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LMD-Tools Special Edition Changelog

What's new in LMD-Tools Special Edition 2013

Jan 11, 2013
  • Support for IDEs and operating systems:
  • Compatible with Delphi and C++ Builder XE2 + XE3, including 64bit support for XE2 and higher! The next Delphi/C++Builder release will be support almost immediately after public availability.
  • Supported IDEs:
  • Delphi 6, 7, Delphi 2005 - 2010, XE, XE2, XE3
  • C++ Builder 6, 2006 - 2010, XE, XE2, XE3
  • Delphi 2005.NET - Delphi 2007.NET
  • Turbo (2006) Professional versions for Delphi, C++ and Delphi.NET
  • All corresponding Studio Products (BDS 2006, CRS 2007, CRS 2009, RAD Studio 2010, XE, XE2 etc.)
  • Supported operating systems
  • Win98 and WinNT4 or better (including Windows 7 + 8).
  • For recent Delphi releases LMD VCL package support same platforms as the VCL which is included in the IDE (e.g. Delphi 2009 officially supports Win2k or better only).
  • 64bit support (Delphi XE2 and higher)
  • All packages were ported to 64bit. Exception: Compatibility controls (dcllmdlegacy) can not be used in 64bit applications.
  • Package naming conventions
  • Sinde LMD VCL 2012 package names have been changed to be more consistent with VCL naming convention. LMD version number and IDE version number were removed from package names. Runtime package names are prefixed now with "lmdrt", design-time package names with "dcllmd". Some examples of generated package file names are: lmdrtdocking.dcp, lmdrtdocking.bpi, lmdrtdocking.lib, dcllmddocking.dcp, dcllmddocking.bpi, dcllmddocking.lib. IDE version suffix is still included in generated "bpl", e.g. lmdrtdocking_170.bpl.
  • This change simplifies porting projects (supposed they are compiled with run-time packages) to another IDE version. Since package references contain neither IDE version nor LMD platform version, migrating to a future IDE version will require no changes.
  • LMD 2013 Reg Utility:
  • On user request the new 2013 RegUtility installier copy all files to the %APPDATA%\LMD Innovative folder (instead of system folder in previous release). As known from previous releases the new reg utilities recognize earlier license files (regardless whether they are stored in system or appdata folder), so that only one reg utility is required for current and previous licenses.
  • LMD 2013 DevUtil:
  • The DevUtil tool (available for LMD VCL Complete Subscription customers with SVN access) was improved. It is now easier than ever to switch between different workspaces (sets of component packages), even leaving the current IDE is no longer required! All new functionality will be described on the [LMD VCL - DevUtil|DevUtil description] page.
  • Free license of NG 2013 packages/Suite:
  • LMD-Tools, ElPack and LMD IDE-Tools user will receive a subset of the new NG Controls suite (e.g. DialogPack). LMD VCL Complete user will receive license for all 4 new packages (LMD Serialization Pack, DialogPack, ValidatorPack and HTMLPack).
  • Requesting Previous Licenses:
  • Any registered LMD 2013 customer can request any license back to LMD-Tools 8, ElPack 6 and IDE-Tools 1 (for Delphi 5 support or compatibility issues). Earlier licenses are not available.
  • LMD Tools:
  • General:
  • Integration of Touch based features where missing (Touch property, OnGesture Events etc.)
  • Continued and improved support for VCL Styles (available in Delphi/C++ Builder XE2 and higer)
  • Support of new operating systems (Windows 2012 Server, Windows 8)
  • LMDProcs.pas:
  • TLMDPathPrefix - new items: ppAppData, ppCommonAppData, ppUser, ppCommonDocuments
  • LMDCreatePathPrefix was extended to support new PathPrefix identifiers
  • LMDShUtils:
  • TLMDSystemFolder (and TLMDRootFolder) - new Items: fCommonAppData, sfCommonDocuments
  • LMDSysIn.pas:
  • New platform types (TLMDSysPlatform): pfWin2008server, pfWin2008R2Server, pfWin8, fWin2012Server
  • New global variables: LMDSIWindows8, LMDSIWindowsWindows8Up
  • Controls:
  • TLMDIniCtrl: New target XML. Besides that, helper routines for several cases were added (e.g. check, whether registry can be written in usermode (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE), %APPDATA% path etc.).
  • TLMDPageControl enhancements (colors for tabs etc.)
  • Enhancements for system controls like TLMDStarter + TLMDOneInstance
  • New system controls like TLMDClipBoard
  • TLMDToolBar: LMDToolbar flyout feature, Customize dialog, enhanced component editor
  • ListBox + ComboBox controls: Several new features like gradient lines and headers added
  • On user request for several controls ValueList support was added (e.g. ComboBox controls)
  • LMD DockingPack:
  • Extensive rework of internal engine and support of enhanced new and unique features (like e.g. tabbed document zones, advanced hotspot areas) to continue our aim to provide the best available docking solution for Delphi/C++Builder!
  • New features are:
  • New tabbed documents feature, which allows to organize application documents in tabs - just like in Delphi or Microsoft™ Visual Studio!
  • Fully reworked style engine: stretchable 32-bit bitmaps which are based on XML style definitions.
  • New TLMDDockManager.UseTabbedDocs property which allows to turn tabbed documents feature on/off.
  • New TLMDDockPanel.ClientKind property, which allows to specify whether the panel is part of the document area.
  • New TLMDDockManager.OnGetClientKind event, which allows to specify whether the client (including non-panel clients) is a tool panel or a document.
  • New big-cross hotspot and its additional active areas (hsaDocsLeft, hsaDocsTop, hsaDocsRight, hsaDocsBottom) which reflect new tabbed documents feature.
  • New Metropolis VS2012 style. VS2010 and VS2005 styles were also updated.
  • Old TLMDDockManager.Style property and all its sub-properties are no longer available. It has been replaced with new public TLMDDockManager.Style property, which is a reference to the engine style object. New StyleName published property for design-time access.
  • New TLMDDockPanel.OnClose event with CloseAction var parameter. New Release method, which allows asynchronous destruction of the panel (like in TForm).
  • Floating form maximization feature preview (not finished yet, will be finalized until LMD 2013.1 platform release).
  • Panel client area invalidation has been improved to reduce child controls re-drawings.
  • Other Packages:
  • Besides DockingPack most extensive changes will be performed on LMD RichPack and LMD StoragePack (changes might be available in initial LMD 2013.0 release).

New in LMD-Tools Special Edition 10.11 (May 20, 2010)

  • Compatibility with Delphi/C++ Builder 2010
  • Support for Delphi/CBuilder 5 and Delphi 8 was dropped (licenses for older releases are as always included, though).
  • This resulted in code cleanup and optimization, because much redundant legacy code could be removed.
  • Number of LMD-Tools editions was reduced to 2 (LMD-Tools SE and LMD-Tools, which is equal to previous LMD-Tools CE licenses minus DesignPack/ScriptPack)
  • LMD 2010 Shared Runtime:
  • LMD-Tools, LMD ElPack and LMD IDE-Tools share the same core runtime. This avoids redundant code and provides common advanced features for all major LMD products. This includes a shared Unicode library, improved HTMLRenderer (including support for display of TGraphic descendants) and shared imagelist support (all main LMD imagelist container are part of the LMD Shared Runtime packages), advanced designtime support (completely new editors for all LMD container controls, new splashscreen and configuration dialog, new component editor for TLMDGraphicList), shared component packages like LMD LogTools, LMD PrintPack, LMD InspectorPack and much more.
  • Updated Hint Controls:
  • LMD Hint Controls got a massive Update in technical (-> drawing mechanism, e.g. using regions ) and functional way (e.g. many new visual styles and HTML support). Besides that a new advanced HintSystem for displaying any number of hints was introduced. Finally hint processing was unified with LMD ElPack (e.g. Unicode support). New features are among others are:
  • Titles
  • Icon/Glyph support
  • Customizable close buttons
  • HTML Support (with images, clickable links, etc)
  • Background gradients
  • Customizable hint nose shape
  • Support of system shadows
  • Vista look.
  • N-Hint controls: A new component LMDMessageHintController was introduced. It allows to design a collection of hints and display them all at once or grouped via their group index settings
  • Vista style controls and support:
  • Support of Vista features - even in IDEs before Delphi/C++ 2010! Use TLMDVistaFormExtension, TLMDFormGlass, TLMDFileOpen- and TLMDFileSaveDialog to add features not available in older Delphi/C++ releases. Besides that methods for Vista and Aero Glass detection are provided. Includes updated TLMDTaskDialog (now with HTML and Unicode support) - use vista style dialogs even on non-Vista systems!
  • New shared packages:
  • LMD-Tools contains new additional packages:
  • LMD InspectorPack: Powerful Object Inspector component
  • LMD PlugInPack: Plugin Infrastructure for your projects. Allows to extend your applications with custom modules (Win32 only)
  • LMD LogTools: Advanced logging services, for use with the AnyLogger client (when available, the local AnyLogger Client will be free for all customers who purchased a main LMD 2010 VCL product (LMD-Tools, LMD ElPack, IDE-Tools or VCL Complete).
  • Besides that existing shared packages like LMD PrintPack were improved.
  • Validator, XML and regular expression support:
  • The LMD 2010 Shared Runtime contains a XML support library, which is extremly fast, fully unicode-enabled and which adds only a small footprint to your Exe-files. XML data can be loaded from files, custom streams, resources or strings. Like other new support libraries this one is written completely in Pascal - no need for additional DLL's or Object files.
  • Besides that Regular Expression evaluation support was updated! The RegEx support from previous version was replaced by a new unicode-enabled native RegEx library with PRCE compatible syntax.
  • New: Validator controls: Except TLMDHintErrorProvider (lmdcore package) all Validator and Error Provider controls are now included in lmdrtlx package and can be shared among LMD-Tools and LMD ElPack.
  • Improved ThemeEngine support:
  • The native ThemeEngine of LMD-Tools 9 was improved and is part of to the LMD 2010 Shared Runtime. Like in previous releases any .MSStyles theme file can be used at runtime. Such .MSStyles can be also encapsulated in compressed CAB files.
  • But unlike previous releases this feature can be enabled/disabled dynamically at runtime. No more Theme switches and recompilation of library code, but a separate package which you can decide to use or not at runtime. E.g. creating applications which automatically uses *.MSStyles themes on non-themed platforms (like Win2k) and system themes on themed platforms (like WinXP/Vista) is now a snap.
  • Native PNG and TLMDBitmap support, compression formats:
  • The LMD 2010 Runtime includes native support for PNG files (as TGraphic implementation and with TLMDPNGImageList control). PNG files can be used in your apps like any other TGraphic formats like TBitmap or TJpeg. Besides that the new TLMDBitmap class was introduced, which is derived from TBitmap and mainly utilizes the Windows built-in OleLoadPicture function. GIF, JPEG, Icon or Bitmap Files can be loaded without additional special VCL libs (features are not available In VCL.NET, because support of different graphic formats is available through ImageFormat in TBitmap property already.
  • Support for additional compression formats was added. Besides LZRW and other simple compression formats, which were supported already in previous releases, two new major compression formats are available: On the one hand ZLlib support, which is similar to the known implementation with C++ object files - except that it is a true native Pascal solution which was also ported to VCL.NET. Using ZLIB compression any kind of data (including TStream objects) is possible. On the other hand support of compressing/decompressing CAB files was added as well.
  • SVN access and DevUtil support:
  • LMD-Tools can be purchased as standalone package or as part of LMD VCL Complete. The LMD VCL Complete Package includes all LMD 2010 VCL(.NET) packages distributed by LMD Innovative. This product is also available as Subscription release with SVN access (the LMD-Tools source repository). The LMD VCL 2010 source branch is quite complex with three main products and various sub- and standalone packages: Therefore LMD DevUtil was created, which allows simple and fast compiling and installing of any possible package combination (check DevUtil instructions for more info) into any supported IDE. This is a complete automated process and saves a lot of time against compiling and installing the package within the IDE by loading project groups.

New in LMD-Tools Special Edition 9.02 (Nov 24, 2008)

  • LMD-Tools Freeware Edition. Contains demo package, but no help file. Please get help package from LMD-Tools section below, where compiled demo apps can be found as well.
  • Special note for existing User
  • LMD-Tools SE 7.1 and LMD-Tools SE 9.0 provide a different set of components. If you rely on certain controls in your existing projects, please check first Comparison Sheet.
  • This is a LMD 2009 release and should not be used at the same time with LMD 2003/LMD 2007 release packages, e.g. LMD-Tools 7/8 (SE) or ElPack 5/6. Make sure you update either to latest version or use our free LMDPackUtil utility to switch between different package settings.
  • C++Builder (2006/2007) installers include files for Delphi and C++ Builder personalities.

New in LMD-Tools Special Edition 9.01 (Oct 21, 2008)

  • Sizing for the case when icon or close button are shown fixed;
  • Gradient fixed;
  • HTML rendering over gradient background fixed.
  • LMDClock:
  • CustomDateTimeFormat was ignored when UseCustomDateTime = true for ClockMode in [cmStopwatch, cmCountdown] - fixed.
  • LMDHTMLUnit:
  • Exact font sizing in pixels (was implemented earlier in older ElPack html render) was broken - fixed.

New in LMD-Tools Special Edition 8.03.10 (Jan 15, 2008)

  • Up to 30 new controls in LMD-Tools CE!
  • Complete new common LMD 2007 Runtime (shared with LMD ElPack 6)
  • Support of Vista features - even in IDEs before Delphi/C 2007! Including updated TLMDTaskDialog (now with HTML and Unicode support) - use vista style dialogs even on non-Vista systems!
  • New theme engine! Use any standard .MSStyles file to apply themes/skinning to you applications. Note: Use of ThemeEngine is fully optional. Sourcecode user can switch off themes support with one compiler switch.
  • Unicode support for several controls, unicode routines in shared runtime, Form Wizard for generating forms with unicode enabled captions.
  • New native, unicode enabled RegExpression engine
  • New native PNG support!
  • New native XML engine
  • New native ZLIB support (no use of C object files!)
  • New Cab-files compression support
  • New TLMDBitmap class which allows loading of JPEG, GIF and other image formats without need of additional supporter files.
  • New HTML Renderer engine with image/link support
  • New LMD ChartPack package for LMD-Tools CE user!
  • New TLMDMLGen component for template generated data output
  • Updated standalone packages: E.g. LMD ScriptPack and LMD DesignPack in updated versions with many new features!