The new thinking in DataEase started with 8.

In 8.x we have taken functionality completely off the "grid" as intended when DFW was started with Express.

Originally DataEase for WIndows  was supposed to be a simple "Duplo" style tool where you used standardised objects with pre-defined features.

OML help a little but as they never really added interesting event and methods it wasn't magic.

Our approach in DatasEase 8 was to add features and functionality so existing users could develop meaningful application without hitting the roof all the time. Workaround was more the norm rather than the exception in pre DE8.

In DE9 we get rid of the "bad" stuff, reach back to the great era of DataEase and forward onto server/web/sharing/connection/distribution etc.

This little "article" is not about any of the major moves but rather on how we think in general. Our approach to making things useful.

One need to take a look at each object with fresh eyes and define what is to be default functionality and what should be configurable with functions/settings.

We are currently working with Multibox which has been a useless feature both slow, messy and "cryptic".

Now by default it will sort. cache, make a unique list and limit the returns to 100. 

This way the default version will be a sorted list of no more than 100 i.e. a populated choice list in order.

But you can also make it a combobox, you can build it on a dynamic relationship and you can freetext search it.



The way the search works is that you type. Then if you have over a second break in typing it will search in your list.

If you have typed in 3 letters or less it will search from front of choice. If  you have typed 4 or more it will do freetext search in list.

Same with the updated TabControl.



Default now when you insert a TabContol it will start with 3 tabs.

You can change the text on the tab without changing the object name.

There are actions and OML handling on each tab.



You can click on the tab itself and style, change colours etc. No longer do you have to first click on tab and then in tab rectangle to chnage feature.

By default TabControl look modern and "nice". You can set the padding around text and you can also set which of the tabs you want to be default. No longer will it save the last one you worked on as the default one.

Another New feature in DE9 along the same practical line is:

1. When you copy an object with a style, the copied object will retain style.
2. When you select several objects of different class they can all be styled simultaneously if there is a style for that class with a matching name.
3. You can now select multiple object and change color/font/fill etc. directly on all of them without using style.
4. If you change the fill on ex. a button and the border has the same colour as fill it will change border at the same time.

These are just small enhancements to show how we think around the product and ease of use.

We want to make the default as good/useful as possible when at the same time making it easy for you to configure it so you get it exactly as you want.

DE9 will be the version where we take the step away from Windows GUI but at the same time it will be the best WIndows version of DataEase/Best version of DataEase ever.