Does TObject have all the capabilities of TComponent apart from things like streaming and being used from the IDE component palette?

I want to create an object which has all the capabilities like getting and setting properties, and I want to know whether I need to inherit from TObject or from something further down the hierarchy.

Another aspect is ownership. Does ownership require objects to be derived from TComponent?

Is a TPersistent adequate if manipulating the object from the IDE isn't needed?

Last but not the least, is the FreePascal TObject/TComponent system more or less the same as Delphi's, or are there some major differences?

PS. I asked this question in the Lazarus forum, but on reflection it is a FreePascal question and belongs here instead.

Frank Church wrote

Does TObject have all the capabilities of TComponent apart from things like streaming and being used from the IDE component palette? I want to create an object which has all the capabilities like getting and setting properties, and I want to know whether I need to inherit from TObject or from something further down the hierarchy.

If you need published properties (RTTI) then you can descend from TPersistent.

Or, you create a class that descends from TObject, for instance TRTTIObject and compile it under {$M+}, and derive all your objects from that.

Another aspect is ownership. Does ownership require objects to be derived from TComponent?

Yes. Unless you care to re-implement the TComponent behaviour.

Is a TPersistent adequate if manipulating the object from the IDE isn't needed?

Yes.

Last but not the least, is the FreePascal TObject/TComponent system more or less the same as Delphi's, or are there some major differences?

It is the same. At least we try very hard to keep it so :-)

Michael.