"Outversioned" - The #1 bug in DataEase 8.

Over the last couple of months we have acquired a "funny" bug in DataEase 8 and we have named it "outversioned".

We know that contacting us is a matter of last resort for most of our hardy DataEase developers, but some times when they have looked on the DQL or the derivation till they go half blind they concede defeat and send us a line.

"I can't get my head around this StringFrom() function... I am sure I am doing it right but it won't accept it!"

Our first question now is: "What version are you on sir?"

We have published no less than 15 versions of DataEase 8 in January of this year alone! Our policy is to get it out there as soon as it is finished for everyone to enjoy and use, but we realise that it takes some getting used to. Before 7.2 there was publish less than 15 versions of DataEase for Windows in total! Including all versions of DFW 5.x, 6.x, 7.0 and 7.1! Back in the day distribution etc. was a challenge. In the beginning you had to copy the install files to a diskette, print the documentation as books and distributed it via mail. To get even a beta version from the US to the UK would easily take a week, so you didn't rush releases, you didn't do them frequently and you definitely didn't do them for free. One mistake and you had to do it all over again and this time you HAD to do it for free so you made sure that you didn't make one. We skip CD's etc and go straight for the internet. Now getting an update is easy, and soon it will even be automatic. Google Chrome doesn't even ask you if you want an update, they simply do it and they do it more often than you think. We are working on DataEase 8 every day, and we are improving it - every day. Not only that we will keep improving it all the way up to full release - every day. Only problem is. Release either isn't what it used to be. Today that is more like a milestone where we say we are happy with the "baby" and are prepared to let it stand on it's own two feet. It is a celebration of this fact and nothing else, because the day after the release we will keep on improving DataEase 8 and the day after and the day after... Don't think that DataEase 8 will be burnt on a DVD and the documentation printed in a book. Booth are dynamic and both will constantly evolve so what you have to get used to is change ;-) If you read about a facinating new feature in DataEase 8 on our website the first thing you do before you try to use it is to check your version and UPDATE!. So now we spell it out if you haven't already gotten it: "The most common bug in DataEase 8 is that you are using an outdated version and the functionality you are testing or the function you try to use is simply not implemented in your version!" Enjoy!

Published: 31/01/13 - 11:36:14 (A.D.)

Last changed: 13/02/13 - 16:18:39 (Bert Rodenhuis)