BCD Tech Blog

This is a followup to our October 19, 2011 Minimum OS/400 Release Level Notification for BCD products.

As of later this month V5R4 will be the minimum OS/400 release level supported by most BCD product releases as well as any software updates we create.

The following versions of our products are the last releases that can be installed on OS/400 V5r3:

• WebSmart ILE 9.0
• WebSmart PHP 4.0
• Clover 3.0
• Presto 3.8
• Catapult 7.71
• Nexus 4.03
• ProGen Plus 9.6
• Spool-Explorer/400 4.52
• File-Flash Plus 4.5
• DbGen 2.5
• Docu-Mint 6.6

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Technical Support.

Catapult 7.7 is now available for download. This version includes several significant fixes to issues recently reported by customers. There are no changes other than the fixes listed below, so if you are at a recent release, there should be minimal risk of this upgrade affecting your existing rules. Contact Technical Support if you have any questions on this!

These are the fixes in Catapult 7.71:

• Resolved an issue where errors during post-processing delete of spooled files were not being reported correctly Read more…

We have published a new version of the WebSmart 8.90 IDE (7635-11802) to address a reported problem where a user profile whose job description does not produce a job log will send the IDE into an infinite loop if there is a compile failure.

You can download this update from the WebSmart Updates page.

Give us a call if you have any questions!

We have published update 2 for WebSmart 8.9. This update addresses a reported issue where the mimetype function was failing in fixed-format programs.

You can download update W8900002P from the WebSmart Updates page.

Give us a call if you have any questions!

We have published update 2 for Nexus 4. This includes the following fixes:

• Resolved a reported issue where shared content created by a user was deleted along with the object specified for deletion.
• Resolved an issue with the IBM i password expiry warning (intervals were not correct).
• Added an alternate login validation API.
• LDAP authentication can now authenticate users located in sub-trees.

You can download this from the bottom of the Nexus 4 updates page.

Note that Update 1 exists but as it is only applicable to some very specific situations we haven’t listed it publicly.

Please let us know if you have any questions!

ProGen Plus 9.6 update 2 (PG96002) is now available for download from our web site:

http://www.bcdsoftware.com/iseriessupport/progen/updates/current/

This update addresses a reported problem where in a Style F program, a lock was being generated in Factor 1 for the LDA when additional data areas are defined in the program.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Presto 3.5 was made available for download a couple of weeks ago and includes many new exciting features listed below. You can see these features in action by registering for the Presto 3.5 new features webinar happening this Thursday, Nov 17th, at 1:00 EST.

The new features in Presto 3.5 focus a lot on dynamic, database populated elements in the Visual Editor such as the new autocomplete. They also expand on the SQL Query feature to access DB2 data that was introduced earlier this year in Presto 3.0.

Here are the key new features in Presto 3.5:

• Autocomplete: The Visual Editor has a new autocomplete element that you can add to input fields. Autocompletes make it faster for your end users to enter data and are often a better choice than drop down lists. An autocomplete predicts the value the user is typing and allows them to choose their desired value without having to type it in completely. It uses the SQL Query feature in Presto and has many customization options.

• ExecuteSQL API: This is a very powerful new feature that makes it easier to include DB2 data that isn’t part of your original program into your web enabled screens. You can do this without needing to touch the underlying program and without needing to call any other web apps. This gives you the ability to add new data to a screen such as displaying additional information and adding new input fields.

• Dynamic Radio Buttons: Create radio buttons quickly in the Visual Editor. They can be populated with hard coded values or with data from a database file by using an SQL query.

• Support for using Screen Values in Visual Editor: Use screen values as parameters in Visual Editor properties and SQL Queries to introduce dynamic content to your screens without having to create a custom page. You can use these with SmartCharts, images, drop downs, autocompletes and other elements.

• Improved Presto Designer UI: The improved UI gives you more control over the interface with dock-able components in the designer and more logical organization of menus and tabs.

• Visual Editor Support for Editing Tables: You can now use the Visual Editor to select and change the properties of any element in an HTML table, including the table height, width, border, row and column width.

• Improved JavaScript Event Editor: The Visual Editor’s Event Editor now has a larger window, line numbering and color coding to help you reduce syntax errors.

• Other features:
  • Support for the System Request key (Shift + ESC).
  • Support for the System Help key (Alt-F1).
  • Further support for multiple languages.

Documentation and examples for Presto 3.5 new features  are currently only in the Upgrader’s Guide which is available on the Presto Developers Page in the myBCDsoftware customer portal. The User Guide will catch up to the product with the upcoming release of version 3.8 which should be available within two months.

You can download Presto 3.5 from myBCDsoftware or from the BCD website.

We have posted a new update for ProGen Plus 9.6.

Update PG96001 addresses a reported issue where long EVAL operations were not being split across lines correctly. You can download this update from our web site:

http://www.bcdsoftware.com/iseriessupport/progen/updates/current/

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Nexus Portal 4.0 has been available to new users for a couple of months and was recently made available to existing users to upgrade their Nexus sites. Nexus 4.0 does require a new license key which is explained in step 3 of the upgrade instructions. Here is the list of the key new features:

• LDAP Support: End users can now use the same profile to log in to Nexus as they do to log in to other LDAP supported resources. Site administrators of organizations who use LDAP no longer need to manage separate LDAP and Nexus profiles.

• Improved Cross Browser Support: The end user interface of Nexus has been supported in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome for a while. In Nexus 4.0 the site administration interface is also supported.

• Password Expiry Warning and Updating: Users now have the ability to change their IBM i user profile passwords from the Nexus login screen. Nexus administrators can control the number of days in advance to start displaying the password expiration warning message.

• Improved Password Encryption: Password security is improved with better encryption handling. You can now also set the encryption seed for generating Nexus passwords.

• Improved Installation Process: You can now specify a new library name during the installation which makes it easier to have multiple Nexus installations.

To learn more about Nexus 4.0 please visit the Nexus new features page. Nexus 4.0 can be downloaded from the BCD download page or from the myBCDsoftware customer portal.

As part of our ongoing development strategy and planning efforts here at BCD we are scheduling future internal IBM i system upgrades. This will affect the minimum OS/400 release level supported by BCD products. Our product line currently requires a minimum OS/400 release level of V5R3. As of January 1, 2012 V5R4 will be the minimum OS/400 release level supported by most BCD products and updates released after that date.

As our products continue to evolve and new products are introduced it is generally our intention to keep in step with IBM OS/400 release levels, while also giving our clients enough time to plan for this change. This allows us to develop using current technology and to make this technology available to you in our product family.

IBM discontinued support for V5R3 on April 30, 2009.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Technical Support.