The Version 21 release is just around the corner, it looks like once again pcSoft has done a great job! This week the New Features brochure was released, so I wanted to highlight some of the new features that I think are most exciting.

General WX and Windev Features

#1 New Repositionable Note Control

This is a “Yellow Sticky Note” control that can be placed on a screen. It looks useful for perhaps tips on a complex function, even more exciting users can add sticky notes to the application themselves!

#3 – 7 New Wire Control

Lets you link controls together via lines and arrows. The links are maintain with the controls are moved, which is important since the user can not move controls around at runtime. This combined with some other new features make creating attractive Workflow style interfaces very easy. I can see this being used in Factory Floor applications, Restaurant seating etc.

#14-18 Ability to Edit the Window layout at runtime

This allows the controls to be moved and adjusted at runtime, letting end users setup the screen for what works for them. Very handy for a window that is used by two users with slightly different purposes. What really caught my eye was #16, which says you can run your application via the GO button, change the layout while debugging, and when you return to the IDE you are giving the option to apply those changes to your screen design!!

#27 – 39,118 WDAnalytics

A whole new level of runtime information, you can monitor your applications usage, all the way down to the window and control level, track errors and performance and so much more. #118 especially sounds exciting, when an end user has a crash, the debug log can be transferred and you can open the application in the debugger right at the point it crash and review all the variables etc. and figure out what cause the crash. I will be particularly excited to see what Andy does with this and his Project Pro application.

#44 – Show which elements are used in which configuration

This is a great feature for developers like me that use a single project for multiple configurations, I have one project that generates a website, a webservice, 2 windows services, and 3 windows executables all from the same project file. Previously I had to go to each configuration to see if an element was included in that configuration.

#46-48 Multilanguage Enhancements

Especially #46, which sounds like they have made the translation screens inside the IDE easier.

#55 Skin Template Generator

Previously you had to start with an existing Skin and tweak it to your liking or go through some heavy lifting to create one of your own, now there is a generator that will let you create your own skin template, which will be very handy for folks that want all their projects to have a consistent look and feel.

#78 SCM Analysis size reduced

If this one is anywhere near what they say it is I might have to fly to France and kiss a developer! When working with a large Analysis and the SCM it can be very time consuming checking it in and out, especially if the SCM is on a remote connection. I have one very large analysis that lives in an SCM on a UK server and I lose 30 minutes of work anytime I need to make a change to the analysis. They have restructured what gets stored in the SCM for the Analysis and it is supposed to have made a dramatic performance improvement. I CANT WAIT!!!!

 #89-90 Conditional Target and Configuration Code declared in the Code

This is another huge one for me, since I use one project file for many configurations and targets. The previously interface for making code only apply to a particular target (windows, web, etc) was difficult and a bit clunky. I ended up not using it at all, and instead created my own conditional code based on the Configuration using the ProjectInfo function, but with my method I get “false” compile warnings, I am hoping with this new method that won’t be the case.

#101 GetCountryList

Sounds like it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but I currently have to maintain a list of Countries and ISO codes. Now it will be a simple function call.

#106 Generate Procedure Stubs based on a WSDL

This will create a set of stub procedures based on the functions and parameters listed in a WSDL. Andy and I are excited to see how this might boost our productivity when working with a new webservice.

#168 RTL tooltips on controls

This makes for much more attractive tooltips, and the ability to provide much more information in the tooltip, even more exciting end users can add tooltips at runtime!

#171 Clickable links in captions

Yet another way for you to create much richer interfaces for drilling down etc.

#185 Create Windows 10 Universal Apps

Proving that pcSoft is committed to keep up with new technology and keeping us on the leading edge of development

#188 Using XAML for screen layouts

This is a bit of a behind the scenes items, but I suspect it will lead to many things in the future, and again shows pcSoft commitment to standard technologies

JSON Improvements HJSONtoRecord and HRecordtoJSON

The ability to move a JSON structure directly in and out of a Hyperfile record structure should increase our productivity and make working with Webservices, especially RESTful services that much easier.

WebDev Features

#727-737 Responsive features

As pcSoft continues to move WebDev to using standard web technology there have been huge stride in this release when it comes to responsive design. I haven’t gotten to work with it yet, but it seems to be based on the bootstrap style standards of using a fluid grid to provide responsive options. You can be certain I will be talking about these features quite a bit in the coming months!

#738-739 Dynamic Serving of Mobile vs Desktop pages

Even with the new responsive features, sometimes you need to create specific mobile pages. Previously, via code we are able to do things to decide which page to serve. With v21 there is a method to do this that is more server based, which means that Google indexing etc. will be much better for SEO, etc.

#741 CloneControl added to Webdev

This is a feature that has been in WinDev for a while, and I am very excited to see it finally make it to WebDev. “I don’t often use CloneControl, but when I do I want to do it in WebDev” 🙂

#744 Cross Reference of Styles

Very handy feature that will show you all the controls, etc. that are using a WebDev or CSS style. Another feature that doesn’t sound like that big of a deal but when you have a large website with lots of styles, previously it could be difficult to know what all will be effected if you change a style.

#750-753 New Navigation Bar Control

A new and improved navigation method that supports responsive designs.

#754-761 New Menu Control

Let’s face it the previous menu control was not the best! There are some promising improvements with the new one, especially #755 which as that it is all CSS based! Again showing pcSoft’s commitment to Web Standards.

#810 Arrays supported in the browser code

Talk about burying the lead, I have lots of workarounds, javascript code and AJAX calls to accomplish things in the browser that need arrays. This feature alone would make the upgrade worth while to me!

WinDev Mobile Features

#454 Organizer Control now available for Android and IOS

This will save lots of develpoment time versus trying to create your own!

#458 Endless Looper

A looper with many rows can now load the viewable rows, and then continue loading additional rows in the background. This should make for much more responsive interfaces when dealing with large amounts of data.

#459 Horizontal Swipe on Looper

You can now create a customizable action for horizontal swipes on a looper, this will let you display edit controls, etc. on a horizontal swipe, creating a much richer interface.

#465 Facebook Login

Allow your users to log into your application using their facebook login. Another feature that shows pcSoft commitment to standards.

#474 Geo-Localization in the background

Get the GPS location in the background. This also decreases the battery usage of your application as well!

#482 Support for Low Energy Bluetooth and Internet of Things

Yet another demonstrations of pcSoft’s commitment to incorporating new technology.

#486 Apple Watch Support

Very exciting support of new technology, I can’t wait to create a watch application!!!

#724 Windows 10 App Store

Your apps can be deployed in the Windows Store!!!!

#493 IOS 9 Split window

Let’s you use the native IPAD split window functionality.

#499 Maven Libraries and Objective C support

Again pcSoft keeping with the newest technology.

 

That is just a hightlight of some of the features that we think are really exciting. To view the entire brochure of features and see which ones interest us, you can download the entire brochure from the WinDev-Us site here. When you, be sure to go to the google plus community and let us know which features you are excited about and how you plan to use them!

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