September 23, 2019

We are pleased to announce the availability of the new Omnis Studio 10.1.

The new version Omnis Studio 10.1 is now available and offers you numerous possibilities to make your apps and the user experience more attractive and adapt to new trends. In addition, version 10.1 includes a host of new features that accelerate code entry into Omnis Studio, enhance the great Omnis debugger, optimize Omnis apps, simplify Web App session management, increase user engagement with Omnis Mobile Apps, and extend support for the FHIR standard for medical applications. The most important new features in Omnis Studio 10.1 are:

• New and updated JavaScript components for an improved user experience
  The JS Video Control has been completely rewritten to eliminate the dependency on jQuery and has new properties and events. The JavaScript Controls Data Grid, Toolbar, Date Picker and Tree List have been enhanced and modernized.
  
  
• Improved web experience on macOS with Chromium (CEF) support
  The macOS version of the OBrowser window control (see below) now uses the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) already used in the Windows version of OBrowser; the macOS version of OBrowser now supports the default OBrowser CEF configuration settings using the cefSwitches configuration in config.json

Tree list (left) and OBrowser with CEF support on macOS

• Improved user experience in desktop apps with new animations
  Version 10.1 includes a new library and object property $animateui that lets you animate certain window class controls. Tree lists have this new property; when enabled, the contents of a node are animated on opening (this is also used in some areas of the Studio IDE, such as the Method List in the Code Editor). The Tab Strip also has new constants to animate the tabs. There are also two new Window Class External Components: an iOS-style Switch Control and a Multi-Button

• More assistance so you can write code faster
  There are a number of improvements in the Code Assistant, e.g. Method name matching, which allows you to find a method name during code entry; Command Keywords are automatically added to a command when you press Tab; the new Copy Value option in the Variable menu allows you to copy the value of a variable

• Easier debugging with new Variable Panel
  The Variable Panel is a powerful addition to the Method Editor that allows you to view and modify variables as you debug and go through code: when execution pauses, the Panel displays the values of all current variables, and you can drill down into the hierarchy of objects and variables.

• Faster, optimized apps with SQL Worker lists
  In the new version, you can specify that an SQL list or row uses an SQL Worker Object (of the same DAM type as the SQL Session Object) so that SQL operations are performed asynchronously in a separate, self-contained thread (or synchronously if desired).

• Improvements in Web App Session Management
  Remote tasks in the JavaScript client now have a concept, the ability to be ‘suspended’, to provide greater control over how client connections are managed, with the new $suspendedtimeout and $suspendedconditions properties

• Improved user engagement for mobile apps with new “Toast” messages
  There is a new client command to allow you to popup “Toast messages” (small temporary notifications) on the client similar to Android toast messages

• Better support of the FHIR standard for medical applications
  Studio 10.1 provides enhanced support for the FHIR® (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standard, which supports data exchange between healthcare software systems. There is a new option “Allow unknown query string parameters”, which means that the RESTful server now accepts requests that contain query string parameters that are not specified in the method parameters. The remote task instance can address these unknown parameters using the $cinst.$unknownquerystringparams notation. Also, a new iOptions parameter to $listorrowtojson has been added that allows to omit null and empty values from the JSON.

• In addition, there are a number of other new features and minor improvements. The details are contained in the What’s New and Readme files of Omnis Studio 10.1.

The new version is now available for you to download from our website. If you would like to test the new release please go to https://omnis.net/developers/downloads/free-trial/  to download a free 90 day trial version.

All members of the Omnis Developer Program (ODPP) and customers with a valid annual support and upgrade service have already received upgrades of their developer license(s) to Omnis Studio 10.1 from us.

January 30, 2019

We are pleased to announce the availability of the new Omnis Studio 10.

Omnis Studio 10.0 has the following new features and enhancements:

– Method Editor 
The Method Editor in Omnis Studio 10.0 has been significantly enhanced, and now allows you to enter Omnis code directly into each command line in a method, with additional help from the Code Assistant; in addition, a new JavaScript Editor allows you to add or edit whole blocks of JavaScript code into client executed methods (the new embedded text editor also works for SQL & TEXT blocks)

– Accessibility 
a comprehensive set of features to support the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) to help to make your applications more accessible, primarily for people with disabilities; specifically, a number of ARIA properties have been added to most JavaScript controls which allow by screen readers to describe the controls, plus tabbing between and inside fields has been improved to allow end users to navigate a form entirely from the keyboard or by voice

– Omnis Datafile Migration
there is a new tool to convert your applications that use the Omnis datafile to SQLite or PostgreSQL; following conversion the Omnis DML commands in your old library will be retained and will execute against the selected database, automatically and without modification to your database code; this provides you with a path towards conversion of your Omnis DML based applications to SQL, which will also allow you to convert parts of your app to the web or mobile devices

– New & Enhanced JavaScript Controls
There is a new JS Toolbar control for remote forms, and a new External component iCalendar for managing calendar events in remote forms (also window classes); plus several of the other JavaScript components have been enhanced, including new shortcut keys for Edit controls, new properties for the Segmented and Progress controls to improve appearance, and the ability to upload multiple files in the File Control; plus several enhancements for Data Grids including the ability to validate data in cells, to copy selected data from the grid, and to fix a number of columns on the left of the grid

– Remote Debugger
Remote Debugging allows you to debug and test your Omnis libraries and code located on a remote server

– Remote Objects 
Remote Object classes are Object classes that can be instantiated and executed entirely on the client in a client-executed method in a remote form; this will allow you to make your web & mobile apps more agile and efficient

– Web and Email Worker Objects
there are new OW3 Worker Objects for JavaScript (node.js), POP3 email, CRYPTO encryption or decryption, and HASH for hashing data, plus Secure FTP support has been added to the FTP worker object

August 21, 2017

We are pleased to announce the availability of the new release Studio 8.1, GIT and JavaScript Control integration brings Omnis to a new generation of developers.

This latest release brings the benefits of developing apps in Omnis Studio to a whole new generation of developers, and vastly increases the richness and capabilities of your Omnis web and mobile apps. Omnis Studio version 8.1 allows developers to upload and share their libraries on GIT, enabling them to reach a larger audience on the popular code sharing site while bringing the benefits of using Omnis Studio to a wider developer community.

The release also lets you take widely available JavaScript Controls and add them to your Omnis libraries and projects, increasing the richness of the Omnis UI and opening up the Omnis IDE to new JavaScript component developers.

Studio 8.1 also includes a brand new interactive tutorial, called Welcome to Omnis, in which developers can create a simple web or desktop app, designed to introduce Omnis to more application developers and business owners.

Enhancements in Omnis Studio 8.1 further include the ability to send Push Notifications to clients, making your mobile apps more engaging and interactive for end users.

Plus web and mobile forms can now be fully responsive, with tightly defined layout breakpoints, allowing you to cater to all devices and platforms from one single application code base.

And we’ve added a “headless” version of the Omnis App Server to this release, allowing you to deploy your web and mobile apps easily and seamlessly on a wider range of Linux server configurations.

This release contains numerous more enhancements and fixes aimed at enriching the application development experience, and making it easier and quicker to create and deploy enterprise, web and mobile apps to all markets.

A complete guide to all the new features in Omnis Studio 8.1 is in the “What’s New in Studio 8.1” doc (Whatsnew81.pdf), available to view or download with the new release.

Try it for yourself
You can try out all the new features in Omnis Studio 8.1 by downloading it from our website and registering for a free 90-day trial: Try Omnis Studio

Upgrades for Existing users
Existing users currently on the Omnis Developer Partner Program (ODPP) can upgrade to Studio 8.1 free of charge: new serial numbers will be emailed to you following the release. Omnis developers not on a support program can upgrade to this new version by contacting their local sales office

March 30, 2016

We are pleased to announce the availability of the new release of Omnis Studio version 8.0, which introduces important new features and capabilities for web and mobile applications. Omnis Studio 8.0 improves the ability of the environment to development Omnis JavaScript Client to make it more productive and efficient in building applications. In addition, the porting has been completed for running 64-bit Omnis on all platforms, and made further improvements to support the work of the developer.

Key New Features:

• 64-bit and Cocoa support for OS X
  The 64-bit version of Omnis Studio is now available on OS X including the SDK, App Server, and Runtime. Plus the Omnis core has been rebuilt using the Cocoa framework with anticipated benefits for speed and performance in the Omnis Studio IDE and for your OS X and iOS deployed apps
• Developer Hub
  a new option in the Studio Browser that provides useful information for developers, such as the status of the most recent reported and fixed faults, together with information and tips for new Omnis developers; there is an Options setting in the hub to configure the content of the Studio Browser and the color theme used in the Studio IDE
• Code Assistant and Method Editor enhancements
  The Code Assistant is a new tool that will help you write code in an Omnis method. The code assistant will pop up automatically in the method editor when needed displaying command syntax and possible arguments; you can also request help using Ctrl-Space. In addition, the start and end of any block commands are highlighted (includes If , While, For, Repeat, Switch, and Begin), plus Omnis now stores a ‘history list’ of visited methods which you can navigate using a Back and Forward button on the method editor toolbar.
• Color Themes and Appearance
  The colors and themes used in the Studio IDE can now be changed under the Options setting in the Hub in the Studio Browser, or by changing the $appearance Omnis preference in the Property Manager: the colors used in the Studio IDE are stored in an ‘appearance.json’ file which you can use in your deployed apps, and you can create your own themes
• App Builder
  a new tool that appears when you select New Library in the Studio Browser to help you create Omnis apps quickly and easily; the new tool provides a number of templates and steps you through the process of creating or prototyping an Omnis application, including logging onto your database, creating JavaScript forms, setting the theme, and choosing navigation for your app
• Other Enhancements Further features have been added to Omnis Studio 8.0 to enhance application development and the end user experience for your web and mobile apps.
  • HTML Components for Desktop Apps
    you can enhance and enrich your desktop apps by adding HTML or JavaScript based components to thick client windows.
  • High Definition Displays
    With the introduction of Retina displays on Mac desktops and laptops, and 4k displays widely becoming the standard for Windows based computers, support for high definition displays has been introduced in Omnis Studio 8.0.
  • Auto Updates
    You can now perform updates or any other changes to your Omnis application or folder structure upon restarting Omnis.
  • Worker Objects: Push Connections
    Support for Push Connections has been added to Omnis Studio to allow more control when data is returned to the client when using the Omnis worker objects, such as the SQL Worker objects