Release Notes - SynApp2 1.8.0 (beta 1)

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Installation Instructions

    ./_config_/synapp2.install.MySQL.txt
    ./_config_/synapp2.install.Oracle.txt

    review the update notes below

Program and Usage Information

    ./synapp2/synapp2.txt

Issues

    ./synapp2/synapp2.todo.htm

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New things for version 1.8.0 include:

1. new Options GUI makes many more items available for interactive customization
2. EXTRA columns are now available for inclusion on all forms in the generated application except for Input (IFORM)
3. column display names are visible on the Options Form - Column Display Attributes, along with the raw (and expanded) names
4. improved automatic column and nav/report tab display name formatting

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Bugs fixed with version 1.8.0 (beta 1):

1. XML parse errors, while processing [extraneous data in] AJAX server responses, are handled and displayed by the
   SynApp2 message window (or in the Report display IFRAME)
2. table alias values are correctly mapped into generated SQL statement terms and clauses when there are multiple joins involving any table
   that supplies records for different levels of hierarchy during a select query
3. the causes for all known PHP WARNING, NOTICE and STRICT messages have been addressed
   - although it is possible to run SynApp2 with PHP (5.3.0 at least) display_errors TRUE and error_reporting level set to E_ALL | STRICT,
     it is a generally accepted practice to keep PHP display_errors FALSE on production servers
   - if display_errors is FALSE and a PHP error does occur, the server may return an http 500 status without much, if any, useful information
4. the date picker control exhibits much better overall behavior and displays [contrasting fg/bg colors] correctly on the Mac version of Safari4+

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Looking forward:

a) examples
b) production release status
c) GUI to manage users and authorization settings
d) installation wizard/configuration checker
e) support for mass edit/add of records
f) alternative page flow strategies for generated applications
g) fully managed concurrent database access (table record locking)
h) support for database engines: MS SQL Server, SQLite, PostgreSQL
i) formal bug and change log databases

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If you're performing a fresh install, you can disregard the following notes about updating.

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If you're updating from 0.1.4 or later:   **** IMPORTANT ****

Updating SynApp2 is easily done by replacing just the two (2) source directories - WITHOUT AFFECTING THE CONFIGURATION OF YOUR SERVER

- PROTECT YOUR CONFIGURATION: do not disturb any customized versions of synapp2/_config_/access.inc.php or synapp2/_config_/engine.inc.php
- delete the old synapp2/_shared_ directory and recursively copy synapp2/_shared_ from the new distribution
- delete the old synapp2/synapp2 directory and recursively copy synapp2/synapp2 from the new distribution
- replace synapp2/index.html, synapp2/LICENSE, and synapp2/synapp2.release_notes.txt from the new distribution

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If you're updating from 0.1.7:

- migrate customizations: CUT from custom.inc.php and PASTE to synapp2.inc.php (if you want to be able to manage them from the new SynApp2 Options GUI)
  move all elements for: MACRO, LIST_MACRO, LIST_MACRO_ORDER, EXTRA, ORDER, COL_ORDER, DETAIL_SUMMARY_COLS and RPT_######
- for DETAIL_SUMMARY_COLS elements add a numeric array index (value >= 0) to the assignment expression.
  example: $this->m_data[APPID]['app'][QID]['item'] [DETAIL_SUMMARY_COLS][] = 'discount, invoice_number, 3';
  becomes: $this->m_data[APPID]['app'][QID]['item'] [DETAIL_SUMMARY_COLS][0] = 'discount, invoice_number, 3';
  if you have more than one element for the same QID, choose index values according to desired order of evaluation
- you should regenerate all pages with PageGen (you can use Regenerate All for this)
- Look for any EXTRA fields on all of the various pages and forms, adjust Options Form - Column Display Attributes for OMIT and regenerate pages as needed

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If you're updating from version 0.1.6 or earlier:

- You will need to regenerate all pages with PageGen (in most cases you can use Regenerate All for this).
- The index.html and welcome.htm pages must be regenerated too. Delete the old ones and Run PageGen for 1 table to regenerate them (don't use Regenerate All for this).
- Any custom pages or any pages that are not based directly on synapp2/template.htm will need special attention.
- All custom page template files must be edited to conform to 0.1.7.
- To expose differences, generate a page using synapp2/template.htm and compare the results to one generated with an earlier version.
- New functions set_appid(), set_pid() should be used.
- Old functions put_cxlref(), get_cxlref(), forms_reset(), reset_goal() have been removed.

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If you're updating from 0.1.4 or earlier:

If you have defined EXTRA columns for your app(s), most EXTRA columns will shift position (to the left), after you regenerate affected pages.
You can change the EXTRA <key_column> sub-expression to be the column immediately to the left of where the EXTRA column should appear.

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If you're updating from version 0.1.3 or earlier:

1. Make sure you preserve a copy of your customized version of _shared_/access.php
2. Make sure you preserve copies of customized versions of _shared_/custom.inc.php and/or synapp2/custom.inc.php, if any
3. Replace all of the SynApp2 files with ones from the new .tar.gz or .zip distribution
4. Merge customizations into _shared_/custom.inc.php and/or synapp2/custom.inc.php, as needed
5. Update _config_/access.inc.php with your customizations for site prefix, usernames, passwords, etc., from your preserved copy of _shared_/access.php

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Copyright (c) 2007 - 2010 Richard Howell. All rights reserved.
http://www.synapp2.org
$Id: synapp2.release_notes.txt,v 1.9 2010/07/19 01:29:08 richard Exp $