Delphi 2009 sets the default file format for new source code files to ANSI, this makes the source code platform-dependent.
Even for a new XSD file created in the IDE, which by default starts with this line
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
Delphi sets the file format to ANSI (this looks like a bug, for new XML and XSLT documents UTF8 is selected by default).
Is there a hidden option to set the default file format for source code files?
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Right-click on your source code in the Delphi 2009 IDE, and select File Format. Then choose UTF-8. Hope that helps.
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Although the answer from MBulli should be still relevant, since version 10.4 of Delphi (as far as I remember) it is possible to change the default encoding within the IDE.
Go to Tools > Options and choose User interface > Editor from the navigation area.
You will find the Default file encoding setting down below.
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In fact this blog post from 2004 mentions a hidden IDE option. It states that you can set a default file filter in the registry to make UTF-8 the default encoding in Delphi 8. This still works under Tokyo! Clearly, you have to adapt the path of the registry key to recent versions like this:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Embarcadero\BDS\19.0\Editor]
"DefaultFileFilter"="Borland.FileFilter.UTF8ToUTF8"
After setting this value Delphi will encode new units in UTF-8 with BOM.
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If you install UTF8ize Plugin (english translation of his page & latest version) to your IDE, when you edit any file within the IDE, the plugin set the file's codepage to UTF8 automatically.
(FYI: The author creates many useful plugins. I posted some of his plugins with image here, but my post was deleted by the modelator. I just wanted to know his useful plugins, but yes, it's off topic here. sorry.)
AFAIK, there is no IDE-wide setting for specifying the default file format.