List of changes and new features

Ring 1.2 comes with many new features

• New Functions
• Better Functions
• Better Ring Notepad
• Better RingQt
• Objects Library for RingQt
• RingLibCurl
• Better Call Command
• Using NULL instead of NULLPointer()
• Display Warnings Option
• Better Quality

New Functions

• PtrCmp() Function is a new function that compare between C pointers like the GUI objects.
• PrevFileName() Function is added to return the previous active source file name.
• RingVM_CFunctionsList() Function is added to return a list of functions written in C.
• RingVM_FunctionsList() Function is added to return a list of functions written in Ring.
• RingVM_ClassesList() Function is added to return a list of Classes.
• RingVM_PackagesList() Function is added to return a list of Packages.
• RingVM_MemoryList() Function is added to return a list of Memory Scopes and Variables.
• RingVM_CallList() Function is added to return a list of the functions call list.
• RingVM_FilesList() Function is added to return a list of the Ring Files.

Example:

fp = fopen("ptrcmp.ring","r")
fp2 = fp
fp3 = fopen("ptrcmp.ring","r")

see ptrcmp(fp,fp2) + nl
see ptrcmp(fp,fp3) + nl

fclose(fp)
fclose(fp3)

Output:

1
0

Also we can compare between them using the ‘=’ operator

Example:

fp = fopen("ptrcmp2.ring","r")
fp2 = fopen("ptrcmp2.ring","r")
fp3 = fp
see fp = fp2
see nl
see fp = fp3
fclose(fp)
fclose(fp2)

Output:

0
1

Example:

The next function in stdlib.ring uses the PrevFileName() to know if the file of the caller function is the main source file of the program or not.

Func IsMainSourceFile
        if PrevFileName() = sysargv[2]
                return true
        ok
        return false

Better Functions

The find() function is updated to support searching in lists using C pointers like GUI Objects.

The type() function is updated to display the C pointers types (like the GUI Object Class Name).

Better Ring Notepad

The Ring Notepad will save the current line number of opened files to be restored when we switch between files.

Also Ring Notepad will ask the user to save the file if the file content is changed when the user switch between files.

Better RingQt

RingQt classes are updated to include methods to get events (The code that will be executed when an event is fired). This is necessary to enable/disable events for some time or to get the events information.

For example the next code disable an event then call a method then enable the event again.

cEvent = oView.oListResult.getCurrentItemChangedEvent()
oView.oListResult.setCurrentItemChangedEvent("")
FindValueAction()       # Call Method while an event is disabled
oView.oListResult.setCurrentItemChangedEvent(cEvent)

Also the QAllEvents class is updated where we can set the output from the event function to be true or false using a new method added to the class called setEventOutput.

Load "guilib.ring"

MyApp = New qApp {
                win = new qWidget() {
                                setwindowtitle("Hello World")
                                setGeometry(100,100,370,250)
                                lineedit1 = new qlineedit(win) {
                                        setGeometry(10,100,350,30)
                                        setinputmask("9999;_")
                                        oFilter = new qallevents(lineedit1)
                                        oFilter.setfocusoutEvent("pMove()")
                                        installeventfilter(oFilter)
                                }
                                lineedit2 = new qlineedit(win) {
                                                setGeometry(10,150,350,30)
                                }
                                show()
                }
                exec()
}

func pMove
           win.setWindowTitle("xxxx")
           oFilter.setEventOutput(False)

Objects Library for RingQt

Ring 1.2 comes with the Objects library for RingQt applications. Instead of using global variables for windows objects and connecting events to objects using the object name, the Objects Library will manage the GUI objects and will provide a more natural API to quickly create one or many windows from the same class and the library provide a way to quickly set methods to be executed when an event is fired. Also the library provide a natural interface to quickly use the parent or the caller windows from the child or sub windows.

The Objects Library is designed to be used with the MVC Design Pattern.

The Objects Library is merged in RingQt so you can use it directly when you use RingQt

Example :

load "guilib.ring"

new qApp {
        open_window( :MainWindowController )
        exec()
}

class MainWindowController from WindowsControllerParent
        oView = new MainWindowView
        func SubWindowAction
                Open_window( :SubWindowController )
                Last_Window().SetParentObject(self)

class MainWindowView from WindowsViewParent
        win = new qWidget() {
                SetWindowTitle("Main Window")
                btnSub = new qPushButton(win) {
                        setText("Sub Window")
                        setClickEvent( Method( :SubWindowAction ) )
                }
                resize(400,400)
        }

class SubWindowController from WindowsControllerParent
        oView = new SubWindowView
        func SetMainWindowTitleAction
                Parent().oView.win.SetWindowTitle("Message from the Sub Window")
                oView.win.SetWindowTitle("Click Event Done!")

class SubWindowView from WindowsViewParent
        win = new qWidget() {
                SetWindowTitle("Sub Window")
                btnMsg = new qPushButton(win) {
                        setText("Set Main Window Title")
                        setClickEvent( Method( :SetMainWindowTitleAction ) )
                }
                btnClose = new qPushButton(win) {
                        Move(200,0)
                        setText("Close")
                        setClickEvent( Method( :CloseAction ) )
                }
                resize(400,400)
        }

RingLibCurl

The LibCurl library is used starting from Ring 1.0 for the Download() and SendEmail() functions implementation. In Ring 1.2 more functions are added to provide a powerful library (RingLibCurl) around LibCurl.

Example:

load "libcurl.ring"

curl = curl_easy_init()

cPostThis = "page=4&Number1=4&Number2=5"
curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "http://localhost/ringapp/index.ring?page=3")
curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, cPostThis)

curl_easy_perform(curl)

curl_easy_cleanup(curl)

Better Call Command

The Call command is updated to support calling functions from object attributes also (not only variables).

For example the next code from the Stars Fighter Game

cFunc = oself.keypress
call cFunc(oGame,oSelf,Key_Space)

Can be written in one line

call oself.keypress(oGame,oSelf,Key_Space)

Using NULL instead of NULLPointer()

We can pass NULL to functions instead of using NULLPointer()

For example the next code from RingLibSDL

SDL_RenderCopy(SDL_ren,tex,NULLPointer(),rect)

Can be written as in the next line

SDL_RenderCopy(SDL_ren,tex,NULL,rect)

Display Warnings Option

In Ring 1.2 the Ring compiler is updated to include the Display Warnings option (-w)

Example:

load "stdlib.ring"
load "stdlib.ring"

compiling the program using the Display Warnings option will display the file duplication warning, While without that option the error will pass silent.

This is a warning (not an error) because in large projects you may use the same file more than one time. For example it’s common to start each file with the next code. where the function IsMainSourceFile() is part from the stdlib.ring

load "stdlib.ring"
if IsMainSourceFile()
        // Testing
ok

Better Quality

Ring 1.2 is more stable, We discovered and fixed more bugs during Ring usage everyday in practical projects. Some functions are optimized to be faster like the SubStr() function. Also the documentation is more better.