Other B4A v13.5 - integrated code bundle and more

[Erel]

I'm happy to release a new version of B4A. The integrated code bundle tool is now available in B4A (and B4J).
Code Bundle is a tool that packs your project together with additional relevant information into a single json file, that can be provided to AI assistants for debugging, learning, refactoring and other tasks.

The bundle is created with a click of a button (Ctrl + R). The bundle includes:

• Project code + list of public APIs. Keys are sanitized based on heuristic templates.
• (optional) Logs + compilation output + warnings and errors list. Compilation output is included when the dialog is visible.
• (optional) Layouts + designer script.
• (optional) Paths configuration.
• List of files. Files content is not added.
• List of libraries with additional information for each library.
• Manifest editor.
• Current caret location with the code around it - the AI knows where you are focused on right now.
• Additional information about the IDE and useful links for the AI to find more information.

How to use:
- Click on Ctrl + R. A json file will be created and copied to the clipboard. Paste into the AI assistant and ask questions.

Other improvements:

• The Starter service is being deprecated due to restrictions applied by Android, which can lead to crashes in debug mode, and it becoming less useful with B4XPages. Removing the Starter service no longer affects the behavior of unhandled exceptions.
• New warning in B4XPages projects when the starter service is included.
• Application_Error sub can be added to the Main module (when the Starter service is excluded).
• B4XPages project template updated accordingly.
• #ExcludeCodeFromBundle attribute - set to True to exclude the current module from the code bundle. Note that public sub signatures and comments (before the subs only) will still be included in the bundle.
• New log filter:
  
  View attachment 171493
  Error - includes the app logs and system level error logs. Very useful when looking for ANRs, startup errors and other mysterious crashes.
• Autocomplete in #If lines.
• List.Sublist - Very fast method that returns a read-only sub-list.
• Fix for String.ToLower not explicitly setting the locale. Mainly fixes the Turkish I: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/t...ctly-for-the-turkish-language.163961/#content
• New #Macro / comment link options: (case insensitive)
  • librariesrefresh - set to True to automatically refresh the libraries after the task runs.
  • codesync - set to True to force the IDE to synchronize the code modules with the files.
  • autosave - set to True to automatically save the project BEFORE running the task. Note that Tools - IDE Options - Auto Save should be enabled for this to have effect.
  • filessync (not new) - set to True to synchronize the Files tab after the task.
  • cleanproject (not new) - set to True to "clean project" after the task
  • %STATE1% - new variable that causes the IDE to create a temporary file with the IDE state based on the new options under Tools - IDE Options. The file path will be passed to the process. This is used by Code Bundle and can be used by other similar tools. Note that the format can be modified in the future.
  • NoTimeout - set to True to disable the default process timeout (currently not available in B4J).
  • ide://KillProcesses - new option to kill all the currently running processes. Useful when running non-ui processes with no timeout (currently not available in B4J).
    
    Note that starting a B4J app as an external tool is as simple as:
    
    ide://run?File=<path to jar>\App.jar&NoTimeout=True
• B4X Map collection can now wrap Java Maps.
• Internal libraries updated.
• Other bug fixes and minor improvements.

Download link: https://www.b4x.com/b4a.html

 

[mcqueccu]

Thank you.

 

[aeric]

New #Macro / comment link options: (case insensitive)

This page needs update:

[B4X] Comment Links and #Macros

Comment Links Code comments can include clickable links. The following schemes are supported: http(s):// - Link will be opened with the browser. Example: Dim key As String = OrderedMap.Keys.Get(0) 'based on...

www.b4x.com

 

[Erel]

ListOfArrays, a relatively new and most important library, is included as an internal library.
Tutorials and examples: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/pages/results/?query=[loa]

And I will also push DBQuery which sits as a thin layer above the platform specific SQL libraries and provides a much improved API:

[B4X][LOA] DBQuery - SQL made easy

DBQuery is a thin wrapper around the platforms' SQL libraries: SQL, iSQL and jSQL. Features: A simpler and more coherent API. It fixes several issues in the original libraries, which date back to B4A v1.0. The most notorious one is SQL.ExecQuerySingleResult returning Null as a string result...

www.b4x.com

 

[josejad]

B4XPages project template updated accordingly.

Thanks Erel,

Are there any changes we need to make to the existing B4XPages apps we currently have running?

 

[Erel]

Are there any changes we need to make to the existing B4XPages apps we currently have running?

Assuming that you haven't added anything to the starter service then simply add this sub to the Main module:

'Return true to allow the OS default exceptions handler to handle the uncaught exception.
Sub Application_Error (Error As Exception, StackTrace As String) As Boolean
    Return True
End Sub

And remove the starter service.

 

[aeric]

My observation in previous versions, if we read the b4a project file (.b4a) using text editor, I noticed the version numbers.

Version=13.4

Version=13.45

but I just created a new B4XPages, I get:

Version=9.9

Shouldn't it written as?

Version=13.5

Then at the lower part, I see:

'Template version: B4A-1.01

Maybe it should be updated to:

'Template version: B4A-2.00

 

[Erel]

The module versions aren't used. The template version should have been increased to 1.02 but it will not happen in this update.

 

[MikeH]

I am mighty impressed!

Is it possible to send only selected code, such as a sub?

Thank you Erel

 

[Peter Simpson]

I am mighty impressed!

View attachment 171589

Is it possible to send only selected code, such as a sub?

Thank you Erel

Just copy and paste the sub directly into your preferred AI, then ask it whatever you want or need to.

 

[Erel]

You can of course copy and paste specific code. If you want to exclude one or more modules then add #ExcludeCodeFromBundle: True to those modules.

 

[Jerryk]

Regarding the removal of the Starter service: transfer everything to the main page?

 

[Erel]

Main or B4XMainPage (especially if this is cross platform code).

 

[GeoffT660]

Will there be any issues with older apps not using B4xPages with a lot of code in Starter including Bluetooth code?

 

[Erel]

Nothing has changed in regards to the behavior of the starter module. We are seeing issues with the starter service and Android 16 related to the debugger (ANR errors).

 

[Robert Valentino]

I have this in my starter service

Sub Process_Globals
    Private     logs                                     As StringBuilder
    Private     logcat                                     As LogCat

'    Private        mIsConnectedCalled                         As Boolean    = False
'    Private        mConnected                                As Boolean  = False

End Sub

Sub Service_Create
    'This is the program entry point.
    'This is a good place to load resources that are not specific to a single activity.
    
    LogColor("Service_Create", Colors.Magenta)
    
'    '-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'    '    Erel's fix to handle Service crash
'    '-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'    Service.AutomaticForegroundMode = Service.AUTOMATIC_FOREGROUND_NEVER   
    
'    IsDeviceFoldable


#if NeedServiceReceiver
        If     HttpUtils2Service.TempFolder = "" Then
            Dim jo As JavaObject
        
            jo.InitializeNewInstance(Application.PackageName & ".httputils2service", Null)
            jo.RunMethod("onReceive", Array(Null, Null))
        End If
#end if       
End Sub



Sub Service_Start (StartingIntent As Intent)   
    
'    Service.StopAutomaticForeground 'Starter service can start in the foreground state in some edge cases.
    
    logs.Initialize
            
    logcat.LogCatStart(Array As String("-v","raw","*:F","B4A:v"), "logcat")
    
    Service.StopAutomaticForeground
End Sub

Sub Service_TaskRemoved
    'This event will be raised when the user removes the app from the recent apps list.
End Sub

'Return true to allow the OS default exceptions handler to handle the uncaught exception.
Private Sub logcat_LogCatData (Buffer() As Byte, Length As Int)
            logs.Append(BytesToString(Buffer, 0, Length, "utf8"))
            
            If     logs.Length > 5000 Then
                logs.Remove(0, logs.Length - 4000)
            End If
End Sub


'Return true to allow the OS default exceptions handler to handle the uncaught exception.
Public  Sub Application_Error(Error As Exception, StackTrace As String) As Boolean

            LogColor($"Starter::Application_Error - Error:${Error.Message}"$, Colors.Red)
    return true
end sub

Can I move the logcat stuff to the main as well?

 

[Erel]

Is this a B4XPages app? What are you doing with the collected logs?

 

[Robert Valentino]

This was a B4A app that I created into a B4XPages app

In Application_Error I append the StackTrace to the Logs and attach that all to a Email I send to a specific email address that includes everything I know about the crash

I haven't changed anything here in years (works just fine whenever there is a crash)

It emails me info like this

Logs
~L86156499969~-12303292:pFWEntries::B4XPage_Resize  -  Width:1340 Height:736 ~L96156565505~-16776961:pFWEntries::UI_Create  -  Width:1340 Height:736 ~L06156958721~-16711936:pFWEntries::Create_Screen -  Width:1340 Height:736
~l16156958851:LanePos-Width:66
~l26121897060:MainPanel (l/t) 407 / -51  (w/h) 526 / 839 ~l36121897079:EnteredInPanel (l/t) 6 / 337  (w/h) 513 / 330 ~l46121897083:EnteredIn (l/t) 6 / 51  (w/h) 500 / 279 ~L56168361985~-12303292:pFWReports::B4XPage_Resize  -  Width:1340 Height:736 ~L66168427521~-16776961:pFWReports::UI_Create  -  Width:1340 Height:736 ~L76168558593~-16711936:pFWReports::Create_Screen  -  Width:1340 Height:736 ~l86168558682:Option Button Sizes: 255 ~L96161415169~-12303292:pFWPayouts::B4XPage_Resize  -  Width:1340 Height:736 ~L06161546241~-16711936:pFWPayouts::Create_Screen -  Width:1340 Height:736 ~l16100401169:cPaySponsors-Init Root W/H: 1340 / 736 ~L26162725889~-16776961:pFWPayouts::Show_Data
~l39212205571:Error: page id not found: Billing
~l49212205572:Ids: (ArrayList) [mainpage, fwsetup, fwtypessetup, fwplayers, fwplayerssetup, fwentries, fwreports, fwreuse, fwscores, fwsponsors, fwstandings, fwstatistics, fwpayouts, bracedforimpact, subscriptions, contactsupport, findls, leaguepals, prizefund, userpreferences, scorecollectors]
~e:b4xpagesmanager_vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv5 (java line: 604)
~e:java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to read from field 'java.lang.Object com.BOBs.BBS.b4xpagesmanager$_b4xpageinfo.B4XPage' on a null object reference in method 'java.lang.Object com.BOBs.BBS.b4xpagesmanager._vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv5(java.lang.String)'
~e:    at com.BOBs.BBS.b4xpagesmanager._vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv5(b4xpagesmanager.java:604)
~e:    at com.BOBs.BBS.main._do_resize(main.java:2171)
~e:    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
~e:    at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:221)
~e:    at anywheresoftware.b4a.keywords.Common.CallSub4(Common.java:1167)
~e:    at anywheresoftware.b4a.keywords.Common.CallSubNew3(Common.java:1130)
~e:    at com.BOBs.BBS.main._check_for_resize(main.java:1082)
~e:    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
~e:    at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:221)
~e:    at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent(BA.java:201)
~e:    at com.BOBs.BBS.main.onConfigurationChanged(main.java:3598)
~e:    at android.app.ActivityThread.performActivityConfigurationChanged(ActivityThread.java:6671)
~e:    at android.app.ActivityThread.performConfigurationChangedForActivity(ActivityThread.java:6574)
~e:    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleActivityConfigurationChanged(ActivityThread.java:6966)
~e:    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleActivityConfigurationChanged(ActivityThread.java:6899)
~e:    at android.app.servertransaction.ActivityConfigurationChangeItem.execute(ActivityConfigurationChangeItem.java:55)
~e:    at android.app.servertransaction.ActivityTransactionItem.execute(ActivityTransactionItem.java:45)
~e:    at android.app.servertransaction.TransactionExecutor.executeCallbacks(TransactionExecutor.java:139)
~e:    at android.app.servertransaction.TransactionExecutor.execute(TransactionExecutor.java:96)
~e:    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2685)
~e:    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
~e:    at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:230)
~e:    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:319)
~e:    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:8919)
~e:    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
~e:    at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:578)
~e:    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1103)
~L56192020482~-65536:Starter::Application_Error - Error:java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to read from field 'java.lang.Object com.BOBs.BBS.b4xpagesmanager$_b4xpageinfo.B4XPage' on a null object reference in method 'java.lang.Object com.BOBs.BBS.b4xpagesmanager._vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv5(java.lang.String)'


Stack Trace
java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to read from field 'java.lang.Object com.BOBs.BBS.b4xpagesmanager$_b4xpageinfo.B4XPage' on a null object reference in method 'java.lang.Object com.BOBs.BBS.b4xpagesmanager._vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv5(java.lang.String)'
    at com.BOBs.BBS.b4xpagesmanager._vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv5(b4xpagesmanager.java:604)
    at com.BOBs.BBS.main._do_resize(main.java:2171)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
    at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:221)
    at anywheresoftware.b4a.keywords.Common.CallSub4(Common.java:1167)
    at anywheresoftware.b4a.keywords.Common.CallSubNew3(Common.java:1130)
    at com.BOBs.BBS.main._check_for_resize(main.java:1082)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
    at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:221)
    at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent(BA.java:201)
    at com.BOBs.BBS.main.onConfigurationChanged(main.java:3598)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.performActivityConfigurationChanged(ActivityThread.java:6671)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.performConfigurationChangedForActivity(ActivityThread.java:6574)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleActivityConfigurationChanged(ActivityThread.java:6966)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleActivityConfigurationChanged(ActivityThread.java:6899)
    at android.app.servertransaction.ActivityConfigurationChangeItem.execute(ActivityConfigurationChangeItem.java:55)
    at android.app.servertransaction.ActivityTransactionItem.execute(ActivityTransactionItem.java:45)
    at android.app.servertransaction.TransactionExecutor.executeCallbacks(TransactionExecutor.java:139)
    at android.app.servertransaction.TransactionExecutor.execute(TransactionExecutor.java:96)
    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2685)
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
    at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:230)
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:319)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:8919)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
    at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:578)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1103)

End Logs

Like I said, I haven't changed this in years - Probably wrong now - but if we are getting rid of starter service then how do I handle crash information?

PS: Thanks for you help

 

[Erel]

See the first post: "Application_Error sub can be added to the Main module (when the Starter service is excluded)."

 

[Tareq Khan]

I'm happy to release a new version of B4A. The integrated code bundle tool is now available in B4A (and B4J).
Code Bundle is a tool that packs your project together with additional relevant information into a single json file, that can be provided to AI assistants for debugging, learning, refactoring and other tasks.

The bundle is created with a click of a button (Ctrl + R). The bundle includes:

• Project code + list of public APIs. Keys are sanitized based on heuristic templates.
• (optional) Logs + compilation output + warnings and errors list. Compilation output is included when the dialog is visible.
• (optional) Layouts + designer script.
• (optional) Paths configuration.
• List of files. Files content is not added.
• List of libraries with additional information for each library.
• Manifest editor.
• Current caret location with the code around it - the AI knows where you are focused on right now.
• Additional information about the IDE and useful links for the AI to find more information.

How to use:
- Click on Ctrl + R. A json file will be created and copied to the clipboard. Paste into the AI assistant and ask questions.

Other improvements:

• The Starter service is being deprecated due to restrictions applied by Android, which can lead to crashes in debug mode, and it becoming less useful with B4XPages. Removing the Starter service no longer affects the behavior of unhandled exceptions.
• New warning in B4XPages projects when the starter service is included.
• Application_Error sub can be added to the Main module (when the Starter service is excluded).
• B4XPages project template updated accordingly.
• #ExcludeCodeFromBundle attribute - set to True to exclude the current module from the code bundle. Note that public sub signatures and comments (before the subs only) will still be included in the bundle.
• New log filter:
  
  View attachment 171493
  Error - includes the app logs and system level error logs. Very useful when looking for ANRs, startup errors and other mysterious crashes.
• Autocomplete in #If lines.
• List.Sublist - Very fast method that returns a read-only sub-list.
• Fix for String.ToLower not explicitly setting the locale. Mainly fixes the Turkish I: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/t...ctly-for-the-turkish-language.163961/#content
• New #Macro / comment link options: (case insensitive)
  • librariesrefresh - set to True to automatically refresh the libraries after the task runs.
  • codesync - set to True to force the IDE to synchronize the code modules with the files.
  • autosave - set to True to automatically save the project BEFORE running the task. Note that Tools - IDE Options - Auto Save should be enabled for this to have effect.
  • filessync (not new) - set to True to synchronize the Files tab after the task.
  • cleanproject (not new) - set to True to "clean project" after the task
  • %STATE1% - new variable that causes the IDE to create a temporary file with the IDE state based on the new options under Tools - IDE Options. The file path will be passed to the process. This is used by Code Bundle and can be used by other similar tools. Note that the format can be modified in the future.
  • NoTimeout - set to True to disable the default process timeout (currently not available in B4J).
  • ide://KillProcesses - new option to kill all the currently running processes. Useful when running non-ui processes with no timeout (currently not available in B4J).
    
    Note that starting a B4J app as an external tool is as simple as:
    
    ide://run?File=<path to jar>\App.jar&NoTimeout=True
• B4X Map collection can now wrap Java Maps.
• Internal libraries updated.
• Other bug fixes and minor improvements.

Download link: https://www.b4x.com/b4a.html

Whats the alternative of Starter service? Thanks