Free update to PB/Win 9.0 (9.01 release)

[Steve Rossell]

PowerBASIC is pleased to announce the release of service update to PowerBASIC 9.0 For Windows. The update offers new features, as well as important enhancements to reliability and performance issues for PB/Win 9. Effective at once, PB/WIN 9.01 will be supplied for new purchases of these products. It is recommended that registered owners of previous versions install this PowerPack update as soon as possible.

What is a PowerPack? A simple update package you can download immediately. No waiting. No fuss. In just minutes, you'll be up and running the latest PowerBASIC for Win32! Of course, it requires a valid, registered serial number, and a lawful installation of PB/WIN 9.0.

Our PowerPack is not a complete installation package, but one which simply updates existing compilers. This concept allows an immediate download, with no delays for manual verification. So, why wait longer...

Just go to http://www.powerbasic.com/shop/update/update9501!.asp and get your copy today!

[Hedley Moses]

The update offers new features

pls tell us more

[Steve Rossell]

You can see all the changes in the History.txt file that installs with the free update(s).

[Michael Mattias]

>You can see all the changes in the History.txt file that installs with the free update(s).

First you install, then you get to see what you are installing.

Sounds perfectly logical to me. (NOT).

Just tell me you can now THREAD CREATE with the SUSPEND option. The other bugs I reported are not holding up anything and I have worked around, but this one IS holding up something.


MCM

[Dennis Pearson]

From the file:

- Fixed an issue TREAD CREATE with SUSPEND not compiling.

[Cliff Nichols]

Ummm Steve, maybe I am misreading, (or I installed from a beta)...the copy of "History.txt" that I have jumps from

26 January 2009 -------- 9.01.0000

Changed the return type of GetFileAttributes from LONG to DWORD.

27 January 2005 -------- 8.00.0000

etc...etc...

Where is the file that you speak of? (Obviously the one I show quotes from MUST be wrong given the time difference and completely ignores 9.0

[Kev Peel]

There are two history.txt files: the main one is in the root installation folder and the other in the \WINAPI folder (which denotes changes to the API files). The last one does not have many changes listed and sometimes does not get changed at all between compiler upgrades/updates.

[Cliff Nichols]

My root folder contains no "History.txt" so the one I found was in the \WINAPI folder

I can chalk it up to a small oddity of multiple PB versions installed, but if I am missing a file, it would be nice to know what that file states

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

Some syntax slightly different

      ClipBoard Set Text s$ 'To ctr4

Note some syntax is slightly different between 9.00 & 9.01. Clipboard doesn't use the "To" clause in 9.01. Only difference I've found so far.

=========================================
"We are not retreating
we are advancing in another Direction."
General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964)
=========================================

[colin glenn]

Up in the announcements, Steve mentions that there's two macros which end wrong, I've only found one:
MACRO TreeView_SetCheckState (hwndTV, hti, fCheck)
Which ends the macro with MACRO = 0, the other one is either the macro defined wrong, or will require the = 0
MACRO FUNCTION TreeView_SetItemState (hwndTV, hti, STATE, statemask)

[Steven Pringels 3]

What is the filedate of the history.txt ? Mine is from the 8th of January 2008.

Don't see any changes from 9.0 or 5.0 (start with changes from 4.04 or 8.04)

[Eddy Van Esch]

What is the filedate of the history.txt ?

Filedate is 01/02/2009.
Note the filetime of 09:01.

Kind regards

[Conrad Hoffman]

Installed perfectly, history right where it's supposed to be. A boatload of great fixes- my thanks to PB! Being a programming simpleton, only a few will really affect me right now, but it looks like a great update.

[Michael Mattias]

>Note the filetime of 09:01.

Slightly OT, but do lots of publishers still "touch" all the files in a release like this? With non-executables I can perhaps see the benefit, but with executables I would think a VERSION resource would be the "preferred" way to 'mark' files as being part of some version-release.

Enquiring Minds and all that...

[Michael Mattias]

>A boatload of great fixes- my thanks to PB

You need to go back one step in the process. Those would not have been fixed had they not been reported.

So next time you find something hinky, spend the five minutes it takes to send it in.

Everyone benefits when you do this.

MCM

[Barry Erick]

Ah, but BLOAT was one of the first reports and it isn't fixed.

[Michael Mattias]

>Ah, but BLOAT was one of the first reports and it isn't fixed

A long time ago, sir, you had a reputation for small, fast code.. you even marketed libraries touting these features.

Pray how did you even find the #BLOAT statement, leave alone discover a problem with it?

(I still believe the #BLOAT "feature" was the product of a beautiful Friday PM "design session" featuring as the primary refreshment that which made my hometown of Milwaukee famous).

[Knuth Konrad]

I hope the guys at PB don't mind. If so, please delete.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes/Updates to PowerBASIC For Windows Compiler 9.01
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Changes since PB/Win 9.0

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Compiler
========


New Statements and Functions:

- LISTVIEW GET SELECT statement determines the next primary data item which is
currently selected.


Changes to existing Statements and Functions:

- %DEF(%PB_EXE) now returns the correct value in all cases.

- CLIPBOARD syntax and documentation are substantially enhanced.

- DISPLAY OPENFILE syntax and documentation has been substantially enhanced and now
executes correctly under Win95/98.

- DISPLAY SAVEFILE syntax and documentation has been substantially enhanced and now
executes correctly under Win95/98.

- Fixed a GRAPHIC SCALE error when the scaled ratio is transposed 1 to 1.

- Fixed a XPRINT SCALE error when the scaled ratio is transposed 1 to 1.

- ISMISSING now returns a correct result with an array parameter.

- Resolved an issue with ME.** or MYBASE.** within IF statement generating an invalid
error.

- Multiple NEXT using commas is no longer supported.

- Incorrect results from LISTVIEW GET COLUMN and LISTVIEW SET COLUMN when using
Dialog Units has been resolved.

- GRAPHIC WINDOW CLICK now detects single and double mouse clicks. Resolved an issue
with some mouse drivers.

- PATHNAME$ had conflicts with certain string operands, this is now fixed.

- Resolved an issue with executing a GRAPHIC GET LOC without an attached target.

- Scrolling the mouse wheel over a GRAPHIC WINDOW no longer causes an error.

- LISTIVEW SELECT and LISTVIEW unselect syntax and documentation has been updated.

- An issue with TAB CONTROLs not processing tab keys correctly has been resolved.

- Fixed an issue with TREAD CREATE with a SUSPEND option not compiling.

- Improved Tab control resizing and positioning.

- Resolved an issue with GRAPHIC GET SCALE errors when the direction is transposed
to up or left.

- GRAPHIC INKEY$/INSTAT/WAITKEY$ now recognize the F11 and F12 keys.

- Fixed an issue with TOOLBAR SET IMAGELIST executing incorrectly with disabled
images

- Improved quality of GRAPHIC STRETCH.

- Fixed errors when passing ByVal Variant parameters to a Method or Property.

- Resolved errors debugging certain forms of #INCLUDE ONCE.

- The ASM FCOMI is now interpreted correctly.

- Fixed a problem with handeling TOOLBAR ADD SEPARATOR correctly.

- Resolved an issue with TOOLBAR ADD SEPARATOR creating an incorrect toolbar.

- Improved certain XPRINT properties (TRAY, PAPER...) that would error if executed
without first attaching a printer.

- LISTVIEW GET STYLE has been renamed to LISTVIEW GET STYLEXX.

- LISTVIEW SET STYLE has been renamed to LISTVIEW SET STYLEXX.

- METHOD and PROPERTY statements may now return a User Defined Type.

- PROPERTY methods can now take ByRef parameters.

- Fixed an issue with certain XPRINT properties (TRAY, PAPER...) could error if
executed without first attaching a printer.

- Resolved some inconsistencies with TREEVIEW SET BOLD/CHECK statements.

- Fixed an issue where some uses of REDIM PRESERVE could cause a memory leak.

- Improved TREEVIEW GET/SET CHECK where it would not function under some conditions.

- Improved TREEVIEW GET/SET EXPANDED where it would not function under some conditions.

- Fixed an issue where EXP() could return incorrect result in a very complex
expression.

- Resolved and issue with GRAPHIC INPUT and WAITKEY$ which could result in long
pauses when executed.

- INSTANCE ASCIIZ Pointers could in some cases create erroneous side effects has
been fixed.

- Resolved issues with MyBase.Create and MyBase.Destory not calling the correct
inherited method.

- #DEBUG DISPLAY now concurrently selects #DEBUG ERROR.

- Fixed an errors using CHR$() within a string equate assignment.


Additional changes:

- Improved accuracy of Type Library (TLB) files describing objects.

- Improved error detection during object creation.

- Resolved an issue with sourcing events for some programming languages.

- Compilation errors from some compound operators with DWord variables was been fixed.

- Listview extended style equates are now built into the compiler

- DIR$ attribute equates are now built into the compiler.

- Additional predefined numeric equates are included to represent RGB colors.

- AS COM may now be added to equate defintions to include the equate in a type library.

- Fixed errors passing ByVal Variant parameters to a Method or Property.

- Error code 487 added: "Multiple NEXT not allowed".

- Error code 600 added: "Macro phase error, referenced before define".

- Error code 602 added: "Hidden interface referenced with COM".

- Error code 603 added: "Incompatible with a Dual/IDispatch interface"

- Error code 604 added: "Incompatible with #COM TLIB generation"

- Error code 605 added: "Macro parameter mismatch"

- Error code 606 added: "Macro empty parentheses "()" are needed"





------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IDE
===

- Unsaved files are no longer in the "Save As Project" dialog box.

- THREAD FUNCTIONS are now listed in the Code Finder window.

- Open File Context menu now works with #INCLUDE ONCE metastatements.

- Built-in equates now show correctly when choosing mixed case for keywords.

- Improved handling of Methods and Properties in the Code Finder dialog box.

- Improved hadling of context senstive help.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COM Browser
==========

- Enumeration member names are now prefixed with the _Enum name to avoid conflicts.
This option may be turned off in Tools | Options.

- Fixed an issue with Event CLSIDs receiving two GUID$ when the prefix GUID/ProjIds
option was not selected.

- TKIND_INTERFACE /TYPEFLAG_FDISPATCHABLE interfaces are now resolved
correctly.

- Resolved an issue with some IDBind interfaces where the non-inherited methods and
properties could be listed twice.

- Fixed an issue with byval strings being reported as byref strings

- Invalid Type Libraries that have a Property Get, but not retval specified but do
have a HRESULT specified now return a long integer.

- Properties with a BYREF parameter (such as safe arrays) have been changed to BYREF
IN.

- The COM Browser now accepts a command line argument, that specifies an COM Dll or
type library to open.

- Properties now have a Byref parameter instead of a Byval Ptr.

- Lib names with spaces in them are now converted to an underscore when prefixing CLSIDs,
GUIDs, and ProgIds.

- Updated and improved keyboard shortcuts.

[Charles Dietz]

I was disappointed that my suggestion wasn't incorporated in 9.01. I suggested that 'LISTBOX ADD' and 'COMBOBOX ADD' return the insertion index, just as LB_ADDSTRING and CB_ADDSTRING do.

For example in the Listbox case, this is helpful when following up with LISTBOX SET USER in a sorted list. As it is, I have to first follow LISTBOX ADD with LISTBOX FIND EXACT, before using LISTBOX SET USER.

I hope its still on a 'to do' list at PowerBasic.

[Dennis Pearson]

What Michael said. If you find something, create a short sample to allow support to reproduce it, and include copious comments in the sample code.

I found something which was fixed, but it is not in the history file. I first wondered why not list it, but if i was the only reporter, or one of a few, I can understand not listing it.

What I am saying, and what worked for me, is to send your report, along with sample code, to support. They will reply. You can follow up in a few days by replying to support's reply (keep adding to the message, don't send "new" messages) if you don't hear back sooner.