1. SyntaxEditor keyword collections can now be exported and imported
   

   The SyntaxEditor now supports the ability to export and import the keywords collections at design-time making it much easier to re-use and update a custom syntax.

2. SyntaxEditor rendering performance improvements
   
   There have been some changes made to improve rendering performance to prevent jumping and slow colorization on certain machines and processors.  Under certain conditions, the colorization would be very jumpy and slow while typing.  This was generally due to the processor or OS environment.

3. SyntaxEditor text paste changed to strip pre-formatted text
   
   When pasting text into the Syntax Editor, any pre-formatted RTF formatting is now stripped and then properly colorized according keyword rules.

4. New Application Theme Editor now available!
   
   A new tool has been introduced that allows custom application themes to be created visually instead of through code.  Once the desired view has been setup for the theme, the source will then be automatically generated for VB.NET or C#.  This custom theme can then be loaded into an application.  This tool also makes it possible to have a graphics department to create the theme and colors without having any programming knowledge.  Simply change the property and see how it affects the overall appearance in the Theme Viewer window real-time.

5. Syntax Editor now has an AllowTab property that determines if tabs can be entered within the control
   
   The SyntaxEditor now has an AllowTab property that determines if tabs are accepted within the control.  By default this property is True.  Through this same change, the AcceptTabs property of the control has been made obselete and ReadOnly.  So if this property is serialized within a designer file, an error could occur.  To remove the error, simply remove the line of code in the designer file that sets the AcceptTabs property.

6. SyntaxEditor now has a CharsPerTab property
   
   The SyntaxEditor now has a CharsPerTab property that determines how many characters, on average, would consume the width of a single tab.  This property defaults to 4.

7. SyntaxEditor now has a PadFromPreviousLine property
   
   The SyntaxEditor now has a pad from previous line property that pads a new line with any tabs or white space from the previous line.  Setting this value back to false will always sends the character position back to the beginning of the line.  This property defaults to True.

8. SyntaxEditor now has a SyntaxLanguage property that allows a pre-defined language to be used
   
   The SyntaxEditor now has 3 pre-defined languages that can be used by simply setting the SyntaxLanguage property.  The pre-defined languages are SQL Server, VB.NET, and C#.  Obviously custom languages can still be defined by using the Custom SyntaxLanguage option on this property (default).

9. BO Mapper has been changed to use the SyntaxEditor control
   
   The BO mapper has been changed to use the SyntaxEditor control for a more fluid and useful syntax editing environment.  Additionally, the custom syntax has been placed on a separate page tab so there is more room to work when dealing with the custom syntax.

10. Added functionality to ThemedDetailWindow to make all items within the window be exposed as bindable properties
    
    The ThemedDetailWindow now emits propertys by the key name for each item created within the collection.  This allows the value of the collection to be bound using a BBS or standard .NET data binding versus manually setting each item in code.

11. Changed the exception thrown by a business object when accessing the CurrentRow property when the business object is empty to indicate the name of the table that is throwing the exception
    
    The exception message now shows the [schema].[table] of the business object that is throwing the exception.

12. DeleteMarkOnly property added to the ListView
    
    A property called DeleteMarkOnly has been added to the ListView so that the developer can determine whether the delete (when handled by the ListView) will just mark the record as deleted and still require another save to update the database, or to immediately delete the record from the BO as well as the database.

13. A new class called Win32Window is now available that provides a IWin32Window implementation wrapper
    
    There are times that a dialog needs to be shown and the owner of that child dialog or windows needs to be forced.  There is an overload for ShowDialog that allows an IWin32Window to be passed defining the owner of the dialog.  Using this class as a wrapper, this can be easily done:

    Dim f as New Form()

    f.ShowDialog(New MicroFour.StrataFrame.Tools.Win32Window(MyParent.Handle))

14. Added property to ThemedDetailWindow to allow the LineColor to be set independently of the PrimaryGradientColor
    
    The ThemeDetailWindow now has a separate LineColor property that allows the line color to be independently set.

15. Added property to the DetailWindowItem class to allow the description shadow to be toggled (DescriptionShadow)
    
    At times the shadow for a description may need to be omitted.  A property has been added that allows the description of the ThemedDetailWindow to be specified on a per line item basis.

16. DDT now remembers the last state of the "Show Auto-Generated Stored Procedures"
    
    The "Show Auto-Generated Stored Procedures" state is now remembered between sessions so that it doesn't always have to be turned off to see only the custom sprocs.

17. DDT Stored Procedures now sorts by category, by priority, by name
    
    The default sorting of the stored procedures has been changed to sort by category, by priorty, by name making it easier to find a specific sproc when there are a lot of them.

18. DDT gets a face-lift
    
    Over the next several updates there will continue to be a number of UI changes to the DDT that will better accomodate some future enhancements that are coming down the pike.  So there have been some considerable aesthetic changes made that will continue to change over the next several builds.

19. ListView now supports automated column sorting
    
    Four new properties have been added to the ListView that allows the list to be automatically sorted by column.  When sorting is turned on, the default direction, column, and whether or not automatic column sort inversion will take place can be defined through the property sheet.  The four new properties are:

    AutoColumnSort
    AutoInvertSortOrder
    DefaultSortDirection
    DefaultSortColumn

    Note: For the sort direction to be automatically inverted, the HeaderStyle must be set to Clickable.

20. ListView now has a Sort overload to forcibly sort the list
    
    A Sort method overload has been added to the ListView that allows a list to be sorted by column and direction without the need to create a custom ListSorter.   This method can be used regardless of the AutoColumnSort state.

21. PauseSorting and RestoreSorting methods added to the ListView
    
    Two new methods have been added to the ListView called PauseSorting and RestoreSorting.  These methods allow the sorting to be forcibly stopped while the developer manually manipulates a ListView (i.e. move index positions, etc) and then restore the sorting once the process has been completed.

22. PanelManagerPage designer changed to prevent accidental dragging
    
    A common issue with the PanelManager was when attempting to draw or resize the manager.  The designer of the pages within the panel manager also allowed the dragging of the page, which could sometimes cause the page to be dragged outside of the panel manager page which caused a number of other issues.  Additionally, when the panel page was selected, it show the sizing elements which actually did no good since it was docked within the panel manager.  This too has been addressed with this fix.

23. The ThemedDetailWindow has a new AutoAdjustContolHeight property
    
    The ThemedDetailWindow now has a property called AutoAdjustContolHeight that will automatically adjust the height of the control if any item within the control auto-sizes itself to accomodate a multi-line value.  For example, it an item has a value that contains carriage returns, that row is automatically sized.  The ThemedDetailWindow will now automatically adjust the height of the control as well if the AutoAdjustContolHeight property is set to True.

24. ThemedDetailWindow now supports a UseAlternateThemeColors option
    
    The ThemedDetailWindow now has a UseAlternateThemeColors property that renders the control with a different appearance than the default rendering appearance.  The alternate appearance renders without a gradient within the description area and produces a more "flat" appearance.

25. ThemedDetailWindow now supports a watermark image
    
    A ThemedDetailWindow now supports the ability to have a watermark image render on the control.  There are three new properties WatermarkImage, WatermarkLocation, and WatermarkOpacity.

26. The Navigate() method on the BusinessLayer would potentially return a True value if the Navigating event was cancelled
    
    The Navigate() method on the BusinessLayer will now always return a False if the Navigating event was cancelled.

27. A BrowseDialog search field populating with a Enum Value did not always respect an Initial Value
    
    The BrowseDialog has been changed to store the value within a combo box differently to respect enums.  This will only affect enum population.  Additionally, the initial value now properly pulls the enum value when set.  Previously this was hit and miss depending on the enum value and some other environmental circumstances.

28. The Database Deployment Toolkit would not allow a table with the same name but different schema to be saved
    
    The unique table criteria has been changed when verifying a unique table name by now include both the name and schema.  Previously the table name was the only validation check which prevented a table of the same name but different schema from being created.

29. DDT now supports the ability to modify a table structure without updating the object history
    
    The ability to modify a table structure without creating object history items is now available.  Since this feature should be used VERY sparingly, it is only available through a key + mouse combination on the right list panel only (not the Treeview on the left).  The reason that this may be necessary is when copying a table and renaming or removing a lot of fields for a table that has never been deployed.  In this case, you may not want the object history to be updated since the structure has never been deployed. 

    To modify a table structure with updating the object history, press the Ctrl button and then right-click the table within the right list.  The Modify Structure will then appear with a "(No Object History)" at the end.  When the table structure form appears, this will also be shown in the header of the dialog.

    NOTE:  This should never be done for structures that have already been deployed in the field and will need to be updated!

30. The Font of a ListView can now be set through the RowPopulatingEventArgs (RowPopulating event)
    
    The RowPopulatingEventArgs now has a Font property that allows the Font to be set for an individual list item through the RowPopulating event (i.e. e.Font = New Font(...)).

31. BrowseDialog search fields now have an IgnoreInitialValueIfNotVisible property
    
    To create the most flexbile of environments, an additional flag has been added to a BrowseDialog search fields that provides the ability to ignore a search field's initial value if it is not visible.  Previously, if there were a value specified, it would be included within the search regardless of the search field's visiblity within the browse.  By adding this flag, it allows an initial search value to be specified and used, yet ignored if it is not visible (not being used within the search criteria).

32. New application theme - Cool Breeze
    
    A new application theme has been added to the framework called Cool Breeze.  This is a spin-off of the BlueSkies theme, however, the Cool Breeze theme is softer and follows a more consistent color palette.  Toolstrips, mouse-overs, etc. are much softer (especially when using an alternate theme properties style of rendering).

33. ThemedContainer rendering modified to improve performance and on-screen interaction
    
    There were a number of issues with the ThemedContainer while rendering.  At certain times, the Title would render improperly or possible not at all depending on a number of circumstances.  This issue has been resolved.  Additionally, the overall rendering of the ThemedContainer has been refactored to improve performance and reduce the footprint which also improved the scrolling effects if this option was being implemented.  The refactoring of the rendering addressed a number of other rendering issues as well.

1. PrimaryKeyIsAutoIncremented and PrimaryKeyIsUpdatable properties have been updated with the Overridable tag
   
   

   The PrimaryKeyIsUpdatable and PrimaryKeyIsAutoIncremented properties can now be overwriiten through inheritance as the Overridable tag has been assigned to the properties making it easier to class this type of logic.

2. Action added to the event arguments in the ChildFormResults event for a ListView
   
   An action property has been added to the ListViewChildFormResultsEventArgs for the ChildFormResults event of a ListView so that it can be determine which action invoked the ChildFormDilaog to appear in the first place.

3. Issue with the transactional key being saved off in Save and SaveByForm
   
   When saving on a transaction a key is generated that combines the data source key and the key of the transaction so that the transaction can be retrieved during the save.  However, the transaction key was not being used as the key part but rather a transactional boolean.  This caused some strange side-effects in regards to the BO thinking that a save had already occurred and not accurately depicting the dirty state of the BO.  This issue has now been resolved.

4. Under certain conditions, the CurrentRowIndex could fall outside of the legal indexes
   
   There were certain conditions and even sequences that could cause the CurrentRowIndex of a business object to fall outside of legal indexes within the business object.  This generally had to do with an Undo of a new child or grandchild record or certain filter and sort conditions when the editing state was being changed in the mix as well.  To circumvent this error from happening, the CurrentRowIndex now takes the following logic in these scenarios:

   • CurrentRowIndex > BO Count: CurrentRowIndex get set to the last visible record in the BO.

   • CurrentRowIndex < 0 when there are records in the BO: The CurrentRowIndex gets set to the first visible record in the BO.

   • CurrentRowIndex >= 0 when there are no visible records in the BO: The CurrentRowIndex gets set to a -1 which indicates empty or no records.

5. SecurityDialog produced an error at run-time when a permission was double-clicked
   
   If a permission was double-clicked at run-time an error would appear indicating that the permission editor could not be created.  This issue has been resolved.

6. QueryNotifications improperly passing over Connection String on SqlDependency
   
   When registering a BO to receive query notifications the connection string of the command was not assigned prior to the query notification being assigned to the dependency, thus the SqlDependency was never started.  This issue has been resolved.

7. DateTimePicker caret creation error on certain Windows environments
   
   Within certain Windows environments, the DateTimePicker would produce an error when showing a "cleared" state and had focus.  This was most commonly noticed when pressing teh Delete key while within the control to clear out the value.  The caret creation has been changed to be compatible with these environments.

8. ListView automanaged Add object now checks to see if a ParentBusinessObject has records
   
   The Add button now checks to see if the ParentBusinessObject property of the BusinessObject has been set.  If so, it then checks to see if there are any records.  If not, then the Add button will be disabled.

9. When deploying to a pre-existing database, default contraints may be created incorrectly
   
   In a scenario where the DDT is deploying to a database that existing before the DDT was used for deployment, an issue could occur where the default contraints are not properly created and try to use the name of the column name.  A workaround has been implemented within the DDT that will prevent this from happening.

More to come

There are quite a few changes in this build and there will be many more to come before the release.  However, there have bee some requests out there that are in this build which include the business object field orders to the specifications of the ConnectionDataFolder (ability to specify the folder location for the Appkeys.dat and the Connections.dat files).

There are also many new enhancements to the DDT which includes pre and post script executions, field struction default prefixes (makes it easier when creating new columns), and more.

Here is a list of what is in this update:

1. AddPreSaveBusinessObject and RemovePreSaveBusinessObject methods added to BusinessLayer
   

   In the instance that the need arises where the order of the business objects save needs to be set, the AddPreSaveBusinessObject method can be used.  This allows business objects to be dependent upon other business objects and rely on the primary/foreign key relationhships that are established.

2. ListView now supports UI data interaction including related business objects, child form dialog, and
   related command or toolstrip buttons.
   
   The ListView has been dramatically expanded to have native logic for tasks that are common recoded.  There are now many new properties (detailed below) and events that allow a more dynamic child display interaction with much less code.  By simply setting the UI interaction properties of the ListView, the ListView will dynamically manage the toolstrip buttons (or any other type of control) for the Add, Edit, and Delete as well as any security keys that may also be associated with those objects.  Additionally, a ChildFormDialog can be attached to the ListView which will then by dynamically shown to the end-user on an Add or Edit dynamically with no additional code.  Finally, the ListView will now allow the instance of the business object of which it represents to be attached and the current index (or row position) of the business object to be dynamically updated.

    New Properties: 

   AddObject
   AddObjectSecurityKey
   EditObject
   EditObjectSecurityKey
   DeleteObject
   DeleteObjectSecurityKey
   DeleteMessageKey
   AutoNavigateToSelectedRecord
   HandleAddAction
   HandleDeleteAction
   HandleEditAction 

   New Events: 

   ChildFormResults

3. Wizard control default colors modified when using a Windows based color theme on Vista
   
   Some of the colors pulled from the OS when using a Windows based theme looked a little dark when running on a Vista OS.  This issue has been corrected.

4. BusinessLayer now has an UndoByFilter method
   
   In the circumstance that you are dealing with a grandchild many-to-many environment and you need to undo the changes for the grandchild without effecting the other records that have been modified on that same grandchild business object, you can use the UndoByFilter method.  This allows a business object to undo only those records that meet the criteria of the filter.  If a filter is already applied on the business object it will be ignored and left intact once the Undo operation has been completed.

5. BrokenRule constructors made public
   
   The BrokenRule constructors have been made public instead of internal (friend) allowing a new broken rule to be created through an external assembly.

6. Embedded localization languages file not always located.
   
   A change has been made within the framework regarding how the Message_Languages.xml file is located in an embedded environment.  This file was previously not always located unless stored externally.

7. RenderAsSolidBackground property added to a WizardPage
   
   A wizard page now supports the RenderAsSolidBackground property like the other themed container controls.

8. New SyntaxEditor control now replaces the ColorizedTextbox
   
   A new control has been created that allows a legitimate syntax editing environment exist.  This control replaces the ColorizedTextbox which was never really designed for editing but viewing and had many limitations as it relates to text size and performance.  The SyntaxEditor is designed to allow for much larger text environments while maintaining the keyword colorizations dynamically. (Note: There will be a number of additional features added to this control prior to the 1.6.6 release).

9. New SyntaxEditorLineNumbers control which shows line numbers for a SyntaxEditor control.
   
   This control can be used in conjunction with the SyntaxEditor control and displays the line numbers currently visible within the SyntaxEditor.

10. Database Deployment Toolkit SQL editors revamped to use the new SyntaxEditor controls
    
    When dealing with the SQL code for a stored procedure, view, or user-defined function, it was difficult to actually use the text area as an editor, especially on larger queries and commands.  The DDT has been updated to use the new SyntaxEditor controls so that it is much easier to work with this data within the editors.

11. DDT code windows now remember their previous sizes and positions
    
    The code windows within the DDT (stored procedures, views, and user-defined functions) now remember their positions and sizes from the previous entry.

12. CustomPattern added to the Regex options for a Keyword within the SyntaxEditor
    
    The SyntaxEditor already had 3 pattern types that included MatchBetween, MatchTextToEOL, and MatchExact that came across from the ColorizedTextbox control.  However, a new option has been added called CustomPattern which allows literally any Regex expression to be supplied allowing the syntax coloring to support any complicated or intricate colorizations.

13. AccessDataSourceItem would not automatically return the primary key value
    
    When inserting a new record and the PrimarykeyIsAutoIncrementing property was set to True on the BO, the saved primary key value would not be returned for an AccessDataSourceItem.  This issue has now been resolved.

14. GetTypeFromReferencedAssemblies method changed to ignore loader exceptions
    
    Under certain conditions when the referenced assemblies were being reflected, an assembly reference that was not needed in one environment may be hit, though it is not used, and throw an exception since that assembly could not be found in the GAC or on the machine.  This change will prevent that error.

15. Database Deployment Toolkit now supports category for stored procedures
    
    When dealing with a large database and many stored procedures, it can become difficult to locate a single sproc in the list.  A category can now be assigned to a sproc so that like sprocs can be grouped together making it easier to locate a specific sproc.

16. BrowseDialog now has a ReturnSelectedRecordOnly property
    
    When the ReturnSelectedRecordOnly property is set to True, the selected record within the browse results will be the only record copied into the BusinessObjectToPopulate when returned from the BrowseDialog.

17. BuildDataTableFromEnum improperly created a top most value for the value type
    
    When using a combo box or manually calling teh BuildDataTableFromEnum method in the MicroFour.StrataFrame.Tools.Common shared class and a top most value was supplied, the value type that was set as the top most value was, at times, coming in as a string or invalid type.  This would result in an ArgumentException (though it may be snuffed) which in turn could result in a very slow UI response to any other other that is bound to the same data source.  To resolve this issue, the TopMostValue is attempted to be parsed as an integer.  If so, it is then added to the value as an enum type of that value, even if the enum in question doesn't actually have that value.  This results in much faster performance and resolves the ArgumentExceptions.

18. Database Deployment Toolkit now has a default prefix option for each table
    
    A default prefix can now be supplied for each table which will auto-populate any new field created with this value making it easier to create new structures.  For example, if a prefix of "pre_" were supplied then a new field, when created, would automatically appear as "pre_" with the caret position after the "_" ready for the rest of the field name to be supplied.

19. Pre and Post deployment scripts now available within the Database Deployment Toolkit
    
    A new feature has been added to the Database Deployment Toolkit which allows scripts to be created and executed before and after a profile is deployed to a server.  This allows any strange or out of the ordinary deployment actions to be taken.  For example, if the need existed to convert DateTime fields to a BigInt on a pre-existing database, and still maintain the data within the fields, a Pre-Deployment script could be created to convert the DateTime fields to BigInt (ticks would be stored) fields prior to the database updating the structures which would circumvent data loss and/or an error.

20. ConnectionManager now allows the data folder that stores the connection files to be specified
    
    A new property has been added to the ConnectionManager class called ConnectionDataFolder.  By setting the ConnectionDataFolder prior to calling the SetConnections() method, the folder location to which the AppKeys.dat and Connections.dat will be stored can be specified.  This allows environments with extremely tight security restrictions to supply the folder when the common application data folder has been restricted from general use.

21. New Solution Preference added to determine if field names will appear in alphabetical or natural order.
    
    With the release of 1.6.5 a change was made to the display of bindable business object fields to appear in alphabetical order.  However, there were some developers who preferred to view their field names in a natural order.  A new preference was added to the Solution Preferences so that this can be specified on a per solution basis and developers of both preference types can view the fields in their desired order.

Note: For those developers who have a license, you can get the source code for this build in the My Account are of the website.