Release Notes for 6.x Versions
6.9.9
- Fixed a bug that prevented
installers from working with JRE 1.3.x
- Created new diagnostic logs files, if any found, on
startup
- Managed repainting the screen more effectively
- Several small bug fixes
6.9.8
- Added a progress bar to StatusPanel class.
- Uninstaller still works if you move the program to a different
install directory.
- No longer pass command line argument to uninstaller.
- Require uninstaller be run from the install directory.
-
Note to existing customers:
- Deprecated UiUtilities class. Use UiLayoutUtilities and
UiPopups. Existing customers whose custom classes use
UiUtilities must update their custom classes to use the new
classes.
- Deprecated WindowsOS class. Use WinCmdFile,
WindowsCommands, WindowsDirs, WindowsMenus, WindowsRegistry,
WindowsServices, and WindowsUtilities. Existing customers whose
custom classes use WindowsOS should update their custom classes
to use the new classes.
- Create a uniquely named menu item for mulitple component
installers that use Updates-on-Demand.
- Corrected bad jump points in the manual
- Fixed status message when building a project in JExpress
Developer
- Wait to copy a new JExpressUpdater.jar until the very end of
the update process
6.9.7
- Increase the file handles
on Mac, Solaris, and other versions of Unix when installing a
program and launching a Java app
- Include the product name in the installer's title bar
- Popup a dialog box while preparing the wizard for the
installer
- Fixed bug that limited the number of class files that could be
found
- No longer load a 2nd copy of the English resources
unnecessarily
- Stopped distributing JExpress Basic
6.9.6
- Improved look and feel by using icons in the buttons in the
Installer, Updater, Uninstaller, Developer
- Support javax.net style arguments for a proxy server
- Fixed bug that prevented updates from working on Mac if
original update created on PC
6.9.5
- Increased speed of multiple installers substantially (e.g.,
installer created with 6.9 - 6.9.4 took 11:39 minutes; same
installer created with 6.9.5 took 40 seconds)
- Only extract files needed when running multi-type
installers
- Provided context sensitive help for JExpress Developer/Builder
on Mac OS X
- Added support for variables in the localization files.
- Fixed a bug that prevented the Updater from being installed for
multi-type installers.
- Do not save jex project when building installer unattended
- Pop up warning if jex project cannot be saved
- Give better error message if creating a multi-installer and
trying to find classes
- Warn that JRE 1.4 or later must be used to create/run
multi-type installers
- Disable the Browse button when launching JExpress
Developer/Builder
6.9.4
- Added methods to UiPopups to pass the parent container to popup
dialogs.
- Added methods to UiLayoutUtilities to let the focus be set in a
combo box or to a button.
- Set the cursor to the end of a text field, including inside an
editable JComboBox, when the focus set to that field
- Worked around a bug in jvm 1.4.1 or earlier that incorrectly
set the focus to the button in a JComboBox instead of the associate
text field
- Extended the time stamp in the logs
- When a readme file is unable to display, the Next button is
still made active
- Set the default button on the Wizard depending which is enabled
when instantiated; preferred order: Next, Previous, Cancel
- Added method to UnixCommands to get the autostart directory
from KDE
- Fixed a bug when opening an image file that opened it in the
current directory
- Added support to Windows to get a list from a registry key
- Changed the uninstaller log's name to juninstall.log
- If unable to display the readme, automatically skip the
panel
- When a user browses for the install directory, append the
default subdirectory name
- Fixed a bug when setting permissions on a file in unix
- Open terminal window on KDE if java app requires console
- Include an example to autostart a menu item on Windows, Mac,
ans KDE
6.9.3
- Allow Pure Java installer to be named something other than
install.jar
- Handle installing Pure Java installer from a different
directory than the directory where the installer resides
- Fix WinCmds.exe from being erased when autoupdater runs on
some Windows machines
- When finding classes, if the Build directory contains a "found
class", don't overwrite it
- If the Updater is created on one OS and installed on a
different one, handle the File.separator chars properly
- Resolve the installer from locking up if the native language
version of the readme or license file didn't exist
- Significantly improve finding data files in the installer's
distribution files
6.9.2
- Change the algorithm for extracting files in
multi-installers
- Extract subdirectories in multiple install type installers on
Windows
- Extract icons from multiple install type installers
- Don't pass the update directory on the command line for the
Updater
6.9.1
- Handle pathnames longer than 100 characters
- Allow a custom class to run at the beginning the Updater and
change the host url
- Save the command line parameters passed to the Updater in the
properties file
- No longer use the program directory passed on the command line
to the Updater
- Fixed a rarely seen bug when installing multiple install
types
- If unable to create a Mac .app directory, then erase any
partial directory created
- If no image included with the Updater, use a default image
- Include JExpressCustomClass in the trial copy distribution
- Do not pop up an error box if the JRE cannot change the
registry
6.9.0
- Note to existing customers: You must
re-install JExpress because the JExpress Updater has changed. If
your customers use the Updater, then they will need to re-install
your app before they can use the new Updater.
- Updates the JExpress Updater
- Includes empty directories in distribution files
- Creates smaller installers
- We've seen 10-40% reduction in size, depending on the
distribution files
- You'll usually get better compression if you don't
distribute your files in JARs, but instead just include the
class files
- Installs and uninstalls faster
- Builds installers faster
- No longer includes swingall.jar in JExpress distributions
- Moved the META-INF subdirectory to the JExpress
subdirectory
- Shows Next button if custom classes follow selecting the
install directory
- Gives more user feedback while verifying multiple install types
are configured properly
- Includes all settings for the Updater inside
JExpressUpdater.jar, except user changeable settings
- Searches classes for any that contain main() when entering Java
menu item or the main class on the Classes panel
- Only changes registry entries for the JRE, if the entry doesn't
already exist
- Fixed building a new project after it is saved for the first
time
- Does not wait for a Windows Java app to finish when launched
from an EXE
- If user cancels an autoupdate, stops the update, but still
launches the app
- Uninstall Uninstall.exe on Windows machines
- Extract the icon file if the menu item's start directory is a
subdirectory of the installation directory
- Do not display exception errors on stderr when properly trapped
with a catch
- Remove any existing link before creating a new link; some
variants of unix would ignore the new link otherwise
6.8
- If unable to start installer's wizard from a native installer,
then try installing JVM and relaunching the wizard
- Create an EXE to uninstall the app during Windows installations
in the application's directory
- No longer create an uninstall.bat (unless unable to create the
uninstall EXE)
- No longer remove menus for 1 component when another component
is uninstalled
- Disabled first dialog box after user selects action in JExpress
Developer
- Change the locale to English/US if no known resource bundle is
found on startup
- Adjusted WinDesktop.java to work on more variants of
Windows
- No longer report directory where JVM was installed on final
panel
- Remove an old KDE or Gnome menu before adding one with the same
name
- Set the cursor to the specified text field via the API
- Added StatusPanel class to the API
- Support [$UserHomeDir] in the menu's command line arguments and
JVM extra parameter switches
- Create a folder where icons are added for Mac "menus"
- Sped up installing files on Mac OS
- Stop opening a console window when a custom class gets the
Windows path through the API
- Fixed native installers that did not search for the JVM, and
did not install the JVM in a predefined directory
- Renamed underlying EXE for the Windows Java app launchers from
startapp.exe to JavaApp.exe
- Store the menu icons in the JExpress subdirectory instead of
the application's directory
- Parse the JVM extra switches so the installer handles different
JVM quirks in escaping characters
- Warn user if they use command line arguments for a menu item
that contains potential errors"
- Warn user if they use JVM extra parameters that contains
potential errors"
6.7
- Fixed menus not being created on a few XP Pro/2000
machines
- Improved the Spanish translation for the installer
6.6
- If unable to find a class, report which class, or one of its
dependencies, is missing from the classpath
- Move the JExpress Developer's menu to the top of the screen
when running on Mac OS X
- If a directory name contains an extenion that matches the
"excluded" list on the Files panel, then don't include any files
from that directory tree
- Handle passing JVM extra parameters, on unix, that include
forward slashes
- Update the Windows registry with the JVM's final installation
directory when installed in a subdirectory of the app
- Fixed a null pointer exception that could occur when the
uninstaller ran
- Wrap error messages in the Messages panel
- Delete any existing menus that have the same name to insure a
clean installation
6.5
- Native Mac installers now work on the newer versions of OS X by
creating a tar.gz file instead of a zip file
- Store the uninstaller diagnostic logs in the user's home
directory instead of the JVM's home directory.
- Change several informational panels in the installer to use 2
lines to display status messages.
- Do not activate the Next button after the files are
installed
- Include the version number and the product name on the Final
panel of the installer
6.4
- Support changing the base directory on the command line for
unattended builds
- Support changing the build directory on the command line for
unattended builds
- Save the directory names where each component is stored in the
applicationDirectoryTarget property
- Reset the chosen install types if the user returns to the
dialog box where they select them
- Name the Mac launch script so it contains the .command suffix
so it can be added to LoginItems
- Make the field that shows the location where the JVM was
installed scrollable
- Include the name of the product on the final panel
- When uninstalling an app from a unix script, display a message
that the uninstaller is launching
- Allow unix script's that start java apps to include a message
to the user
- Double clicking on a menu's name, edits the item
- Double clicking on a filename in the Groups tab,
selects/deselects the file
- Make the "Finished" button in the Uninstaller the default
button when the uninstall is finished
- If the JVM is installed, then the display field for the JVM's
location is scrollable
6.3
- Created a CustomUninstaller class to simplify uninstalling
custom files, registry entries, etc.
- Always create a batch file for the uninstaller on Windows
- Include build.xml example in the Samples subdirectory to
demonstrate how to use ant with JExpress.
- Support passing the version number on the command line when
starting an unattended build.
- If a unix launch script is created on Mac, then also create a
symbollically linked command file so script can be started from
GUI
- Report critical startup errors during a silent install in the
errors.log instead of a pop up window
- Programmatically set the installer to silent, see the
MakeInstallerSilent.java in the Samples subdirectory
6.2
- Support silent uninstall
- Set the cursor into the first field in an install panel,
instead of the "Next" button
- Add commands to copyFile, renameFile, and overwriteFile to the
uninstaller
- Adapt the base path to the developer's classpath and the menu's
icon filename
- Automatically delete any empty directories during the
uninstall
- Save the location of the JExpressUninstaller.jar file in the
properties file during installation
- Catch a null pointer exception error when reporting an error
with CustomInstaller.logException()
- Don't create an icon on Mac OS X if it's a Java console app;
instead create a unix launch script
6.1.1
- When initially browsing for a project, use the current
project's directory as the default directory
- Give the download instructions in the tool tips if a JVM bundle
is not installed
- In the trial version, inform users where they can download JVM
bundles at the end of the installation
6.1
- Redesign the first dialog box used in JExpress Developer and
JExpress Basic
- Build a Mac OS X bundle for non-Java apps, too (JExpress Professional only)
- Handle configuring the classpath properly when it contains
subdirectories and the installer was created on Windows, but
installed on Mac
- Support multiple JVMs installed on Mac OS X
- Configure the jvmVersion in the Mac Java bundle properly if JRE
1.4.1_01 detected
- Support autoupdate of Java console applications on
Windows
- Don't report an error if the same file is included multiple
times in the distribution
- Don't report an error if a native installer without the JVM is
created and the JVM version doesn't match the required or
minimum/maximum settings on the JVM panel
- Fixed a bug in native Unix/Mac installers that could prevent
the installer from finding all the valid JVMs previously
installed
- Set the caret at the end of string when UiUtilities.update() is
used
- Eliminated the screen from flashing during an unattended
build
6.0.1
- Fixed adding menus to some versions of Windows
- Resolved exception error in JExpress Builder when adding
menus
6.0
- Create a native Mac OS X installer (JExpress
Professional only)
- Build a Mac OS X bundle to Java apps (JExpress
Professional only)
- Create a Finder style (double-clickable) launch script on Mac
OS X
- Add a desktop icon to Mac OS X for all menu items (JExpress Professional only)
- Added MacOS API
- Added support for creating menus for all users on Windows, if
admin (JExpress Professional only)
- Only create gnome menu items if gnome installed
- Improved error messages if disk full during installation of
JVM
- Correctly report if files initially extracted from native
installers
- Use Mac OS X's native look and feel, unless cross platform
style selected
- Default Mac OS X's installation directory to /Applications, if
write/create access allowed
- Support icons for menus in KDE and Gnome
- Speed up installation on Mac
- Automatically remove the Java command check mark in the Menus
dialog, if the executable file has a .bat, .exe, .bin, or .sh
extension
- Warn JExpress Developer users who enter a JAR file in the
Menu's executable filename
- Inform JExpress Basic users that JAR extensions are not
permitted in the Menu's executable filename
- JExpress Basic and Builder do not support command line
arguments for menu items. Use JExpress Developer if your app
requires command line arguments to be passed to it.
- Allow a custom class to the Auto-Updater to force the
application to start.
- Add quotes around a filename with spaces when issuing a Unix
chmod or symbolic link.
- Uninstaller on Unix and Mac machines is now called uninstall;
it no longer includes the product's name as part of the
filename.
- Support spaces in the Updater's URL
- Correctly parse the Unix command when updating launch scripts
for the Updater
Release notes for versions: