What is new in Ring 1.4?
In this chapter we will learn about the changes and new features in Ring 1.4 release.
List of changes and new features
Ring 1.4 comes with many new features
- Change: Basic Extensions are separated from RingVM
- The Natural Library
- New Style is added to Ring Notepad
- RingREPL
- Convert between Numbers and Bytes
- Better StdLib
- Better WebLib
- Better RingQt
- Qt Class Convertor
Change: Basic Extensions are separated from RingVM
In Ring 1.4 the next libraries are separated from RingVM
- RingODBC
- RingMySQL
- RingSQLite
- RingOpenSSL
- RingInternet
To use these libraries, Use the Load command.
load "odbclib.ring"
# use ODBC Functions
load "mysqllib.ring"
# use MySQL Functions
load "sqlitelib.ring"
# use SQLite Functions
load "openssllib.ring"
# use OpenSSL Functions ( Hash and Security functions)
load "internetlib.ring"
# use Internet Functions ( Download() and SendEmail() )
If you will use all of these libraries, You can just use stdlib.ring And the stdlib.ring will load odbclib.ring, mysqllib.ring, sqlitelib.ring, opensslib.ring and internetlib.ring files.
load "stdlib.ring"
The Natural Library
Ring 1.4 comes with the Natural Library to quickly define a language that contains a group of commands.
We will write the natural code in a Text file, for example program.txt
File: program.txt
Welcome to the Ring programming language!
What you are reading now is not comments, I swear!
After many years of programming I decided to think different about
programming and solve the problems in a better way.
We are writing commands or code and the Ring language is reading
it to understand us! Sure, What you are seeing now is
just ***part of the code - Not the Complete Program***
You have to write little things before and after this
part to be able to run it!
It is the natural part of our code where we can write in English,
Arabic or any Natural Language Then we will tell the computer
through the Ring language what must happens! in a way that we can scale
for large frameworks and programs.
Just imagine what will happens to the world of programming once
we create many powerful frameworks using the Ring language that
uses this way (Natural Programming).
For example When we say Hello to the Machine, It can reply! and when we
say count from 1 to 5 it will understand us, Also if
we said count from 5 to 1 it will
understand us too! You can see the Output window!
This Goal is not new, but the Ring language comes
with an innovative solution to this problem.
Output:
Hello, Sir!
The Numbers!
1
2
3
4
5
I will count Again!
5
4
3
2
1
To execute the natural code, We have start.ring
In start.ring we define the language and the commands.
File: start.ring
load "stdlib.ring"
load "naturallib.ring"
New NaturalLanguage {
SetLanguageName(:MyLanguage)
SetCommandsPath(CurrentDir()+"/../command")
SetPackageName("MyLanguage.Natural")
UseCommand(:Hello)
UseCommand(:Count)
RunFile("program.txt")
}
We defined a language called MyLanguage, We have folder for the language commands.
Each command will define a class that belong to the MyLanguage.Natural package.
We will define two commands, Hello and Count.
So we must have two files for defining the commands in the CurrentDir()+”/../command” folder
File: hello.ring
DefineNaturalCommand.SyntaxIsKeyword([
:Package = "MyLanguage.Natural",
:Keyword = :hello,
:Function = func {
See "Hello, Sir!" + nl + nl
}
])
File: count.ring
DefineNaturalCommand.SyntaxIsKeywordNumberNumber([
:Package = "MyLanguage.Natural",
:Keyword = :count,
:Function = func {
if not isattribute(self,:count_times) {
AddAttribute(self,:count_times)
Count_Times = 0
}
if Expr(1) > Expr(2) {
nStep = -1
else
nStep = 1
}
if Count_Times = 0 {
see nl+"The Numbers!" + nl
Count_Times++
else
see nl + "I will count Again!" +nl
}
for x = Expr(1) to Expr(2) step nStep {
see nl+x+nl
}
CommandReturn(fabs(Expr(1)-Expr(2))+1)
}
])
New Style is added to Ring Notepad
In Ring Notepad - From View - Styles - Select the (Modern) Style
Screen Shot:
RingREPL
In the application folder, You will find RingREPL (Read-Eval-Print-Loop)
Also you can run it from Ring Notepad (Menubar - Tools)
Screen Shot:
Convert between Numbers and Bytes
Ring 1.4 comes with the next functions to convert between Numbers and Bytes.
- Int2Bytes()
- Float2Bytes()
- Double2Bytes()
- Bytes2Int()
- Bytes2Float()
- Bytes2Double()
Example:
see "Test Int2Bytes() and Bytes2Int() - Value : 77" + nl
r = Int2Bytes(77)
see "Int Size : " + len(r) + nl
see r + nl
see Bytes2Int(r) + nl
see "Test Float2Bytes() and Bytes2Float() - Value 77.12" + nl
r = Float2Bytes(77.12)
see "Float Size : " + len(r) + nl
see r + nl
see Bytes2Float(r) + nl
see "Test Double2Bytes() and Bytes2Double() - Value 9999977.12345" + nl
r = Double2Bytes(9999977.12345)
see "Double Size : " + len(r) + nl
see r + nl
decimals(5)
see Bytes2Double(r) + nl
Better StdLib
The StdLib is updated to include the next functions
- FSize()
The print() function is updated to accept local variables.
load "stdlib.ring"
func main
print("Enter your name : ") ;
Name = getString() ;
print( "Hello : #{Name} ") ;
return ;
Better WebLib
The web library is updated
- Provide better error message
- Error (WebLib-1) : REQUEST_METHOD is empty ! - Run this script from the browser
- Error (DataLib-1) : Can’t connect to the database server!
- Better Template() function - can accept NULL instead of object as the second paramter.
html(template("main.rhtml",NULL))
- The Form Class is updated to support the “target” attribute.
BootStrapWebPage()
{
Title = "The Ring Programming Language"
html(template("main.rhtml",NULL))
div {
classname = :container
div
{
id = "div3"
color = "black"
backgroundcolor = "white"
width = "100%"
form
{
method = "POST"
Action = website
Target = "codeoutput"
input { type="hidden" name="page" value=1 }
Table
{
style = stylewidth("100%") +
stylegradient(3)
TR
{
TD { align="center"
WIDTH="10%"
text("Code :")
}
TD {
html(`
<textarea name = "cCode"
rows="5"
style="width : 100%; ">
See "Hello, World!" + nl
</textarea>`)
}
}
}
Input { type = "submit"
classname="btn btn-primary btn-block"
value = "Execute" }
Table
{
style = stylewidth("100%") +
stylegradient(34)
TR
{
TD { align="center"
WIDTH="10%"
text("Output :")
}
TD {
html(`
<iframe name="codeoutput"
width="100%"
style="background-color:white;">
</iframe>`)
}
}
}
}
}
}
html(template("footer.rhtml",NULL))
}
Better RingQt
The next functions are added to RingQt
- SetDialogIcon(cIconFile)
- MsgInfo(cTitle,cMessage)
- ConfirmMsg(cTitle,cMessage)
- InputBox(cTitle,cMessage)
- InputBoxInt(cTitle,cMessage)
- InputBoxNum(cTitle,cMessage)
- InputBoxPass(cTitle,cMessage)
The next classes are added to RingQt
- QToolButton
- QSerialPort
- QSerialPortInfo
Qt Class Convertor
Ring 1.4 comes with a simple tool that help in porting Qt classes to RingQt.
You will find it in ring/samples/tools/QtClassConverter
Online : https://github.com/ring-lang/ring/tree/master/samples/tools/QtClassConverter
Screen Shot:
What is new in Ring 1.4.1?
Ring 1.4.1 comes with the next changes
- Better Scripts for Building from Source Code
- Better Colors for the Modern Style in Ring Notepad
- Better StdLib
- Better RingQt
- New Sample : Sixteen Puzzle
The scripts are updated for building from source code.
Tested using Windows, Ubuntu Linux, Linux Mint and MacOS X.
Screen Shot:
In Ring Notepad - the (Modern) Style colors are updated
Screen Shot:
The StdLib is updated to include the next functions
- TrimLeft()
- TrimRight()
- TrimAll()
- EpochTime()
The next functions are updated to display the dialogs on the top of other windows.
- SetDialogIcon(cIconFile)
- MsgInfo(cTitle,cMessage)
- ConfirmMsg(cTitle,cMessage)
- InputBox(cTitle,cMessage)
- InputBoxInt(cTitle,cMessage)
- InputBoxNum(cTitle,cMessage)
- InputBoxPass(cTitle,cMessage)
The Sixteen Puzzle is added to the Applications folder.
Screen Shot:
