Stadium 4.1.2630.5781 is available

Stadium 4.1.2630.5781 can be downloaded from the Twenty57 website. It contains 3 bug fixes and a couple of small features

• The User's last logged in date and time is  displayed on the Manage Users Screen
• The User table can now be sorted by any of the columns. This allows you to quickly see which users haven't logged in recently
• The Add Role pop-up size on the Edit Application page has been increased to make it easier to work with
• Panel Background colour no longer being lost on a partial page postback
• Panel Background colour displaying correctly for non web standard colours
• Upload File Control error: File not Found, when the Upload file control is inside a panel which is refreshed has been fixed. If your panel is not being refreshed or your Upload File Control is not inside a panel, you won't get this error

Thank you to Ryan for the dev work

Stadium 4.1.2623.5766 is available

Stadium 4.1.2623.5766 is available. It can be downloaded from the Twenty57 website.

This release is full of new features and a couple of fixes. Some of this functionality is very new (like the Image Viewer crop) so there may still be some kinks in how it works that we need to sort out. Please keep this in mind when using this and test everything extensively. And if you find issues log them on Zendesk and we'll do our best to solve them! A very big thank you to Ryan and Jai for making all the magic happen.

Features

• Show busy icon when clicking the upload button on a Upload File control
• Show busy icon when clicking other buttons and links on a page with an Upload File control
• Improved handling in Firefox and Chrome for the following: Message box button clicks, rendering panel colours correctly, showing disabled links clearly, report viewer controls
• Add last logged in time to user table. This value is not visible from the UI. It is a new field in the User table and has been included in the standard view dbo.UserApplicationRoleAccessRight
• The Display Message Box control is better positioned on the screen if the message is very long. You can also now resize it and move it as required
• Export to Excel from Grids now include the command sep= in the first line to tell Excel to use the comma as the separator. If the Regional settings list separator is something else, Excel won't open a csv file correctly. This doesn't affect the file in Excel at all, but if you are opening it in a text editor or using this file in another process be aware that you must ignore the first line. We haven't done the same thing to the Export to Excel action at this stage
• Database Column types Image (deprecated), varbinary(max) and blob (Oracle) are now supported in Data Grids, Child Grids and the Gallery control. There is a new column type option DBImage. If the binary data in this column can be displayed as an image, stadium will display the image. If not, you will see the Image error icon. The column type is not generated automatically in the designer because we can't guarantee that every varbinary/blob column is actually an image
• The Image Viewer Component now allows you to crop part of an image and save it to a predetermined file path. You need to enter a file path and name in order to see the crop and save buttons. Once the image is saved using the Save icon on the Image Viewer in the UI,  the save file path is a parameter that can be passed around Stadium
• It is possible to test SQL/Oracle Queries from the designer. The Command Editor now allows you to add test values for any parameter. These values are not saved when you save your query. Click the Test SQL Query button and the syntax is verified and results (if any) returned. We do execute the query against SQL/Oracle so any inserts and updates will occur in the target table. It also works for stored procedures. It isn't possible to test a filter against a grid using this functionality
• Specify input parameters on a RDL Viewer (local mode report). If the parameter values specified can be matched to available options the report will generate automatically when the page loads. You have to specify the name of the parameter EXACTLY in the parameter editor
• New property on Data Grid, DatabasePagingSortDirection. This setting allows you to set the Default sort order of your data when using Server Side paging. No additional Server Side paging tags are required. The default is Ascending. The other option is Descending
• User Controls can now be refreshed by the RefreshControls action. Only the controls inside the User Control that can be refreshed will be affected
• Panels can now be refreshed using the RefreshControls action. Both the controls inside the panel that can be refreshed will be refreshed as well the panel properties like Visible, Title etc. The Collapsible property has been excluded from the Refresh action
• Add Option on SetVariable Action. If selected the value will be added to the variable (1+1 = 2). Int and Decimal variable types are supported for this. You can also pass numbers using the string type. Other types and non numeric values in a string type will give an error
• New Action RefreshPage. This is a F5 type page refresh. This performs a double postback on the page so use it sparingly! It WILL make your page load slower. If the option exists to use a RefreshControl instead, then do it

Fixes

• Connection time out handled correctly on all grids
• Ensure Report Viewer Run Button is disabled when Report is generating - A Report generating... message is shown while it is processing
• A filter applying a value to an amount/number column now accepts a space as the thousand separator (1 000 will work and not give an error)
• Ensure variables assigned to a text value aren't assigned to a similarly named second variable in the Set Variable action

Stadium 4.1.2592.5681 is available

You can download it from the Twenty57 site. It contains to 2 fixes. A big thanks to Ryan for solving these issues.

• Sort Grid Object Reference error when a filter  on a grid returns no data
• Session Parameters can be used as an input into a control that can be refreshed using the Refresh Controls Action (Data Grid, Details View, Tree View). This allows you to set them and use them on the same page
  
  • Data Input can also be refreshed but it won't work with a session parameter.
  • NB: You have to be able to refresh the control in order to use a session parameter with it on the same page. Otherwise you'll need to do a Navigate to Page to force a complete page reload

Keep an eye out for the bumper release at the end of November/beginning of December!

Stadium 4.1.2590.5676 is available

*Version 4.1.2589.5674 has been replace by 4.1.2590.5676 on the Twenty57 website. There is a fix for an object reference error caused by the optional keys for the Auto Login functionality not being present in the web.config file. Everything else is the same*

It can be downloaded from the Twenty57 website. Remember, if you are upgrading from version 4.1.2344.5213 (Oct 2013) or earlier, you will need to uninstall your existing version and do a clean install of this version due to the change in the install flag 'All Users' in build 4.1.2540.5563. It contains the following features and fixes

• Custom Css style sheet for each Theme.
  
  • The folder Custom containing the file Custom.css will be created in each Theme folder if it does not exist. If it does exist it won't be changed in any way in subsequent upgrades, preserving your customisations
  • If you have customised your css in any way, please move the classes with the customisations into this file. It has a higher precedence than the standard css so if Stadium finds styling in the custom css file, it will be used rather than the standard styles
• Improved load speed on the combo box
  
  • This has changed the css (new and amended classes). If you need the css please let know and I will send it to you
• URL Viewer improvements - included in the Stadium timeout calculations; busy icon shown while content is loaded,; page position refreshes when the content changes
• Upload File Control - Specify File Type. New property  AllowedExtensions. Default is empty (all files allowed). Specify a comma separated list of allowed types eg csv,txt,pdf
  
  • Control displays a list of allowed types on the UI. If the user uploads a different type, they will get an error and the file won't upload
• Variables can be typed as String, Int, Decimal, Boolean (accepts True/False or 1/0) or Datetime.
  
  • All existing variables are String and String is the default
  • If you try to pass a value not of the correct type to the variable you will get an error
• Debugging (similar to the functionality found in Stadium 2) has been added. When enabled it shows the parameters and Control Stack for the page
  
  • Menu item under Admin. Access to the Debugging menu is controlled via the Site Roles functionality. All existing Site Roles have the right by default
  • Requires a Database Update and also includes new css
• Merge functionality includes Session Parameters and Global Format Conditions
• You can now continue the Stadium install on a PC that doesn't have IIS. You won't have the option to install the Virtual Directory though. You can install the designer, database and web application still. If you want the Directory later, enable IIS and create it manually or rerun the install and select the Virtual Directory.
• Some work done to make Stadium 4 compatible with Chrome and Firefox. We're only targeting these 2 browsers for now
  
  • Dependent drop downs now work in Chrome and Firefox
  • Various Open File scenarios (open from a link in a grid, file path set using a variable/parameter/custom setting) have been addressed
  • We'll slowly try to fix known issues as and when they arise but full compatibility is unlikely at this stage. If you find something not working in Chrome or Firefox log it on Zendesk and I will see what we can do.
• New auto login feature using AEDES encryption
  
  • Allows you to navigate to Stadium from a link in another application and be logged into Stadium automatically
  • The username from the source application is encrypted, passed to Stadium and needs to match a username in the Stadium Database
  • Stadium does not check the users password at all so the security is as weak or strong as the security on the source application
  • This is designed to be used with a POST method for better security rather than with GET
  • Stadium needs to use Forms Authentication
  • Add the following settings to your web.config file
  
  
  <add key="AutoLoginEnabled" value="true" />
  <add key="AutoLoginEncryptionKey" value="1234567890abcdef" />
  <add key="AutoLoginReturnURL" value="http://www.theirloginurl.com" />
  
  
  •  If AutoLoginEnabled is set to true, then it will be enabled.
  • If auto login is enabled, an AutoLoginEncryptionKey must be provided. It must be 16 characters long and can be any combination of alphanumeric characters - e.g. f23456a8901ZX45t. Both Stadium and the source application need to have the same encryption key
  • If no AutoLoginReturnURL is provided, Stadium will redirect to the normal login page. The auto login URL is the page the user will be directed to if the session expires

Stadium 4.1.2557.5603 is available

Stadium 4.1.2557.5603 is available for download from the Twenty57 website. It contains the following features and fixes. Thank you to Ryan for all the development work.

• URL Viewer sizes to the content if the height and width properties are left empty (default values)
  
  • If the width is less than Stadium then it sizes to Stadium's width
  • Specifying the height and width in pixels or percentages will work the same way as before
•  See what access rights are applied to which pages and controls by exporting a file from the designer
  
  • Select File>Generate Access Rights Summary
  • A csv file is written to the same folder that the SAP file is saved too
• Image Viewer Zoom to Fit option. The image will be automatically resized to fit the container without scroll bars
  
  • Property on the control with a Default Value of True
  • Button on the Image Viewer for the User to remove all zoom and fit the image to the container
• Warn the user that not all functionality may work as expected if they are accessing Stadium from a browser other than Internet Explorer
• OR join option for the Specify Conditions Operator
  
  • The first condition must be AND. If you delete the first condition and the second condition is OR, it will automatically be made AND
  • AND is evaluated before OR so C1 OR C2 AND C3 will be C1 OR (C2 AND C3)
• Copy between SAP file is working again
  
  • Both SAP Files need to be open. Right Click the page you want to copy and drag it onto the Pages node of the second sap file. Release the mouse and Select 'Copy'
• Validations linked to a stand alone button are now working in a User Control

We are going to investigate the possibility of upgrading Stadium 4 to .net Framework 4.5. This will allow us to make use of newer versions of the ASP.net controls which may make other browser support more feasible. No guarantees at this stage though! It does mean we will potentially need to drop support for IE 7 and 8. Please let me know what version of IE your clients are using with Stadium 4 if you haven't yet done so. Any changes to supported operating systems and browsers will be communicated in advance, not just when the build is released and we'll only make the leap if there are enough clients who can make the jump/require the upgrade. If you have any concerns please let me know.

Using the Check box list in a Data Grid

In Stadium 4.1.2540.5563 we included a Check box list as a new column type in the Data Grid. Here is short guide to setting it up and using it. A very big thank to Natasha Budhu for putting together the example and to Hillary Harrison-Graeme for sending it to me along with the SQL Split function.

This column types allows users to select multiple options from a drop down in a grid

You create a Check box list in a very similar way to a drop down BUT it cannot have a default value or be turned into an Auto complete drop down.

Select CheckboxList from the column options as shown below

The selectable options in the list can be set up using a SQL Query or by specifying a static list of items (highlighted in Green above), in the same way as a drop down.

The difference comes in when you save the selected items. Stadium generates a semi-colon separated list of values. You can use SQL, Linx or any other suitable tool to split this list into the individual values. The example below uses a Split function in SQL to do this work. The Split function is here: SQL Split function. As with a drop down you can work with either the SelectedValue or the SelectedText of the list.

We now have a SQL sample to split the values. So who is going to produce a Linx sample that can also do it?

Stadium 4.1.2540.5563 is available

Stadium 4.1.2540.5563 can be downloaded from the Twenty57 website. A clean install is required for this build. At some point in Stadium's history the install flag 'All Users' was disabled. This flag allows any user with sufficient priviledges to install and upgrade Stadium. Otherwise it treats every install by a different user as a clean install. Unfortunately there is no way to set this flag without doing a clean install. The install will handle it if the IIS Directory and Database already exist so it should be an easy process.

Features:

• A more descriptive error message when an empty string is passed into a filter that expects a numeric value
• The View Report button is hidden while the report is rendering and only reappears once it is complete. This is to prevent users from continually calling the same report because they think nothing is happening. We cannot unfortunately add a busy icon to the report pages
• Drop downs on grids, details views, filters and data inputs now have an option to turn them into auto complete combo boxes. Property EnableComboBox. The Default  value is False
  
  • The user can clear the default value in the drop down box and type to search the list for the value they want. Stadium will match any characters and limit the list as you type
  • You can't specify a value that doesn't exist in the drop down list
• There is a new column type in the data grid: CheckboxList
  
  • It has the same properties as the drop down BUT it cannot have a default value (data field) or turned into an auto-complete combo box
  • Users can select multiple inputs and Stadium will generate a semi-colon separated list of values
  • You can use Linx or SQL to split it into the individual values if required
• Session Parameters can be inputs to actions called in an event
• Access a query even if the connection string is not valid. We still verify the connection string but after a short delay the query editor will open. If you expand the Stored Procedure drop down you will get an error because Stadium can't retrieve the list of Stored procs. Your existing Stored Proc (if selected) will be remembered
• A Clean install will handle it if the IIS Directory and Database already exists. If the Db exists, it will update it, if the Db specified doesn't exist the install will try create it.
• The install will remember your install path on upgrade. This build will set it, the next build will remember it

Bugs

• '&' works correctly with the Tree View and selected node
• Ensure long character strings are not truncated when outputted to a variable or a session parameter
• Allow numeric values to be assigned to Font Size for Format Conditions and Global Format Conditions
• The Web service component now handles web services with mixed types
  
  • Stadium can't handle methods which have complex types (eg arrays), you'll need to use Linx for that, but it can parse the list of methods and show the ones which only contain simple types

Please Note: The auto-complete combo box option on the drop down and the new Checkbox list column in the data grid are both not standard asp.net controls. We've made extensive use of jquery to build them. As a result the can have a performance impact if used widely on a page. Please implement them with care

A very big thank you to Justin for this build. He has spent a lot of time with jquery and css to get these new controls working properly. And thank you to Ryan for all the work on the installer.