Build 12B1.00 - Minor Update Posted

I've posted some changes for the 12B1.00 Build, to fix some reported problems since the May 1st posting. These changes are minor and do not warrant a version number change.

The ABCBrowseRecordTaggerEx template should work correctly now with either hot key, MouseLeft or MouseLeftUp. In the prior release, the ABCBrowse would not select correctly when the hotkey used was MouseLeft. It did work correctly with MouseLeftUp. I've changed the hotkey selection mechanism on all XXXRecordTaggerEx templates to a dropdown from the built-in template alert key mechanism which does not provide for the easy insertion of MouseLeftUp as a standard alert key.

I could not reproduce the Calculator problem reported here by one user no matter where I tried it, so I think that may be isolated to the fact that he was using an older Clarion 6 version. The threaded calculator uses an ANY variable as the data transfer mechanism across threads and I've added an explicit CLEAR to initialize that variable. Earlier versions of Clarion 6 did require this, though the present version does not, since ANY variables are now implicitly initialized by Clarion itself.

Terry I've posted with this update the HNDSTRLB.CLW changes that you requested in these two functions:


HndStrLib.CStringToWideString PROCEDURE (*CSTRING xIn, *STRING xpOut, LONG xCodePage=0)
HndStrLib.WideStringToCString PROCEDURE (LONG xlWide, *CSTRING xOut, LONG xCodePage=0)


These functions work as before if you do nothing. However, you can now add a 3rd parameter providing a code-page value to have the correct code-page translation applied if you supply the code-page number. I've added specific CHT equates to handle the code-pages you asked about:


HND_CP_UTF8 EQUATE (65001) ! UTF-8 translation
HND_CP_GB2312 EQUATE (936) ! Chinese Simplified
HND_CP_Big5 EQUATE (950) ! ANSI/OEM Traditional Chinese (Taiwan; Hong Kong SAR, PRC); Chinese Traditional (Big5)


You should be able to use any code-page number or combination in the 3rd parameter as required by the language in use.

Terry, since I haven't got any reliable way to test this myself, I'm relying on you for feedback as to whether this works to your satisfaction.

I've included fresh copies of all pre-compiled apps located in /3rdparty/hnd/ including HNDSCRPT.EXE since I neglected to do that in the last update. Also included are the following apps compiled with the latest version of C7: HNDZIPNFTP.EXE, HNDZIPNEMAIL.EXE and HNDHTTPZIPNPOST.EXE. These are supplied purely as a reminder that CHT is fully C7 compatible.

Take a look also at HNDCMP.EXE - the CHT Compile Manager - since it now implements a couple of the new templates: HANDYMARKERBROWSEROWMOVEBUTTONS and HANDYMARKERBROWSERECORDTAGGEREX.

In the prior release, a few of the demo apps had dictionary paths embedded in them. If I'm not careful to remove the dictionary path from our demo apps, those of you with clarion installed somewhere other than c:/clarion6/ can have problems compiling the demo apps. I've gone through all demo apps to make sure that dictionary paths were removed so all apps assume that the .DCT is located in the same directory as the application itself. This is how it's supposed to work.

Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
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So Much For Global Warming...

Okay, so this has nothing to do with CHT and this blog site is supposed to discuss all things CHT. I promise to be more disciplined about that in the future, but I've just got to get you to read a book I read this past week while relaxing by the pool in Florida.

It's about, ironically, the high possibility of an Ice Age in our life-time, heck in my life-time and from the last post, you know how long that is.

The book is by a man called Robert Felix. He began researching it in 1991, well before global warming entered public consciousness in any big way. The book has been updated several times and as far as I'm concerned, it's an eye-opener because it turns the Al Gore stuff on it's head.

In fact it doesn't refute some of the Al Gore information, take ocean warming, for example. But it comes to different conclusions about what causes ocean heating and the ultimate consequences of extreme ocean heating.

Before you shoot me down for bucking the common trend, hear this guy out. He's not a nut-case as near as I can tell. Watch this video and then follow some of the links I've provided below.

Keep an open mind as you watch Robert Felix's video:
Video: Robert Felix: Not By Fire But By Ice and if you're not convinced, read his book Book: Not By Fire But By Ice.

He's not denying global warming. But he suggests that a natural cycle, that repeats every 11,500 years brings on ice ages. The fossil record reports this has happened quite predictably, give or take 100 years, for at least 500,000 years. We're due for another one. There is some serious evidence that he may be right. One of the side effects is apparent global warming due to ocean warming.

Ocean warming leads to evaporation. Ever greater evaporation leads to unusual amounts of percipitation, and growing ice accumulation in the winter seasons and at high elevations. Twelve inches of rainfall equates to 120 inches of snow. All you need is a week or two of torrential percipitation in the winter season and the possibility of an ice-age cycle beginning is magnified until one day, the snow is just too deep to melt in a single spring-summer cycle. The fossil record indicates this can happen very quickly, in as little as 10-20 years. The Wolly Mammoth and a few other large mammals died in the last ice age. A few were found frozen with fresh flowers and grasses in their stomachs, as if they had been flash frozen.

Polar ice is melting presently due to ocean warming, and this is only part of an overall, natural cycle. Ocean heating, he claims is a normal phenomenon (perhaps assisted a bit by us) but primarily caused by underwater volcanic activity. There are at least a million underwater volcanoes some of them presently active and heating the oceans from down below where it really matters.

His book, which I recommend you read, has been updated several times. It's thoroughly researched and well documented. He's a lucid writer and his book makes a convincing case. I've followed up many of his scientific references and they appear accurate and up to date.

Some links to his references:

http://www.iceagenow.com/List_of_Expanding_Glaciers.htm

http://www.iceagenow.com/Greenland_Ice_Cap_Growing_Thicker.htm

http://www.iceagenow.com/18000_buried_in_one_city.htm

http://www.iceagenow.com/Jason_satellite_indicates_global_cooling.htm

http://www.iceagenow.com/Cold_temps_delay_planting_in_Idaho.htm

http://www.iceagenow.com/Great_videos_debunking_global_warming.htm

http://www.iceagenow.com/Harris-Mann_Seminar.htm

http://www.iceagenow.com/Geophysicist_an_ice_age_cometh.htm

http://www.iceagenow.com/Global_temperatures_drop_precipitously.htm

Cheers...

--
Gus M. Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
http://news.cwhandy.ca
http://www.cwhandy.ca/chtvideoeducationfree.htm

I'm Back From Florida

I'm back from Florida with a really good tan and some great memories.

We spent a week at a Family Condo (my wife's family) in Cocoa Beach Florida. Spent a lot of time by the pool reading, and at the beach trying to learn how to use a surfboard. Also spent a full day at Cape Canaveral at the space museum. What a great place for geeks like me to visit!

Saturday was my birthday and Friday morning I was sitting on the back deck sunning and reading the paper when my youngest daughter poked her head out the sliding door and said "Hi, Dad".

I looked up and replied "Oh Hi, Natalie". Only then, of course, did the thought hit me, "Hey, where did you come from?". Because Natalie was not supposed to be there. She'd flown down for the weekend to spend a few days and to help celebrate her dad's 60th birthday. Of course everyone was in on this - except me - and I was totally taken by surprise!

The next day we all drove down to Orlando, where my oldest daughter Jessica and her husband John, were staying at an amazing Mariott Vacation Villa with 3 bedrooms. Jessica and John both work for RIM and are attending the WES convention there. This is the biggest single RIM event held anywhere. They of course, brought my grandaughter Gwenyth along and we all had a grand weekend and celebrated my birthday and Mothers day in one grand bash.

I stayed Monday and came home late yesterday as did Natalie. Natalie is a television producer in Toronto and had to get back to work. I'd committed to come back and do a little bit of CHT catchup here and then get back to my consulting practice in Toronto.

Laura, my wife, stayed behind to look after Gwennie until Friday when the WES convention is over and they all come home.

It's taken me all day to get back to reality and do some work after having 11 glorious days of holidaying with friends and family.

Thanks to all of you for holding off on the hard questions while I was away.

I've got a couple of bug fixes going up for 12B1.00 by the weekend.

Cheers...

Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
Visit Website