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Upgrade from 5.8 to 5.9 be aware ...
26-12-2014, 08:46 PM,
#1
Upgrade from 5.8 to 5.9 be aware ...
Hi friends,

I have to congratulate the team for updating Swisslog to a new version.
I was able to update mine without many problems but two of them need attention:

1) during the upgrade, my personal definitions (from the Logbook windows, use the Load new Definitions)
were lost ! I made a backup, but I think that the upgrade process should never remove any other additional file
(please correct if I'm wrong Angel )

2) The background color of the main area as well all the active windows, has been changed which is annoying !
Is there any option I missed ?  Huh

All other functions seems work properly (also LOTW works flawlessly)

Please advise if you have some other issues or some tip I missed.

Happy Holidays.
Fulvio HB9DHG
http://www.hb9dhg.ch
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27-12-2014, 03:08 AM, (This post was last modified: 27-12-2014, 03:53 AM by EA3GCV.)
#2
RE: Upgrade from 5.8 to 5.9 be aware ...
(26-12-2014, 08:46 PM)pid=\425 Wrote:Hello Fulvio,

First of all thank you for your comments.

Regarding the queries used in the logbook view, during the installation process there is a step, titled IMPORTANT, which clearly states that due to a new structure in the Queries folder (new queries, many old queries changed and queries and folder names in the own language) ALL the old queries will be moved to the BACKUP folder (which is located where Swisslog is installed). That way users can recover personal queries in case they didn't make a previous backup. But in some way I had to cleanup the Queries folder to adapt to the new structure. Unfortunately many people press the Next button without reading and this cause many problems. Today I have changed the installer and this screen which shows this important information (and some other) now needs that user click on "I have read this information" radio button to continue installation. But I have ensured that the installer doesn't delete any important or personal file. It just moves them to the Backup folder to allow recovering if user needs them.

Colours: when I decided to change the color design of Swisslog to make it more "modern" and better looking visually speaking, I realised that maybe some users wouldn't like it. I didn't used that colours by chance. Simply I wanted to use a similar color design as Walter used in version 6. The best way it would be to have an option so that user could select the background colors based on his own preferences. But at the moment I haven't found a way to implement this. I'm not expert at all in Delphi and I'm trying to do the best I can based on my programming knowledge and Swisslog. I explain all this in the help Introduction. Swisslog has more than 1 milion of lines of code and even professional programmer would find difficult to understand how Swisslog is structured. Christian Aymon, HB9DBC, who is a professional programmer and who years ago could make some modifications knows perfectly all this. I also have many difficulties and even I can't change many forms because I got some editing problems which at the moment I'm not able to solve. So that's the reason why there are still some windows with the original color. Because I can't change anything.

I'm really sorry that you find "annoying" the new color design. It's very difficult to make all users happy... Some like some things some others not. If I receive many complaints about the color design I don't have any problem to go back to the original colors. However I have to tell you that at the present moment you are the only one user complaining about this. I have received dozens of direct feedback from users around the world who likes a lot the new color design. So at the moment all user's feedback (except you) is positive in this topic.

However I have detected that in Windows XP the main form background color is not the blue color I programmed. It's more vivid and different. Maybe you are referring to this blue color. In Windows 7 or Windows 8 the color is the one I really assigned in the form. I will check to correct this so that the blue color will be the same in all operating systems. See the attached screenshots so that you can see the differences between the color displayed in Windows XP and Windows 8 (the blue color it should be). 

Best 73


Attached Files Thumbnail(s)
       
Jordi, EA3GCV
Current developer of Swisslog
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27-12-2014, 10:37 AM,
#3
RE: Upgrade from 5.8 to 5.9 be aware ...
Hello Jordi,

thanks a million for having the time to explain the exact situation I have by answering my questions.
I'm happy you did some changes after my post, this will ensure other users to be aware of the changes.

QUERIES.

I admit i have read all the notes, but I apologise not catching the one is referring to the queries.
I was however be able to restore the one i need, but fields needed to be rearranged. I will check another
computer where I have the previous version and I will try to restore it.
Note: I found that if you select: Options, "Set Font for all Windows" and change the default font,
this will setup, but after restart, the font is reset to Arial. Check and let me know if you want to report
me a detailed report.

COLORS

I understand your comments, but forcing a color for all users (and I'm sure we don't have millions of Swisslog users)
for a new version is nice, but at least we need to have an option where we can change the default color.
A simple menu, or also (if this is available) directly into the .INI file. I'm also not an Delphi programmer, but I have
more than 30 years of IT knowledge working as an IT Director of an international school, and I'm sure this can be easily
developed. I'm not asking this as urgent, of course, but this will be a very nice addition to those who want (at least) change
the basic color.

For your info, I'm working both under Windows 7 ultimate and Windows 8.1 Pro with VMware Fusion 7 under a Mac Pro.
All is working perfectly.

Again, MANY thanks for all your hard job. I do understand how many hours are behind this new project and I'm happy (as a Swisslog
users of more than 25 years!) that you have taken the time to renew the program.
Hoping to read some more news from you and in the mean time, happy holidays, and Happy New Year 2015.

Fulvio HB9DHG
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27-12-2014, 01:27 PM, (This post was last modified: 27-12-2014, 01:29 PM by EA3GCV.)
#4
RE: Upgrade from 5.8 to 5.9 be aware ...
Hello Fulvio,

Thank you for your reply!

I will keep in mind your suggestion  to implement this function in the future. But as you say is not urgent and above all you are the only one complaining this. Don't take my words wrong! I respect your opinion absolutely but you have to understand that I need to spend a lot of time to try to do so. Swisslog has many forms and the problem is that many forms uses a different "system" from others and these are the problematic ones that I can't edit or change them due to errors with the editing program. I'm working with a virtual machine copy of Walter's computer in Windows 2000! It's full of errors and I'm doing the best I can. I have to try to make a fresh installation of Delphi and all the complements Walter installed but this is not easy believe me. I have to investigate everything! I need the original copies of certain complements that now are hard to find. I could get Delphi original CD from Walter but nothing else. Many complements are not free and Walter paid a lot of money to buy them. I need the original installers and some complements simply doesn't exists now because company closed down. I just want that everybody knows how many problems I'm having to continue doing things. I would like to be a Delphi expert but I don't have such skills. You can't imagine how many hours I have spent to try to understand "just a little bit" the whole structure of Swisslog and to do what I have done in the current version. Walter was a genoius programmer but I'm not Walter and I'm trying to do the best I can.

Regarding the font problem you have to check the option to "Save Desktop at Exit" in the Options main menu and the font will be kept. Keep in mind that when you change the font size you are only changing it in the active window!! this action is not applied to the whole program! If I can implement the background color in the future will work the same way. User will have to change every window manually. Maybe newer Delphi versions has new powerful options to perform operations like this easily, I don't know. But I can't buy such expensive programs when Swisslog is free. And even if I get a new Delphi version it's not as easy as "run and go" because this project is very old and many functions won't work and I would need to rewrite the whole source code. As you may understand this is something that is out of my hands absolutely. Not only for the needed high level knowlegde in Delphi required to "try" to do such a huge task but the big time I would need to do so. I would have to literally work full time for Swisslog. I have temporaly more free time because I had an accident and I have my foot broken and I'm dedicating full time to Swisslog while recovering. I'm very happy with the goals I have achieved this months of hard work. But only Walter had in his brain how he did this excellent program. It's not easy. Christian Aymon is a professional programmer who could make the virtual machine of Walter's computer and who corrected important things years ago. When he gave me the virtual machine to try to continue developing Swisslog he told me this:

"Please do not underestimate the difficulty of the task, SWL is really huge. Even a professional will not find easily his way in this code... "

I'm not a professional programmer. Simply I'm a passionated ham who wants to do the best I can to continue Walter's creation. And all users must know this.

I have uploaded a fix that corrects the Windows XP background color: www.swisslogforwindows.com/Download/Swisslv5.exe

Best regards and again thank you for your suggestions and comments.
Jordi, EA3GCV
Current developer of Swisslog
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27-12-2014, 02:19 PM,
#5
RE: Upgrade from 5.8 to 5.9 be aware ...
Hi Jordi,

i fully understand what you are saying and I can confirm what I wrote in my first reply: I know what is behind this huge project.
No rush at all for the colours, this is the most important thing I will wait. Also no problem for the fonts, I will live with this.
In any case, I will return back to version 5.8. The colours under Windows 8.1 hurts my eyes .... Smile
I will patiently wait any update that is regarding this point and at the same time, I will continue to distribute the country DB thanks to Erik's job

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK dear Jordy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015.
Fulvio HB9DHG
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