Multi-user repository

No more waiting to access your Synergy/DE repository—you and your colleagues can now update the same repository concurrently. Now you can do your repository updates when you need to and then move on to other tasks. Multiple users can access structures, files, templates, formats, and enumerations. (To ensure the integrity of definitions such as structures and templates, when one user begins to modify a record, other users cannot write to that record until the first user is done.)

Change tracking

You can now track the changes made to your Synergy DBMS ISAM files and then save and restore snapshots of your data. Use it to implement database replication, “end-of-period processing” (with no interruption), or any other function that makes use of data snapshots. Change tracking gives you a powerful new feature for managing your data. Using the SELECT class, you can retrieve all changes made between two snapshots, only the net changes, or all records as they were when a particular snapshot was issued. You can specify change tracking on a file at file creation or via the new ctutl utility. Change tracking can be used in conjunction with synbackup to coordinate snapshots.

HTTP/HTTPS API enhancements

New client-side API routines make it easier for you to write HTTP/HTTPS code. The new routines include PUT and DELETE methods, plus the ability to use strings and arrays of strings (so you can use strings instead of memory handles). One benefit of these new methods is the ability to interact with REST-based web services.

Support for Windows 8 and Server 2013

Be ready when your users need Windows 8 or Server 2013. Also includes support for Windows Store application deployment. If your users haven’t already asked for your application to run on Windows 8, they will. Make sure your application runs with Synergy/DE 10.1 so you will be ready. Includes a new Synergy Control Panel utility that gives you easy access to the Synergy Configuration Program, the xfODBC dba, and other administrative tools.

Synergy DBMS enhancements

New Rev 6 ISAM revision provides many new features to help you manage your Synergy DBMS data. In addition to the change tracking feature described above, Rev 6 ISAM also delivers the following features:

• New key types (i8):
  • Auto sequence: Auto-incremented number (STORE)
  • Auto timestamp: Last changed (STORE/WRITE). Enables you to obtain all keys changed since a specific time
• 256 TB max terabyte file size
• Support for large sector drives
• Dynamic file header
• User-defined header text
• Stored GRFA
• Performance enhancements

Synergy .NET enhancements

Synergy .NET gives you a path to dramatically advance your applications by providing access to all the resources available to .NET applications. You can add a new UI, create Synergy .NET class libraries, integrate with C# assemblies, and much more. New features in 10.1 include:

• Asynchronous processing, which enables you to code processes to run independently of other processes and thus improve performance.
• YIELD statement, which enables you to have a method that returns a collection “item by item.” Can be especially helpful for compatibility with C#.
• Features to improve compatibility in .NET:
  • Implied type parameters on generic method calls
  • Simple properties
  • Bit-shift and modulus operators
  • Improved nullable type support
  • Support for local fields and properties where names differ only by case
• Performance improvements:
  • Reduced code size when using structures and records
  • Optimization of code for improved JIT startup time
  • INTERNAL modifier for commons and GDS

Visual Studio 2012 support

Includes support for the latest Visual Studio features, performance improvements, and Windows Store application deployment. 10.1 has tons of new Visual Studio features to help you be more productive:

• Faster Add Reference dialog
• Faster project load
• Improved Solution Explorer support
• Architecture Explorer support for VS Ultimate
• New ITERATOR and ITERINDEX snippets
• Go To Definition for repository structures
• Comment outline collapsing
• Higher-performing code generated by Interop projects
• Numerous IntelliSense enhancements, including support for new Synergy DBL features
• Launching Synergy Online Manuals

Windows Store application deployment uses a subset of Synergy .NET and supports both x86 and ARM variety. WinMD files and WinRT assemblies are also supported.

Improvements to the C# to Synergy Code Converter

With 10.1 support for more C# constructs, you can make use of even more C# examples when writing new Synergy .NET code or getting up to speed on developing with Synergy .NET. Also includes a new C# to Synergy solution converter that lets you convert whole solutions. If you are not already using the C# to Synergy Code Converter, give it a try. It lets you take advantage of the tons of C# code examples out there. In 10.1, it now converts:

• Shift left and shift right operators
• YIELD, ASYNCH, and AWAIT statements
• C# simple properties
• C# local “using” blocks
• Simple ternary expressions
• Modulus operator
• “is” and “as” statements
• Variables or types that have the same name as a Synergy reserved word
• Local and assembly types
• C# Solutions (Most C# projects can be converted with minimal additional work.)

Synergy DBL enhancements

New language features that will give you new capabilities:

• Socket API functions %SS_GETADDRINFO and %SS_GETNAMEINFO
• SHELL option for Windows 8
• DBG_SELECT for optimization assistance

Compression in xfNetLink Synergy

You can now compress repeated zeroes and spaces within packets sent between xfNetLink Synergy and xfServerPlus to improve application performance. The average percentage of compression is displayed in the xfServerPlus log so that you can determine how effective compression is for your application.

Multi-mainline projects in Workbench

Build all main routines with just one click. The Workbench project build system now supports a project containing multiple files with main routines.

Enhanced UI Toolkit .NET support

Give your UI Toolkit applications built for Synergy .NET a more native look and feel. The previous Synergy/DE release, 9.5.3, included support for cell-based UI Toolkit functionality in .NET (tklib.dll). The new features include:

• Native menu system
• Native status bars
• Native message boxes
• U_PRINTSETUP & U_PRINTQUERY

TCP/IP License Manager (Windows)

Use Microsoft’s ClickOnce technology to deploy your applications. 10.1 has a new license manager on Windows. TCP/IP was a requirement for supporting Windows 8, but it also provides some nice benefits:

• With ClickOnce deployment for WAN/Internet, you can send your users a link that lets them download and run your Synergy application without preloading Synergy licensing.
• You can use synxfpng for troubleshooting.
• Improves Backup License Server.

Platform Changes

10.1 includes the following changes to Synergy/DE platform support:

• Windows 8 is now supported.
• Windows Server 2012 is now supported.
• OpenVMS v7.3-2 is now the minimum version supported on Alpha systems. (Previous minimum was v7.2.)
• On SCO OpenServer, xfServer and xfServerPlus are not currently supported with 10.1.