V  C /  m 3.1 beta
The Force of Change

Release Notes

1.         Web Browser User Interface

The underlying architecture of the web-browser user interface has been extended to provide more modularity and scalability.  Common features have been re-factored and can be made available generically across the whole UI.

The following specific architectural changes have been made:

The following specific functional changes have been made:

2.         Support for Beyond Compare

Objects and Components accessible through VC/m can be compared graphically using Beyond Compare 2.  Beyond Compare is a low priced, market leading, visual compare tool.

VC/m provides an FTP based service for integration with Beyond Compare.  Other tools that use FTP services may be able to use this service, however Beyond Compare is the only service that is officially supported with this version of VC/m.

George James Software is an approved reseller of Beyond Compare.  Orders can be placed by sending details of your requirements to admin@georgejames.com.

3.         XML Based Configuration

VC/m configurations can be defined completely using XML formatted configuration files. Infrastructure has also been implemented to allow elements of a configuration to be abstracted using XSL, making it easy to define templates that represent sandbox configurations etc.

The following configuration tables can be maintained using the XML configuration file:

4.       XML File Interchange

A new location storage format (FX) allows Cache 5 format XML import/export files to be used instead of routine save, global save and CDL file format for sequential transfers.

5.       Web-Browser User Interface Keyboard Shortcuts

The following keyboard shortcuts can be used to navigate within the web-browser UI:

F1 Help
F3 Toggle debug window
F5 Refresh the selection using the current filter settings
F6 Toggle focus between the main panel and the folder panel
<Tab> Move from one selected item to the next within the main panel and folder panel
+ Open/Close a folder
<Space> Open a selected folder
<Enter> Refresh the selection using the current filter settings
<Del> Delete (or un-register) the selected item
Alt+1 Toggle display of the folder panel
Alt+2 Toggle display of the audit trail panel
Ctrl+C Copy selected item to the work list
Ctrl+V Paste the work list contents to the selected item
Ctrl+N Create a new instance of the selected item type
Ctrl+O Open the selected item

6.       De-supported Platforms

With effect from this version of VC/m support for the following platforms will no longer be maintained:

7.       Upgrade steps

Follow the normal installation procedure.  Be sure to run ^%vcins as this performs two file conversion operations:

The names of all of the server side methods for the web interface have changed in this release.  This will affect access security settings for menu and function access, it may also affect custom menus.  These settings should be reviewed on completion of installation.  The following table lists the old method names and the corresponding new name.  Note that in some cases there may not be a direct one-to-one equivalence.

VC/m 2.4 VC/m 3.0
fnAbout() VCm.fnAbout
fnChangeRequestDelete() ChangeRequest.fnDelete
fnChangeRequestNew() ChangeRequest.fnNew
fnChangeRequestOpen() ChangeRequest.fnOpen
fnComponentDelete() Component.fnUnregister Component.fnDelete
fnConnect() Connect.fnConnect Connect.fnConnectAs
fnDisabled() n/a
fnDisconnect() Connect.fnDisconnect
fnExit() fnExit
fnHelp() VCm.fnHelp
fnMainRun('','') fnRunWindow
fnMenuRun("%vc361") fnRunWindow
fnMenuRun("%vc561") fnRunWindow
fnMenuRun("%vc681") fnRunWindow
fnMenuRun("%vc821") fnRunWindow
fnMenuRun("<page>") fnRunWindow
fnObjectRemove() Object.fnRemoveFromChangeRequest
fnRefresh() fnRefresh
fnTransfer("<function>","<toLocation>")    Transfer.fnTransfer
fnTransfer("IN","") Transfer.fnTransfer
fnTransfer("OUT","") Transfer.fnTransfer
fnTransfer("XFER","") Transfer.fnTransfer
fnWorkListClear() fnWorkListClear
fnWorkListCopy() fnWorkListCopy
fnWorkListPaste() fnWorkListPaste
mnuChangeRequest mnuChangeRequest
mnuDisconnected mnuDisconnected
mnuEdit mnuEdit
mnuHelp mnuHelp
mnuMain mnuMain
mnuServer mnuFile
mnuServerDisconnected mnuServerDisconnected
mnuTransfer mnuTransfer (see note below)
mnuView mnuView

Note that mnuTransfer is now a conventional menu and is no longer driven by the contents of ^%vctr(function).  Custom transfer functions can be added to the Transfer menu by creating a custom menu called, say, MNUTRANSFER, containing the transfer functions you require.  You can then override the standard mnuTransfer menu with your custom menu.

8.         Bug Fixes

The following list is a summary of all bug fixes included in this release.  Many of these bug fixes will have been back-ported and been available as patches for the previous release of VC/m.

 L2152 Allow @psa as first piece of remote:// address
 L2364 Change request has wrong usernames
 L2365 Fix bad link to manual
 L2367 Fix browser error in component view where object name contains "
 L2422 Task server fixes
 L2426 Detect inaccessible ECP-connected namespaces on Cache 5
 L2441 PgUp and PgDn take you out of the component list
 L2444 Fix diff crash if one object has no components
 L2449 Xfer between locations mapped to same physical was pre-deleting object
 L2450 Some Caché 5 checks are triggered on Caché 4.1
 L2454 Fix report bug
 L2459 Fix display bugs
 L2463 New editor interface for Cache
 L2494 Del-key shortcut doesn't respect access code on menu options
 L2501 Del key in Select textbox gives error
 L2503 More intelligent defaults for system and variant
 L2504 Allow selection by icon as well as by text
 L2520 Lock not always released
 L2522 Don't hang if nonexistent CR entered at object prompt
 L2523 Release control sheet works incorrectly
 L2539 Change to change request validation
 L2556 Remove uppercase conversion in %vc9md18 so it works on Unix
 L2572 getDtMod missing from %vc9fi17
 L2585 Object list in web interface always shows obj desc, even if var desc exists
 L2613 Expansion of CR with more than max number of obvs failed to display
 L2622 <SUBSCRIPT>fetch+1^%vc574 in Menu Add/modify if eXit without choice after lookup
 L2633 Speed up termination of ABC.X* selector
 L2660 Cancel via Web UI
 L2670 Swap back to home namespace afterwards
 L2681 New report comparing contents of 2 locations
 L2683 Component drivers need to use task server
 L2691 exists^%vc9md must use task server
 L2691a Allow VC/m to work on a Cache system with UIC security enabled
 L2692 Handle object, component names containing symbols (e.g. #)
 L2702 Handle apostrophe in CR title on web i/f
 L2708 Prevent Cancel from deleting components
 L2715 Transfers very slow when DCP-accessed location is down
 L2715a When checking dependencies, defer test for offline as late as possible
 L2717 Install objects in correct order
 L2723 INT is not synonymous with R in some respects
 L2727 To avoid STORE error, do not use local array to gather term compile errors
 L2733 Handle task server addresses for CDL and CLS components
 L2736 Permit component types to be disabled
 L2740 Supply %usr to tasks, and set %msg=0
 L2744 Cancel loops with <undef>k85+4^vc1xld if reinstating empty object
 L2746 $$find function missing from %vc1seq1, breaking MINT driver
 L2754 Absolute active location list detaches all components from object in destination
 L2758 Block use of class as to-loc if route increments version
 L2764 <UNDEFINED>home+1^%vc9md when using WLD component driver
 L2768 Put space between diff command and any argument
 L2771 Cache 5 templates don't load when vcm sub-directory doesn't already exist
 L2777 Handle Cache systems where no <ENDOFFILE> error is signalled
 L2779 Component view of library shows all unregistered
 L2781 $$order^%vc9fi missing for Cache on UNIX
 L2789 <UNDEFINED>delM+15
 L2793 CLS components not loading from F-type location
 L2797 auto entry point is not defaulting release date to today
 L2802 Merge Versions in Web UI
 L2802.3 Change Request Lookup Screen
 L2802.3a Supplemental changes for chref select screen
 L2802/1 Change requests containing period cannot be searched in WebUI
 L2804 Web transfer must lock before creating new version
 L2814 Protect our %msg variable from the bad behaviour of $system.CSP.LoadPage
 L2823 Changes to user authentication
 L2827.1 Error if press work list button without selecting a change request
 L2832 Bugs with location upgrade
 L2840 status^%vc1edt should return 0, not -1, for no-master obv
 L2873 Handle apostrophe in CR description
 L2911 Enable text and bin drivers to work via local scratch file
 L2929 Temp file not accessed via task server
 L2971 Fix mkdir^%vc9fi on VMS
 L2979 Protect obv during term processing
 L2983 Require dates on CR Summary Report request
 L2993 Location Copy was carrying over system codes between runs
 L2994 Get from F-type location errors when component is exact multiple of 200 bytes
 L3009 Delete from CRs even if not active anywhere
 L3012 Encode data using UTF8 for XML forms
 L3015 Web transfer must refine addr1() in the same way as addr2()
 L3016 Cache 5.0.4 broke our Studio integration
 L3019 Add task server locking to make it reliable on ECP
 L3051 Refuse to run VC/m if in a transaction
 L3074 Transmit messages back to task-server caller
 L3083 Make CR transfer a single operation
 L3109 Make "Access Denied" message more informative
 L3114 Handle get from Ftype location of a 0-byte BIN component
 L3119 By-date audit log records are not sequenced within the second
 L3120 When web-registering component, don't offer existing object
 L3126 Add a NewObject dependency function
 L3140 When looking for default function, skip ones not web-enabled
 L3146 Make component reads more failsafe
 L3147 Number allocation is before validation
 L3162 Avoid <UNDEFINED>k85+4^%vc1xld when no-component object transferred
 L3195 Web xfer must check access on route sooner
 L3195a API xfer must check access on route
 L3198 Merge needs to maintain both lines of ancestry
 L3215 Also include in the checked-out report objects not associated with any CR
 L3231 Per-Transfer Termination hook called prematurely by AUTOT
 L3235 Let $$exists^%vc9md on Cache work with minimal delay when network is down
 L3237 Release lock if ^%vcvc("changeRequestDelete") returns false
 L3238 Make Studio 5 interface operate in a degraded mode when VC/m server unreachable
 L3242 status^%vc1edt should report 2 for "unregistered here" rather than "anywhere"
 L3271 Show all system codes
 L3299 <PARAMETER>noBackslash^%vc335
 L3300 Search for specific CR does not find it
 L3303 Cant resize the change request screen
 L3315 When an eligible AUTOT fails, report it
 L3325 Rename the inc-page so it works on OpenVMS
 L3326 Increase obv length from 40 to 60
 L3340 Allow / in CR description and comments
 L3346 Ignore attempt to filter on unknown component type
 L3418 Input object description at registration
 d0002 Load from Cache on Unix
 d0003 VC/m configuration using xml
 d0004 Add G to %vc413
 d0005 FTP server for Beyond Compare
 d0006 Further corrections to %vc413
 d0007 Extensible Change Request Screen
 d0008 Add and edit names of VC/m globals
 d0009 New utility for adding system code
 d0010 Text changes to web set-up screens
 d0011 Add access codes to location classes
 d0012 Max fields limits, esp change request
 d0013 Make prompts on transfer dialog consistent
 d0014 Add a way to set the title
 d0017 VC/m 3.0 manual (version 0)
 d0018 More tiding up of prompts
 t48677 VC/m Version 3.0 Development
 t48692 FX location driver
 t48719 Avoid syntax error on GT.M
 t48720 Upgrade Modifications
 t48721 Disable auto-selection for bulk transfer
 t48722 Insulate ISM and Cache 2.x from $ZU(140 calls, and eliminate $ZCVT()
 t48723 Revise menu-component call that no longer worked in 2.x
 t48724 Use md18 for Cache on VMS, not md14
 t48725 Various installation bugs
 t48726 More installation changes
 t48728 Link to documentation has gone off
 t48729 Remove restriction on brackets
 t48730 <subscript>a720+4^%vc390
 t48731 Fix typo causing UNDEF at exists7+14^%vc9md
 t48732 Add example site-specific dependencies
 t48733 Amending the setup and properties screens
 t48734 Use $P before trying to send forced error info to screen
 t48735 Insert missing ^%vcmnu subtree
 t48736 Allow editing of own option after viewing of built-in one
 t48737 Pass the CR list correctly
 t48738 Cope with ' and " in object, CR, loc names
 t48739 Manage worklist paste when attempted from new subtrees
 t48740 Use correct case when installing Cache 5 stuff on Unix
 t48741 Fixed for d0007 changes to CR editing
 t48742 New revision-based locking scheme needs to handle old records
 t48743 Prevent bulk load of uninstalled component type
 t48744 Support Utility to Ping Physical Locations
 t48745 User default and update change info
 t48746 More intelligent defaulting of variant for new objects
 t48747 Suppress display of deleted change requests
 t48748 Extend chref_validate to work with Web UI
 t48749 Exclusion of certain tables at take-on
 t48750 Cannot take-on INTs if R type not installed
 t48751 Capitalize menu options consistently
 t48752 Some telnet clients require // after telnet:
 t48753 Add new %AncestorVersion keyword
 t48754 Display versions' tree-lines in the correct sequence
 t48755 Studio "Status of Project" add-in description is incorrect
 t48756 Put focus onto first field of login dialog
 t48757 Allow more space for component masks on web tree
 t48758 Show display-only web form fields more conventionally
 t48759 Typo meant that vxfrom^%vc1xva may call $$validr on a location more than once
 t48760 Typo - "Dependant" -> "Dependent"
 t48761 If $-file at from-location, read it
 t48762 Can't add component to object in web interface
 t48763 <undef>getDtMod+2^%vc1xINT
 t48764 <noline>chrefDelete+18^%vc335
 t48765 Add ^%vcjs("JavaScript.js" component
 t48766 Init meobv to fix crash at fileo+23^%vc202
 t48767 Make Edit/Register option seek any to-location
 t48768 Fix "it's" in cancel confirm
 t48769 Give more info about non-existent route
 t48770 <textarea> value attribute is superfluous
 t48771 Web i/f loses first blank line of CR description, comments
 t48772 Apply limit to length of new object name
 t48773 Setup locking must be lower than ^%vcvc
 t48774 Re-sequence the Properties menu for web
 t48775 Keyfile path is maintained on License dialog
 t48776 Remove redundant code
 t48777 Don't file null CHUI menu overrides from web setup dialog
 t48778 Allow for descenders on text in main-pane title
 t48779 Make case of Object subnodes consistent
 t48780 Sort out mnemonic chars on transfer dialog
 t48781 Allow folder-specific folder images
 t48782 Align prompts vertically
 t48783 Sunken borders for web filter buttons, and Select vs Refresh caption
 t48784 Vary location folder images
 t48785 Hide h/* selector for single-version locations
 t48786 Don't keep focus on filter buttons
 t48787 When listing CRs at top level, don't offer Master filter
 t48788 Make Studio 5 templates/add-ins work on VC/m 3.0
 t48789 ToolbarSelect.xsl case sensitivity
 t4901 Registering new components to dropdown menu


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