New Features in Visual Prolog 6.3

New IDE GUI Designer

In Visual Prolog 6.3 the Code Expert has been seriously improved when it comes to generating code for handling events from custom controls.

Using Property Event Inspector on all controls including custom controls it is now possible to edit all control properties in the IDE Designer (IDE Dialog Editor). The information about existing control properties is taken from the browse information.

Additionally, a single window to show/edit control properties/flags is supported, so it is not necessary to open control attribute dialogs.

Dialog Validation

Dialog validation has been improved with validation for container controls and validation for integer and real edit controls.

ActiveX Event Sinks

Some imported ActiveX controls use so-called event sink interfaces in order to notify the client of events in the control. Such an interface is implemented by the client and passed to the Active/X control, which will then make "callbacks" using this interface to signal events. Visual Prolog 6.3 generates wrapper code for such event sink interfaces.

Image Control

The new "imageControl" paints graphic files in many formats using GDI+.

GDI+ relies on so-called codecs for handling graphical formats. Microsoft Windows is shipped with codecs for a number of formats (including for example JPEG and PNG). When codecs are installed on a machine, the "imageControl" will automatically support the corresponding formats (without recompilation).

Timer Control

Timer control provides a natural way for handling timed events:

Tick duration property
Start/Stop methods
Tick listener event

Object -Oriented Print Support

Support for printing contents using PFC/GUI only. Implementation is based on VPI printing.

Delayed Callbacks

To better support delayed events (typically selection-changed events), a timer-based callback mechanism has been added in Window interface.

IDE Support for Controls as Separate Resource Files

Container controls are now designed and maintained in the IDE like any other dialog or form.

Anchor-based Layout Management

It is now possible to define anchored sides for all controls. Designer also supports automatic update of the layout of a dialog/form, so that users can test their layout. A visual indication of anchors is also presented.

Improved Garbage Collector

Beginning with the Build 6301 the Garbage Collector works faster, especially with the GDI+.

Visual Prolog 7.0

Prolog Development Center offers you an oppotunity to try Visual Prolog 7.0 Alpha version that is supplied together with the Commercial and Personal Editions of Visual Prolog 6.3.