Visual Prolog 7.5 New Features

A major new feature of Visual Prolog 7.5 is the support for creating Web Services/Applications. See the Web Services tutorial for details.

Build 7500

Language

• Improved procedure check for number ranges (e.g. [1..3])
• if-then-else expression (in addition to the existing if-then-else statement)
• The condition in an if-then-else now contains an implicit cut, and thus allows non-deterministic condition
• Improved garbage collection: Typed allocation of objects reduces the possibility of false pointers
• Language C/C++ virtual object call compatibility (language thiscall)
• New attribute [inline(size)] for inlining byte sequences in structs
• Additional string literals syntax
• Operator in for member test and iteration
• New hasDomain/2-> function, in addition to the existing hasDomain/1 predicate
• New deterministic orelse operator
• Warning for superfluous static initialization of an object fact if this fact is also initialized in all constructors (the corresponding warning is switched off by the default)
• Warning for unused local domains, functors and constants

PFC

• New packages scannerSupport and cursorScannerSupport for writing scanners in Visual Prolog
• New package service for creating services in Visual Prolog
• New package parser for LALR(1) parsing
• stream::allowNullPointers property for robust writing of illformed data that contains null-pointers
• readLineCRLF/0-> predicate that copy <CR><LF> to resulting string.
• New packages for standalone HTTP/HTTPS server (httpRequest, ...)
• New package json for JSON representation, parsing and writing
• New packages for JSON-RPC service support: standalone HTTP/HTTPS and/or ISAPI integration into Microsoft Internet Informantion Services, IIS (jsonRpc, jsonRpcService, ...)
• New package watchDirectory (pfc\communications) for monitoring directory changes
• New package sciLexerStatusBar for editor status line
• New packages for XML parsing/writing according to XSD definition (xmlSupport, fromXmlDomSupport and toXmlDomSupport)
• GDI+ support for multi image icons in the icon class (utilized by the ribbonControl).

VIP

Vip is a directory (Commercial Edition only) that provides access to certain internal tools and structures, here among:

• The Visual Prolog parser
• Project file api
• New package for LALR(1) parser generator

IDE

• MDI template: new status bar replaces old vpi toolbar
• SDI template: uses ribbon and new status bar
• "Find usages" tool, for finding usages og predicates/properties/facts in clauses
• Copy a project in Welcome/Open Project window
• Error message corrector for missing/invalid scope
• Project file in XML (*.vipprj)
• Project Tree: directories preview
• Refactoring
  • move folder or package
  • Set namespaces on a complete package (recursively)
• The possibility for adding a resorce entity (dlg, or class, etc.) without creating a package

Debugger

• Collections (map, set) displayed more user friendly in variables/etc window

Others

• Tool for generating XML parser/writer from XSD files
• PIE: Support for integer64

Build 7501

Build 7501 mainly contains bug fixes as listed below. But the commercial edition also contains an LALR Parser Generator.

Compiler

• Problem with Must-Unify
• Problem with predicate constants
• Error using properties from a generic interface
• Numeric conversion error in machine instructions generation
• Error on retractAll because of invalid code generation (registers management)
• Must-unify leads to access violation when raising proper runtime error (type library passed to runtime function does not correspond to a term)
• Dump in static facts initialization
• Wrong unused domain warning
• Problems with option: /READOnlyterm
• Incorrect list element allocation if it has type like A*
• Exception in 64 bit program (large local static size problem)
• Invalid debug information for type libraries
• Recycling bug for open-statements which can be resolved both to a class declaration and interface definition
• Access violation in example (incorrect type library for allocation)
• Illegal error for free type parameter in type expression

PFC

• COM: Add comDispInterface::getIndexedProperty (COM exception: Member not found)

IDE

• IDE API setCurrentDirectory fails
• Exception 'Single fact 'oleInPlaceObject_fact' from internal database 'activeXcontrol::activeXcontrol@objectDB' has no value'
• Wrong F12 on _builtIn::compare
• Exception 'No active window' in menuhandle::updateRefactorItems/1
• Project Settings\Version: Change description does not trigger new resource compilation
• Exception 'emptyString' during browse search for xxx::
• Changing an IDE variable without opened project gives an exception
• Too long effect of "Apply this action to subsequent files" flag
• Tooltip should use proper brackets for generic argument: {@T} instead of (@T)
• Ctrl+S does not save edited not-project file
• Menu preview improvements
• IDE doesn't remove resources from project
• IDE doesn't create .bro file with new console without manifest
• timerControl exception in IDE

Other

• xmlSerializerGenerator: generation of types with incorrect dashes
• ChainDB 64bit: Memory overriding (not-aligned arrays of internal structures that contain pointers)
• Solution manager: clicking vipsln files opens the solution manager, but the solution is not loaded

Build 7502

Build 7502 contains bug fixes as listed below.

Compiler

• Lexical problem concering comments
• Compare char gives wrong result
• Wrong result of sizeOf/1-> predicate for some integral types like core::integer8
• Missing check for ambiguous delegation

PFC

• Wrong handling of NULL fields in 64 bit ODBC (gives "string right truncation" error).

IDE

• PIE exception in IDE when debugging 64 bit programs

See also

• Visual Prolog 7.5 Upgrade Notes