Friday 25 June 2010

Yet another new OI connector goes into beta.



As many of you will know, Revelation’s OpenInsight supports data connectors for Rocket Software’s (previously IBM’s) Universe and Unidata (U2) and also TigerLogic’s D3 databases.

However, a brand new data connector for Univision has just gone into beta and Revelation hope to release this shortly after the main 9.2 release mid July. Built on Revelation’s existing and proven connector technology, this new connector now means that Revelation supports data connectors for ‘five’ of the leading MultiValue (Pick) databases currently in use, as well as support for a variety of SQL databases.

These data connectors are shipped as part of the development suite meaning that there is nothing extra for you to purchase, other than your third party database licenses. Once configured, a job that usually take no more than a couple of minutes, these connectors enable developers to work with the OpenInsight toolset against the third party data just as if it was native OpenInsight data. This means that the entire OpenInsight toolset can be utilised against these databases: that includes the GUI design tools, the Powerful Systems Editor, the Data Warehouse, the Web Development Tools and much more.

Revelation are currently interested in talking to anyone running Universe, Unidata, D3 and Univision and who need to extend or modernise their current systems. Please contact Martyn in the first instance for more details or you can find out more about these connectors, and see them in operation at the forthcoming RUG in London on the 13th July. This is a free to attend event and you can register to attend on our website. Places are becoming limited, so please register as soon as possible.

Wednesday 23 June 2010

OpenInsight Beta 5 Released.



The OpenInsight 9.2 beta 5 release is now available to all OI WORKS subscribers registered for the beta program. You should have received an email direct from the Mike in the USA, but please drop me a line if this is not the case.

OpenInsight is a solid release and it has been used solely for the development of my new Contact Manager System. Throughout this project I’ve used the Table Builder, Forms Designer, User Interface Workspace, Database Manager, Report Builder, OIPI, the system Editor and more. This project has found a couple of issues and these have subsequently been fixed and I’m now looking forward to the final release in mid July, just after the RevUK EMEA RUG.

Thank you to all of the beta testers who have contributed and continue to contribute during this beta testing period.

Friday 18 June 2010

OECGI3 - New in OI 9.2



With OpenInsight 9.2 now only a few short weeks away, there is news of yet more enhancements that will benefit your application and clients.

This time it is news of the OECGI3 executable that is being delivered within the new release. OECGI3 will support Failover and Load Balancing modes, making OECGI3 a more robust connection object which allows for extra capacity and/or redundancy to be added to a web application. A new OECGI3 registry setting, MultipleServers, controls whether OECGI3 operates in Failover (0) or Load Balancing Mode (1).

In Failover mode, you supply OECGI3 with a list of ServerURL's and ServerPort's that are available. OECGI3 attempts to connect to the first ServerURL/ServerPort in the list. If the connection is unsuccessful then OECGI3 will continue on to the next ServerURL/ServerPort in the list until a successful connection is made. If all connection attempts fail, then the SYSDOWNPAGE page is returned.

In Load Balancing mode, you supply OECGI3 with a list of ServerURL's and ServerPort's that are available. OECGI3 will randomly choose a ServerURL/ServerPort from the list available, and then attempt to connect to that server. If the connection fails, OECGI3 will move to the next ServerURL/ServerPort in the list, "looping" through the list until it is back at the originally selected URL/Port combination, at which point OECGI3 will return the SYSDOWNPAGE page.

The Revsoft.co.uk web site now includes links to all three of the O4W guides, including the OECGI3 Installation and Configuration Guide.

Thursday 17 June 2010

OpenInsight 9.2 release date.



Revelation US have just announced that the 9.2 beta is in the final stages and the company expects a general release of OpenInsight 9.2 on the 15th July 2010.

Most of the new features will be demonstrated at our RUG on the 13th July, so please book your place to learn more about this major OpenInsight release.

Monday 14 June 2010

Sprezz release WINAPI definitions



Sprezzatura have just released their entire library of WINAPI definitions along with their corresponding structures and constants. These have all been wrapped up into a free of charge RDK. Please visit their web site blog for more details.

Friday 11 June 2010

Why's my oinsight.ini file not working????



We recently had a support enquiry because the OInsight.ini file (located under C:\Windows) was not being picked up and the developer was therefore unable to change the Application Manager buttons to display the System Editor ++, rather than the old System Editor.

I’d always understood that the OInsight.ini file that OpenInsight used for these settings and others, was the one in the Windows directory. However, from Windows Vista and Windows 7, things are no longer that simple.

As Carl enlightened me, Vista and Windows 7 implement something called virtual file redirection, which means that the ini file the OpenInsight uses is not the one in C:\Windows - when it asks for the file Windows goes and gets it from the Virtual Store instead. It is Microsoft’s way of trying to stop people using ini files - they don't like you using the registry these days either!!

Anyway, the *real* ini file that Windows gives to OpenInsight is stored in your user settings folder something like:

C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\oinsight.ini

If you change that ini file, then everything should be fine and OpenInsight will display the right buttons and your other preferences/settings.

For the more technical and those who want to understand all of this in more detail, the following link will be useful:

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/developers/archive/2009/08/04/user-account-control-data-redirection.aspx

Friday 4 June 2010

One day you can't afford to miss!!!!!



I’m sorry for being more than a little quiet on the blog recently. The reason is simple and it is because I have been working solidly on a new OpenInsight application to replace my old contact manager. Following a crazy price increase to run my old faithful CRM system under Windows 7, I switched to MS Outlook and a plug-in. Following the 6th issue with that system, resulting in another two or three days work to get the application back (even with backups), I decided to do the obvious and write my own – a long, long overdue project.

Within a week, I had a nice looking fully working system and data was being punched in. Even though I know how good OpenInsight is, I’ve been amazed at what I have achieved with OpenInsight 9.2 (as a non-professional developer). There are some bugs to iron out, some reports to write and a few items on the wish list, but it’s looking damn good :)

Anyway, if you are not using OpenInsight and want to see what a novice can achieve in a week, come along to our next EMEA Revelation User group meeting in London on the 13th July 2010.

If you are an existing OI developer, an existing end-user or someone thinking about adding OpenInsight into your toolset, then you’ll definitely want to reserve a place to see Mike Ruane from Revelation Software demonstrate how to use OpenInsight's U2, D3, and SQL connectors to either Windows or browser-based forms.

OpenInsight is a true, graphical, MultiValue product that's been around since 1992. Developers program in Basic, can run reports using an Access or English like language from TCL, but the can also create forms, reports, pop-ups and searches without writing code. Mike said to tell you all that, “If you write code... we have the capabilities that will knock your socks off”.

OpenInsight has its own MultiValue database, but with our Connector technology, OpenInsight can treat Rocket's UniVerse and UniData, TigerLogic's D3, and almost any flavour of SQL's data as if it was our own, and manipulate completely using our toolset. These connectors are going to open new doors for anyone involved with MultiValue systems and they are already opening doors for Revelation’s clients in the US.

Furthermore, Mike will be reviewing a number of new features in 9.2 and taking away a list of your needs and wants for 9.3.

And, if that is not enough reason to come along on the 13th July, then he’ll also be showing off O4W – The newest, best and easiest to use web enabling technology for OpenInsight and just about anyone wanting to create database driven web applications in minutes and without writing code – don’t believe me? Come along and see for yourself.

PLUS – For anyone already deep into using OpenInsight, Carl Pates (Sprezzatura) will be talking about utilising the Web Browser Control in OpenInsight - A bit hit presentation at this years main Revelation Conference in Las Vegas earlier this year.

So with an agenda like that you’d be mad to miss out on this one. Places are likely to be limited, so please reserve your place online as soon as possible.