We received notification today of the release of Clarion 7.0.0.4790 as well as Clarion.Net 7.0.0.4769 and have done re-installs and brief checks of both.
Clarion 7 checks out ok with a dozen or so CHT demo applications I tested. No exhaustive testing done but another of my reported bugs is fixed in this release.
RE: CLARION 7
Here is a list of the latest changes and additions Clarion 7.0.0.4790:
• FEATURE: Clarion Template Code Editor supporting code folding and drop list for type of templates and names and parameters.
• FEATURE: #HELP, #RUN and #RUNDLL use the redirection file to try and find the necessary file.
• FEATURE: When you install a version of Clarion into the C7 IDE the base redirection file for that version will automatically be upgraded so that #HELP, #RUN and #RUNDLL can use the redirection file
• CHANGE: Better error message when a key cannot be found for a relationship when upgrading a dictionary
• CHANGE: Clarion Templates highlighting was not allowing to comment template code
• CHANGE: Warning message changed from "Option text is too long" to "The option was truncated by a prior version of Clarion"
• CHANGE: add data pictures and scrollbar to the LISTBox formatter
• FIX: Clarion template chain was referencing C60HELP.HLP
• FIX: Help was unavailable from some Help buttons inside generator
• FIX: Win32 redirection system did not support include directives with quotes surrounding the file name
• FIX: %Procedure must be re-fixed to complete re-synchronization of dependent symbols
• FIX: Command line passed to RUN could be parsed incorrectly
• FIX: Some memory was not being garbage collected from the data pad
• FIX: adding/editing of nested GROUP and QUEUE structures to applications as well as groups or queues after other groups and queues
• PTSS 31947: Wrong error could be reported on parsing #WINDOWS/#ENDWINDOWS and #REPORTS/#ENDREPORTS blocks
Don't forget that once you've installed this latest C7 version to at least open and then close WEBUPDATER or the HNDC7INSTALL application. If you don't do this after re-installing C7 classes you'll get a "PRIVATE" error on compiling any of our demo apps. Don't report that please, just rerun either installer.
Just a quick reminder not to run the CHT Installation Tuner for either C6 or C7 until we give notice of it's completion. The introduction of special .APP and .DCT containers for C7 require some changes to this application which we've not yet completed. They'll be along early next week.
RE: CLARION.NET
The Clarion.NET 4769 update was a welcome surprise. We've been so pre-occupied with C7 we haven't had much time to experiment with this Clarion in the last couple of months. However, we did dig out a CHT demo app created for Clarion.NET in the previous version and it compiled and ran OK in the latest Clarion.NET, so there have been at least no compiler changes since the last release. If you don't have that Clarion.NET demo app, we're happy to supply you with a copy if you'd like it. Post your request as a reply to this message on the CHT forum.
That's all for now.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
January 30, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Build Update (13A1.02) Posted Last Night
We posted an update to the 13A1.XX build last night, numbered 13A1.02. This build update is in preparation for the imminent release also of our full C7 installer which I'm still hoping to do this week. I was hoping to check it out first against the next C7 update - which is supposed to be this week - before setting it free. If that update doesn't materialize before, say this coming Saturday January 19th, 2009, we'll release WEBUPDATER-C7 anyway.
The first thing you will notice with last night's 13A1.02 build update is that the WEBUPDATER graphic now sports a "C6" prominently on the window inside a white oval. This is so that you can easily distinguish the updaters when you have both to contend with. The C7 WEBUPDATER will display a "C7" inside the oval pictured below.
Application/DCT Auto-Backup Feature
Last night's build update also introduces a new feature available both for C6 and C7, the ability to turn on auto-backup for your applications and dictionaries. Any time your application is re-generated due to changes made by the "Save" button, a backup is made of the application as it was immediately after the last "Save". This feature is OFF by default but can be turned on and configured using a new support application called HNDBACKUPCONFIG, pictured below.
From this app interface you can set the backup directory, turn auto-backup on/off and manage older backups by either deleting them or zipping them into a compressed batch first and then deleting them. This backs up both the .APP file and the .DCT of your application. At the moment, it is doing this rather aggressively (making more backups than is really necessary) I'm working on fine tuning this a bit to cut down on duplicate backups but initially I'm erring on the side of more, rather than less.
Suggestions on the operation of this are welcome.
New Cross Installer Feature
There's a new C7 Cross installer feature in last night's update. This lets you configure some C7 application options at the time of install. It also lets you see how these options are currently configured, even if you don't intent do change them. The graphic below illustrates what this looks like:
Note that this throws a configurable location at you asking where you'd like your C7 to open. This will default to the "Default Project Location" currently configured on your C7 options. Since this Cross-installer does not (and will not) install C7 examples this field is more informational than useful. However you can change here the default directory where C7 will open up when you click it's open solution menu.
The other items illustrate how I like to configure my C7 "Application Options". A similar feature is planned for the C7 Webupdater, which will provide you with C7 equivalents of the C6 demo applications and dictionaries. In that case you can determine where you want to install your CHT demo applications. I'll provide a "Tools" menu item that automatically points C7 to open up on those demo apps when you want to "play" with them, regardless of where you decide to install them.
Thats all for now.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
January 15, 2009
The first thing you will notice with last night's 13A1.02 build update is that the WEBUPDATER graphic now sports a "C6" prominently on the window inside a white oval. This is so that you can easily distinguish the updaters when you have both to contend with. The C7 WEBUPDATER will display a "C7" inside the oval pictured below.
Application/DCT Auto-Backup Feature
Last night's build update also introduces a new feature available both for C6 and C7, the ability to turn on auto-backup for your applications and dictionaries. Any time your application is re-generated due to changes made by the "Save" button, a backup is made of the application as it was immediately after the last "Save". This feature is OFF by default but can be turned on and configured using a new support application called HNDBACKUPCONFIG, pictured below.
From this app interface you can set the backup directory, turn auto-backup on/off and manage older backups by either deleting them or zipping them into a compressed batch first and then deleting them. This backs up both the .APP file and the .DCT of your application. At the moment, it is doing this rather aggressively (making more backups than is really necessary) I'm working on fine tuning this a bit to cut down on duplicate backups but initially I'm erring on the side of more, rather than less.
Suggestions on the operation of this are welcome.
New Cross Installer Feature
There's a new C7 Cross installer feature in last night's update. This lets you configure some C7 application options at the time of install. It also lets you see how these options are currently configured, even if you don't intent do change them. The graphic below illustrates what this looks like:
Note that this throws a configurable location at you asking where you'd like your C7 to open. This will default to the "Default Project Location" currently configured on your C7 options. Since this Cross-installer does not (and will not) install C7 examples this field is more informational than useful. However you can change here the default directory where C7 will open up when you click it's open solution menu.
The other items illustrate how I like to configure my C7 "Application Options". A similar feature is planned for the C7 Webupdater, which will provide you with C7 equivalents of the C6 demo applications and dictionaries. In that case you can determine where you want to install your CHT demo applications. I'll provide a "Tools" menu item that automatically points C7 to open up on those demo apps when you want to "play" with them, regardless of where you decide to install them.
Thats all for now.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
January 15, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
CHT Changes Posted C7-4673 Compatible
We've uploaded some template changes (no version change) that work around the C7-4673 problem with #CONTEXT/#ENDCONTEXT. If you intend to test and use C7-4673 you should download this set of changes. Other than the #CONTEXT problem which stopped our template set dead in the water, 4673 seems stable enough.
If you intend to skip over C7-4673 and stay with C7-4608 until the next build (presumably next week) then we suggest you wait with your CHT update until that time.
Since C7-4673 also fixes a problem with #RUN() we removed the workaround in this template set that we'd implemented for the #RUN problem in C7-4608. So our template will not work correctly in earlier versions of C7 prior to this new one. So please make a choice on which C7 it will be and be prepared to live with it until the next C7 build. This kind of thing is likely to continue until C7 stabilizes and we see more consistent behavior.
This upload also fixes some C7 issues with 4 control templates uncovered by Didier. SV fixed a problem last build with #ORIG() that I'd done a C7 workaround for. When that C7 change was put in place I didn't remove my workaround. This upload does remove the workaround and these 4 control templates now work as expected. (Didier, if you wouldn't mind giving these a re-test when you get a chance).
I found an intermittent problem with compiler PRAGMAS disappearing from some C6-to-C7 converted apps. This upload resolves that.
In short, you should be comfortable enough moving to C7-4673 if you're so inclined. No C6 relevant changes in this upload.
I've posted a bunch of app changes that make the following apps C7 ready:
HNDCOLOR.APP, HNDINSTALLMYFILES.APP, HNDIFTP.APP, HNDINSTALLATIONSERVER.APP, HNDINSTBA.APP, HND3.APP, HND5.APP, HND6.APP, HND7.APP, HND8.APP, HND8A.APP, HNDABCHK.APP, HNDBROWSERCLIENT.APP, HNDLNCH.APP, HNDFSYNCH.APP, HNDZINDEX.APP. These apps will convert error free to C7. They also incorporate smaller icons on the menus and the splash screen text area has been set to RTF since C7 has an issue displaying flat text boxes without borders. We're still waiting for SV to fix a C7 bug with equates in the Window title.
There's one new app called HNDABCHKC7.APP which is specific to C7. This app will be used by our C7-only WEBUPDATER to aid with configuration.
Finally, for those of you using windows 64 and intending to install C7 directly onto a WIN64 O/S where you can't use the C6/C7 cross-installer, you may be heartened to hear that we've made good progress on WEBUPDATER (C7) so that, with any luck, it should be available by mid next week. There are other support apps in our suite - like HNDABCHKC7.APP - which need to be adjusted to work in the context of C7; HNDZINDEX.APP and HNDFSYNC.APP for instance. These apps need to be looked at more closely to make sure they behave differently when compiled in the context of C7.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
January 8, 2009
If you intend to skip over C7-4673 and stay with C7-4608 until the next build (presumably next week) then we suggest you wait with your CHT update until that time.
Since C7-4673 also fixes a problem with #RUN() we removed the workaround in this template set that we'd implemented for the #RUN problem in C7-4608. So our template will not work correctly in earlier versions of C7 prior to this new one. So please make a choice on which C7 it will be and be prepared to live with it until the next C7 build. This kind of thing is likely to continue until C7 stabilizes and we see more consistent behavior.
This upload also fixes some C7 issues with 4 control templates uncovered by Didier. SV fixed a problem last build with #ORIG() that I'd done a C7 workaround for. When that C7 change was put in place I didn't remove my workaround. This upload does remove the workaround and these 4 control templates now work as expected. (Didier, if you wouldn't mind giving these a re-test when you get a chance).
I found an intermittent problem with compiler PRAGMAS disappearing from some C6-to-C7 converted apps. This upload resolves that.
In short, you should be comfortable enough moving to C7-4673 if you're so inclined. No C6 relevant changes in this upload.
I've posted a bunch of app changes that make the following apps C7 ready:
HNDCOLOR.APP, HNDINSTALLMYFILES.APP, HNDIFTP.APP, HNDINSTALLATIONSERVER.APP, HNDINSTBA.APP, HND3.APP, HND5.APP, HND6.APP, HND7.APP, HND8.APP, HND8A.APP, HNDABCHK.APP, HNDBROWSERCLIENT.APP, HNDLNCH.APP, HNDFSYNCH.APP, HNDZINDEX.APP. These apps will convert error free to C7. They also incorporate smaller icons on the menus and the splash screen text area has been set to RTF since C7 has an issue displaying flat text boxes without borders. We're still waiting for SV to fix a C7 bug with equates in the Window title.
There's one new app called HNDABCHKC7.APP which is specific to C7. This app will be used by our C7-only WEBUPDATER to aid with configuration.
Finally, for those of you using windows 64 and intending to install C7 directly onto a WIN64 O/S where you can't use the C6/C7 cross-installer, you may be heartened to hear that we've made good progress on WEBUPDATER (C7) so that, with any luck, it should be available by mid next week. There are other support apps in our suite - like HNDABCHKC7.APP - which need to be adjusted to work in the context of C7; HNDZINDEX.APP and HNDFSYNC.APP for instance. These apps need to be looked at more closely to make sure they behave differently when compiled in the context of C7.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
January 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Build 13A1.01 Now Available
We've just posted the first build for 2009 - 13A1.01.
This includes a complete review of the demo apps (renumbered to Version 7.00.00) which I thought was appropriate given where we're headed in 2009.
We've made some improvements in the cross installer (clarion6/3rdparty/hnd/hndc7install.exe) for Clarion 7 including now, silent template registration and automatic suppression of copying CHT dlls to the output directory.
There are some template changes made for the benefit of Clarion 7.
We've begun the task of converting all of the Demo apps to C7 (though they're not yet included) with this upload. Nor is the standalone installer (HND_WEBUPDATER_C7.EXE) available at this point in time. That, with any luck, will be available by the end of next week along with a full complement of converted demo apps.
You can find a templates overview for 13A1.01 here: CHTTTEMPLATES.HTML
You can find a demo apps overview for 13A1.01 here: CHTAPPLICATIONS.HTML
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
Visit Website
This includes a complete review of the demo apps (renumbered to Version 7.00.00) which I thought was appropriate given where we're headed in 2009.
We've made some improvements in the cross installer (clarion6/3rdparty/hnd/hndc7install.exe) for Clarion 7 including now, silent template registration and automatic suppression of copying CHT dlls to the output directory.
There are some template changes made for the benefit of Clarion 7.
We've begun the task of converting all of the Demo apps to C7 (though they're not yet included) with this upload. Nor is the standalone installer (HND_WEBUPDATER_C7.EXE) available at this point in time. That, with any luck, will be available by the end of next week along with a full complement of converted demo apps.
You can find a templates overview for 13A1.01 here: CHTTTEMPLATES.HTML
You can find a demo apps overview for 13A1.01 here: CHTAPPLICATIONS.HTML
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
Visit Website
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Small CHT Update Posted
We've just posted a small CHT update.
This does not involve a version number change. The version number stays at 12D1.03.
Two changes:
1) Problem with HandyThreadLimiter template fixed. This was causing small changes on single procedures to cause the entire application to recompile.
2) Since SV has fixed the CREATE bug in C63.9059 that was causing truncation of the picture on our QPFC query control to @S20 any time you changed between query entry and query dropdown. We've reverted the query entry control to a CREATE:Entry control type from the CREATE:Text that we set up temporarily as a workaround to deal with this C63.9059 bug.
Changes are available immediately via WebUpdater.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
December 3, 2008
This does not involve a version number change. The version number stays at 12D1.03.
Two changes:
1) Problem with HandyThreadLimiter template fixed. This was causing small changes on single procedures to cause the entire application to recompile.
2) Since SV has fixed the CREATE bug in C63.9059 that was causing truncation of the picture on our QPFC query control to @S20 any time you changed between query entry and query dropdown. We've reverted the query entry control to a CREATE:Entry control type from the CREATE:Text that we set up temporarily as a workaround to deal with this C63.9059 bug.
Changes are available immediately via WebUpdater.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
December 3, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Build 12D1.03 Posted Today
We've just released Build Sub-Update 12D1.03.
With this build, we've incorporated some template workarounds for a C7 Bug involving #PDEFINE that was causing considerable grief. We've now test-converted and test-compiled with no problems the following CHT demos:
HND2.APP
HNDSQL9.APP
HNDSQL10.APP
HNDGMAILEXPLORER.APP (Make sure to turn off the C7-Copy DLL switch)
HNDC7INSTALL.APP (Make sure to turn off the C7-Copy DLL switch)
HNDSCRIPT.APP
HNDZIPNPOSTTOCHTSERVER.APP
HNDZIPNFTP.APP
HNDNETZIPDEMO.APP
HNDVIDEOEDUCATION.APP
HNDWINDOWSERVICEDEMO.APP
HNDZIPNEMAIL.APP
HNDCOMZIPPERCONTROL.APP
HNDSETUP.APP
HNDFSYNC.APP
HNDFLASHDEMO.APP
HNDZINDEX.APP
HNDSQLTRACE.APP
HNDFTPWZ.APP
HNDCMP.APP
HNDHOTKEYSERVICE.APP
HNDCOLOR.APP
HNDLNCH.APP
For the next sub-release of this 12D build we'll review the remaining CHT demos so that you'll be able to convert all of these apps directly to a C7 version with no more effort than opening it in C7 and re-compiling in C7.
There's also a new demo in this update called HNDGOOGLECALENDAREXPLORER.APP this is a parallel app to the one we released last month called HNDGMAILEXPLORER.APP. It uses Ed Grodsky's email account to log directly into his Google Calendar account.
We've taken the demo app called HNDFORUMVIEWERLITE.APP a bit further from last month so that you can change the time range query on the forum messages page from the app's toolbar. This is done by interacting with the DOM variables in the web page and having the page then post it's request form back to the server. This concept can be taken a lot further and is a very powerful concept which we'll revisit with new demo apps.
On the whole, I'm quite pleased with what I've seen of C7 now that I've narrowed down the C7 bugs that were getting in the way of our templates generating correctly. The #PDEFINE bug that we isolated this past week was a major step, because it caused more than one side effect (all of which are now gone with our work-around). The bug appeared intermittently and so was hard to pin down because it only appeared in certain usages of #PDEFINE, where the second parameter was a blank variable such as %False. Rather than a constant such as simply, 0 (zero).
We presently are working around 4 fairly major C7 bugs, all of which we've reported to SV. These are:
1) #EXTRACT()
2) #RUN()
3) EQUATES in window titles
4) #PDEFINE()
Since we only found a provable form of the #PDEFINE() bug on US Thanksgiving, that one has yet to be acknowledged but I'm sure it will be since the example I've provided illustrates the problem clearly.
There's absolutely no question in my mind now that when C7 is out of beta and fully bug-fixed, you'll be able to take your C6.3 apps built with CHT templates and open them directly in C7, compile and run, with no need to modify or adapt the original application.
A completed and fully debugged C7 app-gen also positions the Clarion.NET IDE to move forward onto the Clarion template system. While C7 is an incremental improvement over previous Clarions, Clarion.NET is going to be a breakthrough product. I'm convinced of that.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
December 1, 2008
With this build, we've incorporated some template workarounds for a C7 Bug involving #PDEFINE that was causing considerable grief. We've now test-converted and test-compiled with no problems the following CHT demos:
HND2.APP
HNDSQL9.APP
HNDSQL10.APP
HNDGMAILEXPLORER.APP (Make sure to turn off the C7-Copy DLL switch)
HNDC7INSTALL.APP (Make sure to turn off the C7-Copy DLL switch)
HNDSCRIPT.APP
HNDZIPNPOSTTOCHTSERVER.APP
HNDZIPNFTP.APP
HNDNETZIPDEMO.APP
HNDVIDEOEDUCATION.APP
HNDWINDOWSERVICEDEMO.APP
HNDZIPNEMAIL.APP
HNDCOMZIPPERCONTROL.APP
HNDSETUP.APP
HNDFSYNC.APP
HNDFLASHDEMO.APP
HNDZINDEX.APP
HNDSQLTRACE.APP
HNDFTPWZ.APP
HNDCMP.APP
HNDHOTKEYSERVICE.APP
HNDCOLOR.APP
HNDLNCH.APP
For the next sub-release of this 12D build we'll review the remaining CHT demos so that you'll be able to convert all of these apps directly to a C7 version with no more effort than opening it in C7 and re-compiling in C7.
There's also a new demo in this update called HNDGOOGLECALENDAREXPLORER.APP this is a parallel app to the one we released last month called HNDGMAILEXPLORER.APP. It uses Ed Grodsky's email account to log directly into his Google Calendar account.
We've taken the demo app called HNDFORUMVIEWERLITE.APP a bit further from last month so that you can change the time range query on the forum messages page from the app's toolbar. This is done by interacting with the DOM variables in the web page and having the page then post it's request form back to the server. This concept can be taken a lot further and is a very powerful concept which we'll revisit with new demo apps.
On the whole, I'm quite pleased with what I've seen of C7 now that I've narrowed down the C7 bugs that were getting in the way of our templates generating correctly. The #PDEFINE bug that we isolated this past week was a major step, because it caused more than one side effect (all of which are now gone with our work-around). The bug appeared intermittently and so was hard to pin down because it only appeared in certain usages of #PDEFINE, where the second parameter was a blank variable such as %False. Rather than a constant such as simply, 0 (zero).
We presently are working around 4 fairly major C7 bugs, all of which we've reported to SV. These are:
1) #EXTRACT()
2) #RUN()
3) EQUATES in window titles
4) #PDEFINE()
Since we only found a provable form of the #PDEFINE() bug on US Thanksgiving, that one has yet to be acknowledged but I'm sure it will be since the example I've provided illustrates the problem clearly.
There's absolutely no question in my mind now that when C7 is out of beta and fully bug-fixed, you'll be able to take your C6.3 apps built with CHT templates and open them directly in C7, compile and run, with no need to modify or adapt the original application.
A completed and fully debugged C7 app-gen also positions the Clarion.NET IDE to move forward onto the Clarion template system. While C7 is an incremental improvement over previous Clarions, Clarion.NET is going to be a breakthrough product. I'm convinced of that.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
December 1, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Clarion 6.3.9059 Caution
There's a bug in Clarion 6.3.9059 with the CREATE() control function. We use this function with the CHT QueryParsingFilterControl to create a dropdown or an entry control depending on how you've configured the template.
The end result of this bug is a query control that accepts only 20 characters max. This bug has been reported to SV, confirmed, and I'm told, sent immediately to development.
In the meantime, if you're not using 9059 just yet, I suggest you hold off for the next release of it.
I have managed to build a work-around for this using alternate controls, which I will post this evening. The workaround requires nothing from you but a re-generate/re-compile so if you decide to stay with 9059, no harm done.
Apparently this was not in the original 9059 that I was given several months back. It was a change that resulted from an earlier bug report by another developer and introduced into the most recent 9059 general pre-release version.
BTW, my workaround works with earlier versions of C6 too so there's no harm in having it.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
November 20, 2008
The end result of this bug is a query control that accepts only 20 characters max. This bug has been reported to SV, confirmed, and I'm told, sent immediately to development.
In the meantime, if you're not using 9059 just yet, I suggest you hold off for the next release of it.
I have managed to build a work-around for this using alternate controls, which I will post this evening. The workaround requires nothing from you but a re-generate/re-compile so if you decide to stay with 9059, no harm done.
Apparently this was not in the original 9059 that I was given several months back. It was a change that resulted from an earlier bug report by another developer and introduced into the most recent 9059 general pre-release version.
BTW, my workaround works with earlier versions of C6 too so there's no harm in having it.
Cheers...
Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
www.cwhandy.com
support@cwhandy.com
November 20, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
