Prosys Sentrol 4 - Release Notes

Notes about threading models in the Tutorial

ValueColor property in the Display components did not work in Delphi 2005 onwards

Usability improvements to edit components:

TPsState to raise EPsInvalidValue, if an invalid string is applied to it (from an edit control, for example); it raised an "not an integer value" exception.

TPsOPCServer.OnError: using it resulted to Access Violations in some communication error situations

TPsOPCAddressSpace.BrowseBranch to Clear the list if a re-browse is requested on the root node (the address space sometimes contained the same nodes several times on the root level)

TPsOPCProviderClient.RemoveGroup left the empty group in the Provider, because the client releases it’s final interface after that.

Variable component editor has a popup menu entry (right mouse click): "Reset Caption to Name"

In the Connector Links editors, highlight Items that have duplicates (same property values), such as OPC ItemID, ByteArray Address, etc.

TPsPersistentList.FindSimilar, HasSimilarItems

TPsPersistent.Compare, IsSimilar

TPsCustomFloatArray.ElementType (enable arrays of Single or Double)

PsBadSingleValue (in PsVars)

TPsByteArrayConnector to initialize links with the "next" byte value (in the design time Links editor)

TPsOPCAddressSpace.Filter of new type TPsOPCAddressSpaceFilter

TPsCustomCompPanel.AutoHideEngUnit

TPsOPCProvider registration to add (and remove) AppID registry keys

TPsOPCProvider.Fail

TPsOPCServer.FailureDisconnectDelay

TPsVarForm.LocalTimeBias

UTCTimeToStr (in PsUtils)

RemoveNameValueFromCSV (in PsClasses)

TPsOPCAddressSpaceBrowser with the Filtering controls

FileTimeToStr (in PsUtils) changed to return 'N/A' for zero dates

DateTimeToFileTime and FileTimeToDateTime (in PsUtils) to return zero dates for zero dates

GetSpecialFolderPath to use SHGetFolderPath, which will work in OS:s that do not support SHGetSpecialFolderPath (e.g. Win 2003 Server)

TPsStorageStmt to correctly enter milliseconds to MS SQL Server DateTime fields (or overcome a "feature" in the driver)

TPsVariant.SetPropAsArray to accept array values (coming from, e.g. an OPCConnector)

And again a small number on minor issues

TPsVarList.Duplicates

TPsStringTree.ChildCount

TPsCustomStorage.TableNameWithSchema, TableNameWithoutSchema, TableNameIncludesSchema

TPsCustomStorage.DatabaseName, ServerName, LocalServerName, IsLocal

EPsStorageExecuteError.ParamValues, SQL (replacing Stmt)

TPsComponentTable.OnCreateObjectError, TPsStorageRepository.OnCreateObjectError

Changed: TPsStorageCreateObjectEvent, TPsStorageFindObjectEvent, TPsStorageLoadObjectEvent

Changed: TPsStorageTable.CreateTable to use ForeignKey (did not), including Cascades as defined below

PsUtils.StringsToObject

PsUtils.IsAltKeyPressed, IsCtrKeyPressed, IsShiftKeyPressed

TPsClassProperties/TPsInstanceProperties.AssignFromStrings

TPsCharRTTIProp

TPsStringTable.Rows

TPsVarForm.IncludeReferencedVariables

Tutorial Lesson 9 - Create Sentrol Objects at Run Time

TPsOPCServer.OnError will always use Self as Sender!

TPsOPCConnector.AddItem to raise an exception if an invalid item id is requested and AcceptInvalidItems is not set

TPsStorageStmt.Eof (and Bof) from EOF to not overlap with C++ macro in stdio.h

TPsFloatArray.AsVariant and PropValue to use Length when returning the variant array

TPsOPCProviderClient.RemoveGroup was forcing object destroys (proposed in the spec.), but this caused possible AVs and memory dead lock (in D2006&2007) later on (occurring occasionally during client disconnects). So, no longer forced object destroyals…​

Help uninstall in D2007 did not work - you may need to uninstall once with this one to get the new help linked properly

Plus a number of smaller issues

Moved: TPsVarLink.OnGetAsString from TPsControlVarLink

TPsVarLink.OnGetAsString is also called for bad values!

TPsGetAsStringEvent has a new parameter: Quality

Renamed: TPsDisplayBox.OnGetValueCaption to OnGetAsString

Renamed: TPsPanel.OnGetCaption to OnGetAsString

Renamed: TPsLabel.OnGetCaption to OnGetAsString

Renamed: TPsEdit.OnGetText to OnGetAsString

Renamed: TPsComboBox.OnGetText to OnGetAsString

TPsVar.IsBad, TPsVar.IsGood, TPsVar.IsUncertain

TPsVarLink.IsBad, TPsVarLink.IsGood, TPsVarLink.IsUncertain

TPsBool.Invert (alias of Toggle)

TPsDisplayBox.OnGetCaption

TPsCustomCompPanel.OnGetAsString (available in all composite display control)

TPsCustomCompPanel/TPsDisplayBox.CaptionLabel & EngUnitLabel made public

TPsCustomCompPanel/TPsDisplayBox.ValueParentFont

TPsStringTree.IsChildOf, SiblingIndexOf, TreeNodeOfIndex

New argument: TPsStringTree.Next/PrevSibling(…​, WrapOver)

Support blob data in storage connectors: map DataType vdtVariant to blob fields

TPsStorageStmt.SetParamAsBlob, TPsStorageStmt.LoadParamFromStream, TPsStorageStmt.SaveFieldToStream

TPsByteArray.Offset

TPsState.Next & Prev when States not defined

Events in control components to use the control itself as Sender (was VarLink)

TPsVarLink.OnBadValue (and all controls that expose the event) to be called after Change, so that it can be used to overwrite other changes

Some AVs still occurring at OPCProvider shutdown or client disconnects resolved with FastMM

Plus a number of smaller issues

Sentrol dbExpress components compiled against Delphi/C++Builder 2007 December 2007 update (you will need at least Update 3 or Release 2)

Automatically assign the Storage to any Storage Connector or Storage Dataset, if there is one (and only one) on the same module (design-time only)

Automatically assign the OPC Server to TPsOPCConnector, if there is one (and only one) on the same module (design-time only)

TPsOPCServer.ServerName property editor sorts the servers alphabetically

TPsOPCGroup.InvalidateItems to update the timestamps (with UTCNow)

TPsByteArrayLink.Byte to come before Bit (in the editor, too)

Some mem leaks & AVs still occurring at OPCProvider shutdown or client disconnects resolved with FastMM

Enabled calls to TPsOPCProcider.RemoveClient - use with care! See the new Simulation Server as well

Plus a number of smaller issues

TPsOPCProvider.SupportLocalTimeBias to overcome problems in some OPC clients

Support for database schemas in storage coponents: TPsCustomStorage.DefaultSchemaName, TPsStorageTable.SchemaName & TableNameWithSchema

TPsStorageRepository.RemoveObject

TPsObjectTable.FieldEnabled

TPsObjectTable.OwnsObjects

TPsStorageRepository.OwnsTables

TPsHistorian.BadValues (published)

TPsHistoryArray.Reset

TPsStringTree.RemoveObject

TPsObjectIDMap.OwnsObjects

PsUtils.UTCToLocalTime & LocalTimeToUTC to use the DST settings of the converted date, instead of the current settings (which is the faulty WinAPI way)

TPsLog.OnChange to include the timestamp in the param string

Possible AV’s at TPsOPCProvider close, if clients had not disconnected properly

Fixed: TPsStringTree.IndexOfChild accepted child of a child as match, resulting in problems, such as faulty TPsOPCProviderAddressSpace contents (if nodes with the same name exist on different levels)!

TPsObjectTable.ReadClassPropField

TPsOPCServer mem leak (Credentials not freed at TPsOPCServer.Destroy)

TPsConnectorVarLink did not Lock itself when modifying the ExternalValue

TPsObjectTable.ReadClassPropField with TPsHistoryArray (Variable property in Variables table)

TPsComponentTable.InitObjectList to ensure onwer list is initialized

TPsOPCServer.FullName

TPsOPCGroup.DeactivateOnError

TPsCustomFunction.OnCalcError

TPsStorageStmt.ParamDataTypes

TPsObjectTable.OnSave

TPsHistorian.OnGetFieldValue (published)

TPsStateItemList.AddEnumValues

Minor improvements to OPC server connection status checking

TPsVarLinkList.GoodLinkCount

TPsOPCProvider.OnDisconnect was called before the client connection was removed from the Clients list

AV’s at application close from TPsProvider objects, due to problems in reference counting and other issues

Plus a number of smaller issues

Support for CodeGear Delphi 2007 & C++Builder 2007

Improved support of customized address space definitions in TPsOPCProviderAddressSpace (see the tutorial)

User credential management for OPC client and server functionality

Object persistence framework included in Sentrol Storage components

TPsStorageTableReference

TPsStorageRepository

TPsOPCServer.Credentials & UseCredentials - for defining alternate remote user account

TPsOPCServerList.Credentials & UseCredentials

TPsOPCProviderClient.User (reading the connected user name)

TPsOPCProvider.GetClientInfo & GetGroupInfo

TPsOPCProviderAddressSpace.IncludeUnnamed (default = True) to include components without a name in the address space

TPsOPCProviderAddressSpace.Refresh can be Forced.

TPsOPCProviderAddressSpace.AddComponent & AddVariable enable custom names be used in the address space

TPsCustomStorage.Repository

TPsStorageField.Reference

TPsComponentTable.OnFindObject

TPsCustomStorageConnector.Table

TPsHistorian.HistoryTable published

TPsHistorian.OnGetFieldValue

PsUtils.SaveStringsAsUnicode

TPsStorageTable.AddConstraint, DropConstraint

TPsStorageTable.Insert & Update

Renamed: TPsOPCProviderAddressSpace.AddComoonent to AddModule and AddComponents to AddModules

TPsOPCProvider.FindItem suffered of a major performance problem due to the usage of TPsStringTree.IndexOfPath (see below), causing clients connecting to server items consume a lot of time for waiting (especially with > 1000 items)

TPsStringTree.IndexOfPath optimized

TPsOPCProviderAddressSpace.PathSeparator and QuoteChar were not working properly

Editor for TPsXXXConnector.Links and TPsBitset.States, etc. did not mark the unit modified - and caused changes not to be saved if no other changes had been made.

TPsOPCGroup.ConnectItems had a mem access problem, which occurred when items were added in several bunches to the group

AV at application close from TPsConnectorManager.IndexOf

Plus a numerous amount of smaller issues