and now I'm wondering if FreeVision http://wiki.freepascal.org/Free_Vision will work in the console?
At a quick look I don't think it would work currently, mainly because it seems to be character based and the Raspberry Pi has no character mode display (only a pixel mode framebuffer).
Correct
I think the API could be implemented fairly easily but handling the movable windows etc would require some effort, in a character interface maintaining a buffer that describes each window is fairly quick and simple. Maintaining a buffer that holds the pixels for a full HD display in 32 bit color takes a lot of data manipulation.
Nah, it's fairly easy todo ;-)
If you were happy to start with a single text mode window with a FreeVision API then the current console unit could be used as is and the API could wrapper over the top.
Adapt unit video to do your bidding, i would start there.
How much work would be needed to get FreeVision and the IDE http://wiki.freepascal.org/Textmode_IDE working?
I'm assuming from what I read that if FreeVision worked then the IDE would also work.
Yes.
Please have a look at amiga unit video
here.
Amiga, AROS and MorphOS also don't have a 'real' console mode, it's all graphics emulating the charcter based console (and FV and IDE are working perfectly). The native platform does provide API that makes things a bit easier, i have no idea (yet) how easy it would be to implement using your exposed API.
Thank you for your project Ultibo, at first glance that really looks interesting (*wow*)
PS: for some reason my older opera browser refuses connection to the url you posted. If i get a response from the server at all (unable to access address) it is "Secure connection: fatal error (40) from server."