.. index:: 
	single: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Introduction

========================
What is new in Ring 1.8?
========================

In this chapter we will learn about the changes and new features in Ring 1.8 release.

.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; List of changes and new features

List of changes and new features
================================

Ring 1.8 comes with the next features!

* Better Performance
* Find in files Application
* String2Constant Application
* StopWatch Application
* More 3D Samples
* Compiling on Manjaro Linux
* Using This in the class region as Self
* Default value for object attributes is NULL
* The For Loops uses the local scope
* Merge binary characters
* FoxRing Library
* Better Form Designer
* Better Cards Game
* Better RingQt
* Better Code Generator For Extensions
* Better Ring Compiler and VM
* Notes to extensions creators

.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Better Performance 

Better Performance
==================

Ring 1.8 is faster than Ring 1.7 

The performance gain is between 10% and 100% based on the application.

Check the 3D samples in this release to get an idea about the current performance.

For more information check the Performance Tips chapter.

.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Find in files Application

Find in files Application
=========================

Ring 1.8 comes with Find in files application

.. image:: findinfiles.png
	:alt: Find in files


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; String2Constant Application

String2Constant Application
===========================

Ring 1.8 comes with String2Constant application

Using this tool we can convert the source code to be based on constants instead of string literals

Then we can store constants in separate source code files that we can translate to different languages

Where we can have special file for each language, like (English.ring, Arabic.ring and so on)

Using this simple tool, the Form Designer is translated to the Arabic language.

For more information check the Multi-language Applications chapter.

.. image:: string2constant.png
	:alt: String2Constant 


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; StopWatch Application

StopWatch Application
=====================

Ring 1.8 comes with StopWatch application

.. image:: stopwatch.png
	:alt: StopWatch

.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; More 3D Samples

More 3D Samples
===============

Ring 1.8 comes with more 3D Samples

The next screen shot for the Top-Down view - Many levels of cubes sample

.. image:: more3dsamples.jpg
	:alt: 3D samples

The next screen shot for the Camera Sample

.. image:: more3dsamples2.jpg
	:alt: 3D samples

The next screen shot for the Camera and background sample

Developer : Azzeddine Remmal

.. image:: cameraandbackground.png
	:alt: Camera and background


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Compiling on Manjaro Linux

Compiling on Manjaro Linux
==========================

Ring 1.8 is tested on Manjaro Linux too

Tests by : Iip Rifai

.. image:: ringonmanjarolinux.png
	:alt: Ring on Manjaro Linux


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Using This in the class region as Self

Using This in the class region as Self
======================================

The class region is the region that comes after the class name and before any method.

Now we can use This in the class region as Self.

Example:

.. code-block:: ring

	func main

		o1 = new program {
			test()
		}

		? o1

	class program 

		this.name = "My Application"
		this.version = "1.0"
		? name ? version	

		func test
			? "Name    = " + name 
			? "Version = " + version

Output

.. code-block:: none

	My Application
	1.0
	Name    = My Application
	Version = 1.0
	name: My Application
	version: 1.0

.. note:: When we use braces to change the current active object, Using This we can still point to the class.

.. tip:: The difference between This and Self is that Self point to the current active object that we can change using braces.

Remember that in most cases we don't need to use This or Self in the class region

We can write


.. code-block:: ring

	class program name version

Or 

.. code-block:: ring

	class program name="My Application" version="1.0"

.. note:: We use This or Self in the class region just to avoid conflict with global variables that are defined with the same name.


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Default value for object attributes is NULL

Default value for object attributes is NULL
===========================================

Starting from Ring 1.8 the default value for object attributes is NULL

In Ring, the NULL value is just an empty string or a string that contains "NULL"

We can check for NULL values using the isNULL() function

Example:

.. code-block:: ring

	oProgram = new Program
	? oProgram.name
	? oProgram.version
	? isNULL(oProgram.name)
	? isNULL(oProgram.version)
	oProgram { name="My Application" version="1.0" }
	? isNULL(oProgram.name)
	? isNULL(oProgram.version)
	? oProgram

	class program
		name 
		version

Output:

.. code-block:: none

	NULL
	NULL
	1
	1
	0
	0
	name: My Application
	version: 1.0

In previous versions of Ring, trying to access the object attribute before assigning a value to it

Will lead to runtime error and you can't check it using isnull() 

The only way was assigning a value or using try/catch/end 

We changed this behavior so we can have full control in seamless way.


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; The For Loops uses the local scope

The For Loops uses the local scope
==================================

In Ring 1.8, when the For Loop defines new identifier (variable) it will define it in the local scope.

Example:

.. code-block:: ring

	x = 10
	? x		# Print 10
	test1()
	? x		# Print 10
	test2()
	? x		# Print 10

	func test1
		for x = 1 to 5
		next
		? x	# Print 6

	func test2
		list = 1:5
		for x in list
		next
		? x	# Print NULL (The "For In" loop will kill the reference after the loop)

Output:

.. code-block:: ring

	10
	6
	10
	NULL
	10	
		
.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Merge binary characters

Merge binary characters
=======================

From Ring 1.0 we can create binary strings and do operations on these strings.

Now in Ring 1.8, we can get individual characters from these strings and merge them together using
the '+' operator.

Example:

.. code-block:: ring

	cStr = "Welcome"
	? cstr[1] + cstr[2] + cStr[5]
	v = cstr[1] + cstr[2] + cStr[5]
	? v
	? len(v)
	c1 = cStr[1]
	? c1
	aList = [1,2,3]
	cStr = ""
	for item in aList 
		cStr += int2bytes(item)
	next 
	? "All String"
	? len(cStr)
	? "First Part"
	n1 = cStr[1] + cStr[2] + cStr[3] + cStr[4]
	? len(n1)
	? "Second Part"
	n2 = cStr[5] + cStr[6] + cStr[7] + cStr[8]
	? len(n2)
	? "Third Part"
	n3 = cStr[9] + cStr[10] + cStr[11] + cStr[12]
	? len(n3)
	? "All String"
	cString = cStr[1] + cStr[2] + cStr[3] + cStr[4] + 
		  cStr[5] + cStr[6] + cStr[7] + cStr[8] + 
		  cStr[9] + cStr[10] + cStr[11] + cStr[12]
	? len(cString)
	? ascii(cStr[1])
	? len(cStr[2])

Output:

.. code-block:: ring

	Weo
	Weo
	3
	W
	All String
	12
	First Part
	4
	Second Part
	4	
	Third Part
	4
	All String
	12
	1
	1
	

.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; FoxRing Library

FoxRing Library
===============

Developer: Jose Rosado

A class with some of the functions I used in FoxPro\

Example:

.. code-block:: ring

	Load "foxring.ring"

	mf = new frFunctions
	? mf.frAbs(-45)      
	? mf.frAbs(10-30)    
	? mf.frAbs(30-10)   

	? mf.frTransform("    Ring is a good language    ",
			 "@! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!") 
	? mf.frAllTrim("    Ring is a good language    ", Null) 

Output:

.. code-block:: ring

	45
	20
	20
	    RING IS A GOOD LANGUAGE
	Ring is a good language


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Better Form Designer

Better Form Designer
====================

(1) Layout Control - Display the control name when loading forms.
(2) Button Control - Display the button images written using relative path.
(3) Table  Control - Display the control name when loading forms.
(4) Better behavior in "Bring to front" and "Send to back" operations.
(5) New buttons are added to the toolbar (Duplicate, Bring to front, Send to back, Delete).
(6) Using layouts in (Menubar designer, Window Flags window, Selecting Objects window).
(7) Better behavior for displaying the properties window when changing the selected objects.
(8) New buttons are added to move and resize multiple selection of objects.
(9) Window Properties - Add button to select the layout.
(10) Opening forms and switching between files is faster.
(11) Objects Order window.
(12) Select Objects window.
(13) When we change the control name, the name will be updated in layout objects.

.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Better Cards Game

Better Cards Game
=================

The Cards game is updated and we can play with the Computer

.. image:: cardsmainmenu.png
	:alt: Cards Main Menu

.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Better RingQt

Better RingQt
=============

* The next classes are added to RingQt

(1) QTabBar
(2) QFile
(3) QFileDevice
(4) QStandardPaths
(5) QDir
(6) QQuickWidget
(7) QQmlError
(8) QScrollBar

* RingQt for Android is updated to support modern versions of Qt

Tested using

(1) Qt 5.5.1
(2) Qt 5.9.5
(3) Qt 5.11.0

* In RingQt for Android, The Ring Object File (ringo) will be executed directly from resources.


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Better Code Generator For Extensions

Better Code Generator For Extensions
====================================

New Option: StaticMethods

Starting from Ring 1.8 the code generator support the staticmethods option.

So the code generator can know that the class doesn't need an object to call the methods.

Example:

.. code-block:: none

	<class>
	name: QStandardPaths
	para: void
	nonew
	staticmethods
	</class>

	QString displayName(QStandardPaths::StandardLocation type)
	QString findExecutable(QString executableName, QStringList paths))


.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Better Ring Compiler and VM

Better Ring Compiler and VM
===========================

(1) Better loading for files in relative paths
(2) Code Optimization for eval() function 
(3) Better Memory Pool
(4) When embedding Ring in Ring, the error in the hosted environment will not close the host

Example:

.. code-block:: ring

	? "Start the test!" 

	pState = ring_state_init()

	ring_state_runcode(pState," ? 'Let us try having an error' ? x")

	ring_state_delete(pState)

	? ""
	? "End of test!"

Output:

.. code-block:: none

	Start the test!
	Let us try having an error

	Line 1 Error (R24) : Using uninitialized variable : x
	in file Ring_EmbeddedCode
	End of test!
	
(5) The compiler will ignore new lines after keywords that expect tokens after it

Example:

.. code-block:: ring

	see 
	"
		Hello, World!
	"
	test()

	func 
	#======================#
		Test
	#======================#

		?
		"
	
		Hello from the Test function

		"

Output:

.. code-block:: none


	        Hello, World!


	        Hello from the Test function

(6) Better code (faster) for the main loop, special loop for eval() function.
(7) Better code (faster) for tracking C pointers to avoid using NULL pointers.
(8) Better code (faster) for getting the self object using braces.

.. index:: 
	pair: What is new in Ring 1.8?; Notes to extensions creators

Notes to extensions creators
============================

If you have created new extensions for Ring in the C/C++ languages.

You have to rebuild your extension (Generate the DLL file again using Ring 1.8 header files) before usage with Ring 1.8

Because we changed the internal structure of the VM, but no changes to the code are required. just rebuild.