dbFront 1.4.0

dbFront 1.4.0 is the new feature release, boasting 37 new features. The blog post published in the middle of November focused on the layout changes in 1.4.0, three days later, we wrapped up the release. dbFront 1.3.2 was never made a feature release, so the features from 1.3.2 are included in this feature release.

Features

Three of the most significant features are:

Layout Changes: We have already covered this in a previous blog post: Layout Changes
Relationship Visibility: The ability to hide and show relationships dynamically. Similar to action buttons and field groups.
Run Procedure: Store procedures can now directly instruct dbFront to retrieve and return information from a web service.

Below is the detailed feature list, quite a few of the features were requested via the Q&A. Buried in this feature list are some very powerful features, some of which we are going to expand upon in future blog posts.

• Backups:
  • Enhanced configuration backup compares, including viewing all changes over time.
  • Enhanced purge logic to retain at least 120 days of configuration history within 45 backups.
• Buttons:
  • Added the ability to edit any button's properties from the Table Prefs dialog.
  • Directly set a button width. The default width is 120px.
  • Optionally group buttons, with group names visible or not.
  • Optionally position buttons below their form.
• Compare: Added "IfContains" and "IfNotContains", compare types. QA:1427
• Core: Updated multiple 3rd-Party components.
• Expressions:
  • Added expressions for the parts of the Url. {url(domain)}, {url(root)}, {url(path)}, {url(fragment)}, {url(query)} as optional values to pass to procedures, visibility expressions, etc... QA:1429
• Fields: Added ability to edit any field's properties from the Table Prefs dialog. QA:1376
• Import: Added the ability to import PDF forms, similar to Excel or CSV. QA:1083
• Layout: Added the ability to rearrange the Table elements. (Table Grid, Custom Search Buttons, and Advanced Search), QA:1436
• Lookups: Allow explicit sorting by View Fields.
• MySQL: Replaced the MySQL Connector/Net with MySqlConnector to add built-in support for MySQL Server, MariaDB, Amazon Aurora, Azure Database for MySQL, Google Cloud SQL for MySQL, Percona Server and more... No longer requires a separate driver install. QA:528
• OpenURL: Extend OpenURL so that it can correctly load audio and video.
• Procedures:
  • Procedures called by RunProcedure and WebRequest can refresh their results automatically and repeatedly. QA:1433
  • Stored Procedures can now make a request and process the result of a WebRequest. QA:1443
  • Updated SimpleTable output format to improve field formatting. (Dates, Blobs...)
• Relationships:
  • Added dynamic visibility to relationship tabs, similar to buttons and field groups. QA:1008
  • Extended the Multi-Select functionality to compound relationships. QA:1274
• RequestHandling:
  • Handle callback requests from OAuth and other services via a Procedure. QA:1443
  • Improved help by displaying the expected Request URL in the config dialog.
• SQLServer:
  • Verify Executable access to stored procedures when saving preferences.
  • Performance Analyzer for Linked Views to help track down view/column problems.
  • Ability to DebugLog SQL Server messages to help monitor performance.
• Search:
  • Specify if the Advanced search is AlwaysOpen, DefaultOpen, or DefaultClosed. QA:1409
  • Adjust the Search fields to be Single or Range. QA:1408
  • Optionally turn a multi-select into a single select.
• Table:
  • Ability to configure a "BeforeFormLoadProcedure" to run a stored procedure that can do extra work to prepare the form data before the actual Select for the FormData. QA:1419
  • Display Attachment/Image thumbnails within the grid. QA:1407
• Testing: Automated client testing using Katalon Recorder (dbFront Site License)
• WebRequest:
  • Ability to Indent received Json.
  • Ability to receive a file (e.g. PDF) and either view or save it.
  • Ability to set a Request Body including expressions.
  • Ability to set a Request Header including expressions.
  • Ability to set a RequestMethod [Get, Post, Head, Put, Delete]. QA:1092

Summary

The full release history for the 1.4.0 branch can be found at dbfront.com/releasehistory

We have been doing lots of work enhancing dbFront and updating the supporting documentation. If you have time, please consider reviewing or updating your review for dbFront at one of the following websites: 

• www.linkedin.com/products/bigideasltd-dbfront?action=recommend
• www.g2.com/products/dbfront/take_survey
• www.capterra.com/p/143165/dbFront
• www.alternativeto.net/software/dbfront (Don't forget to hit the [Like] button).​​

In place of a review... you can simply like ♡ dbFront at:

• www.capterra.com/p/143165/dbFront
• www.alternativeto.net/software/dbfront

The less effort we spend on sales and advertising, the more effort we can spend on improving and stabilizing dbFront.

Thanks - The Team at dbFront

In version 1.4.0 dbFront has added new layout functionality....
You can now rearrange the table grid, advanced search, and search buttons, create groups for buttons, change the placement of the buttons, and change the way the 'Advanced Search' is shown.

Rearrange Grid Items

To reposition the items click on the gear icon beside the form, then click on the layout tab. In the Table section, you can switch the element order by dragging the elements around. This allows you to place the Advanced Search above or below the table grid and the custom search buttons above, below, or in between.

Button Placement/Groups

You will find the Form Buttons section on the same tab. Here you can change the Position of the buttons from the left of the form to below it.

You may also notice in the Form Buttons section you can now hide or display Group Labels. That's right, dbFront has added the ability to make button groups, although the ability to group buttons currently only applies to custom buttons. The Display Custom option allows you to hide or display the group names for the buttons. For detailed information on how to use/implement the button groups, click the following link. Select or Create button groups

Advanced Search

When you click on the Search Fields button you change the way the Advanced Search is seen. The options are Default Open, Default Closed, or Always Open.

Summary

You can view dbFront's release history at dbfront.com/releasehistory

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