May 24, 2001 — Helix Technologies announces the immediate availability of Helix version 5.0.2. This version included no new features; it is intended to address specific bugs in Helix 5.0/5.0.1.
The fixes address problems with Conditional Color, Fixed Point Multiplication, Edit Key Functionality, Constant Based Lookups, and Apple Event Awareness. Details on the specifics of these fixes can be found in the release notes that accompany the installer.
Thank you,
The Helix 5.0.2 Team
Helix 5.0.2 is the second maintenance release of the Helix 5 product family. This release adds no new features, but includes a number of bug fixes that have been incorporated into this latest code.
Helix 5.0.2 is a free update for all owners of previous Helix 5 products. Owners of previous Helix version who wish to use Helix 5.0.2 with their collections will have to purchase the Helix 5.0.2 upgrade.
Helix 5.0.2 Requires Collection Update
Collections must be updated before they can be opened with Helix 5.0.2. Once a collection is updated to work with Helix 5.0.2 there is no way to use it with an earlier version of Helix, including Helix 5.0 & 5.0.1. There is no way to revert a collection back to Helix 5.0.1 or earlier once it has been updated to Helix 5.0.2.
Defect Reporting via Helix TCP/IP Client
With the release of Helix 5.0.2, we are also introducing a new method for you to get technical support and to submit bug reports. If you have an internet connection that can connect with a Helix Server via TCP/IP, just launch Helix Client 5.0.2 and Visit the Helix Server at IP Address 209.50.129.50. When prompted for a user name, enter “Guest” (no password is required). You will be connected to our Helix Technical Support Server and should find that it works just like a Helix based application should. (Note that this also gives you a method of testing Helix TCP/IP connectivity and performance from any location.
Conditional Color
Even though no code changes had been made to conditional color code in versions 4.5.3 through 5.0.1 of Helix Client/Server, it has been reported that conditional color behavior was changing from version to version. To be frank, the code in Helix that drives this feature was not very well thought out, nor is it well implemented. There is still much work to do to bring the conditional color feature to the level of performance we desire, but this version should result at the very least in all collections functioning consistently. Some “new code” was added (i.e.: handling rectangle frames) but it was determined that an attempt to completely correct the problems with conditional color would delay this release beyond reason. Helix 5.0.2 represents our first attempt to address this area of the Helix code.
Also note: the term “conditional color” is a bit of a misnomer. Because you can also change font, size, style, and other attributes (as well as color) of text within data rectangles, the term “conditional attributes” will be used in these release notes to refer to what has historically been termed “conditional color.” the term “conditional color will be used only in instances where font data is meaningless (e.g.: frame and background color).
- Rectangle Frames Did Not Reflect Specified Conditions(D360)
In all versions of Helix prior to 5.0.2, conditional colors assigned to rectangle frames were ignored. This has been fixed: conditional color applied to the frame of a rectangle will now properly change the color of the frame.
Note: Because it was possible to specify frame colors in prior versions of Helix — even though there was never any code in Helix to conditionally change the frame color — it is possible that a collection designer may have specified conditional frame color changes even though they would have no effect. If you see rectangle frames appearing in an unfamiliar color in Helix 5.0.2, check the conditional attributes that are specified for that rectangle’s frame.
Because Helix draws objects on screen in “left to right, top to bottom” order, rectangle frames that butt up against adjacent frames may not draw as expected. - Color Fails When Scrolling Lists: Client/Server Only (D358)
The specific problem addressed here is the behavior that occurs after a list is initially drawn on screen. Conditional attributes were correctly applied to the records seen in the initial screen of information, but scrolling from page to page (or even using the Collapse Box to collapse and expand the view) would result in inaccurate conditional attributes in the data rectangles. This has been fixed, and there should be no cases where scrolling from place to place in a view will result in inaccurate conditional attributes being displayed.
Fixed Point multiplied by 0 = undefined (D625)
Beginning with version 4.5.3 of the Helix products, when a Fixed Point field is multiplied by 0, the result is undefined. It now returns 0, returning Helix to the behavior of versions prior to 4.5.3.
Edit Keys Fail When View is First Opened (D691)
In Helix 5.0, the edit keys (Page Up, Page Down, Home, End) did not work correctly when a list view was first opened. It was necessary to click in the view before they would work. This has been fixed.
Helix RADE is not Remote High Level Events Aware (D695)
Helix RADE 5.0 was inadvertently compiled with the “Accept Remote High Level Events” option turned off. This prevented some third party applications that use Helix’s Apple Event mechanisms from working properly. This has been fixed, and now all Helix products accept both Local and Remote high level events.
Lookups to Constant Data Inaccurate on Open Lists (D682)
In Helix 5.0 & 5.0.1 (and earlier), a rare combination of factors contributed to a difficult to fix bug. Specifically, if data on a list was based on values that were derived from a lookup tile that used a constant (typically username or true) the data in that list would not always correctly update the list if it was open at the time the data was changed. This could be worked around by using a “Max value for constant = constant” construction, or by closing and reopening the list, but the code should have worked as expected.
Note: Helix Client v5.0.2 as included in the installer package does not completely solve this issue, although it improves the situation greatly. If you continue to experience this problem after updating to Helix 5.0.2, download Helix Client 5.0.2a.
Below you will find a brief description of Helix 5 features. For clarification, please review our Release Notes located on the web site. Each listing shows the location where the feature can be referenced in the Release Notes (RN).
Client/Server TCP/IP Functionality (RN pg. 10)
The Helix 5 Client and Server applications include the ability to communicate with Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). With TCP/IP enabled, a Helix Client running on a Macintosh with a connection to the Internet can login to a Helix Server anywhere in the world, provided the Server has connectivity. In all cases where Helix automatically determines time, it uses the Server’s clock to determine the time for the Client.
Ramjet (RN pg. 14)
Ramjet is built into Helix RADE, Server, Engine, and Utility. Ramjet has the ability to load a complete collection entirely into Random Access Memory (RAM), providing the functionality of a traditional RAM Disk without the setup or operational overhead. Ramjet refers to a portion of memory which Helix sets aside to create a virtual (i.e. memory based) disk. Reading from and writing to a physical hard disk is much slower than to memory, and this is why Ramjet speeds up performance. Activating Ramjet can speed up program execution dramatically.
Dump Ordered (HTML) Output (RN pg. 20)
Dump Ordered Output dumps data in the order in which it appears on the template. The intent of this feature is to make it easier to create ordered output directly from Helix. This new feature also includes an additional attribute setting which, when used in conjunction with the new attribute settings for data rectangles, enables the collection designer to tag data rectangles present on the template. The collection designer is still responsible for creating the HTML header and footer data need to create complete HTML files. But by automating the insertion of tags within a list, this new feature should make the task significantly easier.
Improved AutoSave (RN pg. 26)
The AutoSave feature has been enhanced. The timer is based on absolute time as opposed to the former version’s relative time. The timing sliders have been replaced with fields that are much easier to set. Apple Event Access Improvements (RN pg. 27) The Apple Event retrieve event now triggers posts that are attached to the "Dump" column of the view when records are retrieved.
The Apple Event retrieves no longer return delimiters if they have been deselected in the Dump Options dialog.
Apple Event deletes now properly check the record locking status of the records before deleting them. When multiple records are deleted via an Apple Event, the event will report an error.
The One Time Store now supports passwords.
The tabbing level for all data is increased by one, when sending an extra "true" at the end of the parameter list.
Data Damage Repair (RN pg. 29)
Data Damage Repair is an option that was added to Helix Utility. Data Damage Repair automatically completes the repeated Data Damage Checks until all errors in a collection are fixed, damaged records need to be removed, or fatal errors are encountered. The error and repair dialog boxes that appear in Data Damage Check do not show up when using Data Damage Repair, except repairs requiring a deletion of data will stop and present the same dialog that Data Damage Check would present.
Improved Visual Environment (RN pg. 29)
Some dialogs in RADE have been made Platinum to make Helix fully compliant with Apple’s Platinum interface.
When designing templates, border, repeat, and page rectangles can be sized smaller than 12 pixels. The minimum size is now 2 x 2. Views could not be sized smaller than 80 pixels, the minimum size is now 16 x 16.
The selection list area of the abacus window has been enlarged. All of the abacus tiles and titles can be read in the viewable area.
The four slot machines in the Paste Structure Options dialog have been widened to show more of the icon names. The dialog now requires a monitor with resolution of at least 640 x 480.
The Edit User dialog has been revised for the new Function keys. Some of the items in the dialog have moved and the slot machine has been widened significantly.
Improved Navigation (RN pg. 31)
Function keys F1-F12 have been added to the user custom menu shortcut options.
The page up, page down, home, end, and help keys are now functional in the collection, abacus, view and index windows. Arrow keys now function as one-key commands to perform Find first, Find Next, Find Previous, Find Last on entry views.
Miscellaneous Improvements (RN pg. 34)
Data can now be loaded up to 10 times faster.
The "Update Info" button in the Client, Server, and full Mode Information windows is now the default button.
Helix 5.0 introduces preference files for storing certain settings. For example, Server has two preference files. Separate preference files are created for each of the network configurations.
Info Dump File Creator Change (RN pg. 35)
The text files created by the "Dump Collection Info…" and "Dump Relation Info…" commands now create BBEdit files rather than SimpleText files.