Beta testing of Aware IM 7.1

aware_support

Dear Aware IM customers,

if you are willing to beta test version 7.1 do let us know (send email to support@awareim.com). Your assistance is very much appreciated.

7.1 contains several improvements. The full list of improvements is below:

Java 8 64-bit
Windows version of Aware IM now includes the latest 64-bit of Java by default
Aware IM can now automatically "discover" foreign keys when connecting to existing database tables.
This essentially means that users working with business objects persisted in external database tables can now
use "references" in much the same way they use them for "native" business objects:
- Existing foreign key constraints are automatically detected and "reference" attributes are automatically
  created to represent the corresponding relationships
- "Foreign key" constrains can be specified "on the fly" when discovering attributes of external tables
- "Matching" attributes can be defined for relationships discovered during this process
- One-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one relationships are automatically supported through matching relationships created when discovering foreign key constraints. Many-to-many relationships are not supported.
- Shortcut attributes can now be added to business objects persisted in an external database.
- Primary keys defined in external tables are now automatically detected.
Support for some new capabilities of native mobile applications:
a) Take photo from camera -
Use the MOBILE CAMERA SNAP INTO Object.PictureAttribute action in your process
This will automatically start the mobile camera and write the photo taken into the specified picture attribute
of an object in Context
b) Take photo from a photo library
Use the MOBILE CAMERA GET INTO Object.PictureAttribute action in your process
This will automatically show the library of photos and let the user select one. The result will be written
into the specified picture attribute of an object in Context
c) Get the current geo location of the user
- You need to add the predefined "MobileGeoLocation" object to your business space version
  - Then use the MOBILE GET LOCATION TO MobileGeoLocation action in your process. The result will be written into
    the instance of the MobileGeoLocation object in Context
  - Google Maps can now work with the MobileGeoLocation object
  - Show current location option for Google Maps didn't work in 7.0 but now works in 7.1
  - Support for watching changes of the current location of the user
    Use the MOBILE START LOCATION WATCH INTO MobileGeoLocation and
    MOBILE STOP LOCATION WATCH FROM MobileGeoLocation actions in your process
  - The above support for geo location is also available for non-native mobile and desktop applications
    d) Push notifications (iOS devices not tested yet):
- Use the special "Push Notifications" command in the Config. Tool to enable push notifications
- Use MOBILE SUBSCRIBE action in your process to register a phone for push notifications
- Use MOBILE PUSH MobilePushNotification TO MobilePhone - send push notifications
Configuration Tool improvements
a) Support for form and grid styles. This allows developers to store their "defaults" when defining forms and grids.
- Manage Styles command
- Set current style (drop downs) in the Config. Tool toolbar
- The current style is automatically applied to a new form or query
- The new command (in the burger menu of the form or query) to apply the specified style to an existing form or query
  b) Quick Test command - put version under test without any dialogs
  c) Context Assistant now provides more information about processes and queries used in a business space version
  d) CTRL mouse click on an element(object, process or query) in rule and query editors goes to the definition of the element
  e) SHFT mouse click on an element(object, process or query) in a rule brings up quick view of the element
  f) GoTo button in a visual perspective menu and in the Operations Dialog - goes to the definition of the element
  g) Formatting of the text rule is preserved when switching from standard rule form
  h) Ability to disable/enable a rule
  i) Find Element command - allows finding an element (object, query, process) by name
  j) Expand buttons for HTML cell and Advanced Script dialogs
Support for Tomcat session persistence
Allows to configure Tomcat to use persistent sessions. This can be useful for load balancing and scaling
Support for ReplyTo field in the Outgoing Email notification
Delete font command in report designer
Aware IM 7.1 now uses the latest version of the Kendo UI Library
- Number formatting problems with the thousand separator fixed

BenHayat

1. Java 8 64-bit
Windows version of Aware IM now includes the latest 64-bit of Java by default

Please consider adding a new tab in control panel named "Services", and here we can set memory configuration when Aware and Tomcat used as service.

If not, could you please give clear instruction what files and what sections need to be changed to increase memory for config tool, aware and tomcat in 64-bit?

3. Support for some new capabilities of native mobile applications:

For Mobile apps, both Google and Apple require a series of icon/images with different sizes to be provided to them, so when user installs the app on mobile or tablet, they get proper icon for the app. Could you please tell us where we supply these images before sending the zip file to Photogap/Adobe?

b) Take photo from a photo library
Use the MOBILE CAMERA GET INTO Object.PictureAttribute action in your process
This will automatically show the library of photos and let the user select one. The result will be written
into the specified picture attribute of an object in Context

KendoUI in Mobile (web application using Select Files) allows user to use Camera or document which then allows to get picture from Gallary.
With introduction of this plugin, what do we do with that built in feature of Kendo UI that is already in place? Or how do we turn off Kendo UI feature for "Select file" button and replace it with plugin feature?

You need to add the predefined "MobileGeoLocation" object to your business space version

Then use the MOBILE GET LOCATION TO MobileGeoLocation action in your process. The result will be written into
the instance of the MobileGeoLocation object in Context

Could you please expand on this notion?

Thank you greatly for the update.

aware_support

For Mobile apps, both Google and Apple require a series of icon/images with different sizes to be provided to them, so when user installs the app on mobile or tablet, they get proper icon for the app. Could you please tell us where we supply these images before sending the zip file to Photogap/Adobe?

The icons are provided (or default ones used) when you "build your native mobile application". Please watch the corresponding tutorial. This is part of version 7.0

KendoUI in Mobile (web application using Select Files) allows user to use Camera or document which then allows to get picture from Gallary.
With introduction of this plugin, what do we do with that built in feature of Kendo UI that is already in place? Or how do we turn off Kendo UI feature for "Select file" button and replace it with plugin feature?

The two features are not mutually exclusive. The old feature requires you to have a Document attribute on a form. And the functionality is invoked from the form. The new feature allows you to access the gallery or the camera from a process, which, in general, is much more flexible.

You need to add the predefined "MobileGeoLocation" object to your business space version
- Then use the MOBILE GET LOCATION TO MobileGeoLocation action in your process. The result will be written into
the instance of the MobileGeoLocation object in Context

Could you please expand on this notion?

In 7.1 you can determine the geo location of the user at any time. You just need to run a process that uses the MOBILE GET LOCATION action. The result is written into a special predefined business object called MobileGeoLocation, which has special attributes storing latitude and longitude, altitude and so on. Before you use the action you need to add this object to your business space version (there is a new menu item that does that). Your process should create an instance of the MobileGeoLocation object (or use an existing one) and put it in the Context before using the action. The result will be written into this object. What you do with it is up to you. One obvious use is to show it on a Google Map. In 7.1 all Google Maps support this object.

BenHayat

The two features are not mutually exclusive. The old feature requires you to have a Document attribute on a form. And the functionality is invoked from the form. The new feature allows you to access the gallery or the camera from a process, which, in general, is much more flexible.

If on my form I have a Picture attribute (which displays "Select Files") and I put a button that runs a process to take a picture (which will show on the form), how can I then disable the "Select Files" not to confuse user?
If I don't use a Picture attribute, user can't see the picture they took. If I show the attribute, they also get "Select Files".
So this attribute need a new feature "Show select files Y/N" when the attribute is placed on form.
If I make the attribute "calculated" at DB level, then I loose the select files on the desktop and Web Mobile as well.

aware_support

f on my form I have a Picture attribute (which displays "Select Files") and I put a button that runs a process to take a picture (which will show on the form), how can I then disable the "Select Files" not to confuse user?
If I don't use a Picture attribute, user can't see the picture they took. If I show the attribute, they also get "Select Files".
So this attribute need a new feature "Show select files Y/N" when the attribute is placed on form.
If I make the attribute "calculated" at DB level, then I loose the select files on the desktop and Web Mobile as well.

You don't need to invoke a process from a form. The initial button that starts the process can be anywhere - in the menu, in a query, in a presentation etc. The user clicks a button, then takes a photo and then you show the result. And the result can be shown either on a form or in the query or in the presentation. This is much more flexible than "Select Files". And there is no need to combine the two. If you do need to combine them you can PROTECT the picture attribute conditionally - only for the mobile version, for example.

BenHayat

aware_support wrote
You don't need to invoke a process from a form.

But I need to. A form that has a picture attribute which will show the "picture taken" to the user.
For Example, I have form when the user finishes their daily session workout, they take a front and side pictures as part of the daily session. But now with the action I can make it easier for them, but I want to remove the "Select Files"

Secondly, if a picture already exits in the picture attribute, and user clicks on "Take Pic" process button, will it overwrite the existing one?

Thirdly, If I use PROTECT the Picture attribute on that form, can the process action still write the picture into that Attribute wit the PROTECT?

I think for the Native Mobile and ability to use the action, we should have not provide the "Select Files". This can

mrbdrm

BenHayat wrote
aware_support wrote
You don't need to invoke a process from a form.

But I need to. A form that has a picture attribute which will show the "picture taken" to the user.
For Example, I have form when the user finishes their daily session workout, they take a front and side pictures as part of the daily session. But now with the action I can make it easier for them, but I want to remove the "Select Files"

Secondly, if a picture already exits in the picture attribute, and user clicks on "Take Pic" process button, will it overwrite the existing one?

Thirdly, If I use PROTECT the Picture attribute on that form, can the process action still write the picture into that Attribute wit the PROTECT?

I think for the Native Mobile and ability to use the action, we should have not provide the "Select Files". This can

can't you use HTML to display the picture and use a button to take the picture there too? you can refresh the form when the process run.

BenHayat

mrbdrm wrote
BenHayat wrote
aware_support wrote
You don't need to invoke a process from a form.

But I need to. A form that has a picture attribute which will show the "picture taken" to the user.
For Example, I have form when the user finishes their daily session workout, they take a front and side pictures as part of the daily session. But now with the action I can make it easier for them, but I want to remove the "Select Files"

Secondly, if a picture already exits in the picture attribute, and user clicks on "Take Pic" process button, will it overwrite the existing one?

Thirdly, If I use PROTECT the Picture attribute on that form, can the process action still write the picture into that Attribute wit the PROTECT?

I think for the Native Mobile and ability to use the action, we should have not provide the "Select Files". This can

can't you use HTML to display the picture and use a button to take the picture there too? you can refresh the form when the process run.

Yes, that's my last resort. But I have had issues with showing side by side images in HTML on Aware form. This was in V6. If I can use Aware/Kendo Image component without "Select Files" that would be preferable.

aware_support

Video tutorial about using form and grid styles in 7.1

https://youtu.be/dW8vmJ-6HzI

hpl123

Awesome, I love it KUDOS support. On holiday for a couple of weeks more so I can't beta test unfortunately.

Keep the great new stuff coming.

BenHayat

This is a huge time saver and also the ability to create Styles/templates for mobile as well as desktop.
Huge thanks to Support.

Q: If an style is applied to an existing form or query, does it "overwrite" the existing settings or does it "use" the new settings? If so, developer can select "default" again to revert back to original settings?

I don't see a new "Quick Test Command" button on toolbar to use. I still want to see the old one (when I need it) and the new one for quick tests.

tford

Re: mobile notifications

Support:
1)Will AwareIm somehow determine if the user has an Apple device or Android device & route the notification accordingly?
2) What if the user has a Windows phone?

hpl123

Support,
I read about the Tomcat session stuff for 7.1 and something I have thought about at several occassions is if you could include a easy config load balancing mechanism directly in Aware IM where we could do the following:

Set condition max concurrent users logged in and/or possibly server specs like 95% memory allocated and when this condition is reached, use server 2 (or 3 and ideally some mechanism could be used to determine which server to use "next" if the dev has several). The condition should look at the entire Aware IM installation on that server i.e all apps etc..
Configure additional servers, database server if a seperate DB server is used etc. and ideally the configiration of additional servers should be simple so anyone can do it.

This might no be the ideal load balancing solution but it would be DEAD simple to set up and could be done directly from inside Aware (anyone could do it) and also the developer could play around with different conditions to see what the each server can handle before getting sluggish or crashing etc. and also before performace is affected. Currently, at least to me, load balancing is not something I have enough knowledge to setup and having a simple solution like this would work for many of the typical scenarios.

Hope you will consider this, thanks.

aware_support

Q: If an style is applied to an existing form or query, does it "overwrite" the existing settings or does it "use" the new settings? If so, developer can select "default" again to revert back to original settings?

Not sure I understand the question. The factory default settings can be chosen at any time by selecting "Default" in the drop down for styles.

1)Will AwareIm somehow determine if the user has an Apple device or Android device & route the notification accordingly?
2) What if the user has a Windows phone?

1) Yes
2) Not sure actually - has never been tested. Maybe push notifications are not supported for Windows phones

At the moment lad balancing should be setup outside of Aware IM - Amazon, for example, offers a solution for this.

BenHayat

aware_support wrote
Not sure I understand the question. The factory default settings can be chosen at any time by selecting "Default" in the drop down for styles.

It's a simple question. If I have a form that I previously created with my own setting and then use this new Style setting, say Style1. Do I loose my previous settings if I select Style1? Does this new feature "Overwrites/wipes" my settings from before? Or does it use style1 setting as a separate setting, that If I don't like Style1, I can go back to my own old setting.

pureist

Almost for certain there would be no "Undo" or rollback feature, and the saved settings template will just overwrite your existing settings and become the new 'existing' settings, which would then have to be manually changed.
In which case you could save your existing settings as a settings template first, which I'd expect you could probably do from the query directly via an option in the hamburger menu, 'Save as Default Query Settings Template', or similar.

weblike

aware_support wrote
You need to add the predefined "MobileGeoLocation" object to your business space version
- Then use the MOBILE GET LOCATION TO MobileGeoLocation action in your process. The result will be written into
the instance of the MobileGeoLocation object in Context

Could you please expand on this notion?
In 7.1 you can determine the geo location of the user at any time. You just need to run a process that uses the MOBILE GET LOCATION action. The result is written into a special predefined business object called MobileGeoLocation, which has special attributes storing latitude and longitude, altitude and so on. Before you use the action you need to add this object to your business space version (there is a new menu item that does that). Your process should create an instance of the MobileGeoLocation object (or use an existing one) and put it in the Context before using the action. The result will be written into this object. What you do with it is up to you. One obvious use is to show it on a Google Map. In 7.1 all Google Maps support this object.

"Any Time" here means that if the MobilePhone is connected to the internet/(to the server)!Right? Maybe stupid question, but needs to be clarified.

aware_support

Internet connection must always be on if you are using Aware IM (unless you use the special offline mode)