September 4, 2003

REPLACING CALLS TO %DLL_SUBR with %DLL_CALL
Note: Because we no longer recommend the use of %DLL_SUBR, Synergy/DE 8.1.5 (scheduled for release in October) will be the last version that supports it.

If you are using the Synergy DLL API function %DLL_SUBR, we recommend that you change your code to use %DLL_CALL instead.

The Synergy DLL API was introduced in Synergy Language version 6.1. It included %DLL_OPEN, %DLL_SUBR, and %DLL_CLOSE functions and was supported on Windows. Synergy/DE 7.3 enhanced these DLL API functions to support shared objects on Unix. When adding this Unix support, we discovered some design issues in %DLL_SUBR, so we implemented %DLL_CALL as an improved alternative. We recommend that you use %DLL_CALL instead of %DLL_SUBR for the following reasons:

• %DLL_CALL is more reliable than %DLL_SUBR. %DLL_SUBR places increased load on system resources and can severely affect stack performance or cause stack corruptions. Also, when using a Windows debugger or bounds checker, you may encounter problems when using %DLL_SUBR.

• %DLL_CALL is more efficient than %DLL_SUBR. Internally, %DLL_SUBR constructs 20 arguments and sends all 20 to the receiving DLL method. The unused arguments are then ignored.
  
  
• %DLL_CALL allows you to specify the type of calling convention to be used, so you are not limited to the "standard" calling convention used by %DLL_SUBR.

If you cannot easily modify your code to change all %DLL_SUBR calls to %DLL_CALL calls, you can instead declare a parameterized macro that redefines %DLL_SUBR as %DLL_CALL. See the example macro below.

.define dll_subr(handle, function, arg1, arg2, …,arg20) dll_call(handle, DLL_TYPE_STDCALL, function, arg1, arg2, …, arg20)

For more information about the Synergy DLL API, refer to the Synergy Language Reference Manual on the Synergex Web site.
(You must be a Synergy/DE HelpDesk Support customer to view this page. After clicking on this link, log into the
Resource Center. You will then be redirected to the appropriate Web page.)

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SUPPORT TECH TIP: ERROR WHEN REINSTALLING SYNERGY/DE
Q: When uninstalling Synergy/DE on Windows, I deleted the SynergyDE folder and the Synergy registry entries. Now, I get an error when I try to reinstall Synergy/DE.

A: Instructions for uninstalling Synergy/DE are included in the Installation Instructions that accompanied your copy of the Synergy/DE software. You should always use the Windows Add/Remove Programs dialog to uninstall Synergy/DE, unless you are specifically directed by Synergy/DE HelpDesk Support to remove the files manually. Manually removing or altering registry entries can result in permanent data loss or corrupted files.

If you are advised by Synergy/DE HelpDesk Support to make registry edits, it is very important that you back up the registry before making any changes. Then, if you do experience problems when reinstalling Synergy/DE, you will be able to reinstate the registry from your backup. If you do not have a registry backup, you should first attempt to re-initialize the Synergy license with a Synergy license kill string from HelpDesk Support. If that doesn’t fix the problem, your only option is to reinstall the operating system.

Further information on the Microsoft Registry can be found in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 256986, Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry. The following text is taken from that article:

To edit the registry, Microsoft recommends that you follow the steps in the Microsoft documentation only. If possible, use the Windows user interface instead of directly editing the registry.

You can edit the registry by using Registry Editor (Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe). If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft does not guarantee that problems that you cause by using Registry Editor incorrectly can be resolved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

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PLATFORM NEWS: AMD OPTERON PROCESSOR BUILDING MOMENTUM
In April, AMD announced their Opteron processor, which includes 64-bit extensions to the 32-bit x86 architecture, allowing users to run 32-bit applications and 64-bit applications on the same server. The Opteron processor will compete against Intel's Itanium processor for the 64-bit computing market.

The Opteron chip has received favorable reviews, as well as a number of commitments from system vendors:

• Microsoft is targeting the end of 2003 to support Windows Server 2003.
• IBM supports the Opteron with their IBM eServer 325.
• SuSE supports it with a version of its Linux operating system, and Red Hat expects to have a version out later this year.
• Oracle supports it with its 9i Database running 32-bit Linux, and they plan to add support for other software products on 32-bit Linux and Windows.

Other system vendors, such as HP, Sun, and Dell are evaluating the Opteron and keeping an eye on the market. A recent article on InfoWorld's Web site reviews the momentum that Opteron has built so far and discusses what AMD will need to do to compete with Intel.

If you have any interest in AMD's Opteron processor, please let us know. We would like to hear from you.

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WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SYNERGY/DE NOW?
Helping clothes get dry faster!

Ever had to spend a hot summer day in a laundromat? Not fun. As one laundromat customer stated, "A customer who’s forced to wait can get hotter than a Texas heat wave.” Fortunately, this particular customer was at a laundromat that employs the AD-50 dryer from American Dryer Corporation (ADC). “My AD-50s get my customers in and out—fast,” the laundromat owner raved.

The coin-operated AD-50 is just one of the top-performance dryers offered by ADC, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial laundry dryers. Based in Fall River, Massachusetts, ADC has four product lines: the Coin-Op Line for coin-operated laundries and multi-housing laundry environments such as apartment buildings; the On Premises Laundry Line for spas, gyms, and hotels; the Industrial Line for hospitals and nursing homes; and the Contamination Control Line for the medical and semiconductor industries.

ADC uses an in-house Synergy/DE-based application for order configuration, order entry, material inventory control, bills-of-material, shop floor control, finished goods inventory, billing, and shipping. In the future, ADC plans to put a customer service front-end on their Web site. Using their Synergy/DE-based application, dealers and distributors of ADC’s products will be able to order replacement parts online. In addition, this application will soon enable customers to register their dryers online to obtain warranties.

For more details, visit ADC’s Web site.

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ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF THE SYNERGY/DE ANNIVERSARY CONTEST!
Jan Brier of High Rise Professional Services
Company anniversary date: May 1997

Congratulations Jan, and best wishes to High Rise Professional Services, which celebrated its anniversary in May.

Located in Veenendaal, The Netherlands, High Rise Professional Services develops a Synergy/DE-based accounting and stock control system.

Do you know when your company's anniversary is? If you do, enter our Anniversary Contest! Every quarter we'll draw from the companies celebrating anniversaries during those
months, and the winner will receive a $100 American Express gift certificate. Good luck and happy anniversary!

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