PxPlus 2023 Update 1 is now available.  This update includes a number of enhancements and minor corrections.

The full list of enhancements can be viewed at https://home.pvxplus.com/pgsrvr.pvp?pg=whatsnew

Product downloads available at https://home.pvxplus.com/pgsrvr.pvp?pg=downloads

PxPlus 2023 Online Update 0001 is now available.  It consists of minor fixes, corrections and enhancements.

• New Test buttons to test/verify defined links have been added to File Link Maintenance and File Links Express

The following areas were corrected.

• File Links Express to allow for unique keys to be selected when defining file link relationships
• Error 42 when scrolling on a concurrent panel with no active controls
• The theme for a Query definition was being overwritten
• Writing data using Excel and Word objects with Windx
• Issue with dynamic images in NOMADS
• Menu bar not resetting when using Window type panels

How to use the Online Update https://manual.pvxplus.com/page/Online%20Update.htm

The IDE Launcher was enhanced in PxPlus 2020.   There are now two types of IDE Launchers available – standard and enhanced.  The standard launcher will continue work as it has in previous releases.  The enhanced launcher will provide additional capabilities and customization, such as adding tasks to a ribbon toolbar and adding web pages.

The enhanced launcher is made up of four distinct sections – Project, Tasks, Ribbon Toolbar, and Web Folder Tabs.

A. Project Section

Select the project you're working on from the drop box.  A new project can be created by using the Project menu.

B. Tasks Section

This section consists of three main components:

Menu Button - When selected will display all PxPlus tasks and utilities in a tree view
History Button - When selected will display all tasks that have been recently accessed
Project Button – When selected will display all tasks added to the selected project

All three components also have right-click capabilities and side buttons for additional functionality.

Switching Between Standard and Enhanced Launcher

Click the double arrow button located beside the Project button

C. Ribbon Toolbar Section

Up to 10 tasks can be added to the Ribbon toolbar.   There are several ways that this can be done. 

Adding a Task Using Toolbar button

1. Click the Toolbar button located beside the Project dropbox
2. When the dialog displays, enter a task ID or select one from the lookup
3. Enter the description
4. Enter the bitmap or use the lookup to select one
5. Use side buttons to change position of task or delete a task
6. OK to save

Adding a Task Using the Menu Tree View

1. Right click on menu item in the tree view and select Add to Toolbar
2. Click a task and drag to an empty spot on the Ribbon toolbar

D. Web Folder Tabs Section

This section can be used to add a website to the launcher.  Two tabs have already been created – Help and Support.

Adding a Website

1. Click the Folders button located just above the folder tabs
2. Enter the name of the folder tab or select from the dropdown arrow
3. Enter the URL of the website to be displayed
4. Use side buttons to change tab position or delete a tab
5. OK to save

Using Navigation Buttons

There are four navigation buttons that control the current website displayed

Home: Returns current website to home
Back: Moves the website one page back
Forward: Moves the website one page forward
Refresh: Refreshes the current website

Go to IDE Launcher to learn more.

The Default to Insert Mode option was introduced in PxPlus 2020.   When this option is set, the *IT Editor will always default to Insert mode. 

Setting the Option

1.  Launch the *IT Editor
2.  Select the Options Menu and click the Default to INSERT mode menu item
3.  Insert mode is now set and will be set the next time the *IT Editor is accessed

This utility introduced in PxPlus 2020 was created to provide a simple grid interface to help set %NOMADS properties for your application.  The utility gives you access to all of the %NOMADS properties and can be sorted by category, alphabetically, or by whether the property has been set.   As you navigate through each property, the property description will display a brief overview with examples.   Each property value can be entered by selecting a checkbox or drop box, picking a value from a lookup or entering it in the grid.   Property values can also be entered as expressions to give added flexibility.   The values are stored in a settings file and once the %NOMADS object is instantiated all of the settings are applied.

How to Set Properties

1.   From the IDE Launcher select the Maintain NOMADS Environment task from the Graphical Application Builder (NOMADS) menu.
2.   Once the utility is launched, the grid can be sorted by category, alphabetically, or by properties that have been set, in order to help locate the desired properties.
3.   To set a property, check the Set checkbox and select/enter the value appropriate for the selected property.   
4.   To enter an expression, check the Exp checkbox and enter the expression.   

Note:  if a value/expression is entered first, the Set checkbox will automatically be checked.

5.   To save the entries, select either OK or Apply.   Apply will save the changes without closing the window.

Other Features of the Utility

Display Settings:  Displays contents of the setting file
Copy To:  Copies the current settings file to another directory
Reset:  Clears the settings file

Go to Maintain NOMADS Environment Utility to learn more about this utility.

In PxPlus 2019, we introduced a new feature that allows for additional data validation and the ability to add display-only fields based on a table.   We extend Data Class functionality and Multi-line functionality in Nomads.

For example, you may have a Salesperson Code in your Customer Maintenance panel that you want to validate against the Salesperson table.   Additionally, you may also want to display the Salesperson Name, and other data when a valid code is entered.

You can accomplish this with the following steps:

Data Class Definition
1.   Create a new dynamic Multi-line data class (i.e. SALESREP).
2.   In the Validation tab, select the "Use Extended Validation" checkbox.
3.   In the "Table" field, select the table to be use for the validation
4.   From the "Key" dropbox select the key to use for the verification.  All the keys defined for the table are loaded.
5.   From the "Descriptive Field" dropbox select the data element (i.e. Salesperson Name) to be available when designing the Nomads panel.  All data elements from the table are loaded.
6.   Select the "Populate All Fields" checkbox to make all data elements from the selected table available when designing the Nomads panel.
7.   (Optional) You can override the standard validation message by selecting a message library in the "Error if Invalid" field.
8.   (Optional) Program logic can also be entered to override the standard validation message in "Logic if not Found" field.
9.   Enter the other required fields and save the Data Class

Nomads Multi-Line Control
1.   Call up the Nomads panel.
2.   Create a new Multi-line control and give it a name (i.e. SALESPERSON).   Enter the data class SALESREP that was created in Step 1 under Data Class Definition
3.   Create a new multi-line to be used for the SalesPerson Name
4.   To get the data you want, you can do either of the following:
   a.   In the control name, enter SHOW.SALESPERSON.NAME, where NAME is the name of the data element from the table and SALESPERSON is the name of the control from Step 2. 
   b.   Use the new button beside the Name control to display the data elements from the table based on the SALESPERSON control created in Step 2.  When a data element is selected the
         same control name syntax as in Step 4a, will be created.
5.   When creating a "SHOW" type control, the Locked, Borderless and Transparent attributes are automatically set.
6.   You can continue to create new Multi-lines and select other data elements to display, as desired.

Go to Extended Class Validation and Display to learn more about this new PxPlus 2019 feature.