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Text File | 1991-09-26 | 12.9 KB | 307 lines

This file contains information about new features of Unity that may not be documented in the disk manual or the printed manual. 3.3.1 - Fixed a bug when using conditionals and interence rules together, specifically, under 3.3.0 the following would fail: #IFDEF debug MYFILE.EXE : MYFILE.OBJ TEST.OBJ #ELSE MYFILE.EXE : MYFILE.OBJ #ENDIF When checking to see if an inference rule is was required the line following the dependency is check to see if it is blank. The above to lists are followed by a conditional and not a blank line. Now, a check is made for a blank line, #ELSE, #ELSEIF, and #ENDIF. 3.3.0 - After a compile or assemble, all error messages without filenames (if any) will be displayed first in a scrollable window, then the first error message with a filename will be displayed. - Now supports inference rules in project files. For those of you not familar, an inference rule is a way of setting the command list for a given target and source extension and having all the commands executed automatically. See the manual for additional information. - You can now separate file lists with a command (,) or plus (+) when making dependency lists. This is in addition to the space and tab supported in previous version. This was added to support certain linkers (such as PLINK) with the %L variable which don't work with a space as the separater. - Fixed a bug that would cause the program to crash on returning from a shell if the UNITY.VID was not found at startup. This meant unregistered versions would always crash after a DOS shell since video device drivers are not supported without registration. - You can now define string macros from the Program/Symbols menu selection. For example, typing BASE=MYFILE defines the symbol $(BASE). - You can now define string macros in the environment. For example, at the DOS prompt you can type: SET $(ASM)=assemble /m %%B%%N Note the use of two percent characters. DOS replaces double percents with a single percent when typing at the DOS prompt. Then environment is always checked last so macros defined in the project file or with Program/Symbols will take precedence. - Unity now gives up time to Desqview more often. Since I started actually using Desqview I've been able to fine tune settings that were originally implemented using pure theory. When there are no keystrokes pending Unity will give up nearly all the available time to Desqview. - Removed the Pick Error command. It was buggy and not all that useful. - New beg screen. Looks "spiffy". I know, who cares. Version 3.2.1 - When a compile error is detected, all the files are kept open instead of closing all files except the one with the error. If the number of open files is at the limit (currently 6 windows) one file will be closed to make room for the new file. After switching to or loading the first error file the screen will be ZOOMED so the errant file fills the screen. - Added a DesqView Video Mode option. Set this to the video mode you desire when running under DesqView. This option was added because of DesqView's limited video mode support. The default mode is 25x80. - Because of the previous change (DesqView Mode), the format of the configuration file has changed. Included is UCONVERT.EXE which will convert old format UNITY.CFG files to the new format. Simply execute UCONVERT.EXE while in the same subdirectory as a configuration file. - I forgot to mention this, as of version 3.1.0 Unity only requires expanded memory LIM 3.2, not LIM 4.0 as in previous versions. - Now, if you change the fixed tab size, the new tab size will be used in the current window. - Fixed the cursor so that it would be hidden on the file pick lists (Utilities/Directory, etc). - Added the variable %COMSPEC for use in project files. This can be used to execute the command processor, for example: #WINDOW %COMSPEC DEL %B%N.BAK - Took out compression of the help text. It wasn't being compressed all that much but took up about 10k of code and data space. - Added the Shift Block Left and Shift Block Right commands. These are set to ShiftF7 and ShiftF8 by default (also AltLft and AltRgt if an enhanced keyboard is detected). Useful when changing the indent levels of a block of source code. - Fixed a bug where EMS swapping was disabled if there was sufficient XMS memory available for the swap but it was disabled from the "sWapping" menu. - Added the #BUILDON and #BUILDOFF directives for use in project files. #BUILDON causes all subseqent files to be treated as if they are out of date while #BUILDOFF switches back to the default mode of testing the date stamp of files to decide if a recompile is in order. - Changed project code so that a dependency list is retained until a blank line is reached. Previously, a project directive such as #ELSE or #ENDIF would cause the dependency list to be cleared. Version 3.2.0 - Users of QEMM, 386^MAX, or other memory managent programs should no longer have a problem with Unity. - Unity now traps compiler messages that are displayed using the BIOS and redirects them using the standard output device. This should fix problems with programs such as Clipper and Realia Cobol which partially use the BIOS for displaying messages. - When parsing project files, command line options, such as %N had to be in upper case (%n wouldn't work). This has been fixed. - The timed delay is entirely gone. You must now press a random function key to get by the startup screen. This is the least offensive type of "annoy-ware". - There was a slight bug that could cause your screen to switch to the second display on some occassions. - Unity now uses device drivers to handle special video modes. However, I've decided to only include special device drivers with registered copies. Without registering you can only get the standard 80x25 mode. With registration you will receive the following device drivers: EGA : 80x25, 80x43 VGA : 80x25, 80x28, 80x50 TRIDENT VGA : 80x25, 80x28, 80x30, 80x43, 80x50, 80x60, 132x25, 132x30, 132x43, 132x60 Registering will also include the assembler source code to these drivers and documentation of the format so you could modify them for other specialized video cards. Additional video device drivers will be included when they are written. Version 3.1.2 - Now completely supports an external configuration file. When you use the SAVE DEFAULTS option you are given the choice of saving to a configuration file or modifying the EXE. The configuration file is automatically read on startup. - You can now have the editor save your files at specified intervals. You can select time range (0 to 255 minutes) that specifies how long to wait before automatically saving modified files. Setting the timer to zero (0) disables autosave. The default timer interval is 0 (disabled). The files will only be saved if there has been at least 30 seconds of keyboard inactivity. Note, if you use the GetCfg program provided with version 3.1.1 it will set the timer to 1 minute. The first thing you should do is set it to a more reasonable value. - The old autosave option, which specified if all files should be saved before a compile or just the current file, is no longer supported. Now all files are always automatically saved before invoking a compiler-type tool. - Added support for the VGA 28 line mode. This is experimental and may get removed in future versions if it causes too many problems. - Added the #VAR project file directive and the associated $(name) string macros. This allows you to define a string at the start of a project file and have it automatically inserted in the proper locations. Consult UNITY.DOC for additional details on this very powerful feature. - You can specify where the support files are located by declaring the environmental variable UNITY=. It uses the same format as the PATH= variable, for example: SET UNITY=C:\PASCAL;C:\UNITY Support file searches are now made in the following order: 1. The current directory 2. Each path specified by the UNITY= environmental variable. 3. The path specified by the Home Directory setting in the Options submenu. 4. The subdirectory where the UNITY.EXE is located (DOS 3.x and later, only). 5. Each path specified by the PATH= environmental variable. Files searched for using this specification are: UNITY.HLP UNITY.MAC UNITY.CFG All error filters All compilers and tools - Fixed a minor bug where the error message returned when an execution failed was not properly set which resulted in unusual error messages. - Fixed a bug that prevented the editing of program names before being executed. - Modified the execution code so that an attempt will be made to execute a program even if no swapping modes are enabled. Memory availability will be limited so it may not work with large programs. - The 10 second delay has been reduced to a mere 5 seconds. If you still think this is too much you can always register and get the brand program which will remove the delay and advertisment on all versions of Unity. - When the help file is created it is now compressed. Other than using a smaller help file this change should be completely transparent. Version 3.1.1 - If your system is equipped with dual monitors the compiler messages will be sent to the second monitor instead of in a window of the first monitor. The second monitor is the one not active when you first execute UNITY. Dual display mode can be disabled from the menu (Options, Display, Dual) if it causes any conflicts with other software such as DesqView. Be sure to save your configuration (Options, Save) after changing the mode if you wish to make it permanent. Dual Display is enabled by default. - GETCFG.EXE and PUTCFG.EXE have been added to ease the transition from version 3.1.0 (don't use it on an older version!). GETCFG reads the configuration from UNITY.EXE and stores it in UNITY.CFG. PUTCFG.EXE reads the contents of UNITY.CFG and writes it to UNITY.EXE. To use, simply type GETCFG<cr>, making sure that the older version is in the current directory. Aftwards, put the new version in current directory and type PUTCFG<cr>. - You can now edit the full program name and command line when doing an "Execute". This makes it possible to locate programs that are compiled to other than the default directory. - The '%D' command line option has been added. It will be replaced by the filename (no path or extension) of the primary file. If the primary file has not been specified the default file name (no path or extension) will be used. This was added to allow debuggers and other tools to be passed the correct file name. - A minor bug was removed that made it impossible to enter lower case letters for command line options in UINST.EXE. - When you load a file to edit, if a project file of the same name exists in the same directory it will be selected as the primary file automatically. - A new project directive command has been added. #WINDOW works exactly the same as the #SHELL command except it will attempt to keep the output of the program in the execution window as if it were installed as a compiler tool. Programs that skip the standard output device can not be executed with this command. Version 3.1.0 - You asked for it, swapping to disk has now been implemented. By default this feature is disabled. You must supply a drive letter to enable this feature. It is highly recommended that you limit disk swapping to a RAM disk. Physical disks, even fast hard drives, tend to be a bit on the sluggish side and can greatly reduce the speed of a large project file which may require multiple disk swaps. - The "mEmory" menu option (under Options) has been changed to "sWapping". Note the use of the letter "W" instead of "S" as the selection character. This is to avoid conflict with the "Save setup" menu option. - You can now specify a full path for tools when you install them with UINST. This will allow Unity to find programs that are not on the PATH. - The "G" option is now ignored when doing a normal text search. The "global" option is only used when doing Search and Replace or Search and Apply Macro.