What's New for Developers - mXrap 6.0.0

Last update: 14 November 2023

Introduction

Hotkey to Save

Tab Icons

Inline CSS for Panels, Headers and Footers, ...

Example: HTML + Inline-CSS

Example: HTML + Inline-CSS in a Header/Footer

Example: HTML + Inline-CSS in a Panel

Example HTML with Inline CSS

Table Calc and Row Calc Update

New Javascript Language Support

Access more RAM in your Calculations

Storing Data files and CSVs in Bundles

Introduction

We are pleased to announce the first release of version 6 of mXrap!

Version 6 is intended to be backwards and forwards compatible with Version 5.

This means you can switch between Version 6 and Version 5 without compatibility issues.

You can develop Apps in Version 6, and deploy to a Version 5 site, and everything will work.

...

Almost.

...

You do need to upgrade the root before using Version 6 (see the "Migration Guide" for more information),

and, you need to avoid some new features while it can be used with Version 5.

The mXrap team's standard code in your root folders has been upgraded, so ensure we have upgraded your root folder BEFORE you start using Version 6.

Contact support if you require a root upgrade, or help upgrading your own Apps.

Hotkey to Save

You can now save tools with Ctrl + S.

Tab Icons

You can now add icons to tool tabs.

Inline CSS for Panels, Headers and Footers, ...

You can now use inline CSS to style your text as HTML using CSS selectors.

You can use this technique in places such as:

• Headers and footers in Charts, 3D Views and Table Views
• HTML Views
• Panels

• Text Element (type the HTML into the entry box)
• Value Display (link the HTML text in from a Calculation)

Note for Panel Views: Some CSS techniques cannot be done via the "Stylesheet (CSS)" tab, and must be done using inline-CSS.

Table Calc and Row Calc Update

Table and Row Calcs have been treated to a very large upgrade.

New Javascript Language Support

New Engine: We’ve upgraded our Javascript engine to support the latest version of (JS 2021/2022), allowing for further flexibility in table calcs and row calcs. Please note that these new features will not be compatible with mXrap v5, so only use them once the users of your apps have been upgraded to v6.

mXrap supported ECMAScript 5.   Version 6 brings support for the following language changes:

• ECMAScript 6 (2015):                 https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_es6.asp
• ECMAScript 2016:                 https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_2016.asp
• ECMAScript 2017:                 https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_2017.asp
• ECMAScript 2018:                 https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_2018.asp
• ECMAScript 2019:                 https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_2019.asp
• ECMAScript 2020:                 https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_2020.asp
• ECMAScript 2021/2022:         https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_2021.asp

Access more RAM in your Calculations

mXrap is now able to support bigger memory allocations. You create a shortcut to the mxrap.exe and add these to the command line parameters.

• For per buffer allocation

• --js_max_per_buffer_gb=N

• For total buffer allocation

• --js_max_all_buffers_gb=N

• For native object/array allocation

• --js_max_native_gb=N

• Where N is the size you want to specify for memory allocation, in Gigabytes.
• Example:

• Add the following to the back of a shortcut in the target section:
• --js_max_all_buffers_gb=8 --js_max_per_buffer_gb=4 --js_max_native_gb=4
• 

Storing Data files and CSVs in Bundles

The "Bundle" feature allows developers to put their Apps in a protected and controlled package that is ideal for deployment.

One problem in the past was distributing and reading fixed data files - e.g. tables of mathematical constants for computation.

The solution was to store the CSV files outside the bundle, but that was annoying to deploy.

Version 6 adds the ability to store CSVs inside bundles like any other tool.  You can import that CSV with an ImportCSV tool from within the same bundle, or, mark that file for "Export" to read that file from outside the bundle.

Please note, you will need to manually set the Input File path to the CSV, as the "Browse" button does not list files within Bundles.