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Changes in Qedit for Windows 5.3

Qedit for Windows 5.3 has one of the most requested features: syntax coloring. The version is available as a general release. If you wish to start using it now, you can download it

Syntax Coloring

For a while now, Qedit users have been able to select colors for different parts of a document. For example, they could customize the text color, the background, the insertion point (cursor) or invisible characters. In version 5.3, Qedit now has the ability to highlight syntax elements based on the language of a file. Thus parts of the text can have different colors.

Syntax coloring let's you distinguish syntax elements at a glance, makes it easy to find syntax errors, and it works on MPE files, HP-UX files, and local files.

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Syntax Coloring

Qedit recognizes 3 syntax elements:

Syntax coloring of a Cobol source file

Each element can have a different color. Users can change the color schemes using the Color Customization dialog box available from the General page of the Qedit Preferences or from the Options page of the File Properties dialog boxes.

Syntax for a particular language is described in a template file based on the XML specifications. Qedit currently ships with 16 template files. Since template files are ordinary text files, users can customize them even further if needed. It is also very easy to create template files for languages that might be missing.

Security

Qedit for Windows now sends information about the passwords used to establish the connection. The server is then able to determine which password is stored permanently in the connection template and which is prompted for. This information is put in environment variables which are accessible from command files or shell scripts.

The Exit command is now allowed in any of the qeditmgr files. If entered, the server sends an error transaction to the client requesting that the connection be dropped immediately. Optionally, the Exit command can have a custom error message to display.

These 2 functions are available in version 5.2.12 or higher of the server.

Debugging Information

Since its introduction, Qedit for Windows had trace facilities available at the local and server levels. The trace feature can be enabled from the Debug Controls dialog box available from the Debug command on the Options menu. Trace files are very useful to us if a user ever runs into a problem.

Unfortunately, there are cases when even trace files are not enough. This latest version traps unforeseen events and create a debugging file in the computer's temporary directory. If this happens, Qedit for Windows displays a message window like this one:

If this ever happens, users should write down the name of the file and its location. They should then contact Robelle Support with a description of the problem and, in the case of an email, attach the debug message file.

Other Changes and Bug Fixes

The following is a list of smaller changes or bug fixes in this version.