ooRexx (Open Object Rexx) Files

                      Release Notes ooDialog 4.2.0
                      ============================

ooDialog 4.2.0 is the first major enhancement in ooDialog in over a
decade.  There are many improvements and enhancements, more than can be
listed explicitly.  The "New in ooDialog 4.2.0" section below gives an
outline of the changes.  To fully understand the changes refer to the
ooDialog reference manual.

ooDialog 4.2.0 can be installed to any ooRexx installation, 4.1.0 or
later.

Beginning with the release of ooDialog 4.2.0, the installation of
ooDialog has been decoupled from the interpreter.  ooDialog 4.2.0
installs over the top of any ooRexx installation.  It replaces the
version of ooDialog in the ooRexx installation with ooDialog 4.2.0.

This type of ooDialog installation is called an "independent" ooDialog
installation to indicate the ooDialog installation is independent of an
ooRexx installation and, to a degree, the version of ooRexx installed.

This installation can be done today.  The next major release of ooRexx
will include ooDialog 4.2.0, but there is no reason to wait for that
release.  Going forward, ooDialog users will be able to install any
version of ooDialog they want to their ooRexx installation.  Provided of
course that the ooRexx version meets the minimum required version for
the ooDialog version.

ooDialog 4.2.0 requires a minimum ooRexx version of 4.1.0.


Installation
============

Installation is simple, done through a typical Windows installer.  Pick
the installation package that matches the bitness of the ooRexx
installation.  I.e., a 32-bit package for a 32-bit ooRexx and a 64-bit
package for a 64-bit ooRexx.

The installer will detect the installed ooRexx, location and version.
If the ooRexx version is less than 4.1.0, or if there is no installed
ooRexx, the installer will abort with a message explaining the problem.
Otherwise the installer will replace the current ooDialog with ooDialog
4.2.0.

Note that the actions of the installer are dependent on the version
of ooRexx, not the version of the installed ooDialog.  For instance, if
the installed ooDialog is version 4.3.0, but for some reason the user is
not happy with that version, running the ooDialog 4.2.0 installer will
replace the 4.3.0 version with the 4.2.0 version.

At the time of the installation, *all* ooDialog programs must be halted
and the ooDialog PDFs must be closed if they happen to be opened.

An alternative way to install ooDialog 4.2.0 is to install
switchOODialog.


switchOODialog
==============

Switch ooDialog provided a way for users of ooDialog to begin testing
and experimenting with the new features in 4.2.0.  Switch ooDialog is
available for the ooDialog 4.2.0 so that users can upgrade their version
of ooDialog without worrying about the consequences.  If there is some
problem and they are not happy with ooDialog 4.2.0, they can easily
switch back to ooDialog 4.1.0

Switch ooDialog makes it possible for users to easily and transparently
switch back and forth between ooDialog 4.2.0 and the release version of
ooDialog packaged with ooRexx 4.1.0.  Switch ooDialog is downloadable
from SourceForge making an upgrade to ooDialog 4.2.0 worry free.

To install ooDialog 4.2.0, pick the switchOODialog package that matches
the bitness of the installed ooRexx.

When switchOODialog is initially installed, the active version of
ooDialog will be ooDialog 4.2.0.  switchOODialog.exe acts like a toggle.
Each time it is executed it switches the active version of ooDialog
between 4.1.0 and 4.2.0.

switchOODialog can be executed from the command line, or through menu
items in the ooRexx section of the Start menu.

switchOODialog has the same requirements as does a regular installation
of ooDialog 4.2.0.  There must be an installed version of ooRexx that is
at least version 4.1.0.  At the time of the installation, *all* ooDialog
programs must be halted and the ooDialog PDFs must be closed if they
happen to be opened.


Known Problems, "Gotchas," and Solutions with Independent Installations
=======================================================================

* Problem:

  The ooRexx installer creates a log of the files it installs.  When the
  uninstaller runs, the user can select to only uninstall files logged
  during installation.  An independent ooDialog installation may install
  some example programs, documentation files, and shortcuts not recorded
  in the log file.  If at that point, ooRexx is uninstalled, these files
  and shortcuts may not be deleted.

  Solution 1:

  Before uninstalling ooRexx, install the independent ooDialog that
  matches the ooRexx installation.  I.e., if the ooRexx installation is
  any 4.0.x, or 4.1.x ooRexx version, install the ooDialog 4.1.0
  independent installation. Then when ooRexx is uninstalled, all ooDialog
  files and shortcuts will be removed because the files and shortcuts
  exactly match what was installed during the ooRexx installation.

  Solution 2:

  After uninstalling ooRexx, manually delete any files in the old ooRexx
  installation directory.

* Gotcha:

  The independent ooDialog installation deletes the entire ooDialog
  samples subdirectory tree.  This will delete any personal files
  that may have been put there after ooRexx was installed.

  Solution 1:

  Do not put personal files in the %REXX_HOME%\samples\ooDialog
  subdirectory tree.

  Solution 2:

  Before executing the independent ooDialog installer, move or back up
  any personal files that may be in %REXX_HOME%\samples\ooDialog
  subdirectory tree.


New in ooDialog 4.2.0
=====================

New dialog control classes:
---------------------------

DateTimePicker control class
MonthCalendar control class
UpDown control class

New dialog classes:
-------------------

PropertySheetDialog:

The PropertySheetDialog is a true implementation of the Windows property
sheet.  It allows the easy creation of Windows wizards, both Wizard 97
wizards and the new (to Windows) Aero Wizard.

Property Sheet Page classes:
  PropertySheetPage
  ResPSPDialog
  UserPSPDialog
  RcPSPDialog

The property sheet page classes are used to implement the pages of a
property sheet dialog.

Control Dialog classes:
  ControlDialog
  ResControlDialog
  UserControlDialog
  RcControlDialog

Control dialogs are a special type of dialog that works well as a dialog
within a top-level dialog.  The primary use of these dialogs is within
Tab controls.

New utility classes:
--------------------

ApplicationManager:

The ApplicationManager class is used to manage application-wide (global)
defaults.

DayState:

The DayState class is a helper class for the DateTimePicker class and
represents the state of each day in a month.

DayStates:

The DayStates class is also a helper class for the DateTimePicker class
and provides methods for managing DayState objects.

Mouse:

The Mouse class provides all the methods to work with the mouse and the
mouse cursor.

OS:

The OS class provides methods related to operating system services.

SM:

This class consists of attributes that reflect the system metrics of the
computer the ooRexx program is executing on.

SPI:

This class consists of attributes that reflect the system parameters
information of the computer the ooRexx program is executing on.

VK:

The VK (virtual key) class provides a mapping between numerical key code
values and their symbolic names.  Every virtual key defined by Microsoft
is included in the class.

New Methods:
------------

Many new methods have been added, too many to list individually.  Many
new methods have been added to the dialog object.  Most, if not all of
the dialog control classes have new methods.

New samples:
------------

Many new samples have been added to the distribution.  In addition, many
of the existing samples have been reworked to better demonstrate how
ooDialog works.

Documentation
-------------

Much of the ooDialog Method Reference book has been rewritten to correct
errors.  The format of some sections has been changed to make finding
the relevant information easier.  All method tables now give a short
description of the method within the table.

A new book, the ooDialog User Guide, has been added to the ooDialog
distribution.  The ooDialog User Guide includes a number of example
programs that go along with the text in the guide.  These examples are
include in the example program section of ooDialog.