FF! 8+ Development Notes

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2010-05-01T02:33:00.001-07:00

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Support Forums Now Open

2007-03-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

At long last, we've finally re-opened our
Support Forums on a new site, using DotNetNuke among other tools.

Like our blogs, the new forums support RSS and that is where the bulk of new information will be posted, including white papers, questions and answers and code snippets. We've created separate areas for sales and ER discussions, there are also five separate support forums : Foxfire! 8+, 6.0, 3.0, Web support and Object model/customization support.

While we will always respond back through email, we've found that the junk email that comes in on a publicly known or common email address makes it very easy for things to slip betweeen the cracks so register on the forum and post your questions for the very latest information and support on Foxfire!

See you up there!

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 490

2007-03-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

Foxfire! Build 490 is available for download.

Full Install

Refresh

There are a few more items to wrap-up with regard to combo date filters however, we have been doing more internal tests than anything so we wanted to get this out to everyone:

This update also deals with the following:
1. SQL Errors now respect the timeout setting.
2. When you change output settings, they are saved as soon as you click Run. Email settings were not saved properly previously.
3. Improved Outlook email handling.
4. Fix for You Must Close FF! when hitting the Close box after running a request.
5. Floating workbench now reflects changes when removing data items.
6. A variety of changes for the combo classes including support for filters:

If you are using the aarcombo as a custom control class, set the cFilterDef property (under Control properties in the Filter button) to the filter criteria to use (such as [cars.make='Ford'], and only values matching that criteria will appear in the drop-down list.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 483

2007-01-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Foxfire! Build 483 is available for download.

Full Install

Refresh

This update also deals with the following:
1. When previewing a report from the Designer, Foxfire! would sometimes go into a loop.
2. When you right-click on a Sort item, Group options are now shown.
3. Top N is now properly enabled.
4. Fixes for minor problems with the Expression Builder when using Filters.
5. Email address now stays when you view the Email Options.
6. Sort arrows now appear to the left of the sort items.
7. When you send a request to a different output that doesn't automatically appear, Foxfire! will tell you where the file was placed.
8. Some cosmetic changes were made to the Custom processing tab.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 480

2007-01-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

Foxfire! Build 480 is available for download.

Full Install

Refresh

Some users who had downloaded build 478 or 479 were noting some problems with the refreshing of selected data items and the selected data item groups. This has been corrected in build 480. It also resolves a problem when copying a filter that doesn't have a valid data item in it.

This update also deals with a number of cosmetic issues:
1. Cleans up the alignment of the group headers in the Design Preview page
2. When you select Cancel from the Exceed Width dialog, the data item is not added to the selected list.
3. The Permissions and Save As dialog uses more positive terms.
4. The License details and activation screens are clearer and make it easier to extend.

Build 477 - RC and Download Changes

2006-12-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long delay in posts.

Build 477 is our release candidate and although we have identified some minor updates that will be released early next week (in the area of the Setup Wizard and the Help files), we did not want to delay it any further.

When you click the link to download the setup, you will be prompted for your email address and your company name. This will be used to identify your Customer ID where the location of the download will be sent to you. If your company is already on file, your existing customer ID will be sent to the email address we have on file for your company. If you do not receive an email, please email us at support@foxfirereporting.com.

When you first start Build 477, you will be prompted for your Customer ID and your company name as you entered it. Full instructions will be sent with the email.

You may get the download here

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 476

2006-11-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

Full Install

Refresh

Updated Features
New content summary page available on property page shows the contents of the report, including sorts and filters.
Report and Output paths now support Windows environment settings. Specify the environment setting within % % and they will be updated when loading.
When using the Relationship finder, developers can specify the default relationship type and change it by right-clicking on the relationship. In the finder, Inner Joins appear as a thick line. Outer joins appear as thin line.

Fixes
The Expression Builder loads much faster with large data dictionaries.
Fix for filtering with DateTime data items when using ANSI or BRITISH date settings.
Fix for errors when adding a filter to a summary request
Filter now shows properly when docking and undocking workbench
The OR and AND statements in filters show in the Design Preview area as they will in the Report Preview

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 475

2006-11-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

Build 475 is now available for download.

Full Install
Refresh

This build introduces a new security feature into Foxfire! where you can specify the default report set for a given user id.

Under the permissions screen for user managers, choose the default report set for the user login. When the user logs in, that report set will be selected automatically. This build also updates some issues with the SQL generation and upgrading.

Full notes will be posted later.

Foxfire! Build 474

2006-10-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

Lots of updates in this one , primarily in the area of dealing with outer joins and upgrading from older versions of Foxfire!.

Full Install

Refresh

Build 469

2006-10-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Full Install

Refresh (only FOXFIRE.APP and FFADMIN)

Build 466: Better than 465!

2006-09-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah, ok, whoops! In my eagerness to get build 465 up, I introduced two little bugs that were found immediately and needed to be fixed.

Build 466 resolves these and you can download either the refresh or the full install (should be up there in a few minutes).

As a note, if you are downloading Foxfire!, you will be prompted for a password. Please email support@micromegasystems.com to receive it. We will be replacing that mechanism with a little more web-based approach hopefully next week.

Which one should you download?
If you have already started building report sets with Foxfire!, download the refresh and unzip it over your existing versions.

You can apply a single refresh over older versions (even as far back as build 433).

If you have never installed Foxfire! before or just want to create a brand new install, download the full build.

Sorry for the inconvenience if you just downloaded build 465!

Build 465: Designer and Request Manager Updates

2006-09-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

~~Foxfire! Build 465 is now available.~~ Update: Build 466 is now available - a last minute bug was found and had to be fixed immediately. These links still work.

Refresh
Full Setup

This version also includes an updated help file.

This update includes the following updates:
Request Manager Updates
- Updates for importing FFX files. If Foxfire! cannot import the FFX file, it will display a message explaining why. We have seen some instances where report layouts were incorrectly stored. There are still some other issues with importing depending on your use of characters (such as &) which will be fixed in a future build. (366772)

- Variety of fixes for running batches, including being able to run single requests in a batch. (355435, 353374, 520)

- After moving reports into different folders, the Request Manager stays in the same folder. In earlier versions, it would always reset to the main folder. (367489)

- When creating a new cross-tab, it puts the new request into the folder you started in. (367481)

- Permissions for designers and end users now correctly show Update Dictionary, Expand Search and Union options (34763, 331446)

Request Designer Changes
- if you change the column header and then export to Excel, the updated column headers will appear (327207)
- Help button is enabled in SQL (244449)
- Selected Item count was removed from labels (123143)
- Various cross-tab glitches (29921)
- When you preview a report after editing, it returns you to the same tab you were in when editing (367187)

Internal Updates
- Fix for invalid SQL being generated for SQL Server dictionaries that use alternate sort orders (367497)
- Fix for Foxfire! incorrectly selecting the wrong request when running Unioned requests (367490)
- When sending a report to support, the error dialog will disappear while it sends. (363993)

Build 462: Updates to Upgrading

2006-09-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Build 462 is available for a while with some updates to importing and exporting as well as the auto-indent with reports that had to Auto-Fit.

Refresh

Full Install

Build 460: Updates for Upgrading and Distribution

2006-09-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

The latest update (460) includes a variety of fixes for upgrading and using the Distribution Wizard.

If you have an older version, you can simply use the Refresh and unzip the latest changes ontop of your existing files (it will update the necessary items).

Full Install

Refresh

Build 455: Available for Download

2006-09-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

Full Install

Refresh Update

Update Highlights
Request Permissions are now saved in the Request Manager.
Save As limits the Request length.
Fix for creating new data items with invalid characters (you are able to do it but the output field name no longer causes SQL error)
Fix for line spacing
Data Browser for Cross-tabs now locks first column but allows multi-column scrolling.
Fix for rolling up workbench
Fix for displaying larger font sizes in the Detail band.

Build 449

2006-08-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Build 449 has been uploaded with various updates for some crashes on imports as well as updates for those running the web version.

Full Install

Refresh Update

Build 446

2006-08-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

Refresh
Full Install

The only item that had changed of significance in the FOXFIRE.APP file so you may choose to only install the refresh version.

Updates of Note
77702 - If you create a report with the same name as another and attempt to tab out, Foxfire! keeps you in the Describ Request tab.
250446 - Updated titles of workbench
120291 - The Auto-indent is recalculated properly when you add and remove multiple groups.
43 - FFCONFIG supports email bursting phases of PRE BURST, IN BURST and POST BURST.
251108 - Cosmetic changes in the New Request Dialog
253839 - Foxfire! cannot import FFX files with spaces in the name - this has been corrected during the export so that files with spaces get an _ instead.
252349 - When creating a report in a subfolder, Foxfire! puts the new report into that subfolder correctly.

Build 442: Minor Updates Only

2006-08-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

The build # jumped because we did a bunch of rebuilds while testing.

Refresh
Full Install

Some minor updates but more major ones in the COM component for the web edition.

165220 - Fix for Excel charts not working properly with Office 2007
209144 - Data Item group list should now be alphabetical
240639 - If you change the Data Item calculation, it is now displayed properly in the Summary Group footer page
242113 - When you cancel out of the Font dialog, it recognizes that you are canceling the option
248768 - When you view requests from a subfolder and then run them, Foxfire! remembers the subfolder and puts you back there when it reloads.

Build 439: Minor Updates

2006-08-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

Refresh Update

Primarily fixes for the web version including updated DLLs, and better handling of running with Inventory report from the default install.

Build 438: Minor Update

2006-08-08T03:49:00.000-07:00

Refresh
Full Install

Updates to:
186600 - A text box appears to be hiding under the design preview. Weird problem with FoxPro pageframes, containers and visible property settings.
211236 - Fix for Page Width Unknown Message.
143683 - Group Header options are now disabled when you turn off Show Group Header/Footer.
184240 - Fix for error when sorting by an aggregate field and then removing that field.
233291 - Change to text in dialog when removing a data item.
166906 - Customized layouts are now identified in red in the Design Preview. Note that we can't show the custom layout - but it is noted to you when working on the layout.
233029 - Request Manager now saves your current sort orders within a session.

Build 437: Administrative Tools Update

2006-08-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Build 437 includes a number of updates to the administration tools, specifically the Setup Wizard, Distribution Wizard and Data Item Group Editor.

Full Install
Refresh Update

Issues
219334 - Fixed issue for renaming data items in data group editor
219803 - Fix for Error in Distinct Memo in Relationship Finder
201250 - Setup Wizard no longer crashes on views
34806 - Distribution Wizard runs with all files
34831 - Data Item Group Editor updates automatically with new names
219334 - When renaming data items in the Group Editor, it prompts you before retrieving it. This way, you don't get a performance hit right off the bat.
203489 - Distribution Wizard updates the distributed report sets
203463 - New distribution now works properly when first distributed.
227551 - Update for deleting New Data Items that haven't been registered yet.
115 - New labels on Setup Wizards
58403 - Fix for index tag not found when validating table names

Foxfire! Daily Build: 435

2006-08-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

This refresh includes updates only to the main Foxfire designer.

Fixes include:
- a number of fixes to the import process
215813 - the meta data (definitions) is not exported by default when you export. If you want the user to include the definitions, you need to select it directly.

151719 - Fix for error "Alias _FFGRPS not found" when reloading Request manager
182507 - Fix for not being able to add a new group filter based on count of records
755 - Update for import where the # of relationships, # data items remained after the import was completed.
144037 - a number of fixes for issues related to printing reports that were imported
161322 - Ensuring that new field definitions are not assumed when doing an export. Users would get errors if they attempted to export a request from an older install without editing it.

Build 434 Now Available

2006-08-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Full Install
Refresh Setup

Note: Daily builds are going to start being posted. These builds will be focused on the daily fixes instead of waiting for a single update with a large number of fixes in it. Both the full installs and refreshes will be uploaded and noted here.

What's Been Updated in 434:
76 - Fixed error when closing out of PivotTable with Excel
1996 - Cross-tab errors when sorting
64621 - Fix for error that occurs when running exported requests with grouped layouts
78269 - Fix for data item group editor not working with tables and groups with the same name
184410 - Fix for renaming folders
186793 - Aggreg data items in summary reports now show up properly in Automatic summaries
193619 - The option to sort by Distinct counts has been removed as it is not supported with SQL.
123116 - Date Item builder now shows the new items that were just created.
123145 - Fix for not being able to create cross-tabs by choosing the calculation earlier
123148 - Fix for changing the sort order in cross-tabs
206874 - When you remove a summary calculation , it is now removed from the Group Filter if it was used there.
207136 - The option to Edit Data Items has been removed for Aggregate fields as there are calculated fields.
134396 - If you attempt to drag and drop an exported request from the Outlook web client, the ensuing COM error is trapped for.
134430 - Fix for attempting to import after running detect and repair as the files are already open.
134529 - Fix for removing data items from labels by double-clicking - an error would occur when no other items were on the list.
134853 - Fix for Label1 error being arranged when switching label types.
148523 - Fix for switching report into landscape mode in XFRX.
182507 - FIX for attempting to filter on summary or calculated fields like COUnt of records.

Minor Update

2006-07-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

There was a problem with the most recent uploading of Build 433 of Foxfire! in which new FFSTART files were not put into the refresh or full install. This causes a crash when you attempt to close out of the designer without saving your changes.

You may download a quick fix for this in a zip file here or redownload the full install.

A refresh update with some additional fixes should be available tomorrow.

Build 433

2006-07-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

Full Install
Refresh Setup

The following items have been updated:

67754 - Data Item Editor has selected/all disabled when you go in with Edit Mode.
110298 - Changing summary calculation to None - does not sum on the report.
22575 - Sort/Group arrows are black on white (instead of grey)
85587 - Cross-tabs do allow for Pivot Tables to be created but do not allow for formatted cross-tabs.
74805 - Cross-tabs do not output to PDF directly but recommend Excel or Data Browser videos
56814 - Sort changes are respected
69831 - Fix for Form2 Not found when resizing form
45235 - Correct report set is re-selected after doing Detect and Repair
111468 - Distinct count now appears as # of Values. (Note: existing reports may need to be modified)
111452 - Export now respects custom folders.
34881 - Fix for error when directories were not present.
148521 - When filtering on Other Data Items, the Other Data items combo drops down automatically.
148522 - Better messages now appear when using Reserved SQL Names in the output
34800 - Fix for error _FLTVAL not found
69907 - When using Contains, the Is/Is Not option correctly appears as Does/Does not.
46733 - Updated Developer Help now included.
762 - A variety of import changes including direct support for FFX and XML files
144690 - Items that are on the second line are now respected when you export them.
21449 - Exporting supports the proper email engine on the system
53118 - Fix for RQ_FLDVARS not found when editing request
68296 - Labels can now be sent to a PDF
712 - An option to Cancel closing the Request Editor is now available when you close the designer
148524 - Report comments are shown on the report
83167 - Excel Errors are now trapped and appear better when they occur in Foxfire!.
106850 - When saving a report with another name, the Report Title is updated.
101521 - The Request Manager now automatically expands to show the full name and description
641/673 - the Grand Total line now appears on the same line as the grand totals UNLESS the first column is a calculated value.
614 - Merge button is always available. Expand search is available only if security is enabled.
148519 - New labels are used for Total and Distinct.
103679 - Fix for error of Menu has not been defined in System admnistrator.

Build 431 - Minor Updates

2006-07-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Full Install
Refresh Setup

The following items have been updated:
26 - Setup Wizard Captions Updated
39484 - When filtering with Between or In the List, the Select a value dialog lets you select two values properly
82521 - updated Ask at runtime screen when doing Between searches with drop-down values
90980 - When printing cross tabs, you will only be prompted once
74805 - Sending a cross-tab to PDF or formatted Excel is no longer permitted - you can send each individual strip to formatted output but not the all of the individual pieces
Various minor internal updates to improve network performance

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 430

2006-06-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Full Install
Refresh Setup

The following items have been updated:
7414 - Various updates with batches including the new FFX icon
56694 - When building cross-tabs, Foxfire! now automatically checks the row and column summary
61896 - When deleting a data item, Foxfire! will prompt if the data item is used in any current requests
53078 - The Save button immediately enables when entering text in the Describe a Request tab
34797/39618 - Errors with running detect and repair, reindexing and upgrading
38176 - The export email now shows the entire title of the report
65968 - Could not import the same export file more than once in a given session
67631 - When importing, not every relationship is removed - only those that are affected by the new import file are.
35431 - Ensured you could remove an import file by clicking Delete or right-clicking
58417 - Error pf_fltitem not found when loading Foxfire! with views
351 - Hide Relationship Finder option in setup Wizard when only table is loaded
37028 - Foxfire! now remembers the paths used when setting up paths in the Setup Wizard
61824 - Summary Reports showed different results between first and second runs after moving items around.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 429

2006-06-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Build 429 is now available.

Full Install
Refresh

If you download the refresh build, unzip it with paths intact. There is a new bitmap in use (FFX.BMP).

Summary of updates:
34894 - You can now use the Delete key on the keyboard to remove a filter
38278 - When dragging and dropping a file from the import, only files with an FFX or XML extension are accepted.
39150 - When sending an error report, we are now sending the current request you are on, even when running a report.
34683 - When printing cross-tabs, we now prompt for the printer settings on each strip. This is unfortunate but necessary because cross-tabs re-print each strip separately. Previously, you might cancel one strip but the other 3 would then print automatically.
34810 - Data Type mismatch error when saving Joins in the Relationship Finder.
38162 - The default email subject is now "Results from Foxfire!".
38867 - Error when attempting to browse a report with a hidden field at the end.
38877 - Error removing data items in a cross-tab report.
39765 - When using Batches, the Run button is only enabled when a batch has been saved. This was inconsistent in previous builds.
39777 - When running a batch, you can now simply create a Desktop Shortcut without scheduling or Running the batch.
42353 - In the Request Manager, batches use the Batch icons / Imports and Exports now rely on the new FFX icons.
45184 - Fix for changing email output options in a request
45409 - Fixed some problems running batches.
37774 - Data Item Tab refresh problem when adding Cars Make and Model.
37867 - Sending requests and results via email is more consistent. As soon as you choose Outlook, Foxfire! will remember this between sessions so you should not need to be re-prompted. This can be important as if Foxfire! knows you are sending via Outlook or an SMTP server, it will automatically attach the output. If it does not know the outgoing server, it will bring up an empty email but you will need to attach the output file yourself.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 428 Now Available

2006-06-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

Build 428 is now available. The majority of the fixes in this build deal with creation of new setups using the Setup Wizard and ensuring that new data items are created properly. A number of updates have also been made in handling the Import and Export process.

Full install
Refresh

What was fixed (among others)
35837 - New data items use Captions from the DBC.
5239 - Report Set Editor respects the changing of Edit/Run options in Misc screen
35043 - Cannot sort by aggregate field.
34892 - Filter options set up in Setup Wizard include incorrect characters
34870 - Setup Wizard puts in @ for format
34865 - Verify support for flt_pmt array
373 - Error running jalopies report
34893 - Attempt to filter by aggregate field
34714 - Show Group Label becomes unchecked after using Summary Calculations
34720 - Edit Layout options still available when using Excel Output
35151 - Data Item Groups not working properly in Expression Builder
21449 - Import/Export issues from B426.

Foxfire! 8.0 Build 426 - Now Available

2006-06-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Foxfire! 8+ Build 426 is now available :

Full Install

Zipped App Only

This update fixes a number of issues with upgrading and recovery on errors. It also features a more streamlined import/export process.

Build 423 Now Available

2006-04-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Foxfire! 8+ Build 423 is now available :

Full Install

Zipped App Only

This update fixes a few things with cross-tabs and sending requests via emails - problems that crept into the last few builds. It also makes the Request Manager a little more usable by retaining the refresh.

Problem in Error Reporting

2006-04-18T06:44:00.000-07:00

There was an update in the problem reporting system that caused some error reports not to go through. The ones that did get sent were the ones where an alternate email address was specified. This problem only started in build 421 and has since been resolved.

Foxfire! 8+ Build 421

2006-04-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

Full Install

App Only Update

Fixes for editing labels, cross-tabs, browsing summary reports, special date fields in the expression builder among others.

Build 420 Now Available

2006-04-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Build 420 of Foxfire! 8 is now available

Full Install

Partial Update (should be available by 5:30pmEST)

There are only a handful of bugs now being fixed and then we're ready for lift-off.

In preparation, I also wanted to note a few new emails:

Email bugreport at foxfirereporting.com will automatically log an issue into our OnTime database for tracking. This happens automatically if you use the Report a Problem/ Suggest a Feature menu option as well. Please be as descriptive as possible.

Email ffwish to submit any feature requests. They also get logged and you'll get a Feature ID # for tracking purposes.

What's changed? A bunch of internal stuff - including some things that will make FF! load a lot faster and work a lot better in application environments.

As always, send those reports in.

Thanks all.

Build 416, er, 418

2006-03-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

Build 418 is now available in both full installs and partial.

Full Install

Zipped APP updates - unzip over your existing files - (updated to build 418)

Variety of updates including fixes for labels, setup wizard and system admin tools.

Minor Update to 415

2006-03-08T05:58:00.000-08:00

If you downloaded the full install of 415, and are receiving an error of "Cannot find ff80base.vcx" when running a new report, please download and unzip the refreshed build.

The link is here.

Build 415 now available

2006-03-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

Foxfire! 8+ Build 415 is now available.

Full Install
Zip file Update

Among the fixes:
1. Variety of updates to the Expression builder to make it work more intuitively with other data items.

2. Updates on the upgrader and setup wizard.

3. The relationship Finder (which should be used for creating new relationships, not viewing existing ones) has been updated to reduce the possible amount of problems that occur if you use it with systems that include a large number of common fields.

4. A new Grand Totals page lets you control the total summaries on the Report. This is accessible from the Sort/Group options dialog.

5. For Data Items, you can now turn on or off the ability for users to browse table values. This was done due to problems with slower ODBC data sources. This feature is accessed from the Data Item Editor in the Filter tab and is titled Allow Users to Browse values.

6. The Data Item Group editor now has a feature to clear data item groups without having to go through each group.

7. Setup Wizard works better with tables with underlines in the aliases.

A lot more is in there but those are the highlights.

Build 413 Now Available

2006-02-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

The full install of Build 413 is here

The refresh update (for those who don't want to reinstall from scratch) is here

What's changed?
There have been a lot of internal changes for Cross tabs for some partners we are working with but a lot of the other changes are in Report Sets and the new Data Item Group Editor. A quick summary:

The Report Set selection process has been changed to be more intuitive. The Use At Startup is displayed properly and when you click on List, the Report Set selection dialog is displayed instead of the standard list.

The Date Item Builder now includes the option to create a Day/Month option.

The Data Item Group Editor has been updated with a Rename Data Item feature, a right-click link to let you see what data items are in a particular group as well as what reports use a particular data item.

Cross Tabs now include the Data Item Group filter found in other dialogs as well. When previewing cross tabs, you can now preview other page Strips as well as multiple pages.

Some fixes have also been put into place for Excel output and previewing reports.

In the Filter tab, we now fill in the Filter Value with some samples so the user can see what they are supposed to enter into those values.

The Relationship Finder has also been updated to handle large systems (more than 150 tables) a little better.

Full Install Up Again

2006-01-30T14:27:00.000-08:00

The full install has been updated again as has the minor revision.

As far as APPs go, only the FFADMIN.EXE has been updated but if you did install the full version, download and re-install it so you get the latest data files.

Delay on 412

2006-01-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

I had to pull the full install for build 412 due to a problem with the sample data. We had some data item groups in there that were invalid. The full build will be re-posted shortly.

Foxfire! 8+ Build 412

2006-01-30T09:41:00.000-08:00

Build 412 is now available!

You can download a full install or a zipped update with just the APP and EXE.

If you have never downloaded 409, download the full setup and work it from there. Otherwise you may need to unzip these bitmap files.

What was updated? Well, 411 had more stuff in it but 412:

a) shows the data item name instead of the sample value for hidden items
b) ensures that empty filter values do not automatically go ask at runtime
c) has a variety of fixes to the Data Item Group Editor (but still do not use hyphens or apostrophes in the name yet)
d) a bunch of internal SQL fixes
e) a number of little cosmetic changes (why did that take so long? Hmph - do you like it like this? or like this?)
f) a number of internal Object model fixes

No - not everything is fixed but it's almost there. Enjoy and send feedback to support at foxfirereporting.com

thanks

Foxfire 8+ - Build 409

2006-01-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

Build 409 is available with an extended expiry date (March 31, 2006) (yes! it was a typo - happy new year everyone!) and a few new features in the Expression Builder and the Date item Builder.

You can download a full install or a zipped update with just the APP and EXE.

Build 408 Full Install

2005-12-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

Download the full install here.

Build 407 Full Install

2005-11-22T03:48:00.000-08:00

An FTP glitch prevented the full install of 407 from being uploaded yesterday. This has been fixed. The full install now includes build 407.

Foxfire! Build 407

2005-11-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Link to Full Install

Link to a refresh install that will install the core application and some updated libraries. Your existing reports should not be affected.

This build updates a number of internal updates on report generation and layouts. Some highlights:

a) variety of updates for remote databases

b) No longer permitted sorting by memo fields ( converting the memo field to a character is, of course, permitted)

c) Fix for working with Group Filters

d) right-click is now enabled when done on second line items

e) new Move to First/Second line option now accessible

f) fix for the Page x now generating not appearing properly

g) Edit SQL works properly in the Request Editor.

New Video on Building Master Detail Requests

2005-11-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a new video showing how and why you may want to build Master Detail requests. This one uses the NorthWind preference set as an example.

Foxfire! Build 406

2005-11-10T03:46:00.000-08:00

Link to Full Install

This build updates a number of internal updates on report generation and layouts. Some highlights:

a) no more annoying dialogs when creating labels (a number of testers wrote back commenting on how unproductive it was)

b) you can now right-click an item and move it to the first or second line

c) more intelligent SQL generation for other databases including Progress and PostGres/SQL

d) internal updates to the Setup Wizard to deal with more databases

There's still a small issue with how soon or late the "Switch to landscape" dialog pops up - we're still tweaking that to work with different page sizes.

FF 8+ Tip: Using VFP 9 with Foxfire!

2005-10-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

Burt Rosen, one of our beta testers, reported a bug for VFP 9 compatibility. if you are using VFP 9 tables, be sure to use the FFSTART9 Executable instead of the FFSTART8.EXE.

In his case, he had a VFP 9 table with binary indices. When the Setup Wizard attempted to load them in, he got an error (File is not open). "That's bizarre" - I thought - as it turned out, it's because VFP 8 cannot understand and open a binary index. Running it with the FFSTART9 resolved the problem.

Thanks Burt!

Foxfire! Build 405

2005-10-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

Foxfire! 8+ Build 405 is available in both full install (if you've never installed it before) or update.

This build has a LOT of fixes in it - everything from some changes to the Ask at runtime dialogs to better handling of portrait and landscape reports and more.

We're finding a few little things here and there but haven't seen any major show stoppers yet.

Full Install

App Updates Only - if you've already installed it

As with previous updates, please send comments and feedback to support@micromegasystems.com.

Foxfire! Build 404

2005-10-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Foxfire! 8+ Build 404 is available in both full install (if you've never installed it before) or update.

Full Install

App Updates Only - if you've already installed it

As with previous updates, please send comments and feedback to support@micromegasystems.com.

Foxfire! Build 403

2005-10-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Foxfire! 8+ Build 403 is available in both full install (if you've never installed it before) or update.

If you tried to run earlier versions today, you would know - the beta period has expired. This one will run up until release.

These updates include a number of internal fixes for future functionality, including the new Web version.

Full Install

App Updates Only - if you've already installed it

As with previous updates, please send comments and feedback to support@micromegasystems.com.

Issues with Previewing Reports

2005-09-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

If you've built a new preference set with recent builds of Foxfire! and are having difficulties previewing them, edit the preference set and go to the Misc screen.

There you will see an option marked Report Engine. It likely hasn't been set properly so change it to say XFRX Report Engine.

That will make it run properly. We're fixing this in the most recent build expected today.

Foxfire! 8+ - Build 401

2005-09-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

Full Setup for Build 401

Partial install (good for installs of 400) - click here

This has a number of fixes and also includes a new page setup functionality. When you use the Workbench and add too many items to a detail or summary report, you will be prompted to move the item to the second line.

This feature is being further enhanced for use when dragging and dropping in an upcoming build.

Foxfire! 8+ - Build 400

2005-09-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since a beta post but there have been a number of internal updates on this one and there are more to come as we get closer to the end.

one thing to note: there is a new feature that isn't completely activated in this version (an update will be made later this week on it) but we wanted to get an update out.

Why the delay? Some UI design issues plus we're syncing this version with the new Web version. Please send feedback on any major issues to support@micromegasystems.com or via the Report a problem feature.

Thanks!

Full Install

Note: if you downloaded this version and were prompted with a invalid Output folder, this is because the Sample Data Set output folder was pointing to a directory for a web version of Foxfire!. CHange this folder to the "Out" folder in the ff80 folder. You may also reinstall if that's easier.

Partial Install - for those who already have the software downloaded.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 399

2005-08-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Build 399 is available in full install.

This build is getting close to the final.

There's been a lot of internal changes in the Create Data items and Expression Builder - it's still a little flaky in certain circumstances but this build has a number of fixes for larger data sets as well.

One cool feature : in the filter screen, try right-clicking in the Value field for filters and you can browse the possible values.

Revised Preference Files

2005-07-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Build 398 Full install

It was updated late Friday (this is the only build 398) with the proper Preference file update set to use the XFRX Engine.

Update: we're working on a new build that will allow you to use the Mind's Eye engine for the Preview layout but the other output types will continue to use the XFRX Engine.

If you just want to download the updates Preference file, do it here.

Cool Feature: Switching Report Preview Engines

2005-07-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have run reports with the new build (398) may notice that the preview looks a little different.

That's because it's highlighting one of the newer features in the product that you can control as an administrator: the ability to control which preview engine you are using.

You should change the preview engine to the XFRX Engine. This is done by selecting Tools Preference Sets and edit the Sample Data Set.

In the Edit screen, select Misc and choose the XFRX Report engine.

Click save and then reload Foxfire!

You should now be using the default XFRX engine.

Now why would you want to be doing this? Well, the XFRX Engine gives you one preview while the Mind's Eye Reporting tool gives you another, including the ability to zoom into extreme details. You can always choose to use the standard FoxPro report writer, including the VFP 9 engine which gives you the new report listener functionality.

We'll be making an update on this shortly but I wanted to ensure everyone was aware of this.

Build 398 Upload Snafu

2005-07-22T03:25:00.000-07:00

There was a problem in posting the latest update - as a result we DO have to have two updates.

Full Install is always best.

If you have installed the update from yesterday though, just download the update here.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 398

2005-07-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Foxfire! Build 398 is now available only in Full Install

There have been a number of changes in the System Admin screen as well as some other areas. Not all bugs have been cleared out yet - but we're getting much closer. Sorry for the delay in recent updates but now that we're closing off some of the last visual changes, you'll see patches more regularly.

Please send all comments to support@micromegasystems.com

Thanks

FF! 8.0 Development Notes

Dealing with in-direct joins

2005-07-05T03:04:00.000-07:00

So what happens when your request uses PATIENTS and CHARGES but there is no direct relationship between PATIENTS and CHARGES.

This is resolved with an indirect relationship.

Both of these tables are found in the laUnjoined array in FFBUILDJ.
The starting table is immediately identified as the very first table (in this case, PATIENTS).

So the starting table is PATIENTS and the only thing left in laUnJoined is CHARGES.

The array laIndirect has 19 columns. The first one identifies if the relationship has been completed. The Fourth column is the NAME of the table being searched for.
The fifth column is the table that this table should be linking with.

It then creates an array called laTempJoin that will contain a list of tables that link to that current join (so supposedly).
It starts with CHARGES.

It then finds all tables that HAVE links to that table.

If there are none, it removes it from the lainDirect array.

So now it adds new records into laInDirect for each of these possible link tables.
And then gets rid of the first row so the inDirect array contains a list of all possible relationships to the file.

Now it goes through each row to see if there is already a relationship in place.
This is done by seeing if the table is already linked in the laJoins array. This array holds all of the relationships that already take place.

We're now at line 696 - what do we have?
The starting table and a list of all possible relationships for the files that do not have direct links - but we do have the table they link with.

So now we start by going through the array from last to first. Why last to first?
THAT is the question.

However, it then builds tempJoin1 with the two tables that need to be linked.

So it starts with the linked table (not the one we really want to link with) And tries to build a list of all tables that are linked to that one (the second level of indirection).

And now it builds the inDirect relationship so that inDirect array shows
Desired Child table, First Indirect Table, then Second Indirect table

It updates the second and third columns with the number of relationships required to accomplish it.

Now, it does this with ALL of the indirect arrays first. This may be time consuming because if there is more than one relationship and one of them has lots of other relationships, it still builds them all up.

So in this example, it found three tables that linked to CHARGES: RECRENT, INVENTORY and ACCTSTATUS.

RECRENT had two related tables: PATIENTS and RENTALS.
INVENTORY had INVLOG,LOTS,MATRIX,ORDERS,OTITEMS,PARTSMS,PODATA,RENTALS,RENTALSLOG, TICKETDATA
ACCTSTATUS had BILLNOTES, COMPANY, DOCTORS,HCFA,INSURANCE,NURSELOG,PATIENTS,PAINS and TICKETS

(The correct one in this case SHOULD have been ACCTSTATUS) but the array started with RECRENT (because it was going backwards on line 696)

Now it goes through the new indirect array (beginning to end) (with all the possible second level relationships), and sees if it can find a relationship between the next indirect table and anything in the laJoined array.

If count, it sets llCompleteJoins to .T. and sets the first column of inDirect to .T.
It does NOT exit out of the loop here - so if there were 100 rows in the indirect array, it checks each one. (this can be very time consuming if you're debugging it)

Sorry - did I say time-consuming? I meant, crash-worthy. (do not add the arrays to the watch window when doing this - otherwise you'll be waiting forever)

See the problem is that even though it may find a relationship, it continues to build the indirect relationships for every contention so it can use the "weighted" approach. This allows it to figure out which one to use.

Each additional relationship adds to the "weight". So an indirect join with three tables gets a weight of 2 while a join with 5 tables gets 4.

It then removes all relationships from the array that don't meet the minimum weight and starts with the FIRST ONE. We're playing around with this and seeing if it would work better if it was the last one instead.

Then it builds the relationship into the join string.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 397 - almost there

2005-07-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Link to full setup.

Updates were primarily made in the way upgrades are handled. You'll also notice a new splash startup that prompts for company information. We're improving this further before release but it is in this update. We needed to get this out as we are demo'ing to some older Foxfire users.

ALso - as an FYI, we grabbed a new domain to showcase the power of Foxfire! - it all leads here but get ready for the Reporting revolution

Full Setup

Foxfire! Sort Orders: Hidden Data Items or Unselected

2005-06-25T03:04:00.000-07:00

I was working on a Sort problem in build 397 and wanted to ensure this was written down as it's an interesting issue to deal with.

In Foxfire! 8.0, build 396, if you build a report that uses a sort order by an unselected data item, you'll get an error. The SQL being generated doesn't include the column and as a result, bombs out. This was the bug that I was trying to fix.

First some background:

When you do a sort in Foxfire!, you can choose to sort by three different choices:

a) a regular data item that you have included in your request (like Cars Make)
b) a calculated data item like Avg of Cars Mile
c) an unselected item (for example, if your report showed States and cities but was sorted by a State order column that went from West to East)

One of the ways to do the third option is to include that State Order column in your data items and simply hide it.

I personally prefer this option because it makes it OBVIOUS the way you are sorting the data. But Foxfire! has always let users also create sort orders on items that are NOT in the request's data items (referred to as Unselected).

Although the new object model now handles this scenario with some basic code:

loReq = loff.requests.additem("Detail")
loReq.DataItems.AddItem("Cars Make")
loReq.DataItems.AddItem("Cars Model")
loReq.Sorts.AddItem("Cars Mileage")

It may be useful to think about the internal arrays being used:

srt_ord( ) holds the sort order (A or D) but if the data item was not a selected data item, it would say "A[Unselected]"

If it WAS a valid data item, it would just say "A"

This also shows up in the Object model

loSort = loReq.Sorts.Items(1)
? loSort.Order && might say "A" or it might say "A[Unselected]"

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 396

2005-06-21T02:29:00.000-07:00

Build 396 is now available with updates to the output generation so you can correctly generate Word documents, Excel output, HTML and more by selecting it in the Output area.

Other updates are more cosmetic in the toolbar and startup screen areas.

Full Install

Refresh

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 395

2005-06-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Just up before DevCon (although we'll likely have another one around Monday)

Full

Refresh

IF you are installing on top of an existing directory, please be sure to ERASE the contents of that file. The install may not overwrite data files if you have recently revised them)

Lots of visual changes in this one so be sure to download the full install.

1. A new right-click option is available called Show / Hide workbench that lets you quickly hide or roll-up the workbench as needed. This is available from most of the labels in the design area.

2. You can now change Summary calculations properly. Previously the y weren't saving.

3. The number of items you've selected is now displayed on the Data Item tab. This makes it easier to know how many columns you will be displaying.

4. When changing the Color of a data item, it now appears properly.

5. In the Sort / Group tab, the Available Data Items list doesn't keep disappearing in VFP 8. (bug in VFP)

6. When upgrading, if you have the same preference names as the sample data sets, they will not appear. This is by design so that you don't overwrite the main sample data.

7. A variety of updates in text output. The files are now created properly and the output correctly goes to the right file extension.

8. You are no longer able to copy an empty filter.

9. Some sample data items have been corrected that were causing problems.

10. Hiding columns no longer conflicts with the groups.

11. Hidden fields are now not shown automatically in the Browse output.

12. The Cross -tab workbench now resizes properly.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 394

2005-05-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Build 394 is available in full and refreshreleases.

A variety of updates (not as many as we had originally planned for) but lots of fixes including:

1. Disabling and better warnings when users attempt to do things that may cause problems (such as sorting by more than 15 items) or hiding something that isn't shown.

2. The Report a Problem/Suggestion dialog now automatically includes the request definition for easier understandability. You can also access the Report feature from the Help menu.

3. When users modify the layout, the user is warned when they attempt to make changes to things that will not appear properly in the preview area.

4. Reports now automatically switch from portrait to landscape when set to do so.

5. New visual look to the Startup screen.

6. Data dictionary now uses drop-downs for commonly used items.

7. Most Dialogs now position themselves relative to where they were pressed.

8. Fixes for color output and report layouts.

9. Clicking Print now works as expected.

Buld 395 will be focusing on upgrading older installations so users who are having problems with those areas please send us an email at support@foxfirereporting.com.

Thanks

Video Tours of Foxfire! 8.0 - Updated

2005-05-30T05:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of all existing video tours for Foxfire! 8.0. This list is constantly being updated. All videos use Windows Media Player v9.

Understanding the Sample Database

Designer Tour

Building a Summary Report
Building a Cross-TabReport
Using Excel PivotTables with Foxfire!

Using the Setup Wizard
Understanding Preference Sets and Users

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 393 Available for Download

2005-05-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Foxfire! 8.0 Build 393, inching closer to final release, is now available for download. While there is a "refresh" build available here, we strongly recommend users download the full install which includes some video tours and more.

Full Install

Updates in this version:

1. Printing works again. The print button in the Preview toolbar will now print the report.

2. Summaries may now be added and modified in the Report Summary area. Right-click and choose Add Summary to make changes

3. Choosing Reprint on Header now makes the group header appear on each subsequent page.

4. The Setup Wizard now has an option to automatically go to the Relationship Editor when viewing the page.

5. Sorting is a lot easier with the addition of context-sensitive buttons that show the two different sorts.

6. Cross-Tabs Row and Column summaries now correctly refresh when they are changed in the workbench as opposed to the preview area.

7. Ctrl+S now saves the current request being worked on, much like common Windows applications.

8. A link to the video tours are now directly on the welcome screen.

9. Reports with a lot of columns no longer enter a continuous loop when generating the layout.

10. The Label output option only appears when you are creating labels.

Other minor updates as well.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 392

2005-05-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Build 392 is now available in full and refresh updates.

Items updated in this version:

1.A number of updates on the Filter area:
- better handling of parentheses
- new items that are canceled are removed correctly from the list
- when deleting, the currently selected item updates to the last one in the list
- dragging group filters around no longer errors out the screen
2. Sorts in Summary Reports are now saved properly.
3. When running a report, if no results are found, users can now re-filter their request directly.
4. When editing a data item that cannot be validated, it no longer turns to Filter Only.
5. The Setup Wizard has been moved to the Tools menu.
6. Excel Chart Output now uses the XLS file extension.
7. Non data-related items in labels (character fields) are no longer able to be hidden.
8. Setup Wizard now requires that you select the type of data you are grabbing from before you use VFP tables (options are free, DBC or DBCX)
9. Users can now cancel a request without waiting for it to run. A partial view will be displayed.
10. The Ask at Runtime dialog for In the List now uses a Mover-style dialog box for better ease of use.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 391

2005-05-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

Build 391 is now available in full and refresh updates.

Items updated in this version:

1. member oTool not found when closing out of preview screen
2. Special processing has been relabeled to custom processing.
3. Sorting by calculated fields is now permitted
4. The preview toolbar uses hot-tracking
5. The Setup Wizard has some cosmetic revisions although more are coming.
6. When using F1 for help, you can access the Help file for easy access.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 390 Full Install Now Available

2005-05-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

The full install for build 390 is now available here.

Updates:
Request Editing/Management

1. The Edit Full Definition button has been moved to the right side of the screen, making the Description field much easier to view.

2. Special Processing has been relabeled to Custom Processing to better describe its purpose.

3. Print Comments now shows properly

4. Output options (such as the output to Screen, Printer, File) are now correctly selected when you change the request format. In previous builds, when you switched from Report to Excel, it would not always correctly change the output format.

5. The Group Options dialog is now directly associated with the Sort/Group dialog. The dialog is now positioned closely to the Sort list and when you click on Next/Previous, the item is highlighted in both the list and the preview area.

6. Cross-tabs now display properly.

7. When you change the appearance of a data item, you can now click Restore Defaults to bring back the original data dictionary definition.

Administrative Options

1. When using the Relationship Finder, the List button is now enabled for viewing all of the relationships.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 390 (interim)

2005-05-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

Build 390 is available in interim form only. The full install will be updated later tonight with some new sample data.

2005-04-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

With the new Group options dialog, you can easily set up your report to look just the way you want. Add lines, reset page #s and switch to different group levels by clicking next and previous.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 389

2005-04-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Build 389 is now available in both a full install and a partial update.

Lots of updates in this one especially on sample data and filters and UPGRADING.

Mike - you've been super patient on this one and it looks like it's working properly now but keep this in mind:

You need to reindex all files (you will be prompted to do so). We are working at reducing these dialogs but at least you can get your copy updated.

Other updates:

1. When using the Batch builder and you hit Schedule, the Shortcut will be created on your desktop and the Scheduled Tasks window will now appear.

2. Group Filters are now deleted properly when users work with them. A temporary piece of code is preventing users from using parentheses with group filters - we are working on that one.

3. The Grand Totals label no longer overwrites any automatic summaries when listed on the far left hand side.

4. The Group options dialog is more "sync'd" with the entire screen. While still modal, when you switch between Next and Previous groups, the selected group also highlights in the Preview and the Workbench screens.

5. Cosmetic fixes in the Ask At Runtime dialog to ensure it appears in a modal dialog.

6. Fix for the way Logical filters appear.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 388

2005-04-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Build 388 is now available for full and partial installs (superceded by 389).

Lots of little fixes in this one including updates to the sample data so please download the full install if possible.

Especially try out the drag/drop and filter areas where we've made a number of updates.

More details in the next post.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 387

2005-04-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Build 387 is now available for download in full install and minor refresh.

There were a lot of changes in the sample data.

Also we made a new design decision not to automatically convert spaces to commas when using In the List and Between. Instead the captions will be more descriptive so you can see what they look like.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 386

2005-04-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Build 386 has been posted!

Build 386 is our most solid build yet so we recommend downloading the FULL install and replacing older versions with it.

If you just want the refresh, it's here.

This update includes fixes for:

1 - Sort/Group options. Check out the new Indent Groups option in the Specify Output tab for your details.

2 - Easier drag and dropping within the Preview area. If you drag an item from the Select Data items directly onto an existing data item in the Design surface, it will add it and re-arrange them properly now.

3 - Lots of bug fixes on Batches and Exporting.

4 - Better fix when filtering with commas.

5 - Some visual changes on Previewing. The Close button has been removed from the Preview so you can simply use the "X" to close out of the area but we've added an Edit Request option so you can edit a request directly from the Request Manager.

6 - There's a HELP file. When you do a brand new install, you'll actually see a Help file that is still in progress but it does include some new screen shots and updates for the new version.

As always, please send all comments to support@foxfirereporting.com

Thanks all!

Build 385 Interruptus

2005-04-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

There was a glitch in the uploading of Foxfire! 8.0 Build 385 late yesterday. If you downloaded the full install, please download the partial setup to get properly updated.

If you only downloaded the partial install, please re-download it again.

Otherwise, you will receive a beta expiration notice.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 385

2005-03-31T03:14:00.000-08:00

Build 385 is available in both Full and Partial installs.

Only a few major fixes in here due to some bad data.

1. More fixes on indexing that hopefully have now cleared up. (Thanks Mike for the reports)

2. Fix on the Export that was caused when exporting requests that were not in their own folder.

3. Fix for the Join Tree not showing up properly in preferences with a large number of relationships.

FF! 8.0 Development Blog

Sample Data Problem

2005-03-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

There is a problem with some of the sample data used in the full install of Foxfire! 8.0 build 384. A new update will be posted shortly.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 384 Now Available

2005-03-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

Full Install (Recommended)
Partial Install

Quite a bit of plumbing changes in this release, including cosmetic terminology changes. Here's a quick summary:

Request Manager. A variety of fixes for exporting and importing, including the ability to import and export the request folder between users.

Data Item Picker. Label editor has been fixed so it supports spacing and custom fields much better. When you create a new data item, it automatically sorts the list correctly.

Filter Tab. When you're modifying a filter value directly in the work bench, we've now turned on the Confirmation setting so users have to hit Enter to move to the next field. This should help resolve a number of confusing editing behaviors that have been reported.

Sort/Group. We no longer allow sorting by Memo fields, primarily to make it easier to work with.

And a variety of changes in the Preference Editor and overall functionality reducing crashes and making it easier to report problems.

As always, please shoot over bugs and issues directly to support@micromegasystems.com.

Thanks

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 383

2005-03-22T02:50:00.000-08:00

Build 383 is now available for full download and the refresh download.

There were some changes in the help files and sample data items so if you want to check those out, please download them.

On the help side, F1 help should be working for more of the screens however the content is NOT entirely there yet. This should be cleaned up later this week.

Other updates of note:

1. When you remove a grouped data item from the Sort/Group list, it will unhide it in the Data Items.

2. The Report Preview toolbar will "remember" its last position and go there when being viewewd.

3. The Label Editor now prompts for new lines.

4. The Expression Builder supports spaces and custom text better.

5. Changes to making items left-aligned are now saved

6. When running cross-tabs with multiple strips, you can use the < > buttons to move back and forth between strips.

7. Various fixes when exporting requests.

8. The Enter Subheading at Runtime dialog now shows the OK and Cancel buttons properly.

9. When filtering on Other Data Items, it only shows data items that have a similar data type.

10. The Email list in the Send Output screen can now be expanded using F2.

And various others including some fixes with rebuilding of indices, etc.

As with previous builds, please report problems using the built-in reporter (under the Help menu) or send me an email at support@micromegasystems.com.

Thanks.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 381

2005-03-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

Foxfire! Query and Report Writer 8.0 - Build 381 is now available for download:

Full Install
App Only

Lots of fixes in this one:

Labels. We've done a lot of work on the Label Editor so it works a lot smoother now. When you drop a number of data items onto the label, highlight a selected item and click New Line and all of the items below it also go onto the next line. You can also now right-click and edit text items directly in the Workbench (previously, you would have to remove it and then add it back in)

Sample Data Typos. For those eagle eye users, there were a few typos in the sample data as well as duplicate hot keys (thanks Bill Anderson for catching those at the LA demo!!). To get the full benefit, be sure to grab the full install.

Cross Tabs. We're not going to let you fill in partial cross-tabs anymore. If you try to save a request without specifying at least one data item in regular requests and two in cross-tabs, you'll be told otherwise. This ensures your data won't go wacky on you.

Relationship Finder. The relationship finder (found under System Admin) has been rebuilt and is very cool. I'm going to be posting a video on how you can use it to build your relationship tree up quickly and easily in the next few days.

Building New Expressions. The Duplicate Expression dialog used to come up when you were tabbed out of a new expression that was close to an existing one. Now, it only does it if they really are duplicates. Note - there is STILL a problem with creating new data items that we are working on for build 382.

Integration. If you were attempting to call Foxfire! 8.0 from within an existing application, Foxfire! would remove all of your SET PROC statements. This was due to a weird call in one of the libraries.

Various. Lots of other little crashes and errors (thanks to all of you who have reported them) have been cleaned up.

Keep reporting issues via the built-in Bug reporter (just pull down the Help menu and select Submit a Bug/Request a Feature) or through the blog.

We really appreciate everyone's efforts as we move to getting Foxfire! 8.0 out to you.

If you are having ANY issues integrating or converting Foxfire! 8.0, please send us details at support@micromegasystems.com or call me (Andrew) directly at 613-851-4496. I'll likely ask you to send your existing FF! preference sets and folders so we can try it out - but if you're in a clinch, give me a call and we'll see what we can do.

Thanks!

Build 381: Creating New Data Items

2005-03-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

As a note, we have noted that there are some problems using the Create New Data Item feature in build 381.

This will be fixed in build 382, scheduled for release on Wednesday evening.

If you are testing this area, you may want to hold off until that build.

Full Install of 381: http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80setup.exe

No bug reporting? Check your port

2005-03-12T01:42:00.000-08:00

The Foxfire! 8.0 bug reporting uses SMTP so if you have your firewall blocking that port, please unblock that port. If you are finding problems with submitting bug reports, send me the FFERROR.LOG at support@micromegasystems.com.

Thanks!

Also - we may not be able to respond to every email. But we are reading every email and trying to update every item you note.

Finally, if you have some suggestions as to how to make Foxfire! even better, let us know.

Thanks

Posting via Submit? - Sorry!!!!

2005-03-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

I hate to say it but anyone who submitted a report since about 10am today, they likely didn't get there.

We had a problem with the mail reporting server and any emails sent via Foxfire! via the submit a bug/report feature from about 10 or 11 am today (EST) til (9pm EST) , may need to resubmit.

And no, that's not just an evil plan to make you reproduce any problems. (what a novel idea - hmmm.....)

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 379

2005-03-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

Late Friday, we posted build 379 of 8.0.

Full install: www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80setup.exe

App Update : www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80379.zip

Thanks for the great bug reports - this build fixes most of the crash reports received up to March 2nd as well as updates a number of the administrator utilities. We also tested this version with a wider variety of older installations, doing upgrades. Foxfire! 8.0 will upgrade installs from as early as Foxfire 2.x.

What is the Distribution Wizard?

2005-02-27T02:58:00.000-08:00

The Distribution Wizard is a new tool in the Foxfire! System Utilities that makes it easier for companies to have a single installation of Foxfire! that supports multiple data sources, preference sets and applications.

Over the history of Foxfire!, developers have always asked "what files do I need to distribute Foxfire!?". Well, with the Distribution Wizard, this process is now super easy. All of the necessary files are stored in a table named FFDISTRO in the Foxfire! root folder. There is no interface to this table but you can always hack it directly with Visual FoxPro to add or remove specific files.

When you feel that you are ready to include Foxfire! in a custom distribution, select Distribution Wizard from the System Administration menu.There are three basic steps in distributing Foxfire!.

1. Select the preference set (or sets) that you want to distribute. Click Next.

2. Select the Distribution directory. By default, Foxfire! will attempt to put all files in a subsequent folder called FFDISTRIB. Within that folder will be a folder named FF80. You can choose to exclude the option. Click Next.

3. A listing of all the files that will be copied to the folder are listed. You may choose to de-select some if you know they are not required. Also note that the SAMPLE data files will NOT be included with Foxfire!.

Click Finish and the files will be copied over for you.

Upgrading from older versions of Foxfire!

2005-02-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

In older versions of Foxfire!, the upgrade process copied files between the existing installation and the new version and subsequently upgraded the older version.

In Foxfire! 8.0, we have simplified the process. Install Foxfire! 8.0 in a new folder and then select Upgrade from Existing Version under the Tools menu. You can select which preference sets you want to move over and then all of your existing files will be copied to the new version of Foxfire!.

Why are we doing this?

Primarily to make it easier Some developers we met had more than 5 different installations of Foxfire! on their system. While disk space isn't expensive, you should only ever need one version of Foxfire! 8.0 installed on your workstation. This version would contain all of the different preference sets you may use in your application.

Then when you need to distribute specific preferences from Foxfire!, you can use the Distribution Wizard.

Foxfire! 8.0 can upgrade most versions of Foxfire!. We've used it successfully with 2.x, 3.0, 3.0+ and 6.0 installations of Foxfire!.

In the beta, there are some glitches that we are working out. Most of these can usually be resolved by doing a full reindex (under the System admin options) after doing the upgrade.

Foxfire! Build 378

2005-02-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

Full Install: http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80setup.exe

Update: http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80378.zip

Lots of fixes in this for request design. If you were having problems with filters and groups, download the full install. Some of the sample data has been corrected to make this work much smoother as well.

I was hoping to have some more Admin tools finished off but they just aren't ready for prime-time yet. If you are getting ANY crashes at all in the Request Editing/Design process, please be sure to submit them to support through the Submit a Report feature.

We've had some great feedback from lots of people but it's only those bug reports that count towards those gmail accounts!

Enjoy.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 376

2005-02-17T04:08:00.000-08:00

We recently installed build 376 onto the server:

Full Install
Update Only
(update - The Refresh includes build 377 which fixes a nasty problem with the new autofilter feature)

This build has a number of internal updates that we are still going through for build 377 but here are some of the highlights:

- All the tabs are now left-justified as a way to make them easier for new users to see.
- A new Next/Prev option has been added to the Group Options dialog. This lets you move back and forth faster when looking at group options.
- We've updating the Group Options dialog to hopefully make a little more sense to new users.
- The Preview area should now only be refreshing when changes have been made. This is a little tough to view but it should mean for faster responses. If you are finding that the screen refresh is happening too often, please let us know when.
- When creating a new report, the Filter tab will now show a "Double-click to edit filter" right on it. This is being done to make it easier for new users to create filters.

A quick note: if you are using the Report a Problem feature on this site to let us know about something, be sure to include your email address so we can send you a gMail invite. As noted in the previous post, the 5 top testers of each month will receive gMail invites.

Upcoming Seminars and a little offering

2005-02-09T03:48:00.000-08:00

For those who are waiting, Build 375 is an interim build but is available from http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80setup.exe - we're currently spending a lot of time on getting the upgrade process and administrative tools much more solid in the 376 release, coming soon.

We've also scheduled in 3 sets of demonstrations in the coming weeks. As a special incentive to get more feedback from you, the top 5 testers (those who send in the most reports) of each month will receive a gmail invite. What's a gmail invite? G-Mail is Google's new free mail service with a 1GB mailbox. It's hard to get accounts on it while they're in beta but we definitely want to hear from you so if you have bugs or comments to report, send them on down to support@micromegasystems.com and at the end of this month, we'll be sending out the invites.

Hope to see you at the demos!

Foxfire! Build 374

2005-01-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

New APP update available from http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80374.zip

Updates:

-Fix when creating new items (changing of some of the captions)

-Better resizing of text when it appears in the message boxes

-Relabeling designer when opening new items

-Ensuring that Data Item and Request name are filled in when creating new items

Foxfire! Build 373

2005-01-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

The last interim build (372) has a problem of telling you that a new request needs to have data items before it can be saved - build 373 removes that annoying little dialog as well as fixes some more internals. More details to be posted in a bit

Download it from: http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80373.zip

Foxfire! Build 372: APP Refresh Only

2005-01-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

Minor update from build 371 (be sure to download 371 before installing this update).

Updates some minor UI issues.

The Preference Set picker is automatically displayed after running Detect and Repair.

The Export to Batch has been updated to ensure the Batch file now properly includes the Ask At Runtime value (if entered).

Available from http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80372.zip

Foxfire! 8.0 Build 371

2005-01-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

Build 371 includes a number of revisions and updates as well as bug fixes.

Download a runtime update from http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80371.zip or the full setup from http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80setup.exe.

The UI in the designer is locked down and now we are focusing on bug fixes. More changes are being made in the Administration utilities (particularly the style editor) but you should be in good shape to build and create new reports.

If you come across any, please email support@micromegasystems.com or use the Report a problem/suggest a feature option under the Help menu.

Foxfire! 8.0: Build 370

2004-12-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

A new build of Foxfire! 8.0 that fixes immediate problems with build 369 that occur in three core areas

1. Detect and Repair - no longer looks for an older field that no longer exists. (PF_OUTPUT)
2. Labels - fix for creating new labels.
3. Cross-Tabs. The order in which you select the cross-tab items does AFFECT how the request gets created. If you are finding errors when working with cross-tabs, please note them in the error reporting dialog.

Refresh Update available here.

Full Update available here.

Just as a note, these downloads are beta builds. They do not represent the full quality of the final release of Foxfire! 8.0. If you do come across any items that appear to be anomalies, please report them to support@micromegasystems.com or through the Report A Problem/Suggest a feature option on the help menu.

Foxfire! 8.0: Build 369

2004-12-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

Build 369 has just been posted in both interim and full builds.

Interim: Not available- see later version

Full: http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80setup.exe

Key Updates

Automatic Bug Reporting - when you first encounter an error, you can submit it directly to support for review. This can also be used for reporting suggestions.

Better Support for Labels with new UI

Better handling of Cross-tabs. We're still testing some aspects of this but it is considerably smoother.

When generating a report, a thermometer lets you know its progress.

A system menu now appears in the request editor that lets you choose different window styles (stacked, floating and side by side)

Better support for different screen resolutions

New Date Data item Helper. Go to System Administration and check the Date Items builder. This new feature looks in your Data Dictionary for any date fields and automatically creates intelligent custom data items that display and sort based on Year, Quarter, Month, etc. You can also choose to create filters. Check out the Cars Date of Sale as an example. Instead of having to remember to enter a date range for between, you can simply say

Cars Sold This Month or Cars Sold Last Year

and instantly get some results.

Various bug fixes.

Foxfire! 8.0 Build 368

2004-12-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

You should grab the full install if possible (http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80setup.exe) but an update is available from http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80368.zip

Updates include:

New option in Preference Misc Tab: Display Description. Lets you turn the "data item description" text box in the Data Item tab.

The Remote DB option now retains your selection.

When modifying User Profiles, you can now add your own notes on each user to provide more details of who the user account is for.

The New Request dialog has been redesigned. You can re-size it to see more of the options if you need to. Please let us know if it makes more sense for you.

Cross-Tabs now work properly. Previous builds didn't let you create them properly.

The Request Manager now has a Property sheet for each request. This property sheet lets you specify the Lock settings under Security for each request, effectively letting you control what other users have access to.

The Filter tab has been updated considerably and appears to be less troublesome. If you are having problems BUILDING or modifying filters, please let us know. Please provide details on how to reproduce what you were doing.

When previewing reports, a thermometer reports its progress so you can see what's happening. You can also cancel the report from generating so you can see the results that were generated before you canceled the report.

The Setup Wizard now has Hot keys to make moving back and forth a little easier. We now automatically default the Display SQL Warnings on when you try to create a SQL Server or non-VFP setup.

Foxfire! 8.0 - Build 367 Now Available for Download

2004-12-02T03:50:00.000-08:00

Download the update from http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80367.zip or the full install http://www.foxfirereporting.com/livedesign/ff80setup.exe

Many of you have been asking when will it be released? We're working really hard to get a solid release candidate ready for next week. Hopefully after that, we'll only have one more RC and then we'll be ready to ship!

If you haven't downloaded the beta in a while or experienced crashes in earlier betas, please download the full install. Send us an email at support@micromegasystems.com if you're having problems and we'll be happy to help you out.

Build 367 includes a number of key fixes including:

- Fixed support for Distinct Count. Only one Distinct count calculation can be added to a report so the UI doesn't allow you to do more
- The Filter tab now has descriptive tooltips to help you learn more about what specific options do
- You can now delete a filter condition while editing it
- When you right-click on a data item and choose Filter, it automatically becomes an ask at runtime filter condition
- Small cosmetic issues with Data Item Picker
- Added new feature to allow you to only show the Comments on the first page (instead of all of the pages)
- When building summary reports, removing a data item also removes the sort/group.
- The Workbench now remembers your last position and size much better than previous builds
- When you double-click on the column header, it now brings up the Change Appearance. We're still noticing some issues with double-clicking that we are investigating
- In the relationship Editor, there is now a Reverse button to allow you to fix opposing relationships. This is useful if you have joins that don't seem to be working - you can now hit a button and "reverse" them
- The Close box now works properly in the Previewer.
- A status message now appears when the previewer builds the preview. This is because of the XFRX Preview engine that processes all of the pages before displaying it. So now, when you preview a report, it tells you its progress.
- Output to Word now uses the Flow format so the document is written more like a Word document with a proper header, footer and looks amazing
- User Profile Manager now displays the Notes field so you can explain how each user will work.
- When you created a new preference set and a new request, it used to automatically create a blank request. This has been fixed
- Various fixes when printing to a printer or to a file. Now works with the XFRX Output to File option
- Better support for VFP 9's Protected feature. When using VFP 9, editing the layout automatically appears in Protected Mode so users can see the NAMES of the data items, instead of the hard to understand fields.
- A fix in the opening of files now allows you to run two instances of Foxfire! side by side.
- A fix has been made in the Import Data Items to properly support SQL Server tables with spaces
- A bug in the Summary Calculations in Group options caused the calcs to be listed multiple times. This has been fixed.
- Changing the remote data source in the Preference Editor now works properly. In earlier versions, it wouldn't always take the right data source.

Useful tip for working with SQL Server and Foxfire!

2004-11-25T03:05:00.000-08:00

By default, Foxfire! turns the Display Warnings off for Remote databases. As a result, when you run a statement that isn't quite right, nothing appears on the screen and you might be left scratching your head.

So go to Edit Preferences, click on Remote (or ODBC in earlier versions), and check the box to Display Warnings.

Now if your SQL doesn't work right, it will display a warning so you can see what the problem is.