What’s New in R&R Version
8.1
SQL Edition
A Note About the Product Name and Version
Prior to Wall Data’s acquisition of
R&R Report Writer from Concentric Data Systems, there were two editions of
R&R, the Xbase Edition and the SQL Edition. Wall Data renamed the
R&R SQL Edition ARPEGGIO, and with this release, we are changing the name
back to R&R Report Writer, SQL Edition. In addition, since both
editions of R&R share the same code base and have roughly equivalent
features, we are resetting the version to 8.1 to match the Xbase Edition.
With end-user and developer components bundled in a single package, we have done
away with the Desktop and Developer product distinction.
R&R Report Writer, SQL Edition
Version 8.1 does not include the ARPEGGIO Data Access, Data Organizer or RUMBA
ODBC driver components. It includes only the Microsoft ODBC drivers for:
Access, dBASE, Excel, FoxPro, Paradox, SQL Server, Text and Visual FoxPro.
Other drivers are available separately from your database or application
software vendor.
Objectives
Our objectives for Version 8.1 are
modest yet critical to the future success of R&R. Since ARPEGGIO
Version 2.0 was released, a significant number of problems have been corrected.
While various patches have been released, a comprehensive and robust update has
not yet been offered to users who have waited for what must seem an eternity.
Therefore, it was our top priority to satisfy these users while at the same time
building a stable platform on which to make further modifications. As a
bonus, we were able to add some new features without significantly impacting our
schedule. With the release of Version 8.1 completed, work has begun to add
new features, and to correct other outstanding problems. We appreciate
your patience while we continue to make improvements to R&R.
New Features
R&R Report Writer, SQL Edition,
Version 8.1 is designed to operate with Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT and
2000. The following new features have been
added.
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Calculations:
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The NOW() function was added to return the date and time the report
was started. This provides
the date and time in a single field of type date-time making it easier to
manipulate.
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The
PERCOMP(expression) function was added to help correctly evaluate
calculations in some complex reports. A problem may occur when a
calculated field is not evaluated as frequently as necessary (e.g.
once per group instead of once per record.) If you need to
evaluate the expression once per composite record, you can create a
calculated field that passes the expression to the PERCOMP() function. |
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Charting:
Various enhancements make it easier to customize the appearance of
a chart including:
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The font type can be set for
the chart title, axis titles, labels and legends.
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The size of each font is also
adjustable.
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Pie chart labels can
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Be set to a percent of the
whole.
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Have color changes applied.
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Have lines removed from the
pie slice to the label.
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Have labels omitted from the
pie chart.
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Grid lines are retained
correctly and the legend is updated in the dialog example when selected or
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Notes:
ARPEGGIO
Version 2.0 will not read reports created with Version 8.1 if they contain charts.
There is more control over
font type and size but the charting feature will continue to omit titles
and labels when the chart is too full and/or the window is too small to
allow them.
The charting feature only accepts
non-symbol TrueType fonts. The
list of fonts available to a chart is therefore a subset of fonts on the
client machine.
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Database:
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A new option on the Database menu, View Result Set, provides a way
to view the source of all the data presented and used in the report.
This feature will help troubleshoot complex relations, sorting,
calculations and totals. A
button on the toolbar provides a shortcut to this feature. The new Export
Result Set feature enables you to save the result set to a DBF
file for further use. |
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Designer:
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Two new buttons have been added to
the tool bar to toggle the “Suppress Record Lines” and “Compress
Record/Group Lines” record layout options.
This makes it easier to turn hide/show detail information.
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The right margin is now reflected in
the report layout by shading the area to the right of the margin, similar
to other Windows applications. This
makes it easier to place objects near the right margin.
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Blank Reports now include 5
page header lines, 1 record line, and 2 page footer lines. In addition, predefined fields for master table name, date,
time, page number, record number, query expression and report name
are included. This option increases productivity when creating
new reports.
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Instant reports now include
pre-defined fields for query expression and report name.
They are not inserted onto the report, but are available if
you want to insert them. |
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Export:
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A
new Export format, Result Set, will export the entire result set, as in the new
Database View Result Set feature, but into a named file for
permanent storage. This
can be useful for creating subsequent reports on the data used to
construct a report, or for supporting remote end-users.
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All export dialogs now have
a browse button (labeled “…”) that opens a common file dialog
to aid in the selection of a destination directory and file. |
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Network License Management:
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The
software can now be installed on a network server for shared access.
User licenses are now metered by the software. Multi-user
license packs are available. |
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Improved Features
The
following situations have been corrected or improved.
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Calculations:
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Editing a complex calculation that
references another calculation defined only by a character field name no
longer gives an Invalid page fault message.
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Changes to a calculated field name
now correctly updates other calculations that reference the changed field.
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The CTOD() function now assumes a
date with two-digit year is in the current century at the time the
expression is compiled. |
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Charting:
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Bar
chart values are now displayed correctly. |
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Converter:
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The help screen on the
Source button dialog now displays. |
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Database:
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Support
has been added for Microsoft SQL Server 7. |
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Designer:
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The
Format -
Band Line Justify command now correctly left- and right-aligns
fields. |
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Export:
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Exporting
to an existing read-only file now gives a more meaningful message. |
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Export - HTML:
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Exporting
to HTML no longer causes R&R to crash.
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When
you select the option to preview the report in your Internet
browser, the browser now opens at the appropriate time after the
report is generated. |
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Export - Text:
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Exporting
to Text Data and Word Merge formats now retains all four digits of
the century.
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Export
to Text formats will no longer crash in the rare cases where it did
crash. |
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Installation:
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Newer
files in the Windows system directory are no longer over-written
during installation, eliminating the potential for problems due to
incompatible versions of DLLs and OCXs, such as some VB controls
having their default font reset.
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Newer
registry entries are no longer over-written during installation,
eliminating the potential for problems due to incompatible versions
of DLLs and OCXs, such as malfunction of Internet browser access to
secure web sites.
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More recent versions of shared system
DLL and OCX files are now installed. |
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Report Viewer Control:
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The
Report Viewer Control banner bar print display, including number of
pages, now displays even if the user does not click on the viewer
frame.
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When
loading a HTML web page that contains the Report Viewer Control
(referenced when exporting a report to an ActiveX control), the web
page no longer causes an error if it also contains either VBScript
code or JavaScript code.
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The
Report Viewer Control CAB file is now properly signed.
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The
Report Viewer Control CAB file can now locate the PDI file (report
output) when a proxy server is used. |
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Runtime:
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You
can now run multiple reports from a report library without getting
the message "library file does not exist".
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You
can now include spaces in the RI_OUTFILE parameter.
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If
you set the RI_PRINTER parameter to H, to export to HTML, the
Internet browser is no longer opened.
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When
printing a report using either a HP 660C or 1150C printer, and
corresponding driver, the report no longer prints as a mirror image. |
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Runtime ActiveX Control:
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The
Runtime “auto data source creation” feature no longer prompts
the user to create the data source; it goes ahead and creates the
data source without asking.
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More
robust error trapping in the Runtime ActiveX Control now returns an
error code and message even when the report can’t be run, when,
for example, it doesn’t exist.
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The
Runtime ActiveX Control can now open a report from a report library
using the properties ReportLibrary and ReportName.
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Using
the Runtime ActiveX Control, you can now set the filter property
with the Control Properties dialog box at design time and the filter
value will be saved.
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Multiple
users may now access the same report library simultaneously using
the Runtime ActiveX Control.
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Using
the Runtime ActiveX Control, you can now add a master index to a
report created without one.
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The
Runtime ActiveX Control now works properly with 32-bit Delphi
applications. |
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Scheduler:
Please note that the new scheduler
will backup your existing schedule database and replace it with a new
database. If you want to
retain your existing schedule, you will need to re-enter the scheduled
events, or you can copy them from the old database into the new database
using Microsoft Access using the following procedure:
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To
copy events from the old schedule database using Access, open the file
name schedule.old.mdb, the default location of which is c:\program
files\common files\walldata\schedule.
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Then,
open the new schedule database in the same location, named
schedule.mdb. If you have
Access 2000, you will need to convert the database to the newer
format.
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Copy
and paste the events from the old schedule database into the new
database.
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If
you are using Access 2000, you need to convert the new database back
to the older file format.
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The
Scheduler now correctly handles dates in the year 2000 and dates not
in the "English, US" format.
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The
description is not affected by right-clicking and selecting Change
under the Maintenance tab.
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Selecting
the Schedule tab no longer changes the time to “Now”. |
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