Rocklyte SDK Change-Log

VERSION 2004/7

New CreateLink() filesystem function added for creating symbolic links.
[Linux] Added a Partition module for hard disk partition management.
MakeDirectory() bug fixed - not creating all directories if a trailing slash was not present.
Fixed filesystem failure to approximate files that had multiple dots in them, e.g. MPlayer 1.0.3.install
Fixed StrCompare() wildcard comparisions.
Added SelectNone() method to the View class.
Introduced CRC checking to the Config class so that auto-saving only occurs when data has been changed.
Added ForbidExpose() and PermitExpose() functions to the Render module.
The Pointer class now supports button remapping.

VERSION 2004/4

AccessDrawableSurface() now returns pixel formatting information.
Added RegisterFD() and DeregisterFD() functions for customising Linux message handling.
Bitmap class now supports Flush() for the purpose of waiting on the graphics blitter, if the blitter is writing to the bitmap at the time.
Added a SyncBitmap() function for waiting for the blitter to complete its most recent operation.
SetCursor() now supports an ACF_NOBUTTONS flag to prevent cursor setting if any mouse buttons are held down.
Added an RNF_NOFOCUS option to the render class so that you can prevent certain drawables from ever being given the focus.
New SetCustomCursor() function for defining custom pointer images.
It is now possible to create bitmaps that have a palette range between 4 and 128 colours.

VERSION 2004/1

New Athene classes: Button, CheckBox, ComboBox, Dialog, FileDialog, Input, ScrollBar, TabFocus, ToolBar, View, Window. Check out the new manuals for more details.
The Config class can load multiple files at once if each file is passed as a single location (each file separated with a semi-colon). Also added MergeConfigFile and MergeConfig methods.
Render objects can now be dynamically centered on either axis through the Align field.
New FileSystem functions: GetDeviceInfo(), GetFileIcon(), ReadDirectory(), OpenDirectory(), CloseDirectory(), ScanDirectory(), DeleteFile(), SaveObjectToFile()
The Picture class now supports image caching (PCF_CACHE flag).
New XML methods: GetXMLContent, SortXML.
The Font class now supports clipping to individual characters via the CHARCLIP flag.
The FindFiles class now supports copy, move and delete operations on discovered files.
New Table methods: HideCell(), ShowCell()
The Text class no longer supports the tab key, unless the TABKEY flag is specified.
<if> statements are now supported by the Menu class.
New String functions: StrDatatype(), StrInsert(). Wildcards are now supported by the StrCompare() function.
New Kernel function: ListObjects()
SetFields() function now supports on-the-fly string translations if the TTRANS flag is used.
The field dictionary has been extended with new field names. Expect field ID conflicts when compiling old source code.
The Script class now supports a caching option for static scripts.
New Pointer functions: SetCursor(), RestoreCursor(), SetCursorPos()

VERSION 2003/9

The Gradient class now supports alpha blending, also added dithering for better representation on 16-bit displays.
Support for context pointers added to the X11 and Windows releases.
Implemented XShmImage support for faster graphics throughput in X11.
GetScreenInfo() now writes out PixelFormat information.
Added BlitDrawable and BlitSurface methods to the Render class.
Added CheckVisibility(), AccessBitmapSurface(), ReleaseBitmapSurface(), AccessRenderList() and ReleaseRenderList() functions to the Render module.
A new semaphore system has been implemented in the object kernel.
The Compression class now sets correct file dates on decompressed files.
Added a TitleObject field to the Render class to make it easier to change window titles.
The StrCalculate() function now detects double-negatives correctly.
[Linux] The filesystem is now able to delete symbolic links that have been broken.

VERSION 2003/8

IntToStr() modified so that if the StringSize is < 1, nothing is output.
Fixed ObjectError() bug; not checking for the Object argument.
GetScreenInfo() now outputs PixelFormat information.
Added a WindowTitle field to the Render class to make it easier to change window titles.
Added a restriction option to the SetCursor() function.
Added a BufferLength parameter to the AddStream method.
New Render module functions: BlitDrawable(), AccessRenderList(), ReleaseRenderList(), AccessBitmapSurface() and ReleaseBitmapSurface()
New Bitmap module functions: BlitSurface()
An all-new semaphore system has been implemented in the object kernel.
Added AddMsgHandler() and RemoveMsgHandler() functions to the object kernel.
The file system module now allows you to change file date/time settings.
MemoryIDInfo() now returns the memory handle of the host system.
The Compression class now sets the correct file date on decompressed files.

VERSION 2003/6

Added an UpdateMessage() function to the kernel.
Opacity support added to BlitArea().
Added a SetOpacity method to the Render class.
Added a Fade class for adding fade effects to window layers.
Added a timer preservation feature to the SubscribeTimer() function.
Classes can now hook into the assignment system and act as plugins for assignment resolution.
Fixed bug in condition testing in the Script class.
Improvements made to StrCalculate() so that it can handle strings.
Added 11RATIO and FIT flags to the Image class.
Fixed RGB colour interpretation bug in the Line class.
Fixed loading of greyscale PNG images.

VERSION 2003/5

Introduced the BMF_CLEAR flag for the Bitmap class, Bitmaps no longer automatically clear graphics on initialisation or resizing.
Added MEM_NOBLOCKING and MEM_FIXED flags to the memory function support.
Moved the pointer class to the graphics category.
Bitmap class now supports Lock and Unlock actions.
ReadFileLong/ReadFileWord are now obsolete and replaced with ReadLE and ReadBE.
Added a flags argument to StrTranslate().
The Config class now supports a STRIPQUOTES option.
Added Focus() support to the Text class.
Added GetConfigSectionFromIndex() to the Config class.
Added a Sort method to the Config class.
The Screen class now supports a SCR_BUFFER flag for video buffer management.
Added TextX and TextY fields to the Text class.
The Config class now allows spaces to be used in the config item descriptions.
Added a GetXMLString() method to the XML class.
The Text class now manages its dimensions correctly.
Added a ButtonState field to the pointer class.
Added a SubscribeActionTags() function to the kernel.
Added a FontServer class for general font management.
Added a GetRenderInfo method to the Render class.
StrTranslate() now supports the '\' character for avoiding character translations.
"Translate-All" and "ExitOnError" options are now supported in the Script class.
The Task class now supports unlisted fields.
[Linux] Fixed confusion in the TestLocation() function when two files shared the same name, e.g. "runscript" and "runscript.exe".
The OnClick class now supports an IGNOREDOUBLE flag.
Permission flags in the File class are now fully supported.
The File class' CopyFile() method now preserves original file permissions.
The File class now reverts to FL_READ if FL_WRITE cannot access is not available.
Added a SystemTime() function to the kernel.
Deleted the TextEditor and TextList classes, superceded by an enhanced Text class.
Added AlignWidth and AlignHeight fields to the Font class.
Added a {self} argument to the DML interpreter for referring to the active script object.
Added save support to the JPEG class.
Optimised the ResolveFields() function to dramatically cut down on memory reallocation.
Image class now supports Move() and MoveToPoint() actions and a Background field.
The File class now supports virtual files in memory (BUFFER flag). Also supports a loop mode for streaming data in a limited amount of space (LOOP flag).
XML menu information can now be embedded in DML files.
Added Disable/Enable support to the Music class.
MP3 class added.
Audio class revised, now able to recover resources from crashed tasks.

VERSION 2002/9

The Compression class now compresses empty directories.
Setting string based fields with non-string data now works.
Fixed a win32 crash that occurred when resizing windows in a 32-bit screen.
Added an Audio class to complement the Sound and Music classes.
The ReallocMemory() function now releases private memory blocks when locks are detected on them.
The Font->Face field crashed if you sent it a NULL pointer, fixed.
Added ClearMemory() and CopyMemory() functions to the kernel.
Fixed the cancellation of double click messages that was caused by pointer movement.
It is no longer possible to set fields marked as Init-Only after an object has been initialised.

VERSION 2002/8

Audio support is now available through the Sound and Music classes.
Fixed a content parsing error in the XML class.
Added a Procedure field to the Script class for executing sub-procedures.
A Water effect has been added to the system.
Three new demos have been added to the Graphical Demos archive.
Added Frames fields to the Text and Image classes.
Added an OPF_ERROR option to OpenKernel() so that error codes may be returned.
The runscript program now accepts compressed script archives as well as a number of new parameters such as -delete and -progonly.
Applied stress testing to the object kernel to fix multi-tasking errors that occurred under heavy load.
The Picture class now loads data on initialisation, unless the IMG_QUERY flag has been set.
The FileSystem module can now load file class extensions when the CLASS: option has been used in the assignments.cfg file.
Added an FTP class to the system (under beta).
Kernel function additions: GetResource(), SetResource(), ScanMessages(), Forbid(), Permit().
The GetMessage() function now supports waiting for specific message types.
Added a Redimension action to allow resizing on all sides of an object. Supported by the Render and Screen classes.
Fixed bug in the Render class' UpdateRegion() function that affected drawing around layers in front of render objects.
Added a UniqueID field to the standard message structure.
Changed Render class' use of floating point dimensions to integers.
Added GetUnlistedField support to the XML class.
Fixed the If class' processing of the Statement field.
Fixed bad calculation of the ByteWidth variable for planar bitmaps.
Fixed bug in GenerateMask() method.
Fixed offset drawing bug when drawing unfilled rectangles.
Renamed the AddAssign() function to SetAssign()
Added a Path field to the Task class.
Updated the Moire, Movement and HelloWorld demos (available from the Rocklyte downloads page).
The Script class will now terminate its processing if a QUIT message is placed on the local message queue.
Added an tag to the DML instruction set.
Added a tag to DML for the creation of unique public objects.
Fixed Bitmap flipping (loss of pixels on opposite edge).
Added Forbid() and Permit() functions to the kernel.
Fixed a crash arising from render buffering that is outside of window borders.
Modules that fail during initialisation will now be sent Expunge calls.
Added a listmemory command to the DOS version of Inspector.
The Pandora Engine binary installation is now automatically installed to the Windows\System32\ directory.
Increased speed of masked blitting by using the XOR technique.
Fixed the non-reporting of time-out errors in the WatchPublicMemory() function.
Fixed bug in support for WaitTime() - not processing messages at regular 1/10 second intervals.
The user: assignment is now set according to the user's login name.
Sped up ellipse drawing.
The Max/Min dimensions set on render objects are now forced on native Win32 windows.

VERSION 2002/4

Added wildcard matching support to the StrCompare() function.
It is now possible to set the Size field in File objects' for the purpose of truncating files.
The Config class' SetUnlistedField action now allows the section name to be defined in the Field parameter.
Added a Compression class to the archive, supports PKZIP files by default.
Added Script, Install and Uninstall classes that were previously only available in Athene.
The MakeDirectory() function now creates multiple directories if necessary to complete the full path.
If the complete path doesn't exist when creating new files, the precursing directories will now be automatically created by the File class.
Fixed bug in the Render class' MoveContent method.
Added Disable and Enable actions to the object kernel.
The Render class now supports Disable and Enable actions.
New section in the Pandora SDK Manual on "Distribution and Installation".
Added approximately 40 commonly used fields to the system field table.
Fixed graphical problems with the opening of multiple screens.
Fixed a crash caused by outlined font drawing.
Added AbsX and AbsY fields to the Render class.
All references to 'Container' were changed to 'Owner', although future references to the container type will remain backwards compatible.
The Font class now makes use of a local string buffer to speed up settings to the String field.
Fixed ResolveLocation(), which was not using the correct code for testing the presence of directories.
The File class now sets the FL_DIRECTORY flag if it determines that a File object represents a directory.
Fixed clipping errors in the BlitArea method that occurred when shifting data in a single Bitmap.
Added a Quit method to the Task class.
New messaging system implemented to allow better coping under system stress.
The ProcessMessages() function now checks for task crashes and cleans up after them [Linux].
Window layers are now deallocated correctly in the event of a crash.

VERSION 2001/12

The Render class' SaveImage() method now works as documented.
The navigation in the Pandora Engine HTML manuals has been improved.
Added a ClassID argument to the SaveImage action.
Support for saving PNG files has been added.
Mask class has been removed in favour of simple 1-bit and 8-bit Bitmaps.
The BlitArea() function now supports alpha blending when it receives 8 bit masks.
Added a GenerateMask() method to the Bitmap class.
256 colour PNG files are now supported.
Documentation for the Bitmap class has been improved.
Added XOffset and YOffset fields to the Bitmap class.
The MaskRGB field has been deleted from the Bitmap class as the ColourRGB field suffices for this purpose.
The Pen and Bitmap classes now support translucency through new Opacity fields.
The File class' Size field has been upgraded from 32-bit to 64-bit.
Added a Timer class to the system.
Added Buffer and Region fields to the Render class.
The AttemptExclusive() and FreeExclusive() functions have been renamed to AccessObject() and ReleaseObject() respectively.
The Config class' AddConfigEntry() method now accepts NULL and zero-length strings.
Approximate file name matching is now supported by the File class.
PCX, PNG and JPEG files are now detected by their file headers rather than file extensions.
File header scanning has improved so that non-ascii bytes can be detected.
The Head structure has been aligned to 32 bytes so that DOUBLE fields that follow the header are not mis-aligned.
Added a MoveContent method to the Render class.

VERSION 2001/8

Added a TabSize field and a ConvertFontCoords() method to the Font class.
The object initialisation process has been enhanced so that sub-classes will be queried to check whether or not they understand the source data belonging to new objects.
Introduced two new actions - Clipboard and Refresh.
Added a Clipboard class (I/O category).
Discovered that TSTRING and TLARGE were identical values, which caused problems with the stack when calling field based functions. Fixed.
The user:temp/ directory is now created automatically if it is missing.
Added a user:config/ directory. Some of the system:config/ files from previous releases have been moved into this new directory.
AllocMemory() now checks for the existence of reserved memory blocks when MEM_RESERVED is used.
Fixed a random memory overwrite bug in the FileSystem's AssignList() function.
Double clicks are now supported correctly.
Fixed a problem in ProcessMessages() that was causing dead locking and multi-tasking errors.
Added an XML class (currently in beta testing).
GetFieldVariable() has been modified so that when retrieving fields that have the FD_OBJECTID flag set, it will automatically add the '#' object identifier to the start of the converted number.
A CLF_PROMOTECHILDREN flag has been added to the system Class.
The object kernel now automatically terminates the Pandora Engine when all tasks have been destroyed.
The contents of the user:default/ directory are now automatically duplicated when new user directories are created.
The Config class' AddConfigEntry() method now ensures that new items are grouped under their parent section.

VERSION 2001/7

Crash recovery has been significantly improved.
A UserFocus field has been added to the Render class.
A Category field has been added to the System Class.
Added support for the Rename action to the File class.
The startup.o header file now supports a --output argument so that executable programs can be told where to output their data.
StrToInt() now returns a 64-bit integer rather than 32-bit.
Added an Output field to the Execute and Task classes.
A string sorting function has been added to the Strings module (StrSort).
An array building function has been added to the Strings module (StrBuildArray).
A Mask class has been added to the system. This class is supported by the Bitmap's BlitArea() method so that images can be blitted with masks.
A bug in the sorting routines for FindObject() and FastFindObject() has been fixed.
The SendMessage() function now handles a number of new flags.
Standards and support for event broadcasting have been finalised.
The Bitmap class now supports the Resize action.
The default amount of shared memory allocated for the Pandora Engine has been lowered to 1 megabyte.
The Draw action has been enhanced to accept X, Y, Width and Height arguments (optional).
The IntToStr() function now accepts 64 bit integers.
The Variable structure has been simplified so that it works off Large, Double and Pointer based values only.
The CopyLine() method was removed from the Bitmap class (BlitArea() provides the same functionality).