NeoBook 5.8.1 Update Released

[Neosoft Support]

NeoSoft Corp. has released NeoBook version 5.8.1.

The version 5.8.1 upgrade patch can be downloaded from the following website:

http://www.neosoftware.com/patch.html#nbw5

Follow the instructions to download and apply the update patch.

This update contains the following:

Enhancements

 Added a sort variables option to the debugger.

Fixes

 The SetVar action wizard’s multi-line option now correctly handles line breaks when no line break character is selected.

 Corrected problem that caused an access violation error when using the wizard dialog for built-in actions with more than five parameters.

 Increased the width of the shortcut key field on the ListBox/ComboBox properties screen to allow three key combinations.

 The Simple Text object’s left click and right click event now work when drag & drop mode is set to none.

 The Resized action (Book Properties > Actions) now works when the publication’s “auto-size work area” option is turned off.

 And several other minor fixes.

For information about changes to v5.8.0, please see the post below:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19795

[Luiz Alfredo]

Great. Thanks Dave.

[dpayer]

Dave, it was not noted but it appears that you had another fix I had asked for here:
http://neosoftware.com/community/viewto ... =2&t=19779

When BrowserGetElement requests the value of a checkbox element in an HTML form it now returns the value and not the state. Meaning: it gives the value you place on the checkbox and does not report "Checked" as the value.

Great update, thanks!

David P.

[Neosoft Support]

...When BrowserGetElement requests the value of a checkbox element in an HTML form it now returns the value and not the state. Meaning: it gives the value you place on the checkbox and does not report "Checked" as the value.

Yes, that was part of the change to BrowserSetElement and BrowserGetElement, but I neglected to include it in the release notes.

[Gaev]

Dave and DavidP:

For some unexplained reason, it says that BBCode os OFF ... and I can not find any personal option to turn it ON ... so pardon the codes !!!!

[quote]When BrowserGetElement requests the value of a checkbox element in an HTML form it now returns the value and not the state. Meaning: it gives the value you place on the checkbox and does not report "Checked" as the value.[/quote]Sorry, I have been otherwise occupied ... so have not downloaded/tested this upgrade but ...

a) if [b]BrowserGetElement[/b] now returns the 'label' of the checkbox ... how does one enquire about its state ? (checked or not checked)

b) will this change not break existing Applications that relied on receiving a true/false (checked/unchecked) value ?

c) what about [b]BrowserSetElement[/b] ? ... does it now set the 'label' or 'state' of the checkbox ?

Gaev

[dpayer]

[quote="Gaev"]Dave and DavidP:
For some unexplained reason, it says that BBCode os OFF ... and I can not find any personal option to turn it ON ... so pardon the codes !!!!
[quote]When BrowserGetElement requests the value of a checkbox element in an HTML form it now returns the value and not the state. Meaning: it gives the value you place on the checkbox and does not report "Checked" as the value.[/quote]Sorry, I have been otherwise occupied ... so have not downloaded/tested this upgrade but ...
a) if [b]BrowserGetElement[/b] now returns the 'label' of the checkbox ... how does one enquire about its state ? (checked or not checked)
b) will this change not break existing Applications that relied on receiving a true/false (checked/unchecked) value ?
c) what about [b]BrowserSetElement[/b] ? ... does it now set the 'label' or 'state' of the checkbox ?
Gaev[/quote]

The new release *does* break apps :) (I was going to joke originally about putting on Ebay a couple days worth of my coding efforts done as a workaround for the previous method of working but the new way is consistent with the way other fields work and I prefer it. I am in the midst of a project that uses this command significantly and after my update the part that dealt with checkboxes broke.) I think previously, html checkboxes worked in a NB app the way NB checkboxes did, not like other html input elements.

http://www.w3schools.com/html/tryit.asp ... m_checkbox

State of an html checkbox (in NB 5.8.1) can be determined if a value is returned or not when you 'get' the element. If it returns a value, it is checked. If you try to get the value of a checkbox element that is not selected, the variable is empty/null and does not show in the debugger.

I did a test with a form that contained the following checkbox elements:
[code]<input type="checkbox" name="check3box1" id="check3box1" value="Des Moines">Des Moines<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="check3box2" id="check3box2" value="Cedar Falls">Cedar Falls<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="check3box3" id="check3box3" value="Waterloo">Waterloo<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="check3box4" id="check3box4" value="Minneapolis">Minneapolis<br>
[/code]

In my app, I created a button with the following code:
[code]BrowserGetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box2" "[returnedvalue]"
Alertbox "test" "returned element:[returnedvalue]"

BrowserSetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box2" "Sioux Falls"
StickyNote "-1" "-1" "The element check3box2 has been set to the value of [#34]Sioux Falls[#34]" "0"
BrowserGetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box2" "[newreturnedvalue]"
Alertbox "test" "new returned element: [newreturnedvalue]"

BrowserSetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box3" "Checked"
StickyNote "-1" "-1" "The element check3box3 has been set to the value of [#34]Checked[#34]" "0"
BrowserGetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box3" "[newestvalue]"
AlertBox "test" "newestvalue: [newestvalue]"

BrowserSetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box3" "True"
StickyNote "-1" "-1" "The element check3box3 has been set to the value of [#34]True[#34]" "0"
BrowserGetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box3" "[newestvalue]"
AlertBox "test" "newestvalue: [newestvalue]"

BrowserSetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box3" "Waterloo"
StickyNote "-1" "-1" "The element check3box3 has been set to the value of [#34]Waterloo[#34]" "0"
BrowserGetElement "WebBrowser1" "check3box3" "[newest2value]"
AlertBox "test" "newestvalue: [newest2value]"
[/code]

When the form is up and Cedar Falls (check3box2) is not selected, no value is returned initially. When 'Cedar Falls' is selected, it does return the value properly. When it attempts to set the value of check3box2 as "Sioux Falls" it does not set the value and again returns no value for the element. When I attempt to set the value of check3box3 as "checked" or "true" it does not change the value of the element but if I set the value of the check3box3 element as "Waterloo" which is the value of the checkbox, if selected, it both checks the box and returns the proper value.

[B]BUT THERE WILL BE AN ISSUE WITH THE FOLLOWING:[/B]
The above test only works if you use the value="elementvalue" attribute in the definition of the html checkbox.
If you do not have this attribute in the line, you will see the checkbox but my tests show you cannot retrieve any value from checkbox elements using NB 5.8.1. Nor can you set the value of elements for the checkbox (to be checked) or to set at the value of the selection or what Gaev called the 'label'.

Not all html pages use that statement and they may rely on the checkbox returning 'checked' for the value of such an element.

When I go to the w3schools site (link above) and modify the code - removing the value statements - for the page to be the following:
[code]<input type="checkbox" name="vehicle">I have a bike<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="vehicle2">I have a car <br>
[/code]
When I select the "I have a bike" checkbox and click the submit button, it responds with "vehicle=on". Same with the car checkbox (vehicle2=on). I take this as Boolean response similar to the NB former response of "Checked". If I select no checkbox and submit the response is "nothing" which I take to mean, no value was passed to the processing page from the form.

So my initial request for a change in the BrowserGetElement did not take into account the situation where only a Boolean response is expected. If the value attribute sets a specific value, that value should be GET/SET by the NB Browser action. Otherwise "Checked" would be appropriate as the value of the element.

To summarize: When no value is set by an attribute in the form statement, the checkbox should have a Boolean value (True=Checked; False=null/empty) otherwise it should work as it currently does in NB 5.8.1

David P.

[Peter]

Many thanks for update, Dave!

But I noticed the bug: there is no description (maybe does not switch) for Resized event tab (Book Properties > Actions):

http://neobooker.ru/Pictures/Neo.png

One more question...
Is this a bug or is it meant to be?
http://neobooker.ru/Pictures/Neo2.png

[Neosoft Support]

To summarize: When no value is set by an attribute in the form statement, the checkbox should have a Boolean value (True=Checked; False=null/empty) otherwise it should work as it currently does in NB 5.8.1

The way HTML checkboxes were handled prior to v5.8.0 was incorrect and didn't work when multiple checkboxes shared the same name - which is a common practice. This feature currently works the way it would work in a browser. If no value is specified for a checkbox, BrowserGetElement with return "on" when the box is checked and an empty string "" when not checked. In retrospect, a better option would have been to return "checked" instead of "on". (Although, that may have unforeseen consequences too.) Maybe this can be changed in a future update.

[AlfB]

hi Dave,
when having recompiled with nb5.8.x and the free plugin nbDB 2.3d I encountered the following problem:

When trying to execute the action dbfCLOSE "filename" the following error occurs and the program ends after pressing ok

http://comenius-lll.info/pics/error.png


When using the old version compiled with 5.7.1 all works well, even under WIN7-64bit .

ALF

[CN_Iceman]

No problems for me with the last update 5.8.1 and the free Plugin NeoBookDB v2.3d.
Checked on WinXP 32 bits, Win7 32bits and Win7 64 bits.
Greetings.

[Neosoft Support]

As far as I can tell, NeoBookDB appears to work correctly with v5.8. I tested several sample DB pubs, but could not reproduce the error message you posted. That error message isn't really something that should appear when using dbfClose or any other DB action. Where in your pub are you calling dbfClose and where is your database file located?

Calling dbfClose isn't really necessary in most cases since the plug-in will close the database automatically when the pub shuts down.

[AlfB]

You are right, dbfclose works well, and I can even leave it out. For some unknown reason I call another NB exe right after in the same directory by RunNeobook which causes the error. When I isolate RunNeobook command in a little exe all works well. Maybe it could have to do with the "programs (86)"-phenomenon under Win7 and Win8. I replaced the RunNeoBook-command with a simple Run-command, and all works well now.

Thanks for your help.

ALF

[Bernardo]

First of all, congrats on the great update. Nice new features. I really like the search box on the publication variables window.

Well, I am having a problem with "LoadIcon" action in Windows 7 computers (with System Tray Applications). It doesnt change the icons (Main and/or tray bar) and I can't see the application icon (just an empty/blank space). The action still works fine in Windows Vista though.

Btw this problem occurs with version 5.7.1 as well.

Is it just me or is this really happening in Win7?

Thanks again for the help.

Regards,
Bernardo

[dec]

Hello Bernardo,

Probably it's a problem with your icons path or something like that, since I can test right now the "LoadIcon" action with both "Main" and "Tray" icons and everything work like expected in Windows 7 and Windows 8. I test it using NeoBook 5.8.1. Maybe you can try before if the icons paths really exists? If you like try this publication sample:

http://neoplugins.com/?download/icons.zip

[Bernardo]

Ok, thanks for the reply and the link, dec.

Strange, because it works in Vista. Well, I will check it out and try again later.

All the best,
Bernardo