Four Js Development Tools Forum

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                    Genero Studio 2.00 Release

     We are pleased to announce the release of Genero Studio 2.00 today, Tuesday April 8th 2008.

     Genero Studio 2.00 is a new major release of our Integrated Development Environment dedicated to Genero users, with
     tools designed to help you quickly and easily:
 

• design user interfaces using database fields
• generate applications from database tables
• auto-correct code syntax
• organize complex application projects
• compile, run, and debug Genero applications
• work as a team using sources, compiler, debugger and databases on a server

     The Major improvements in Genero 2.00 include:
 

• Internal redesign to use the Genero Studio Framework 2.0 which offers an improved architecture and a plug-in mechanism to prepare for the future modules.
• New look and feel (docking windows, new… dialog, local toolbars, tabbed documents with search, error views)
• An enhanced Project Manager
• New module Application Generator
• Help available for 4GL syntax and errors messages for any dialogs or windows. Help includes indexes and an optimized search

   New Features
 

• Genero Studio Framework 2.0
  
  Genero Studio 2.0 is based on an enhanced development framework “Genero Studio Framework 2.0”. Even though it is not visible to the end user, this new framework with a revised internal architecture brings more advanced capabilities and has improved the modularity of the plug-ins in order to prepare for the new modules which will appear shortly.
  
  
• Look and Feel 2.0
  
  Genero Studio 2.0 offers a revised look and feel. You can organize your workspace as you wish by the use of docking views for all views. Your documents are available in the central tabbed area and the quick search helps you to find your document by name, filtering the list of proposed documents as you type a name. In order to help you creating new files, Genero Studio allows you to choose between creating an empty file, using a wizard to create your file or selecting a sample file to copy from a default template. When multiple steps are required in wizards, the steps are listed to show your position in the creation process and to allow you to access a given step by selecting it in the list. All user interfaces were reviewed to enhance the user experience, including the preferences, the configuration of compiler and runtime, the database wizard pages… A few samples are shown below.
  
  (https://4js.com/exclude/images/Workspace.png)
  
  Figure 1 - Workspace with docking views, Tabbed windows, Quick document search...
  
  
  (https://4js.com/exclude/images/FileNew.png)
  
  Figure 2 – New File dialog proposing wizards and template files
  
  
  (https://4js.com/exclude/images/NewDatabaseConnection.png)
  
  Figure 3 - Assistants listing steps and hints/errors displayed as you type
  
  
• Project Manager
  
  The Project Manager has been completely reviewed in Genero Studio 2.0, with the following main goals in mind:
  
     
  • Portability of projects & teamwork: The new project file format is fully portable allowing the user to exchange projects along with sources by just copying the files to a new location. When working in a team, the developers can now share the same project workspace using a VCS. The projects are now cross-platform, meaning that a Windows user and a Linux/Unix in the same team can share a project workspace file.
  • Complex build systems: In order to support the complex build systems, the Project Manager was extended to support user-defined “Build rules”, pre/post build steps user commands, external dependencies, target locations for files, addition of custom commands in the menus… As a result, complex build systems can be directly used from the Project Manager in an easy and user-friendly way.
  • Enhanced user experience: The ergonomics and flexibility of the Project Manager has been enhanced for both small and very large projects. Creating, moving and deleting elements is quick and easy - edit elements directly in the project view and use of Drag&Drop inside the project itself or from the system file explorer…
  
  Here is the detailed feature list:
  
  
  (https://4js.com/exclude/images/gst_features_03.png)
  
  

     

• Application Generator
  
  Application Generator is a new module of Genero Studio 2.0. It assists you in building complete database applications from the relationships between database tables and maintains the generated 4GL code for you. To build an application, the following steps are required:
     
  • Create your Form
  • Create a module to select the features you want supported in your form (Insert, Delete, Update, Query by Example, List/Detail views, Zooms for fields, Lookup fields, …)
  • Create a program to eventually associate your form with other already defined modules
  • Add your business logic as 4GL code
  
  The code maintained by Application Generator is generated based on your settings from a code template which is customizable. The business logic you added in the code is kept after regeneration, allowing you to change the settings of your modules and regenerate any time.
  
  (https://4js.com/exclude/images/AGFormsTypes.png)
  
  Figure 4 - Application Generator: Types of forms handled by the database template
  
  (https://4js.com/exclude/images/AGFormsFeature.png)
  
  Figure 5 - Application Generator: Zooms, Lookup and combo boxes  handled by the database template
  
  

   Supported configurations
 

• Genero FGL 1.2x to 2.10
• Genero Desktop Client 1.2x to 2.10
• Minimal screen resolution 1024x768

   Migration notes

     The internal format used by Studio for Projects (.4pw) and Forms (.4fd) has been improved. The new format is
     applied when you open a form or project that was created using an earlier release. Make backup copies of the
     files prior to opening them, if you wish to maintain a copy of the earlier format.


     Best Regards,

     The Four J’s Genero Studio team