Small Upated Posted to Build 13C1.00

We've just posted a small update now available via Webupdater (C6) and Webupdater (C7).

FIRST...

The new Tape calculator now has a new function:

PassCalcTapeText PROCEDURE (STRING xTapeText),VIRTUAL

You can embed into this function inside your app to pick up the string that contains the current display tape value. This function is called anytime the EQUAL key on the calculator is pressed. This function works equally well with a threaded or unthreaded calculator.

SECOND...
There was a problem with the calculator maintaining focus when implemented as a Threaded calculator any time the EQUAL key was pressed. This has now been solved so that you can use the calculator entirely from the keyboard (without the mouse) and even after the EQUAL key is pressed, focus on the calculator is maintained.

THIRD...
Both Calculator templates (HandyCalcTapeEntryControl_ECF, HandyCalcEntryControl_ECF) now pass the picture that you place on the template-provided entry control to the calendar. Rather than using ROUND() internally, the HNDCALCCONTROL class now performs a FORMAT() of the calculator register data when you click the RD key.

FOURTH...
I revised the HNDDISK function called DRIVESPACE.

HNDDisk.DriveSpace PROCEDURE (STRING xRootPath, *STRING xFreeBytes, *STRING xTotalBytes)

This should now return the xTotalBytes value correctly for Terrabyte sized drives. The function was and always has worked correctly for drives smaller than one Terrabyte. The data width has now been increased from 40 bits to 64 bits so that we can pick up the size of these drives correctly. One caviat with this function. With terrabyte drives, the function will return smaller sizes if the user asking for drives sizes has been assigned a disk quota. A disk quota determines how much data any user is allowed to place on the drive, so it stands to reason that this is seen as the largest disk size available to the user, hence that is the disk size. Without a disk quota, the true size of the drive is available even with the over 1 terrabyte drives.

FIFTH...
Someone asked last week if the HNDLRNSV.APP was available for C7. It wasn't at that time but we've included it in this update.

SIXTH...
The HNDZIPNEMAIL.APP provided with with C6 and C7 is now the same as the one I posted on the SV forum this past weekend. This later version (V 7.5) allows for multiple configurations that can be recalled with the click of a button.

SEVENTH...
HNDDATES has been changed to reflect a higher Maximum Clarion date value which was introduced a couple of years back, with C6 I believe it was. The enforced Clarion Standard Date range is now January 1, 1801 through December 31, 9999.

That's all for now. You can pick up these changes any time with your WEBUPDATERs.

Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
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Automatically Compress Your EXE's When Compiling

A global template we haven't yet told you about called, HandyExecutableCompressor can be attached to your application as a child of our master global template AACHTControlPanel.

When enabled, this template generates and executes (after compile has completed) a batch file which invokes a shareware executable compressor now included with CHT. Your executable file (.EXE) is compressed by 2/3 without affecting it's performance.

This has some obvious benefits, especially for security in making your .EXEs more secure against hackers looking for embedded strings such as passwords. If you're providing direct-downloadable executables it saves you having to first ZIP the exe while still reducing web-transport overhead by 2/3.

Click this link to view a short video that illustrates the compressor in action:
HandyExecutableCompressor Video

Cheers...

Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
August 21, 2009

Webupdater (C7) Change Posted

We've just posted a change to the C7 Webupdater to provide a set of menus under HELP along the lines agreed upon by 3rd party developers. We've used the naming convention suggested by Lee White which I gather is now the default for how these menus should integrate into the C7 IDE.
That is Help -> Accessory -> Clarion Handy Tools -> Various menus and sub-menus.

At the same time, we're having the installer remove all but one of our support applications from the Tools menu, leaving only the CHT backup tool under the IDE's TOOLS menu. All others have been moved under HELP as they were primarily help related.

We've also added a new submenu to the CHT section of help called "CHT Videos Direct". This is a section of short instructional videos (.SWF) that you can run as needed directly from the C7 interface. Specific videos will not stay here indefinitely as we plan to use this area to introduce new features, or to draw attention to under-utilized features in an effort to make you familiar with their use. Videos retired from here will make their way to one or the other of our video player apps, or perhaps both.

Since we don't use any other 3rd party tools at CHT, we're not able to see how this "Accessory" menu integrates with what other 3rd parties have done or may be doing. We have endeavored to follow the conventions agreed upon for integration with C7. Feel free to post suggestions (perhaps with screen snaps) if you have something constructive to add to this. Changing the menu layouts is no big deal if necessary for better overall integration.

Cheers...

Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
August 18, 2009

CHT Build 13C1.00 For Clarion 7 Now Available

We've just posted the Clarion 7 version of our new 13C1.00 Build. This includes the full feature set already released to Clarion 6 last week. We're now also shipping with Clarion 7, approximately 100 of the 130 demo applications available to Clarion 6, more are being converted and tested each week. Our intention is to have the full suite of demo apps available to C7 as soon as practical.

Cheers...

Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com

CHT Build 13C1.00 New Features Review Part 7

New Template, EmbedFileNotifyFunctions

The purpose of this template is to make available in the procedure to which it is attached, a new class called HNDFileNotify. This is a very small, but powerful class which gives your procedure the ability to notify your application via EVENT:FileChanged whenever a new file is added to a nominated directory or a file in the nominated directory is changed in any way.

There are hundreds of uses for this small but powerful feature, from backup applications to autoupload and cross-posting capability. I've provided a small application to illustrate one use.

Example Application Using EmbedFileNotifyFunctions

This application illustrates a new CHT template called EmbedFileNotifyFunctions and a new class called HNDFileNotify(HNDFILENOTIFY.INC/HNDFILENOTIFY.CLW).

The class attached to your procedure by this template, once initialized gives your procedure the ability to detect all changes occuring in a nominated directory. Whenever a new file is added to this directory, or a file is changed, your procedure is sent an event called EVENT:FileChanged to signal that this has occurred. At that point, what you do as a programmer to act on that event is wide open.

This application illustrates one use of this new, directory monitoring capability. When a file is added to the designated source directory, that file is copied into a temporary, processing directory, from where it is compressed and encrypted into a CHT .HZO transport container.

The file or files meeting the filter setting provided on the application interface, eventually then, end up compressed into this .HZO container. There is also an optional switch to remove the processed source file(s) from the directory being
monitored.

Cheers...

Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
August 14, 2009

New Template, HandyFieldAutoCompleteControl

The Clarion Handy Tools Template called HandyFieldAutoCompleteControl is a control template that autocompletes a form field from values already available in another file.

In the example provided - HNDDROPDOWN.APP - we're autocompleting a "State Name" field from a file called hndstatesnew.tps. By simply typing 3 or 4 letters into this field a dropdown appears which displays the closest matches for the typed value. By continuing to type beyond 4 characters a matching value is brought into the autocomplete control.

Alternatively, with the down arrow key, users can scroll down into the dropdown control to select one of the values that appears there.

Adding to the autocomplete file: If you type a unique value and press CtrlEnter, the entered value is added to the autocomplete source file.

Deleting from the autocomplete file: If you bring an existing value from the autocomplete file into the autocomplete entry control and press CtrlDelete you are able to delete a value from the autocomplete source file.

To watch a short video of the HandyFieldAutoCompleteControl Template in action, click here HandyFieldAutoCompleteControl Template Demo

Cheers...

Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
Visit Website

Build 13C1.00 New Features Review Part 5

I had a user request to provide a "display-tape" facility to CHT's calculator with the opportunity to print the tape output.
I did that and had it working quite some time ago, with the intent to release with Build 13C1.00. In the meantime I was scanning, one day, through some Xara Graphics and spotted a calculator layout that I really liked.

As a result of finding that graphic, I've re-written the "display-tape" calculator - procedure HandyCalcTape() in HNDCALC.INC/.CLW. The outcome is the calculator below. This is a separate procedure entirely from procedure HandyCalc() which you have now.

Since this calculator is built around a graphic, those of you who provide applications for non-English users, will need to contact me with a list of symbols that you want to replace the English based symbols currently displaying on the interface. I'll whip up a separate graphic based on your non-English symbol list and include it with the toolkit in the /images/ directory. Inserting that graphic is easily enough to do by setting a property in the class or on our template.

To see the calculator in action click this link: CHT HandyCalcTape.

Cheers...

Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
Visit Website