MBS Xojo Conference Update

Just one week left until the conference starts. Spring arrived in Andernach and the city looks beautiful with all the flowers in parks and gardens.

You can still sign-up and join our conference and/or training day.

Currently we have over 40 people from 14 countries:

🇩🇪, 🇳🇱, 🇬🇧, 🇺🇸, 🇫🇷, 🇨🇭, 🇪🇸, 🇨🇦, 🇵🇱, 🇦🇹, 🇩🇰, 🇸🇪, 🇧🇪 & 🇮🇹

Seems like cancellations (please get well soon!) and last minute registrations balance out.

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Recent additions to the CURL project from me

The CURL project is a well run open source project and includes a command line tool (curl), a library for C/C++ application developers to use (libcurl) and various smaller utilities like trurl, a command line tool for URL parsing and manipulation. Since this is all publicly hosted on curls.se and github.com/curl, everyone can take a look there and contribute.

Everyone can download the current source code and build their own version of the command line tools, add the library to their product like we do for our plugins and modify them as needed. Yes, if you like, you could customize it and make your own version.

From time to time you may have made changes on your copies, which you would like to push back to the project. This could be:

• fixing a typo in the documentation or source code
• adding an option to build process
• adding a new feature
• port the project to build with a different compiler or on a new operation system
• fix a bug or improve something

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Send text message in iOS Xojo App

You can use our new MFMessageComposeViewControllerMBS class in MBS Xojo iOS Plugin to let the user send a text message. A dialog pops up with prefilled text and attachments, so the user can edit the message and then send it using their messages account, either using SMS or iMessage.

To handle the result, please either subclass the MFMessageComposeViewControllerMBS class and implement the didFinishWithResult event. Or you use addHandler to add the event and use a method in your current screen. You get result integer, which you can compare to the constants MailComposeResultCancelled for user cancelled, MailComposeResultSent for when message is sent, MailComposeResultSaved for the message being saved for sending later or MailComposeResultFailed if it failed like being offline.

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MBS Xojo Plugins, version 24.2pr3

New in this prerelease of the 24.2 plugins:

• Improved WebView2ControlMBS to pick temp folder for user data folder if you don't set userDataFolder property.
• Updated DynaPDF to version 4.0.87.250.
• Updated SQLAPI to version 5.3.1.
• Updated SQLite to version 3.45.3.
• Improved PhidgetMBS classes to prevent crashes with disconnected devices.

Download: monkeybreadsoftware.de/xojo/download/plugin/Prerelease/ or from DropBox.
Or ask us to be added to our shared DropBox folder.

You can subscribe to our Xojo mailing list to get notified for new pre-release and release versions.

Conditional Formatting in Excel exports from Xojo

For MBS Xojo XL Plugin in version 24.2 we include new XL classes to create conditional formatting in an Excel file created in code. While you can always load an existing document with conditional formatting or diagrams and just fill the cells with data, we now can create the rules for conditional formatting in a script. Let us show you four examples from our example file.

Please check the XLConditionalFormatMBS and XLConditionalFormattingMBS classes. The first defines the format to apply and the second one defines the rules.

Highlighting cells that begin With the given Text

This example defines a conditional format with a bold font. The conditional formatting is applied for the cells in the range B3:B11 to highlight all cells that begin with 'a'. The AddRule function allows you to define rules with various conditions like to highlight empty cells, duplicate or unique values, values starting or ending with a value or by an expression.

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Send email message in iOS Xojo App

You can use our new MFMailComposeViewControllerMBS class in MBS Xojo iOS Plugin to let the user send an email message. A dialog pops up with prefilled text and attachments, so the user can edit the message and then send it using their mail account.

To handle the result, please either subclass the MFMailComposeViewControllerMBS class and implement the didFinishWithResult event. Or you use addHandler to add the event and use a method in your current screen. You get result integer, which you can compare to the constants MessageComposeResultCancelled for user cancelled, MessageComposeResultSent for when message is sent or MessageComposeResultFailed if it failed like being offline.

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MBS Xojo Plugins, version 24.2pr2

New in this prerelease of the 24.2 plugins:

• Improved WindowsDisplayMBS class to better query per screen DPI values.
• Added LogX, LogHeight, LogWidth and LogY properties to WindowsDisplayMBS class.
• Added touchesMatchingPhase, coalescedTouchesForTouch and predictedTouchesForTouch methods to NSEventMBS class.
• Added LogScaleFactor property to WindowsDisplayMBS class.
• Added PictureTypeSVG constant for XLBookMBS class.
• Fixed an issue with copy constructor in WindowsDeviceInformationPairingMBS class not retaining the device object.
• Added Close method to WindowsDeviceInformationPairingMBS class to explicitly close it.
• Removed a few deprecated methods in CWInterfaceMBS class, which Apple removed and so they stopped working years ago.
• Added respondsToSelector to CanvasGesturesMBS class, so the system can query which events you implemented.
• Improved PhidgetMBS classes to prevent crashes with disconnected devices.
• Improved MFMessageComposeViewControllerMBS and MFMailComposeViewControllerMBS class to better dismiss and provide dismissed event.
• Fixed a problem with translate method in Graphics class when used with DynaPDF.
• Added NextPage(width, height) support for graphics class in DynaPDF.
• Added handling of MiterLimit property for using graphics class in DynaPDF.
• Updated LibXL to version 4.3.0.
• Added keepAllSheets parameter for LoadPartially methods in XLBookMBS class.

Download: monkeybreadsoftware.de/xojo/download/plugin/Prerelease/ or from DropBox.
Or ask us to be added to our shared DropBox folder.

You can subscribe to our Xojo mailing list to get notified for new pre-release and release versions.

MBS Xojo Conference Update

Just two weeks until the conference starts. Spring arrived in Andernach and the city looks beautiful with all the flowers in parks and gardens.

You can still sign-up and join our conference and/or training day.

Currently we have over 40 people from 14 countries:

🇩🇪, 🇳🇱, 🇬🇧, 🇺🇸, 🇫🇷, 🇨🇭, 🇪🇸, 🇨🇦, 🇵🇱, 🇦🇹, 🇩🇰, 🇸🇪, 🇧🇪 & 🇮🇹

Dinner on Tuesday

If you arrive early and you join the Tuesday dinner, please meet in front of the hotel with other attendees at 18 o'clock.

We then walk over to Villa am Rhein, the hotel on the other side of the street to go to their restaurant.

The address is Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 3. Our hotel has house number 8. Walking distance is less than 100 meter.

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LibXL 4.3.0 has been released

We are glad to inform you that the new LibXL version 4.3.0 is available now.

What's new in the version 4.3.0:

• added the possibility to remove all VBA code and macros from xlsm and xlsb files
• added the possibility to remove all printer settings from xlsx, xlsm and xlsb files
• added the possibility to set an active cell for splitted sheets (xlsx)
• added keepAllSheets flag for the partial loading methods, if it's true, all sheets are saved back with Book::save() method, but only one specified sheet is available for processing, thus LibXL can save more memory. It works only for xlsx files, LibXL ignores this flag for xls files
• added the multi-level sorting for AutoFilter::addSort() and Sheet::applyFilter() (xlsx)
• added the updating/moving existing tables with Sheet::insertRow() and Sheet::removeRow() methods (xlsx)
• improved SVG support
• fixed a bug with adding a hyperlink after setting a picture, the output xlsx file was unreadable by Excel
• fixed a bug with incorrect return values in Sheet::rowHeight() and Sheet::rowHeightPx() for non-standard DPI settings for some xlsx files
• fixed Sheet::setPrintAread(), Sheet::setPrintRepeatRows(), Sheet::setPrintRepeatCols() for working with Japanese/Chinese sheet names
• fixed a bug with reading some values in double quotes in the Sheet::readFormula() (xlsx)
• fixed a bug with a workbook overwriting dialog message in Excel when an existing sheet is copied in xlsx file
• fixed a bug with reading some cells after using functions which changes sheet's size (xlsx)
• fixed a bug with reading tables in some xlsx files
• fixed some bugs with partial loading/saving some workbooks in the Book::loadSheet() and Book::save() methods (xlsx)
• fixed a bug with using non UTF-8 character encodings on Linux and Mac
• fixed a bug with reading some data from a partially loaded workbook (xlsx)

New methods:

• Book::removeVBA()
• Book::removePrinterSettings()

The LibXL library can be used with MBS Plugins in Xojo and FileMaker. Updated plugins will be available soon. As usual we add the new functions soon. If you need help or want to try the new version early, let me know.

Print dialogs for iOS in Xojo

For iOS you may miss the print dialogs in Xojo. For upcoming 24.2 version of MBS Xojo Plugins we have new classes for you: The UIPrinterPickerControllerMBS class allows to show a printer picker dialog to choose the printer. And the UIPrintInteractionControllerMBS allows to show a dialog for printing a PDF or image.

Pick Printer

First we want to pick a printer. Let's show the printer picker. If you like, you can set a few properties like the SelectedPrinter property to preselect a printer.

In the Completed event, you can react to the user's choice. Check the error property for an error and the userDidSelect property. If the userDidSelect property is true, the check the selectedPrinter property.

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CURL Up 2024

Recently Daniel Stenberg, the main developer behind the CURL project, announced the curl://up conference for 2024:

curl up 2024 will take place in Stockholm, Sweden in early May.

📅 May 4-5, 2024
📍 Stockholm, Sweden 🇸🇪
🏨 Best Western Hotel
🎤 English
🌍 github.com/curl/curl-up/wiki/2024

Anyone interested in the CURL project is welcome to join the conference!

For details, please check the website.

Monkeybread Software is proud to be a sponsor for the curl project and we will join the conference.

MBS Xojo ChartDirector Plugin Birthday

Just 16 years ago we added the ChartDirector Plugin to our MBS Xojo Plugin collection.
Thanks to Mr. Jason J. Campbell for asking me to add a charts plugin and thanks to Peter Kwan from Advanced Software Engineering Limited for his support over the years and the excellent co-operation.



PS: ChartDirector is also the engine used by FileMaker Pro internally for the chart generation as you can see on the included DLLs.

MBS Xojo Conference Update

Just three weeks until the conference starts. We look forward to an intense week and meeting you all. You can still sign-up and join the conference and/or training day.

Currently we have over 40 people from 14 countries:

🇩🇪, 🇳🇱, 🇬🇧, 🇺🇸, 🇫🇷, 🇨🇭, 🇪🇸, 🇨🇦, 🇵🇱, 🇦🇹, 🇩🇰, 🇸🇪, 🇧🇪 & 🇮🇹

Last hotel room

Our room allocation expired. I kept one last room for a late sign-up attendee. Who likes to get that room?

Sight seeing day

We still have a few seats available for sight seeing day. If someone likes to come earlier to Germany and join our sight seeing tour, please let me know.

Exact tour depends on the weather, but we plan to visit a middle-age castle, some ruins and some nice views on the landscape.

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Use DynaPDF to create a PDF in PDF/X standard for printing

If your printing company asks you to provide PDF documents in PDF/X format, you can create such a PDF in DynaPDF using our DynaPDFMBS class in the MBS Xojo DynaPDF Plugin.

For PDF/X-1 you need to have:

• All fonts embedded.
• All colors are CMYK or spot colors.
  If needed convert RGB to CMYK using Optimize function.
• Add information for the printing condition using AddRenderingIntent function.
• Set the version in header to the required PDF/X version.
• Set a trim box for each page, which can be equal to the media box.
• Set metadata with a document title.
• Removed all actions.

DynaPDF can do the following PDF/X versions:

• PDF/X-1a:2001
• PDF/X-1a:2003
• PDF/X-3:2002
• PDF/X-3:2003
• PDF/X-4p
• PDF/X-5g
• PDF/X-5n
• PDF/X-5pg
• PDF/X-6
• PDF/X-6n
• PDF/X-6p

Please note that newer PDF/X variants may have different conditions.

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MBS Xojo Plugins, version 24.2pr1

New in this prerelease of the 24.2 plugins:

• Updated DynaPDF to version 4.0.86.249.
• Added MFMessageComposeViewControllerMBS class to let user write a text message.
• Added MFMailComposeViewControllerMBS class to let user write an email message.
• Changed PageGraphics on DynaPDFMBS class to only set coordinate system to top-down when you query PageGraphics or when NextPage is called.
• Added Current property to NWPathMonitorMBS class.
• Added XWindowID property to GTKWindowMBS class.
• Improved ToHTML method in JSONMBS class to use CSS for right alignment.
• Updated to Xcode 15.3.
• Added classes for printing on iOS: UIPrintPaperMBS, UIPrintInteractionControllerMBS, UIPrintInfoMBS, UIPrinterPickerControllerMBS and UIPrinterMBS.
• Upgraded properties in NSPathComponentCellMBS class to be debugger visible.
• Added NSPathControlItemMBS class.
• Added more methods and properties to NSPathControlMBS class.
• Added Merge function to JSONMBS class.
• Added AllowRotation parameter for QLPreviewControllerMBS class constructor to allow more rotation than the parent view.
• Added more methods and properties for MongoDB to our MongoDatabaseMBS, MongoClientMBS and MongoURIMBS class.
• Improved error reporting for LoadLibrary method on Windows for ScintillaControlMBS control.
• Fixed a problem with LoadLibrary failing on Windows for ScintillaControlMBS control.
• Improved writeToString method in XMLSerializerMBS class to return string marked UTF-8 instead of UTF-16.
• Fixed a bug with SetLineDashPattern event in DynaPDFParseInterfaceMBS class, where the dash array was nil instead of providing the values.
• Improved ReplaceTag and Substitute functions in WordFileMBS class to remove control characters from replacement text to avoid creating broken word files.
• Updated CURL to version 8.7.1.
• Added XLConditionalFormattingMBS and XLConditionalFormatMBS classes.
• Added Operator_Compare method to XLFontMBS and XLFormatMBS classes.
• Includes our CURL improvements for international domains on macOS/iOS.
• Improved XLFontMBS and XLFormatMBS handling for our XL Plugin to cache the objects and reuse them.
• Fixed a couple of incorrect flags set for various properties and methods.

Download: monkeybreadsoftware.de/xojo/download/plugin/Prerelease/ or from DropBox.
Or ask us to be added to our shared DropBox folder.

You can subscribe to our Xojo mailing list to get notified for new pre-release and release versions.

Company's 24th Birthday

Once again we have April and thus we celebrate the 24th anniversary of our company this monday.



Time flies and it wasn't long ago, where we had to cancel the 20th anniversary party. We already started to plan the party for the 25th birthday!

Thanks everyone for supporting us over the years and see you at the next conference!

If you have a wish for a new plugin function, feel free to send us a message.

MBS Xojo Conference Update

About four weeks left until we start our MBS Xojo Developer Conference in Andernach, Germany.

Currently we have over 40 people from 13 countries:

🇩🇪, 🇳🇱, 🇬🇧, 🇺🇸, 🇫🇷, 🇨🇭, 🇪🇸, 🇨🇦, 🇵🇱, 🇦🇹, 🇩🇰, 🇸🇪 & 🇧🇪

Xojo 2024r1

Since the new Xojo version just launched, we will probably get an update on this in the Xojo keynote by Geoff Perlman. Then we look forward on the upcoming releases later this year and what is coming there.

The conference is your chance to directly talk to Javier, Riccardo and Geoff about the Xojo development. Ask Javier about the PDF classes, the new barcode scanning classes and pop overs. Then ask all your web framework questions to Riccardo.

Training day

We have a few tickets left for the training day. Please join to learn how to build an application in Xojo.

We combine the targets desktop, web and mobile to build a bigger solution. This may be a web app to act as a service for providing data to a Desktop, an iOS and an Android application.

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15th birthday of MBS SQL Plugin

Our MBS SQL Plugin turns 15 years old today.

Over the years we got requests for alternative database plugin classes for use with Xojo (formerly REALbasic). In 2009 a client requested a native plugin for Microsoft SQL Server, so we started writing a SQL Plugin and got a deal with SQLAPI to use this C++ library as the base of the plugin. Over the years, we contributed lots of changes and bug fixes and helped funding adding CubeSQL and SQL Anywhere support to SQLAPI.

As of today, we support CubeSQL, Centura SQLBase, DB2, DuckDB, Firebird, Informix, InterBase, MariaDB, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, ODBC, Oracle Database Server, PostgreSQL, SQL Anywhere, SQLite, SQLCipher and Sybase. Well received features include using named parameters for prepared statements, full unicode support, threaded connect & execution, bulk row transfer, streaming blob values, and offering database specific options for advanced features. And recently we got even edit/update support for RecordSet and newer RowSet classes. Yes RowSet is supported!

You can use our plugin with one of two interfaces and even mix them. SQLConnectionMBS is our native interface for using all the nice features and works in Xojo Lite. This includes SQLCommandMBS class for doing both statement preparation and handling the result set. With SQLDatabaseMBS class, we have a database subclass, which makes transition easier for existing Xojo developers and use PreparedStatement interface and RecordSet class.

If you check the release notes for this plugin, you find that we recently we added SQLiteFunctionMBS class so you can define your own custom functions for SQLite when using it in our plugin as well as Xojo's SQLiteDatabase class.

If you like to try the plugin, please check the website. Watch SQL Plugin presentation and read Xojo Developer Magazine article in issue 14.1.

See also

• Converting Xojo project to use MBS SQL Plugin
• RowSet in MBS Xojo SQL Plugin
• Connect to Oracle via MBS Xojo SQL Plugin
• Connect to Microsoft SQL Server with MBS Xojo SQL Plugin
• Accessing Microsoft SQL Database from Mac/Linux
• Edit and Update for SQLDatabaseMBS class

Xojo license changes

With Xojo 2024r1 or newer, everyone can build Xojo desktop and console applications for Linux without a license. Basically this part of Xojo can be used for free. Only if you do Web applications on Linux, you'd need the paid license.

The bigger change for everyone with a Lite license is that you now save your project in text format. This enables the use of version control systems like GIT with Xojo projects. Previously this needed a Xojo Pro license. We hope more Xojo developers will use text projects and use GIT, even if they are developing alone, so they can track their own changes. (more)

Using DynaPDF parser to find characters

Please check out the DynaPDFParserMBS class in MBS Xojo DynaPDF Plugin. This class allows you to:

Parse a page

Extract text

Find text

Replace text

Find characters

Delete text

Write changes back to page

You can limit the search to a part of the page or the whole page and use various options like whether the text search is case insensitive.

Today we want to show you how you can identify the exact position of any character in a PDF. Like this picture where we show all characters with a box, even for mirrored or rotated text:

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