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It's almost here! Are you ready for Synergy/DE 9.5? |
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It’s almost here! Are you ready for Synergy/DE 9.5?
Here’s a Q & A about the upcoming 9.5 release, an upgrade we recommend to all Synergy developers
Synergy/DE 9.5 is right around the corner. We’re putting on the finishing touches and will soon be releasing it to you. We know you’ve been hearing about 9.5 and the upcoming Synergy .NET features for some time, and those of you who came to the SPC got to see 9.5 in action. Synergy/DE 9.5 is a recommended upgrade for all customers on all platforms as it includes important enhancements and quality improvements throughout the Synergy/DE product set. Here are some questions and answers about this much-anticipated release.
Q: What’s in Synergy/DE 9.5?
A: Version 9.5 includes two categories of features:
- Enhancements and quality improvements throughout the Synergy/DE product suite on all platforms.
- New support for Microsoft .NET that enables you to use Visual Studio to write Synergy Language applications that run under Microsoft’s .NET Framework. These new .NET components are collectively referred to as “Synergy .NET”.
Q: Should I upgrade to Synergy/DE 9.5?
A: Yes. Synergy/DE 9.5 is an incremental release for all customers on all platforms. We highly recommend that you upgrade to it to stay current and to benefit from the numerous enhancements and quality improvements.
Q: Besides the Synergy .NET features, what other features are in Synergy/DE 9.5?
A: There are numerous enhancements and quality improvements throughout the Synergy/DE toolset. Here are a couple of highlights:
- Select class enhancements (benefiting traditonal Synergy applications and Synergy .NET applications)
- Significant performance improvements with OrderBy class
- Sparse update to remote files
- Improved performance of record updates and deletions to remote files when using xfServer
- Workbench enhancements (for developing traditional Synergy applications), including
- Upgrade to SlickEdit v15
- Selection list to disable compiler warnings
- Support for documentation comments (;;;)
- Improved .REGION/.ENDREGION support
Q: What can I do with Synergy .NET?
A: Synergy .NET gives Synergy applications access to the multitude of tools and capabilities that come with Microsoft’s .NET Framework--both from the Framework itself and from 3rd-party companies developing products for the Framework. With Synergy .NET you can:
- Develop and debug Synergy Language code in Visual Studio (includes integrated Synergy Language Online Help and support for most Visual Studio features, such as IntelliSense, colorization, code snippets, and code regions)
- Update the look of your applications. For example, you can create new WPF or Winform interfaces with Synergy Language
- Add new functionality to your applications with .NET Framework classes (there are many)
- Interoperate with applications written in other .NET languages (C#, VB, etc.)
- Migrate your xfServerPlus / xfNetLink .NET application to run natively (without going through xfNetLink/xfServerPlus and the network)
- Migrate your Synergy applications that use the Synergy windowing API
Q: What are the main components of Synergy .NET?
A: Synergy .NET includes:
- A Synergy .NET compiler (dblnet) that produces Microsoft's Intermediate Language (MSIL) code that executes under Microsoft’s Common Language Runtime (CLR)
- Synergy .NET runtime libraries
- A Visual Studio plug-in (Synergy Language Integration for Visual Studio)
The Synergy .NET compiler and runtime libraries are included in the Synergy/DE installation. The Visual Studio plug-in is distributed in a separate installation.
Q: How is Synergy .NET licensed?
A: Synergy .NET requires the same Synergy/DE licensing that is required for developing and running traditional Synergy applications.
- You will use a PSW9 configuration key for your development systems--specifically for the Synergy .NET compiler and Synergy Language Integration for Visual Studio.
- You will use a RUN9 or SRUN9 configuration key to run your Synergy .NET applications.
Look for more information about 9.5 coming soon. If you have further questions now or after the release, just contact Synergy/DE Developer Support (support@synergex.com) or your Synergy/DE account manager (synergy@synergex.com).
Synergy/DE Tech Tip
Question
When you are working with component projects in Workbench to create Java class wrappers or C# classes, Workbench does not show you the command lines being executed or any warnings that are generated. Can you force this information into view?
Answer
By default, Workbench tries to make tool output as tidy as possible by omitting command lines and telling the gencs and genjava utilities to be less verbose. Both of these utilities have a -v option to make this possible. The result is that no warnings are passed back to Workbench to be displayed.
Workbench makes it easy enough to force these command lines and warnings into view with a verbose flag of its own.
- Select Project > Project Properties.
- Select the Tools tab.
- Select the "Generate C# Classes" tool for a .NET project or the "Generate Class Wrappers" tool for a Java project.
- On the command line, where it reads "SynGenerateCSClasses" (.NET) or "SynGenerateClassWrappers" (Java), add a space followed by "-v" without the quotes.
With the -v flag in place, Workbench will show the command lines that are being executed, as well any warnings generated by the utility.
Quiz
Synergy/DE pros, see if you can answer this question!
In the following program, if you change the declaration of method "m" by removing the word "static" from line 4, what other changes must you make?
1 namespace n
2 class c
3 public static chan, int
4 public static method m, void
5 proc
6 writes(chan, "hello")
7 end
8 endclass
9 endnamespace
10
11 main
12 proc
13 open(1,o,"TT:")
14 c.chan = 1
15 c.m()
16 end
Which answer is correct?
a. Also remove "static" from line 3
b. Change "c" in line 14 to an instance reference
c. Change "c" in line 15 to an instance reference
d. All of the above
e. a and b only
f. b and c only
g. a and c only
Click here for the answer and explanation.
Platform News
Windows
-
Microsoft pushes platform as a service in cloud
http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/hosted/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228200447&subSection=Software -
Silverlight, HTML5, and Microsoft's opaque development strategy
http://www.osnews.com/story/23992/Silverlight_HTML5_and_Microsoft_s_Opaque_Development_Strategy -
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 enters final test: Software giant pushes joint service pack for Windows Server 2008 Release 2 and Windows 7 into release candidate stage.
http://www.internetnews.com/software/article.php/3910281/Microsoft+Windows+Server+2008+Enters+Final+Test.htm
-
OpenVMS roadmap updated
http://www.openvms.org/stories.php?story=10/10/22/4183412
-
Linux replacing Windows in data centers
http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/open_source/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227900003&subSection=Unix/Linux+servers
We will be closed on November 25 and 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you anticipate needing our assistance on either of these days, please contact us at synergy@synergex.com to make arrangements.