Softpedia >Windows >Others >Finances & Business >FlowHeater >  Changelog

FlowHeater Changelog

What's new in FlowHeater 4.4.0.0

Apr 6, 2024
  • Write different types of record in one output file

New in FlowHeater 4.3.9.0 (Feb 10, 2024)

  • JSON Adapter is now in BETA phase.

New in FlowHeater 4.3.8.0 (Jan 21, 2024)

  • BugFix: Database Adapter related to SQL Joins/Views.

New in FlowHeater 4.3.7.0 (Jan 14, 2024)

  • Improved FlowHeater Server notifications.

New in FlowHeater 4.3.6.0 (Jan 7, 2024)

  • Support for direct access to BLOB / BINARY fields

New in FlowHeater 4.3.5.0 (Oct 15, 2023)

  • XML Adapter impovements

New in FlowHeater 4.3.4.0 (Jun 17, 2023)

  • Updated third party database drivers.

New in FlowHeater 4.3.3.0 (May 20, 2023)

  • New Adapters available for HTTP/HTTPS REST API and JSON

New in FlowHeater 4.3.2.0 (Mar 11, 2023)

  • Dummy database Adapter for data lookup

New in FlowHeater 4.3.1.0 (Feb 11, 2023)

  • Suppress update warnings.

New in FlowHeater 4.3.0.0 (Jan 14, 2023)

  • This version introduces a number of optimizations, improvements and minor fixes. It also establishes a foundation for the soon to be available REST API and JSON Adapters. These Adapters can be used to process JSON files and structures or to invoke HTTP REST API functions. Both Adapters are presently still in ALPHA and for this reason are not included in the official release. If you want to test these Adapters you need to use the current developer BETA version.
  • Note: You are welcome to actively participate in the development and communicate your wishes and suggestions. We look forward to you taking part.
  • Warning: these Adapters are strictly for test purposes and are not suitable for processing live data.

New in FlowHeater 4.2.9.0 (Nov 5, 2022)

  • Correction related to TLS encryption.

New in FlowHeater 4.2.7.0 (Mar 27, 2022)

  • JSON Adapter (ALPHA)

New in FlowHeater 4.2.6.0 (Jan 29, 2022)

  • MySQL Adapter supports SSL/TLS client certificate login

New in FlowHeater 4.2.5.0 (Oct 17, 2021)

  • Extended FlowHeater Server email notifications:
  • In an email notification text for the FlowHeater Server it is now possible to include the currently generated file names with placeholders. The placeholder "{CREATED_FILENAMES}" is used to insert all file names generated by the FlowHeater Server task. The individual file names are listed separated by line breaks. Alternatively, placeholders "{CREATED_FILENAME_1}", "{CREATED_FILENAME_2}", "{CREATED_FILENAME_3}" and so forth, can be used in the email notification text to access specific file names. There are as many placeholders available in this way as there are file names created in the FlowHeater Server task.
  • FlowHeater Server backup and maintenance functions:
  • FlowHeater Server has been extended with new database maintenance functions. As of this version it is possible to backup, restore or repair the underlying FlowHeater Server database. By a FlowHeater Server task, backups can be automated or scheduled.
  • MySQL Adapter now supports SSH connections:
  • Connecting using a tunneled SSH connection has been supported by the MySQL Adapter for some time. However, until now this feature was not so obvious and had to be enabled manually in the adapter properties. As of this version the MySQL SSH tunnel connection settings can be made directly in the Configurator dialog of the MySQL Adapter.
  • Looking ahead: For the next version it is planned to implement an option for SSL/TLS certificate-based logins in the MySQL Adapter, to complement the SSH tunnel connection configuration.
  • TextFile and Excel Adapters with alias field names for dynamic column recognition:
  • The TextFile Adapter and the Excel Adapter already support dynamic column mapping when reading/importing structured text, CSV files or Excel tables. In this way, each column can occur at any position within the current CSV/Excel file and columns are dynamically assigned to the corresponding column names during the data import.
  • As of this version, several aliases can be assigned per field to identify the respective column. Moreover, there is the possibility to use wildcards in the alias name: e.g. "*number*" will detect fields like "house number", "street and house number" or simply "number".
  • Note: Case sensitivity is generally ignored in dynamic column detection.
  • Further enhancements:
  • System Heater: can now return the current Excel worksheet name being processed.
  • Now Heater: the FlowHeater output data type is changed to either DATETIME (default), DATE or TIME. This makes it possible to directly use or output only date information (without time) as well as time information (without date) without additional formatting.
  • XML Adapter: further optimization for data grouping to make writing more complex XML structures possible.
  • For error analysis the TRACE file writing has been optimized and extended.
  • Individual processing steps can now be activated or deactivated.
  • XML Adapter, grouping or updates also possible based on XML comments. This possibility can be helpful for data enrichment without violating the given XML schema.
  • Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite Adapters: third-party database drivers have been updated.
  • Corrections (bug fixes):
  • Addition and Subtraction Heaters: an error when calculating on FlowHeater data type "TIME" has been fixed.
  • Transfer / display of defined field default values fixed for Definitions with multiple Adapters.
  • XML Adapter: Fixed the writing of XML nodes that consist solely of attributes.

New in FlowHeater 4.2.4.0 (Apr 11, 2021)

  • Microsoft Azure SQL databases supported:
  • Microsoft Azure SQL databases supportedAs of this version, optimizations have been made to the MS SQL Server Adapter that now offers optimal support for Microsoft Azure "Cloud" SQL databases. The SSL/TLS encrypted connection options can now be configured to enable this. Furthermore, you can now specify whether or not an SSL/TLS server certificate should be used to check for validity. This option is useful for local MS SQL servers, where no official server certificates are used, to continue being able to use encrypted communications with an MS SQL server.
  • Note: Certificate checking should only be disabled for trusted local MS SQL servers. Of course, for Microsoft Azure "Cloud" SQL databases this option should never be enabled.
  • Release notes for version 4.2.4 on April 10, 2021:
  • Further enhancements:
  • no further changes
  • Corrections (bug fixes):
  • FlowHeater Server GUI: With "live" logging enabled, the output is now truncated after 10 MB instead of after 15 MB.

New in FlowHeater 4.2.3.0 (Mar 6, 2021)

  • XML Adapter option to insert or update.

New in FlowHeater 4.2.2.0 (Jan 11, 2021)

  • AutoID Heater – new function to reset to starting value when value exceeds a limit:
  • The AutoID Heater has been extended with another useful function. It is now possible to reset the AutoID value to the start value as soon as a defined maximum value is reached. The counter (AutoID) then begins again from the specified start value.
  • Batch Module – new command line option /Silent:
  • The Batch Module has a new command line option: /Silent. When employed it does not send any output to the console.
  • TextFile Adapter – improved display of results after running:
  • The display of results in the TextFile Adapter has been extended with the possibility to mark blocks of text in order to copy them to the clipboard as well as with a search option for text passages directly on the display.
  • TextFile Adapter – new field format option “Center”:
  • As of this version, the TextFile Adapter also supports centered formatting of fields output. If a field with a fixed field width is defined, "Center" can now be selected here in addition to left or right alignment of output. By default, spaces are used to pad the output. The padding character can of course be changed to any other character desired.
  • SQL Server Adapter – possibility to set the Transaction Isolation Level:
  • The SQL Server Adapter now supports selection of the "Transaction Isolation Level" to be used for database transactions. This allows a much more specific response to the respective conditions of the environment. By default, READ COMMITED is used as the SQL Server Transaction Isolation Level. Alternative options available are: READ COMMITTED, READ UNCOMMITTED, REPEATABLE READ, SNAPSHOT and SERIALIZABLE. Note that the Transaction Isolation Level selected must be supported by the version of Microsoft SQL Server you are currently using!
  • Database Adapters in general – user-defined SQL statements for connection initialization:
  • All database adapters now offer the possibility to execute user-defined SQL statements for connection initialization. For example, ODBC or OleDB data sources could be individually addressed to support special conditions. The SQL commands specified are issued immediately after the connection to the respective database is established. The dialect for the SQL syntax depends on the underlying database being addressed.
  • Adapters in general – extended logging supports Parameters:
  • In extended logging, FlowHeater Parameters can now also be used for the filename.
  • FlowHeater Server – improved display of console outputs:
  • The live "Current Status" view of the console display of actively executed outputs has been heavily revised. The view now combines the current standard output and any error outputs that may have occurred. If error outputs arise, they are also displayed separately for more detailed analysis. If FlowHeater Server is configured to save console outputs, these can be analyzed in more detail in the execution history.
  • Corrections (bug fixes):
  • Loading Parameters saved in a file: recently deleted FlowHeater Parameters were redisplayed when selecting the parameter file.
  • Database Adapters in general when loading the schema information of tables: the notice that key information or auto increment fields have changed was only displayed if something has changed since the last loading.
  • Database Adapters in general when deleting multiple records: a notice was inadvertently output that “more than one record was updated”.
  • FlowHeater Server when executing manually via Server Manager: the display of execution time was incorrect.
  • FlowHeater Server Manager: frozen GUI problem. The problem occurred when a task was running that issued control characters that caused the console output to pause. The actual FlowHeater Server execution was not affected.

New in FlowHeater 4.2.1.0 (Oct 31, 2020)

  • FlowHeater dynamically loads Parameters saved in a file.

New in FlowHeater 4.2.0.0 (Aug 29, 2020)

  • Copy and deactivate processing steps

New in FlowHeater 4.1.9.0 (May 16, 2020)

  • Access Adapter with additional ODBC support

New in FlowHeater 4.1.8.0 (Apr 4, 2020)

  • Security and encrypted Definitions:
  • In times when crimeware like Emotet, ransomware trojans and other malware are causing more and more damage, in accordance with the principle "security first" we have decided to store Definitions and projects in encrypted form by default.
  • Background: The problem with FlowHeater Definitions was that embedded C# and VB.NET scripts, SQL Statements and external CMD or PowerShell scripts were embedded in XML as plain text. A potential attacker could relatively easily amend these and they would then be executed with the rights of the user on the next execution.
  • As of this version, therefore, no further information is stored in unencrypted form apart from the version number, architecture used and execution settings. The Definition file or project file (.FHD) is still based on pure XML. Old (unencrypted) Definitions can of course still be processed. However, we recommend that you open it once with the FlowHeater Designer and save it again with the current version. In this way you will automatically benefit from the increased security; there are no further settings to be made.
  • Security information: We are very concerned about security. For years, we have consistently relied on code signing via an extended validation (EV) code signing certificate from DigiCert, which today meets the highest security requirements. In addition, all program versions or file archives are subjected to intensive automatic tests before they are made available online and checked for possible malicious code with VirusTotal that includes about 60 state-of-the-art virus scanners.
  • Release notes for version 4.1.8 on April 4, 2020
  • Further changes:
  • User .NET script libraries:
  • Until now, user scripts had to be saved manually somewhere and then, if necessary, laboriously searched for and embedded. The .NET Script Heater now allows you to store your own scripts in a script library. The script library is automatically included at startup and the scripts can be accessed just like normal "internal" Heaters/Functions: scripts can be simply dragged onto the design area in FlowHeater Designer like built-in Heaters. The script path where these functions are stored can of course be customized in FlowHeater Designer using "Menu->Extras->Options". To ensure that the same scripts are always used from different computers or in a team, UNC paths or network drives are naturally supported in addition. Organization of the scripts can easily be realized with subfolders. If the scripts are gathered in subfolders in the specified script path, the name of the subfolder is used as a group name. For illustration purposes, sample scripts for C# and VB.NET are included. These scripts are found under the group names "Example Scripts (C#)" and "Example Scripts (VB.NET)".
  • New Hash Heater:
  • As the name suggests, the Hash Heater can be used to calculate hash values of strings (FlowHeater data type STRING) or binary data (FlowHeater data type RAW). Currently the hash algorithms "MD5", "SHA1", "SHA256", "SHA384" and "SHA512" are supported. If hash values are to be formed from character strings, the character set (Codepage) to use can also be selected in the Hash Heater. It is also possible to calculate the hash values of files in connection with the File Heater.
  • New RegEx Heater:
  • With the new RegEx Heater regular expressions can be applied on strings. Regular expressions are often used in software development to validate data such as email addresses and telephone numbers or to decompose character strings according to certain patterns and for the replacement of recognized patterns in character strings. With the RegEx Heater these powerful functions are now also available in FlowHeater. The operators IsMatch, Match, Replace and Split are available.
  • Improved troubleshooting of FlowHeater Server:
  • As of this version FlowHeater Server logs the environment variables defined, the available drives and whether all the prerequisites for a possible execution of a Definition involving an Excel Adapter are met. Concerning the latter, there were always difficulties with Excel COM automation, which led to prolonged error analyses. Further information can be found in the following Support Forum entry :
  • Logging takes place independently of the log level setting. In the event of an error, the Log File can be used to quickly check whether drives can be accessed from the FlowHeater server or whether necessary environment variables are defined and have been set correctly.

New in FlowHeater 4.1.7.0 (Feb 15, 2020)

  • Improved troubleshooting in the FlowHeater Server

New in FlowHeater 4.1.6.1 (Nov 6, 2019)

  • BugFix: InMemory and TestData Adapter

New in FlowHeater 4.1.6 (Sep 14, 2019)

  • Improved debugging with single-step processing

New in FlowHeater 4.1.5 (Jun 9, 2019)

  • Further changes:
  • Excel Adapter – support for image import:
  • As of this version the Excel Adapter supports the import of images/graphics in or over specific Excel cells. Warning: This feature should still be considered only “alpha”, further functions require implementing in order to realize this feature fully. Please enter requests/remarks to contribute ideas for improvement in the free Excel support forum.
  • FlowHeater Server – file monitoring triggered by file renaming:
  • As a possible “file monitoring task” the FlowHeater Server now also supports detection of renamed files and triggers running of the configured task. This option is especially interesting for situations in which a program first writes to a “temporary” filename and on completion renames it. It is now possible to monitor file changes of this kind with the FlowHeater Server easily.
  • Batch Module – support for “?” as wildcard for file transfers:
  • The Batch Module can now handle wildcard specs containing the “?” symbol. Previously only “*”was possible as a wildcard placeholder for data transfer specification with the /ReadFileName and /WriteFileName options.
  • Batch Module – handover of filenames in different processing steps:
  • The Batch Module now supports the handover of filenames with the /ReadFileName and /WriteFileName options to different processing steps as well as Adapters. The normal usage sets as before on the READ side the first Adapter in the first processing step and on the WRITE side the first Adapter in the last processing step. What is new is that the /ReadFileName and /WriteFileName options can be extended to allow specification of processing step and Adapter numbers respectively.
  • e.g. both options /WriteFileName:2 and /WriteFileName:2:1 specify the second processing step and the first Adapter.
  • We have ideas entered in the German support forum to thank for this idea: batch processing with multiple processing steps.
  • All database Adapters – display of “Primary Key” fields:
  • The database fields defined as “Primary Key” for UPDATE and DELETE can no longer be hidden in the Designer window. In the past, inadvertent hiding of these fields often led to protracted and sometimes bizarre error tracing. This modification should eliminate this source of error.
  • All database Adapters – support for deleting records:
  • As of this version all available database Adapters allow the deletion of records. The “Primary Key” defined is used for the DELETE action, just like that previously used for an “UPDATE”. Note: this function cannot be used in combination with the “INSERT” or “UPDATE” actions!
  • Corrections:
  • FlowHeater Server – a problem with the removal of file monitoring tasks has been solved. It is no longer necessary to restart the server.
  • Excel Adapter – the error reported in cases where no filename was specified on the WRITE side has been corrected.
  • InMemory Adapter – the result display is now given as “read only”. No changes can be made to the data reported.
  • InMemory Adapter – initial InMemory tables are now created as “standard tables”.
  • InMemory Adapter – problems with key fields when these do not begin with a letter. In such cases no warning will now be output.
  • All database Adapters – problems with preview of data on the READ side are solved. You can read more information about this under the German support forum entry: Error when carrying out the operation
  • Batch Module – corrections to the specification of relative paths. Please make sure you test previously created Definitions before going live!

New in FlowHeater 4.1.4 (Feb 2, 2019)

  • New InMemory Adapter for fast data processing/enrichment:
  • InMemory Adapter - for fast data processing/enrichment
  • InMemory Adapter - for fast data processing/enrichmentThe new InMemory Adapter is considered an absolute highlight. The new InMemory Adapter was developed to take full advantage of the trend of increasingly powerful computers with more and more main memory, making the processing of intermediate data possible, completely in memory.
  • With the InMemory Adapter as many “internal” tables can be created as required, which can then be populated, enriched and transformed while running a Definition and of course subsequently used as input.
  • Tasks that previously required a temporary database table can be easily converted to using InMemory tables. As a demonstration the example “Merging CSV and Excel data using an SQLite database” is adapted to use InMemory tables, incl. video example.
  • Advantage: As processing is completely performed in main memory it is significantly faster than was previously possible.
  • The use of InMemory tables is in principle very simple. Insert the Adapter and if necessary define a name for the table. Fields can either be included in advance or further fields simply drawn from the field list in the Adapter by drag & drop. Optionally the data types can be modified for specific needs, although normally the default FlowHeater data type STRING should suffice.
  • On the READ side the data source of InMemory tables presented can also be filtered by a WHERE clause in a similar way to SQL tables. Naturally, the data can also be ordered in an alternative sort sequence.
  • Further changes:
  • SQL, Lookup and String Replace Heaters support InMemory tables
  • The String Replace, SQL and Lookup Heaters can directly access the new InMemory tables. When in these Heaters the respective options for processing InMemory tables is checked, it is also possible to access tables that were output by other processing steps than the present one. This significantly speeds up the process, especially in the replacement of values (CSV Lookup) using the String Replace Heater with long CSV lists.
  • Batch Module – outputs the processing step
  • As of this version the Batch Module reports the current processing step incl. the number of records processed on the command line as well as in the log file.
  • If-Then-Else Heater can compare strings ignoring leading/trailing space characters
  • In the processing of text files it is often the case that database fields contain extra leading and/or trailing space characters. When it was necessary to test such fields they previously required an additional String Trim Heater to enable compares to succeed consistently. As of this version, it is possible to specify in the IF-THEN-ELSE Heater whether leading/trailing spaces should be taken into account for the compare, or ignored.
  • DoWork - Test and Run popup with display of processing step
  • The output of warnings and debug reports in DoWork (Test and Run popup) has been enhanced to include the number of the current processing step. In the case of a complex Definition this simplifies things somewhat.
  • TextFile Adapter – automatically replaces line breaks in field content
  • In database fields, the content is often saved with embedded line breaks. This causes problems when output to a text file, such as CSV, which can inevitably lead to data being placed in the wrong field or column. As of this version, the TextFile Adapter supports automatic removal of possible line breaks in/from database fields.
  • Designer – display of recently opened Definitions
  • The length of the list of recently opened Definitions can now be configured in the Designer. Previously only the last 10 were listed.
  • Corrections:
  • Memory Mode – correction to Memory Mode in conjunction with Parameter setting
  • FlowHeater Server – for file monitoring the “hand over current filename” option is now checked by default.
  • Opening older Definitions – with the introduction in version 4.3.1 of several processing steps the backward compatibility to Definitions constructed by older versions was unfortunately interrupted. This version restores compatibility and Definitions going back to version 1.x can now be opened and modified.
  • SQL and Lookup Heaters – cured a fault that occurred when a default value was specified and unless the default value applied while processing the first record, any FlowHeater Parameter it contained remained unresolved for the processing of subsequent records.
  • AutoID Heater – corrected counting of values in combination with the GroupBy Heater.
  • Excel Adapter – fixed error when attempting to read a write-protected Excel workbook.
  • Excel Adapter – corrected problems when the “Assign columns dynamically by field name ” was checked and insufficient columns were available in the worksheet.

New in FlowHeater 4.1.3 (Sep 1, 2018)

  • Support for several processing steps in a Definition:
  • Tip: FlowHeater Parameters are “globally” available within a Definition. This makes a number of interesting new options available for processing import/export data. For example, it is possible to record specific data from an upstream processing step in FlowHeater Parameters and use these values in a downstream processing step, e.g. as filter criteria.
  • Note: Heaters/Functions that are configured to fire “at the start” or “at the end” of the run now apply to each processing step! For example, if a script or SQL command must only be run at the very end of a Definition then this script (.NET Heater) or SQL command (SQL Heater) should only be defined in the last processing step.
  • Restrictions: At present several processing steps is only supported when using “Mass Data Mode”. The use of several processing steps is not presently supported with “Memory Mode”, and any attempt to use it this way will terminate with an error report.
  • Preview of later development: We offer here a brief outlook on future functionality that will profit from this new feature. The development of an “internal” memory-like Adapter is planned, using which will simplify the assembly, merging and processing of data from several sources that can then finally be exported.
  • Batch Module – adaptation for Definitions with several processing steps:
  • In the Batch Module the /ReadFileName and /WriteFileName options has been adapted to cope with several processing steps. On the READ side the input filename of the first Adapter of the first processing step is defined. On the WRITE side the output filename of the first Adapter of the last processing step is defined.
  • AutoID Heater with new options for group change (Begins with / Ends with):
  • The previous automatic detection of group change is now enhanced with two new options. Group change can now be introduced with an indicator to start or finish.
  • Comments for Adapters and Heaters:
  • This version permits comments to be attached to all Adapters and Heaters/Functions. In the case of Adapters, comments can be entered or edited in the respective Configurator under the new Comments tab. In the case of Heaters/Functions, comments can be entered or edited via the context menu “Comments”. As Heaters/Functions are given new features in the future they will also be provided with the possibility to write comments in the configuration popup window. The most recent example is the AutoID Heater, which has already been enhanced with a Comments tab in its configuration popup.
  • Tip: Whenever the mouse pointer hovers over an Adapter or Function (Heater) the text of these comments and some configuration settings are displayed in a tooltip.
  • Bug fixes:
  • FlowHeater Server: Problems with deletion of several executions in the task sorted out.
  • FlowHeater Server: Folder monitoring –data transfer of properties is now also active for new files created and can be defined.
  • SQLite Adapter: Database open/select dialog on the WRITE side has been fixed, so that new and not yet available SQLite databases can be created.

New in FlowHeater 4.1.1.1 (Feb 24, 2018)

  • Bug Fix MySQL Adapter: Using quotation marks in password

New in FlowHeater 4.0.9.3 (Sep 18, 2017)

  • Database adapter - tables schema readout optimized

New in FlowHeater 4.0.9.2 (Sep 10, 2017)

  • Updated third party database drivers

New in FlowHeater 4.0.9.1 (Sep 4, 2017)

  • Excel Adapter: ExcelIsEmpty error message
  • Store FlowHeater Parameter

New in FlowHeater 4.0.9.0 (Aug 27, 2017)

  • The Excel Adapter now supports dynamic generation of several Excel workbooks and sheets using Parameters. If the workbook filename or the name of the sheet is changed during an export, then a new Excel workbook or a new sheet is created.
  • In a Definition the same Excel workbook can now be read and written in different sheets.
  • Optional formatting of column headings in bold.
  • It is now possible to define whether data of the FlowHeater data type String is to be imported as simple text or as an Excel formula or function.
  • Further changes:
  • New Base64 Heater
  • The Base64 Heater enables saving (binary) data coded and decoded using Base64. This makes it is possible, for example, to embed binary data (pictures, executable programs, etc.) in CSV text files without generating the control characters that can confuse editors.
  • FlowHeater Server moving of files with/without timestamp
  • For tasks of the data monitoring type it is now possible to choose whether after completion of a file move task that a timestamp is added to the filenames or not.
  • Improved selection of databases and tables in all database Adapters
  • The selection fields for databases, tables, queries and stored procedures now supports auto-completion to enable more efficient selection in the case of large databases with many tables.
  • Improved error reporting in Definitions with multiple Adapters
  • In addition to reporting the applicable field name in errors and warnings, the relevant Adapter name is now also quoted.
  • Lookup Heater now supports the Excel Adapter
  • The Lookup Heater can now be used in conjunction with the Excel Adapter. In this case the Excel function VLOOKUP is used. After choosing which Adapter should be used the sheet name with an area or range specification that applies for the lookup.
  • e.g. SheetName!A1:B100
  • The column index that should be returned from this range can be specified in the “Field” text entry line.
  • Bug fixes:
  • Memory Mode: no longer skips the Heaters/Functions performed only once at the end of run.
  • Designer: corrected when moving a Heater on the Designer area with the CTRL key held down.
  • MySQL Adapter: error when reading VIEWS is fixed. The selection area for tables now also displays queries/views.
  • TextFile Adapter: the preview window was disrupted when line breaks were embedded in the text. Instances of line breaks are now replaced by {CRLF}, {CR} or {LF} in the preview window.
  • FlowHeater Server: there were problems when spaces were included in the path specification for running .FHD or .FHRT files.
  • FlowHeater Server / Batch Module: error fixed that occurred when running a Definition in which an Excel Adapter was on both READ and WRITE sides.

New in FlowHeater 4.0.8.2 (Mar 31, 2017)

  • Adapter with extended logging

New in FlowHeater 4.0.5.1 (Sep 25, 2016)

  • RUNTIME Definition error correction

New in FlowHeater 4.0.5 (Sep 25, 2016)

  • Processing text files with user-defined line breaks

New in FlowHeater 4.0.4 (Sep 25, 2016)

  • Optimized Calculations of Date and Time

New in FlowHeater 4.0.3 (Sep 25, 2016)

  • Retrieving your system’s environment variables in FlowHeater

New in FlowHeater 4.0.2 (Apr 16, 2016)

  • AutoID Heater with incremental counter for groups of input values

New in FlowHeater 4.0.1.2 (Jan 9, 2016)

  • Improved figures rounding functionality

New in FlowHeater 4.0.1.1 (Dec 28, 2015)

  • Minor modification related to .NET Framework legacy support

New in FlowHeater 4.0.1 (Dec 15, 2015)

  • Configurable SQL field separators in all database adapters:
  • This feature was previously only available in the adapters for ODBC and OleDB. Now it is available in all database adapters by specifying the "Field Separators" property in the Designer that defines the characters to be used as separator for SQL fields. By default when creating a new Definition the standard SQL field separators that apply to the selected adaptor are preset.
  • Writing UTF text files without BOM (byte order mark):
  • Programs that are not fully or only partially UTF (Unicode) capable have a problem with the initial bytes of a UTF file and instead display special characters for these that cannot be properly processed and so cause subsequent difficulties. A new option in the Advanced tab of the Configurator of the TextFile Adapter now enables you to inhibit output of a byte order mark (BOM) when writing UTF (Unicode) text files.
  • BugFix: RUNTIME Designer:
  • An error that occurred during initialization of RUNTIME 4 Definitions in the Freeware Version has been solved.

New in FlowHeater 4.0.0.2 (Nov 20, 2015)

  • Bug Fix: Memory Mode processing
  • Updated third party database drivers for (MysQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQLite)
  • Added general example of processing XML files
  • Example of how CSV files can be exported in segments: CSV export divided into several files

New in FlowHeater 4.0.0.1 (Nov 20, 2015)

  • Minor adjustments regarding 32 Bit driver in the Access Adapter
  • Customized setup for Windows 10

New in FlowHeater 4.0.0 (Nov 20, 2015)

  • Independent 32-bit and 64-bit binaries available:
  • FlowHeater comes in 32 and 64-bit binaries as of version 4. On 64-bit systems both variants can be installed and used in parallel. The Definitions processed by both variants are fully compatible with one another. On 32-bit systems there is no question about which variant to use, in this case we use only the 32-bit binary. On 64-bit systems we recommend using the 64-bit binary, which can achieve much faster data import/export processing rates as well as use more than 2 GB of main memory. This is a significant advantage with large Definitions that are processed entirely in main memory. The only exception to this recommendation is when using a 32-bit version of MS Access on a 64-bit system; see the next point for more about this.
  • Support for 64-bit Access databases (Office installation):
  • The Access Adapter can now also read Access databases on systems where a 64-bit version of Office or Access is installed. Due to an incompatibility in the database drivers, a 32-bit Office/Access installation was previously necessary. FlowHeater now issues a warning message informing you to use the other binary if you attempt to use the wrong FlowHeater variant (32 or 64-bit) that is incompatible with the Access version installed (32 or 64-bit).
  • Note: the Excel Adapter is unaffected by this restriction.
  • Database Adapters: improved field recognition of duplicated field names in joins:
  • When several database tables were selected with an SQL join and the tables contained the same field names, previously only the first of such fields was addressable. In order to overcome this limitation it was necessary to define aliases for these field names in the select statement.
  • e. g. select table1.id as id1, table2.id as id2, ...
  • As of this version, identical field names are automatically detected and can be directly used without resorting to aliases.
  • Extendable SQL Editor:
  • Sometimes rather complex SQL statements are required for reading databases on the READ sides. The entry field in the database configurator on the READ side can quickly become confusing with long and complicated SQL statements. As of this version, in all available database Adapters double-clicking on the SQL field will open an SQL editor to edit the export statement.
  • Snap-to-grid function for Heaters:
  • Often called for by lovers of esthetics, now implemented at long last. At this point I wish to give thanks to the many suggestions for improvements. Heater/functions that are dragged onto the Designer page are now aligned onto a grid. This way Heaters are pleasingly arranged tidily in the Designer. If desired this feature can be disabled in “Menu->Extras->Options”.
  • Bug fix: Addition and GroupBy Heaters when used in combination with the
  • Filter Heater:
  • The unfortunate combination of Addition, GroupBy and Filter Heaters previously led to incorrectly calculated results and this version tidies up the problem. The fault was previously fixed by version 3.5.4.

New in FlowHeater 3.5.2 (Apr 6, 2015)

  • Aggregation functions Min/Max across the entire run:
  • The first of these is an option to determine the lowest or highest value for the entire process of a run, as an alternative to the existing ability to find the lowest or highest of each grouped data set. This makes it possible to add the lowest or highest value in header and footer rows of CSV text files, for example.
  • The second feature now makes the Min and Max Heaters also capable of delivering the highest or lowest of the FlowHeater data types Date, Time and DateTime. In so doing the Heaters automatically detect the incoming data type and process them appropriately.
  • Bug Fix: CSV files with line breaks in column content:
  • The TextFile Adapter was extended by version 3.3.0 with a function that made it possible to input columns of CSV text files that contain line breaks. However, empty rows with no content were subsequently interpreted as new columns and this led to column displacement. This version corrects the error.
  • Bug Fix: Parameter also as IF-THEN-ELSE filter conditions:
  • The use of Parameters is powerful feature making dynamic data import/export Definitions possible. Until now setting a Parameter for filter conditions only worked in Memory Mode. As of this version, Parameters can also be used for filtering in Massdata Mode.
  • Bug Fix: Results display when no output is generated:
  • During execution the data/files generated are temporarily stored in order to enable their repeated display after execution. Precisely this caused a problem when, without reopening the FlowHeater Designer popup, renewed execution resulted in no output. In this case the previously temporarily stored data/files of the earlier execution were wrongly displayed. In this version the problem is cured.

New in FlowHeater 3.5.1 (Apr 6, 2015)

  • Dynamic storage of Parameters:
  • How can we setup import/export Definitions that when run will automatically process only newly added records/rows? This is something that has often been asked, yet only with a relatively complicated workaround was it possible. In this version of FlowHeater a powerful function now extends the Parameter feature that makes it possible to store the last used value of a Parameter automatically and restore this for use in the next run. This enables the definition of simple filter conditions or the construction of dynamic SQL WHERE clauses that only select new records.
  • TextFile Adapter with automatic masking of CSV string delimiters:
  • The way in which FlowHeater handles occurrences of the CSV string delimiter character within the data itself can now be specified completely in the Textfile Adapter Configurator. The standard method when creating a new Definition is revised as follows.
  • On the READ side: the masking of CSV string delimiter characters (doubled or quoted) is automatically stripped – two CSV string delimiter characters that follow one after the other collapse into one.
  • On the WRITE side: should a CSV string delimiter character occur in the content of the CSV column it is automatically masked (doubled or quoted) – one CSV string delimiter character becomes two.
  • Note: existing Definitions are not affected by this change, the Textfile treatment of their CSV string delimiter characters continues as originally defined.
  • Improved handling of Heaters (functions):
  • Large data import/export Definitions can become rather unwieldy and confusing with so much detail. Especially when lots of the same Heater (function) are used in the Designer and while running a warning or error is reported and appears in the Test and Run popup window, locating the Heater (function) responsible for the error can sometimes prove problematic. Now there are improvements to help with handling Heaters (functions).
  • The following improvements have been implemented
  • Copying of Heaters (functions) via the clipboard.
  • Visual indication of the Heater (function) affected when a runtime error or warning occurs. The last warning for the Heater can be revealed with the ToolTip feature.
  • Deleting a Heater (function) retains the connecting pipe.
  • Indication of the last active Heater (function).

New in FlowHeater 3.5.0 (Apr 6, 2015)

  • Improved detection of DataBase NULL value:
  • Previously when table fields for which no NULL/DBNULL values are assigned were empty the test run would complete without a problem, but the live import/update would break with an error report when it encountered the corresponding field in the database that had no default value defined. As of this version, FlowHeater will check during the test run whether a field may be assigned a DataBase NULL (DBNULL) value and if not issue a relevant warning.
  • Support for Oracle 12c databases:
  • The third-party FlowHeater database driver for access to Oracle databases has been updated and now provides support for the latest Oracle databases/servers up to version 12c.
  • Migration to .NET 3.5:
  • As of FlowHeater version 3.5 the development basis is updated to support .NET Framework 2.0 to 3.5. Developers who integrate their own DLLs (DataTable Adapter, .NET Script Heater) can now integrate .NET DLLs of versions 2.0 thru 3.5.

New in FlowHeater 3.3.4 (May 10, 2014)

  • Excel and TextFile Adapters with dynamic column recognition

New in FlowHeater 3.3.1 (Jan 6, 2014)

  • Access to Excel sheets via index

New in FlowHeater 3.3.0 (Dec 2, 2013)

  • vCard (line based) text file support

New in FlowHeater 3.1.0 (May 2, 2013)

  • Multi Adapter Support

New in FlowHeater 3.0.0 (Apr 11, 2013)

  • Improved Oracle Adapter, Runtime Versions

New in FlowHeater 2.5.1 (Dec 3, 2012)

  • Supporting Windows 8 and Windows 2012 Server

New in FlowHeater 2.5.0 (Oct 8, 2012)

  • Supporting for SQLite and PostgreSQL databases