# Presentation: 833599

## Status of VDCT

- Mark Pleško, Matej Šekoranja, John Maclean

- EPICS Meeting – Japan, 2004

## Builds 2.4.1247 and 2.4.1249

-  Mainly bugfixes (some):
-  An invalid link can be displayed as a link because VDCT appears to be case-insensitive even though EPICS requires field names to be upper-case
-  A minor problem: VME_IO I/O fields are required to have a trailing **@** parameter according to VDCT. e.g. it demands an address **#C0 S0 @** rather than **#C0 S0**.
-  **VAL** field is always shown in inspector (some DBD do not have prompt_gui defined).
-  This is really important - novices can easily overwrite a **.dbd** file because VDCT always seems to take the last used file extension as the default. So the first save operation of your new **.db** file will attempt to overwrite the **.dbd** file you have just opened, by default.

## Package D1 - build 2.4.1250

-  Funded by ORNL, some new features:
-  Command-line tool for flattening hierarchical databases
- > ***java -cp VisualDCT.jar com.cosylab.vdct.GenerateFlatDatabase***
- Usage: flatdb [OPTION]... input.vdb output.db
- Options:
-  -d or --dbd-file input.dbd
-    loads a specific .dbd file before generating flat database
-  --enable-global-macros and --disable-global-macros
-    enables or disables global macro evaluation
-  --enable-capfast and --disable-capfast
-    enables or disables production of hierarhical names like CapFast
-  -h or --help
-    displays these lines here
-  -v or --version
-    display version of this tool

## Package D1 - build 2.4.1250 (cont.)

-  Popup for common actions
-  User settable screen pan direction and double-click speed
-  Speed up move

## Package D1 - build 2.4.1250 (cont.)

-  Morphing (changing type of the record)
-  Connectors undo managing
-  Local/global macro property (macro propagation depth)
-  Meaningful template instance name (created using template file name)
-  Link highlighting (link is highlighted on mouse-over event)
-  Allow option on record name length limit
-  Resize (move record up) record text area and not move link area
-  Storing DBD path names (absolute, relative, variables supported)

## Package D1 - build 2.4.1250 (cont.)

-  Bug fixes:
-  VDCT strips \ character from field definitions
-  DTYP field need not be defined before DBF_INPUT/DBF_OUTPUT fields
-  VDCT incorrectly converts DISV="1" and UDF="1"
-  VDCT gives a warning that *Value '' is not valid for menu 'menuYesNo'*
-  The console does not popup on error as advertised and as it should
-  The grid changes with the zoom level
-  Macros aren't always substituted
-  Macros should not applied on template instance names
-  External links have wrong description

## Package D2 (prerelease) - build 2.4.1256

-  Funded by DLS, again new features:
-  Check for configuration files of the plug-ins also in system directory
-   Editable combo box
- Remember all prefixes entered so far (part of the name before last ':')  and offer them when creating a new record or renaming an existing one. This simplifies typing of the new record names like “$(crate):$(valve):record_name”.
-   Make VDCT debug work with the latest JCA 2 (JNI and CAJ)
- 	Available at: http://visualdct.cosylab.com/builds/VisualDCT-JCADebugPlugin/

## Package D2 (prerelease) - build 2.4.1256 (cont.)

-  Search for a record in a record list

## Package D2 (prerelease) - build 2.4.1256 (cont.)

-  Provide *application runner plug-in*
-   Application runner plug-in, runs external applications from the VDCT.
-   A menu Tools->Applications menu item is added. Config done using plug-ins config file.

-  Configurable canvas size
-  Visibility of the fields
-  Don't show fields in text area if they are links

## Package D2 (prerelease) - build 2.4.1256 (cont.)

-  Crossing avoidance

- No crossing at ‘link columns’ 

## Package D2 (prerelease) - build 2.4.1256 (cont.)

-  Override fields of an already imported record
-  Copy-paste a field value from a record
- Using standard key bindings
- (CTRL-C, CTRL-V CTRL-X).
- Also compatible with *MS Excel* and *OO Calc*.
-  Print with legend
-  ... and other minor things and bug fixes

## Package D2 (prerelease) - build 2.4.1256 (cont.)

-  To be done:
-  Interface for application plug in and implementations for:
-  Alarm handler
-  Archiver
-  This will simplify creation of configuration files for external EPICS apps

## Other issues

-  Printing (configuration problems?)
-  Make some settings to be configured per database since different  configurations can lead to different layouts, *e.g. canvas size, crossing avoidance,...*
-  ... and other – all are welcome to point them out
- Send bug reports to **bug@visualdct.cosylab.com**
- VDCT discussion/help mailing list **http://lists.cosylab.com/**

## Examples from APS

## Axamples from APS 2