Other Basic4android v3.20 is released

[Erel]

I'm happy to release B4A v3.20.

This version includes many important improvements:

• Visual designer
  • Anchors feature - makes it easier to target multiple screen sizes. See this short video.
    
  • Copy & paste - work both inside the layout or between different layouts.
  • Undo / redo feature.
  • The views are organized in a tree for easier navigation.
  • AutoScaleAll keyword now works with all variants, not just the "standard" variant.
  • Colors fields can be copied and the colors values can be pasted or directly typed.
  • Designer script find / replace dialog.
  • The grid is saved in the layout file.
  • Landscape / Portrait designer keywords to test the current orientation.
  • UI Cloud threshold reduced to 10 seconds.

• #AdditionalRes attribute - Makes it possible to wrap Android library projects (projects with resources). See this example: jfeinstein10 SlidingMenu library
  
• Sync button in the Files tab - Syncs the project files with the Files folder.
• Modules added to the Find Sub / Module tool (Ctrl + E).
• Tabs order in the IDE is preserved.
• Modules files that were not modified will not be saved thus preserving the correct time stamp.
• DateTime.SetTimeZone now accepts a Double instead of Int.
• Shortcuts: F11 - Restart (rapid debugger), F2 in the designer connects to the device.
• JavaObject v1.00 - new RunMethodJO / GetFieldJO methods.
  
• Bug fixes and other minor improvements.

Notes

• RerunDesignerScript is now considered a deprecated method. It will continue to run as before. However it doesn't support the new anchors feature and will fail when running in Rapid debug mode.
• Layout files saved with v3.20 cannot be loaded with previous versions.
• See this post if you used AutoScaleAll with a non-standard variant: http://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/basic4android-v3-20-is-released.36690/#post-215889

Users who are eligible for a free upgrade should receive an email with the download link. Please allow up to 12 hours for the mail to arrive.
Other users should receive a mail with a discount offer (it will be sent tomorrow).

I would like to thank the beta testers for their help with the continuing development of Basic4android.

 

[Claudio Oliveira]

Great news!
Already messing around with it...

 

[Ratna Fang]

thanks, erel
the anchors will help me alot

 

[pappicio]

I renewed my enterprise license waiting this moment.

 

[Paolo Cosentino]

Thx Erel. You've done a good job, as usual.

 

[FireDroid]

Simply the best !!
Thanks for your great job.

 

[Kevin]

Quick question, although I'm sure I already know the answer:

As always, I'm in the midst of an update to my app and don't need any surprises... I know that once I save a layout I can't reopen in an older version but I assume it won't do anything to the layouts I have? While I look forward to playing with the new anchor feature, now isn't the time for my complicated layouts to unexpectedly get messed up.

P.S. The update sounds great!

 

[Erel]

I assume it won't do anything to the layouts I have?

Installing and running the new version will not have any effect on existing layouts. Only when you save the layout it uses a format that is not supported by older versions of B4A.

 

[joergb]

looks great
Thanks for your great job.

 

[Slacker]

Scrollable Designer Window ?

 

[Erel]

A note about AutoScaleAll. In previous versions AutoScaleAll always scaled the layouts based on the device physical size and the "standard variant" (320x480, scale = 1). It was only meaningful (per design) to call AutoScaleAll with the standard variant.

Starting from v3.20 AutoScaleAll works with other variants as well. For example if you create a tablet variant and then load it on a phone device then the views will become smaller. This is the correct behavior.

However if you already have a working layout and used AutoScaleAll with a non-standard variant then the layout will be scaled differently now.
If you like you can force the auto scaling to preserve the old behavior. This is done with this code:

Dim jo As JavaObject
jo.InitializeStatic("java.lang.System").RunMethod("setProperty", Array As Object("autoscaleall_old_behaviour", "true"))

You should run it before loading the layout file.

 

[Deleted member 103]

Thanks Erel, this software is really worth every cent.

 

[lemonisdead]

Hi Erel,

I would like to thank you again for this exciting software. The v3.2 is a great improvement as it is more easy to design the interface

 

[devlei]

Great work, Erel. In spite of producing B4J recently, you still keep adding brilliant features to an already great product, B4A!!

 

[tuhatinhvn]

are there any newer features than beta version??

 

[Erel]

are there any newer features than beta version??

No. However there are several bug fixes.

 

[Vincenzo Fabiano]

Erel, please you can add Scrollable Designer Window?

 

[Erel]

Please post features requests in the wishlist forum...

 

[Sidnei Nardo]

Gostei muito deste aplicativo.. muito bom mesmo.. é uma pena que no Brasil não tenha quase empresas que o utilize, ai não consigo emprego, tenho que usar apenas para serviços esporádicos. mas a ferramenta é muito boa mesmo!

 

[Slacker]

Erel, it's inconceivable the utility of a scrollbar feature in designer window, and not only for me. I should start another B4A project pretty soon where this feature would be too much useful and could make me save a lot of time and mental efforts (i repeat not only for me i guess).

Try to look if you can implement it without too much fatigue and quickly please.

Thank you for your job.