In 2025, author Jeff Duntemann released the latest edition of his book on FreePascal and Lazarus, which he originally began writing as a beginner's guide to Pascal back in 1983. He published it as a free eBook, available for ↗download as a PDF from his website.

Chapter Overview: "FreePascal From Square One"

Introduction

The author shares the long history behind the creation of this book and his goal to make programming with Pascal acces­si­ble to complete be­gin­ners. The book focuses on building a solid founda­tion in Free­Pascal step by step.

Part 1: The Fundamental Ideas of Programming

Chapter 1: The Box That Follows a Plan

This chapter introduces the idea of a computer as a device that follows a specific plan — your program. Using real-life examples, it explains basic control struc­tures like conditions and loops.

Chapter 2: The Nature of Software Development

Here, the author explores what programming really is, the role of program­ming lan­guages, and why Pascal is a good lan­guage for learning. It also covers the creative nature of developing software.

Chapter 3: The Secret Word Is “Structure”

This chapter introduces structured programming and shows how to write clean, logical, and maintainable code. It stresses readability and modular thinking from the start.

Part 2: Installing and Using FreePascal

Chapter 4: Installing FreePascal and Lazarus

A step-by-step guide to installing the FreePascal compiler and the Lazarus IDE on various operating systems. It also addresses common setup issues.

Chapter 5: Configuring and Using the Lazarus Environment

This chapter explains the Lazarus interface and how to create, build, and run simple projects. It includes tips for optimizing and customizing the develop­ment environment.

Part 3: The Core of the Pascal Language

Chapter 6: Pascal Atoms

An introduction to the basic building blocks of Pascal, such as keywords, operators, and the overall program struc­ture. It lays the ground­work for deeper language features.

Chapter 7: Data and Data Types

This chapter covers the basic types like integers, floating points, and booleans. You'll learn how to declare variables and manipulate values in Pascal.

Chapter 8: Derived Types and Data Structures

This section introduces complex types like arrays, records, and enumera­tions. It shows how to organize and work with structured data effectively.

Chapter 9: Structuring Code

Here, you learn how to format and structure your code blocks for clarity. It emphasizes consistent indentation, naming, and code documen­tation.

Chapter 10: Procedures and Functions

This chapter explains how to break down your code into reusable components. You'll learn how to pass parameters and return values through functions and procedures.

Chapter 11: Standard Functions

An overview of Pascal’s built-in functions, especially for common tasks like math opera­tions and type conversions. These tools simplify many day-to-day programming tasks.

Chapter 12: String Functions

This section focuses on handling strings, including how to manipulate, compare, and transform text data. Practical examples are used throughout.

Chapter 13: Locality and Scope

This chapter explains variable scope — where variables can be accessed or modified. It distinguishes between global and local variables.

Chapter 14: FreePascal File I/O

An introduction to working with files in FreePascal, including reading from and writing to text files. It also covers basic file handling operations.

Chapter 15: Units and Separate Compilation

The final chapter explains how to divide larger programs into modules (called Units) for better structure. It shows how to manage and compile modular code effectively.