New features in EPC 839 version of the Framework

You can now create Framework filters and command handlers as .NET components using Visual LANSA Framework .NET SDK.

For more information refer to the Visual LANSA Framework Snap-in Components Guide. 

A new RAMP product RAMP-TS is now available for modernizing 5250 applications.

It is released for VLF.WIN, VLF.WEB and VLF.NET.

For more information, refer to the RAMP Guide. 

The Generic Notes Command Handler  allows notes to be associated with a business object instance. The notes can be classified, and may have multiple attachments associated with them (eg: MS-Word documents, e-mails, images/photos, etc, etc). All the notes and attachments are permanently stored in database tables on the database server.

The Generic Spooled Files Command Handler allows the end-user to browse, delete, or change the queue of a spooled file. They can also convert the spooled file to a text file or PDF, which can be copied, emailed, viewed etc.

End-user can now Export Instance List Contents to a document. There is no additional effort required from the part of Framework developers. The supported document formats in VLF.NET are:

• Excel

• PDF

• HTML

• CSV

In the Windows environment, templates are not available and the only format currently supported is CSV.

There is a new Program Coding Assistant for Windows command handlers which generates a command handler that allows the end-user to select from a list of fields and then send the data for the selected fields to a MS-Excel spreadsheet. The end-user can choose to send the data for all entries in the instance list, or only the selected entries.

The Code Assistant is called Send data to MS-Excel as a CSV file.

See the RAMP tutorial Sending Instance List Contents to Excel for step-by-step instructions.

Alternatively, you can use the option Allow Instance List to be sent to MS-Excel to automatically send instance list contents to a spreadsheet.

The Stay Active option for filters and command handlers has been expanded to include new settings, NEVER and DEFAULT.

NEVER indicates that when you move between business objects, any inactive (not visible) command handlers are terminated.

DEFAULT sets the Stay Active option for filters and command handlers to the value set on the new Framework level option, Stay Active Default for Command Handlers and Filters.

Application level tracing has been extended so that you can easily determine the status of filters and command handlers.

You can now programmatically cause a pane to be expanded and then become focused using the avPaneFocus Method.

You can add hidden commands to the Framework to allow a user to switch between the main panes without using a mouse.

Advanced Tutorials are now available for Windows, Web and WAM Frameworks.

The execution priority for super-server jobs can now be set in the server definition. The default priority is 20 however if it is set to a lower figure the super-server job will have a higher priority and receive better service from the CPU. See Execution Priority.

The new Framework level option Trim Working Set can be used to reduce the amount of memory your framework uses.

If this option is enabled in a VLF-WIN application the working set of the Windows process executing the Framework is trimmed:

• When the start up of the Framework is complete

• When the main Framework window has been minimized for approximately 20 seconds.

There is a new way of Saving unsaved changes using uQueryCanDeactivate / avNotifyDeactivation.

You can use the avFindIcon method to Get Visual LANSA Framework Icon Reference.

A Framework's caption is now used as the Web page title when running as a VLF-WEB application and appears on the IE tab in the web page's language.

In some circumstances a strict security policy can make ClickOnce deployment unviable. A new feature addresses this problem by enabling the network administrator to generate a version of VLF.NET that can be launched locally from, for example, a network share.

VLF.NET Manual Deployment – An Alternative Way of Deploying VLF.NET

The shipped Demonstration Application has a new Framework level command that activates Application level tracing and  can be used in User Mode.

See the source code of reusable part DF_DET46 for an example of how this is done.

A suffix of any text can now be added to the current window or title bar caption. See the FAQ Can I change the business object instance caption that appears in the area above my command handlers?

New options in the View menu allow the user to move focus to a particular part of the Framework window.

To see how they work, execute for example the Essential Business Object in the Programming Techniques application.