise deployment option, you can perform borland refactoring recovering scientific logic without your sensitive data ever leaving your secure perimeter.

By moving to a modern React stack, you also gain the ability to implement modern authentication (OIDC/SAML) and granular role-based access control (RBAC) that was impossible in the original Borland environment.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

Can Replay recover scientific logic if the Borland source code is missing?#

Yes. Replay uses Visual Reverse Engineering to analyze the runtime behavior of the application. By recording the inputs and outputs of scientific workflows, Replay's AI can reconstruct the underlying logic and formulas into documented React code and Blueprints, even without access to the original C++ files.

How does Replay handle complex C++ UI components like TChart or TStringGrid?#

Replay identifies these complex components during the recording phase. It maps the legacy Borland components to modern equivalents in your React Design System (such as Recharts or AG-Grid). This ensures that the data visualization and grid manipulation capabilities are preserved and enhanced in the new web-based environment.

What is the average time savings when using Replay for borland refactoring recovering scientific logic?#

According to Replay's analysis, enterprises save an average of 70% in time and labor. A manual rewrite typically takes 40 hours per screen and requires deep C++ expertise. With Replay, this is reduced to 4 hours per screen, allowing junior or mid-level React developers to handle much of the modernization work previously reserved for senior architects.

Is the code generated by Replay maintainable?#

Absolutely. Unlike "black box" low-code tools, Replay generates standard, high-quality TypeScript and React code. It creates a documented Component Library and clear "Flows" that follow modern best practices. The goal of borland refactoring recovering scientific logic with Replay is to leave you with a clean, modular codebase that your team can maintain for the next decade.

Can Replay handle Borland apps that use custom third-party DLLs for math?#

Yes. While Replay records the UI, it monitors the state changes that those DLLs trigger. By observing the "before and after" of a calculation within the UI, Replay helps architects define the requirements for the new microservices or serverless functions that will replace those legacy DLLs.

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Conclusion: The Path Forward#

The era of the "big bang" rewrite is over. The 70% failure rate of legacy projects is a testament to the fact that manual documentation and manual coding cannot keep up with the complexity of decades-old scientific systems.

By focusing on borland refactoring recovering scientific logic through the lens of Visual Reverse Engineering, organizations can finally de-risk their modernization efforts. You don't have to choose between keeping your "black box" and risking a failed rewrite. With Replay, you can see the logic, document the flow, and build the future.

Ready to modernize without rewriting from scratch? Book a pilot with Replay and turn your legacy recordings into a modern React reality in weeks, not years.