Author: Ruslan Zasukhin

VP Engineering and New Technology Paradigma Software, Inc

[VStudio] MAS Submission steps

vstudio_start_page_mas_in_app

After 5.0 release we have made the first attempt to submit Valentina Studio into Apple’s Mac App Store. As expected, it was reject with a couple of fair issues and one advice to hide all PRO features in the free edition of VStudio.

Step by step we have come to a new design. On the picture you can see how start page will looks for 5.1 version of Valentina Studio (MAS).

Since we was need to remove “Projects” section anyway, we have decide to put “in-app store” of Valentina Studio on the start page instead of section “Projects”.

If a user will do in-app purchase then PRO features will be enabled and become visible.  The section “Projects” will be visible again on the start page.

[VStudio][Change] Free VStudio 5.1 will be able to save diagrams and do reverse engineering.

In 5.0 Diagrams was a PRO feature, so was available in free version only in the demo mode: you could create and edit diagram, but you was not able save it for future use.

Working on submitting of Valentina Studio into Apple’s App Store, we was asked to remove from free version any such demo-features. We have decide instead remove it completely, open half of its functionality to free edition of VStudio. In 5.1 build of Valentina Studio you will be able

  • create diagrams and save them into your db.
  • add new schema objects (tables, fields, views, links)
  • add existed schema objects of your database (reverse-engineering).

Disabled will be just forward-engineering, i.e. generation of SQL scripts to produce new schema objects and change existed.

Interesting to note, that a competing product in AppStore, asks in-app purchase 70$ for reverse-engineering. Valentina Studio 5.1 will give this for free. Enjoy 🙂

[NEW][VSQL] MAIL Command

We have add a new command for Valentina SQL.

The main goal is to be able use Valentina Server as generator of PDF and/or HTML reports and sending them by email directly from VSERVER’s stored procedure. Besides, this command can be called by Event Scheduler of VSERVER or by a database or table trigger.

vext_mail
 : __MAIL
   __FROM character_string_literal_or_var 
   __TO character_string_literal_or_var 
   __SUBJECT character_string_literal_or_var
   __BODY character_string_literal_or_var
  [__ATTACH vext_attach_list]
      __SMTP character_string_literal_or_var
      __PORT character_string_literal_or_var
     [__USER character_string_literal_or_var,
      __PASSWORD character_string_literal_or_var]
     [__SSL truth_value_or_var]

vext_attach_list
 : character_string_literal_or_var AS character_string_literal_or_var , ...

character_string_literal_or_var
 : character_string_literal
 | variable_name

uint_or_var
 : UINT
 | variable_name

truth_value_or_var
 : truth_value
 | variable_name

truth_value
 : TRUE
 | FALSE

Continue reading [NEW][VSQL] MAIL Command

[VStudio][Improve] Server Admin Panel – Log Files

5.0b60 includes significant improve of LOG files panel of Server Admin tool.

1) Now in the list of log files of a VSERVER you can see two sections. The first is named TAIL and contains only active log files. If you choose one of them, you will see tail (end) of this file with automatic refresh. This is analog of terminal tail command.

2) We have improve protocol between VSERVER and VStudio to exclude from vserver log file commands that send VStudio itself to collect information.

3) We have extend set of SNMP commands that VSERVER supports to increase performance of talk between VSERVER and VStudio. Besides, VSERVER is able proceed these commands absolutely parallel to its main job.

[NEW][VSERVER] Now has one more log file. From vreport.dll

We have found that if some report contains wrong SQL queries stored in the report itself, OR this queries have become invalid later, e.g. if some fields was renamed in the database, then no way to see these errors.

Solution is to add to VSERVER one more standard log file, into which will write info VREPORT.dll.

This log file can be set ON/OFF using same SQL commands as Warning.log file of the Valentina Kernel.

[NEW][MAC] VStudio.app and installer of VServer_x64 now are signed

OS X 10.8 has option “System Settings -> Security -> General -> Allow: MAS App Store and identified developers”  on default to be ON, so you cannot installed easy not signed applications and run installers. Note that 10.7 also can have this option enabled on some computers.

To resolve this issue, we have sign vstudio.app and vserver_x64.pkg installer.

Unfortunately we cannot easy sign other our installers (V4RB, V4REV, V4CC, … ) because we using third party installer.  So for now, for 5.0, we going to ship these installers not signed. To run them, OS X developer should in the Finder do CTRL + click on icon of installer and choose OPEN command in the contextual menu. In this case you will see the button ALLOW in the OS X security dialog. Click it, and continue as usual.

[NEW] VServer now is able to send crashlogs as VStudio

We have integrate into Valentina Server feature to send crash log like is able do Valentina Studio.

This feature will be available from 5.0b60 build.

To support this feature, we have add into INI file 3 new parameters. Read details here.

[CRASHREPORTER]
; 1 - Send crash reports.
; 0 - Don't send crash reports.
Crash_Reporter_Send=1

; Optional but very recommended to specify.
; Crash_Reporter_Owner_Name=

; Optional but very recommended to specify.
; Crash_Reporter_Owner_Email=

On default VServer keeps this feature ON.

Also will be great if user adds own name and email into INI file, so Paradigma Team will be able connect to you with more questions. If these fields are empty, then VServer will show warning on the top of LOG file.

[NEW] VStudio – “Add Filter Row with Cell Value”

While you are in Data Editor, you may want select group of records using value of  some record at which you watch now. Todo this you was need

  • Select all value in the cell  (CDM+A)
  • Copy it   (CMD + C)
  • Add filter row   (CMD + F)
  • Double click cell in filter into which you want insert that value
  • Paste that value into filter  (CMD + V)
  • Execute filter using (CMD + E)
Now all this can be done by a single command using menu item “Filter by Cell Value” or its keyboard shortcut (CMD + SHIFT + F).

[VStudio][NEW] Commands GenerateSQL -> Insert / Update / Delete.

While you are in the Schema Editor, Column or Tree view, you can do right click on a table and in the contextual menu choose GenerateSQL -> Insert / Update / Delete.

You  will be asked to specify fields for Insert / Update commands, after that you will see SQL Editor with generated command. You still need finish it of course in VALUES() section for INSERT, and SET section for UPDATE command.

Anyway this feature can save you couple of minutes of job per each such command.

[NEW] VStudio – SQL Dump allows specify few tables only

Now SQL Dump wizard has page where you can specify by checkbox only few tables to be dumped.

This can be suitable for example working with Joomla web site, when single mySQL database contains 200+ tables from different tools such as Joomla, Store, Mantis, WP, … So there are independent groups of tables.

WARNING: You should understand that if you dump some table A, but forget to dump linked by FK table B, you can get troubles. But most DB tools have this feature, so developers should be aware about this risk.

[NEW] VStudio – Enum with localisation is supported now

Some time ago we have extend ENUM type by ability to have additional sets of enum values for specific locales. Now we introduce support of this new feature of Valentina 5.0 engine in the Valentina Studio 5.0b54.

This feature is supported in the following places:

  1. Schema Editor
    1.1 Columns: you are able create ENUM types, create/delete/change Locales in that Enums, change localised values.
    1.2 Trees: you can see ENUMs and their Locales in the tree of db schema
    1.3 Diagrams: you can design type ENUM right on diagram.
  2. Data Editor — IF table has at least one ENUM type, then you will see small menu in toolbar that allows you  switch between supported locales of that enum.
  3. SQL Editor — IF result of SQL query contains ENUM fields,  then you will see small menu in toolbar that allows you  switch between supported locales of that enum.
Below you can see few snapshots that demonstrate these features. Read More about ENUM TYPE …

 

[NEW] DEFAULT clause extended by METHOD(‘const_expr’)

We have extend Valentina SQL by non standard feature. DEFAULT clause now has form DEFAULT METHOD(‘const_expr’).

This step increases declarative power of DDL part of VSQL and, therefore, allows you do less job later working with inserts and updates.

You can use in the expression built-in Valentina functions and UDFs that not depends on other fields. The most useful examples are:

* now()
* UUID()
* nextval( sequence_name )
* current_user_name()

Compatibility:
* this is not standard syntax.
* PostgreSQL have similar syntax and behavior, but it specify expression just in the literal: DEFAULT STRING_LITERAL. This cause ambiguity.

[NEW] VKERNEL now can create journal at a specified location + Sandboxed Mac Apps with V4CC.

Frank have contact us with request add ability for V4CC (Valentina for Cocoa) developers to specify the location of journal of a database. This is important for sandboxed applications, which on default can access only their sandbox folder and a file(s) that user specify explicitly.

PROBLEM is that if a user choose somedb.vdb file in the SelectFile dialog , then Valentina engine needs yet to create a journal file near to .vdb file. But for a sandboxed application this is prohibited by OS X. This is why developer want to be able specify another location for journal file.

Btw, this problem exists more of year for SQLite database that is used e.g. in CoreData of Apple, when it is used by a sandboxed app. Strange, but the only advice from Apple is – disable journal file.

We have spend couple of days to add into C++ level  and into V4CC ADK this feature. Rest ADKs soon.

Now you can write the following in V4CC:

Continue reading [NEW] VKERNEL now can create journal at a specified location + Sandboxed Mac Apps with V4CC.

[Fix] VStudio Linux crash log from a beta tester did help recognize that …

… although Vstudio linux is installed into /opt  location, it loads /usr/local/lib/vcomponents if they present.

Today this issue was solved. Into script that start Vstudio, was added pre-load for vcomponents dlls. After this one dll have start cause problem because it contains static library that is newer than system’s one. Many hours was not successful, because of GCC 4.2 bug… Finally, a “brutal force trick” was used (the second time) to workaround this issue.