Other B4A v9.0 BETA has been released

[Erel]

I'm happy to release B4A v9.0 BETA. Most of the steps in the compilation process were rewritten and compilation is now much faster. This update also includes many other important improvements.

Improvements:

• Compilation performance (about 2 times faster for first compilation and up to 4 times faster on following compilations).
• Bookmarks and breakpoints are listed in the modules tree:
  
  
  

• Auto backup improvements:
  • Project is saved before backup, based on the auto save option.
    
  • Project name added to the backup file.
  • The project folder is configurable (AutoBackupFolder in the ini file).
• Warning for unused parameters in private, non-event, subs.
• Additional library folder can be configured with a B4X folder for cross platform libraries: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/b4x-additional-libraries-folder.103165/
  
• #Event declarations appear in the autocomplete list.
• Fix for a long standing issue that caused scope changes of global variables to not always be detected.
• Workaround for Android issue (https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/113122354) that caused services to fail to start in some edge cases. This is based on the automatic foreground mode feature.
• Copy to clipboard option in the permissions dialog.
• Missing maven resources can be added to the internal or additional libraries folders.
• com.google.auto.value-auto-value-annotations added as an internal library. This is a missing maven resource that required by Firebase libraries.
• B4XCollections, B4XFormatter, B4XTable, XML2Map and XUI Views are internal libraries.
• Foreground services permission is added automatically. Required when setting targetSdkVersion to 28.
• CreateResourceFromFile(Macro, Core.NetworkClearText) - Required when setting targetSdkVersion to 28 when communicating with non-SSL servers.
• Application.Icon works with adaptive icons.
• FirebaseAdMob v1.53 - Fixes an issue related to targetSdkVersion 28.
• Files are listed in the removal dialog.
• OkHttpUtils2 v2.81 - Includes a call to Service.StopAutomaticForeground (related to the workaround discussed above).
• Other bug fixes and minor improvements.

An email with upgrade instructions will be sent to developers who are eligible for free upgrades.

 

[Erel]

Thank you. The issue is fixed for the next beta.

 

[Jmu5667]

Hello

If I want to down grade back to 8.8, as I am not too sure if there is a error in my app or if it is the Beta 9.0 (most likely not), in relation to background services running, will this be an issue ?

Regards

John.

 

[Jmu5667]

With this version, in my big proyect, i get this message inc:\tmp\imerrora lot of function/subs

Variable 'ba' no usada.
var BA never used (my transalate)

Always say 'ba' and the are not defined any ba var.

I had the same, if you make any of these subs public, the warning goes away.

 

[Erel]

If I want to down grade back to 8.8, as I am not too sure if there is a error in my app or if it is the Beta 9.0 (most likely not), in relation to background services running, will this be an issue ?

No.

did you implement incremental compilation?

Many improvements were made in the compilation process:

- Most resources are being reused between compilations.
- AAR libraries, such as Google Play Services and Firebase libraries, are unpacked once. This makes the "organizing libraries" step very fast.
- Optimized dexer was optimized and it prepares more things in the background (when MultiDex = False).

 

[Jmu5667]

No.

thanks

 

[Erel]

Beta #2 has been released. It is available from the same link as before.

It fixes several issues including:

- Wrong warning about unused 'ba' variable.
- AAR with nested jars cause builds to fail (amir glide library).
- Failure to create the 'gen' folder.

 

[Gunther]

Just after opening and compile.

 

[Erel]

Two things"

1. It takes some time for the optimized dexer to precompile the libraries. So if you open the project and immediately compile, the performance gain will not be full.
2. You might get even better results if you increase MaxRamForDex. Set it to 4096 if there is enough RAM on your PC.

 

[Gunther]

after 2nd complie: (the MaxRamForDex was remaining on 8192 on an i5)

After some coffe break just pressed again Compile: (all fine - just let you know)

 

[Erel]

possible Bug: Same Project as before but with different Conditional Compilation settings in the Manifest:

Please start a new thread for this.

 

[Deleted member 103]

Does not look bad as beta 2, it has become much faster.

 

[Erel]

On the next runs, the "compiling generated java code" should be much quicker (until you clean the project or switch a build configuration).

 

[iz0ndg]

I have this error by compiling a source that with version 8.80 is compiled correctly.

B4A Versione: 9.00 BETA #1
Analisi del Codice.    (0.29s)
Building folders structure.    (0.10s)
Compilazione del codice.    (0.88s)
Compilazione del codice di layouts    (0.06s)
Organizzazione Librerie.    (0.00s)
Generazione file R.    Error
ERROR: Unable to open class file gen\turnariovf\giordanif\Manifest.java: No such file or directory

I have reinstalled version 8.80 and the error does not appear ....
java is version jdk1.8.0_201 and Android is up to date

With Beta #2 the problem seems to be solved.

Thanks Erel

 

[Erel]

Beta #3 has been released. It fixes an issue with build configurations with different package names.

 

[Kwame Twum]

Getting this error even on BETA #3

B4A Version: 9.00 BETA #3
Parsing code.    (0.30s)
Building folders structure.    (0.03s)
Compiling code.    (4.37s)
Compiling layouts code.    (1.67s)
Organizing libraries.    (0.00s)
Generating R file.    Error
ERROR: Unable to open class file gen\com\excellium\wsh\Manifest.java: No such file or directory

This is happening to multiple projects that work fine with 8.8 so I'm sure there's nothing wrong with my projects.

 

[Erel]

Can you send me one of those projects to erel@basic4ppc.com ?

 

[Kwame Twum]

Sent

 

[Kwame Twum]

hello Erel, been able identify the issue yet? I'm unable to compile any of my projects now.
Even after reinstalling 8.8, I still get the same error with the projects (which wasn't there previously). Could the 9 beta have installed some configurations causing this?

 

[klaus]

Can you post such a project, as zip file, so we could test it to see where the problem might be.

 

[JOTHA]

THX Erel, I'll update it today ...