[ANN] JavE 6.0M4

Hi,

Milestone 4 of the new JavE 6.0 (Java Ascii Versatile Editor) is now 
available at:
   http://www.jave.de/developer/milestone6m4.html

Changes and new features include:

  - Editor windows are now arranged as tabs
    (Screenshot: http://www.jave.de/developer/editorwindows60m4.png)

  - Integrated animation editor into the main editor window
    (Screenshot: http://www.jave.de/developer/animationeditor60m4.png)

  - ActionScript export for the animation editor
    (Also see discussion in the JavE forum at
     http://www.asciimator.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22)

  - Added Icons to some of the Image2Ascii algorithms
    (Screenshot: http://www.jave.de/developer/i2aicons60m4.png)

  - Added Icons to trasform, rotate menu items
    (Screenshot: http://www.jave.de/developer/rotate_icons60m4.png)

  - Online version check (menu 'Help' -> 'Check for Updates')

  - Download package now contains all fonts from the FIGlet fonts
    library (http://www.jave.de/figlet/fonts.html)

  - Bugfix: Controls in Image2Ascii dialog from appearing on other tabs
    with JRE1.4

  - Lots of bugfixes and internal code cleanup</li>

Please post bug reports, feature requests and other comments to the new 
JavE forum at http://www.asciimator.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

Cheers,
Markus
-- 
JavE Java Ascii Versatile Editor: http://www.jave.de

ok, I downloaded the zip and had winzip extract to a new folder
(c:\jave6)
the first thing I noticed was that the fonts all dumped into the main
folder and the fonts folder was not created.

When I started jave6 I received these errors
-
Error loading configuration from file:
	'C:\jave6\.\config\greyscaletables'
The file does not exist.

Error loading configuration.
null
(details)
java.lang.NullPointerException
	at
de.jave.jave.AsciiGreyscaleTableConfiguration.initialize(AsciiGreyscaleTableConfiguration.java:153)
	at
de.jave.jave.JaveConfigurationFileLoader.initConfigFile(JaveConfigurationFileLoader.java:57)
	at
de.jave.jave.application.startup.JaveStartupRunnable.initConfigFiles(JaveStartupRunnable.java:107)
	at
de.jave.jave.application.startup.JaveStartupRunnable.startUp(JaveStartupRunnable.java:49)
	at de.jave.gui.splash.SplashScreen.startup(SplashScreen.java:71)
	at
de.jave.jave.application.startup.JaveMainApplicationStarter.startJaveApplication(JaveMainApplicationStarter.java:47)
	at de.jave.jave.Jave.main(Jave.java:2207)

Error loading configuration.
Unable to initialize FIGlet
(details)
de.jave.jave.configuration.ConfigurationException: Unable to initialize
FIGlet
	at
de.jave.jave.figlet.FigletConfiguration.initialize(FigletConfiguration.java:35)
	at
de.jave.jave.JaveConfigurationFileLoader.initConfigFile(JaveConfigurationFileLoader.java:57)
	at
de.jave.jave.application.startup.JaveStartupRunnable.initConfigFiles(JaveStartupRunnable.java:111)
	at
de.jave.jave.application.startup.JaveStartupRunnable.startUp(JaveStartupRunnable.java:49)
	at de.jave.gui.splash.SplashScreen.startup(SplashScreen.java:71)
	at
de.jave.jave.application.startup.JaveMainApplicationStarter.startJaveApplication(JaveMainApplicationStarter.java:47)
	at de.jave.jave.Jave.main(Jave.java:2207)
Caused by: de.jave.figlet.util.FigException: No figlet font categories
file found or wrong format (folder C:\jave6\.\fonts)
	at
de.jave.figlet.file.FigFileLibrary.initialize(FigFileLibrary.java:121)
	at
de.jave.figlet.file.FigFileLibrary.loadFileLibrary(FigFileLibrary.java:157)
	at de.jave.figlet.engine.FigDriver.<init>(FigDriver.java:49)
	at
de.jave.jave.figlet.FigletConfiguration.initialize(FigletConfiguration.java:32)
	... 6 more
Caused by: de.jave.figlet.util.FigException: No categories file
'categoriestree.txt' existing (folder C:\jave6\.\fonts)
	at
de.jave.figlet.io.FigCategoriesFileParser.loadCategoriesFile(FigCategoriesFileParser.java:43)
	at
de.jave.figlet.file.FigFileLibrary.initialize(FigFileLibrary.java:105)
	... 9 more


it Does run, but its not working well.
the figlet tool doesnt work at all even after making the font folder,
moving the flf files and restarting v6.0

ok, it was a setting in winzip that had to be changed
I killed the folder and redid the extract
On the extract dialog there is a ticbox to "use folder names" and with
that checked all appears fine with the install.
(Frankly I knew this would happen from the experiance with a number of
others I have talked into using javE)

I suggest using an installer exe

Hi,

> ok, it was a setting in winzip that had to be changed I killed the 
> folder and redid the extract On the extract dialog there is a ticbox 
> to "use folder names" and with that checked all appears fine with the
>  install. (Frankly I knew this would happen from the experiance with
> a number of others I have talked into using javE)

Thanks for pointing me to this problem. I think I will have to do
something about it. An error message at startup should be very simple to
do and might already help a lot of users.

> I suggest using an installer exe

Free installers are hard to find and a lot of work to configure and
maintain. Escpecially when there should be an installer that works on
any operating system.
A Java Web-Start based installer would be come in handy here. Anyone
here with experience in writing WebStart installers or other WebStart
based applications?

Markus

Markus Gebhard schrieb:
> Free installers are hard to find 

Inno Setup (Google for it, I don't know the URL, but I'm using it)

> and a lot of work to configure and

That's right, but it contains a wizard (don't know its quality) and 
since I use VB to write my software in, I also coded a Wizard that 
imports a VB-Project into Inno Setup.
But I don't think that the "Inno Setup Script" language is too hard to 
learn. You just have to create a template and then fill in all the 
necessary information. I recommend trying it.

> A Java Web-Start based installer would be come in handy here.

I don't think so - Well, at least I don't think ANY java software would 
come in handy due to the fact that the Java engine scans all installed 
fonts (and that are over 5000 on my PC) on every start of a Java-Program 
which causes not the machine to slow down, but the program to start 
approximately 5 minutes after I double clicked the Icon.

When writing Cross-Platform-Software I suggest using Object Pascal 
(Delphi style) or C++.

ObASCII: The missing "Scanning fonts" - Dialog in the 
Java-Runtime-Environment:
   _____________________________
.� Please wait, scanning fonts `.
+-------------------------------+
|    Est. time left: 5 mins     |
|  ###                     10%  |
`._____________________________.�

-- 
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GCS>$/>L>$ d- s+:- a-- C++++>$ U>++++ L+>+++ E- W++ N>+ o? K? w---(+) O? 
M? V? PS+ PE- Y? PGP- t+ 5? X R?>+ tv b++ DI D+ G e*() h+>++ !r z
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

Markus Palcer wrote:

>Inno Setup (Google for it, I don't know the URL, but I'm using it)

It's only for windows, and that's likely what Markus meant.
I don't know how many users take advantage of JavE being written in Java (me
myself would prefer a plain windows version, it's the only reason I currently
have JRE installed at all), but it's his design decision, and I respect it.

However I agree that an installer would be nice, and if there's only one
available for windows - so be it.

ok, staying away from an installer.exe:
Can you write a "run once" configuration check that looks for the
folders and if $null make the folders and then "move" the files to the
correct folders?

> ok, staying away from an installer.exe: Can you write a "run once"
> configuration check that looks for the folders and if $null make the
> folders and then "move" the files to the correct folders?

I don't think automatically _repairing_ the installation is a good idea.
   It is not as simple as it seems and it is quite error-prone. We should
rather concentrate in providing a better way for installation itself.

For the next milestone I have already implemented a check at startup
that checks for the subfolders to exist. If not, JavE will exit with a
message:

  "The program is not installed correctly. If you have unzipped this
software from a ZIP file you most probably have forgotten to check
the option 'Use folder names' to keep the folder structure as it is
in the ZIP file. Try reinstalling the software again."

This should make quite clear what went wrong with installation. (Any
suggestions for improving the text?)

About the installer: JavE will always be Java based, so one will always
require a Java runtime to start the software. So rahter than providing
different installers for various operating systems I think I will
concentrate on one installer for all.

Markus

JavaWebStart is easy really. I don't remember the details, but basically 
you have a jar and a descriptor and voila !
Just look at the samples and copy/paste/adapt :)

BoD