Lasernet Release Version 9.0

Release date: November 2018

New Features

This latest version of Lasernet brings with it some major new developments that we believe will help customers start enjoying some of the great new features and improvements we have added over the years, as well as helping Lasernet to reach its full potential. Alongside this, we have also looked at ways of making Lasernet even more secure and user-friendly.

Windows Services

Four mandatory services with two additional services to run the Windows Server with Local System as the default user have now been renamed, as follows:

Lasernet 9 (Default:3279)

The primary Lasernet service to process workflows and forms installed and licensed via the License Manager by the end-user (similar to previous versions).

Lasernet Print Capture 9

The Lasernet Print Capture service provides a virtual printer for creating Lasernet overlays (similar to previous versions).

Lasernet Config

A new service to manage all the Lasernet configurations.

Lasernet Portal 9

A new service that provides a web interface for managing Lasernet configurations and servers.

Lasernet Dictionary 9

Only required for users running Lasernet Input Management with dictionary support. Installed via the Lasernet License Manager by the end-user (similar to previous versions).

Lasernet Meta Proxy 9

Allows multiple Meta instances to run on the same machine. Installed via the Lasernet Meta 9 installer by the end-user (similar to previous versions).

Lasernet Configuration Server 9

A new web portal has been created enabling users to view configurations, manage deployments, view the history log, manage servers, users, groups and security roles.

Deployment

The Deployment Tool is used to manage, deploy any revised configuration. Users can view the revision number, date, check messages, their author and any active revision. The Deployment History allows users to view all deployment history for any server and/or configuration.

Servers

Here you can Administrate instance names, server names and port numbers for running servers.

Users and Groups

Administrate local Lasernet users and groups. - an alternative to Active Directory users and groups.

Security Roles

Manage access control to the products and services provided by Lasernet.  Allow access control to web, developer and client access by adding role members for local/AD users and groups.

Lasernet Launcher 9

We have introduced a new launcher with access to all the Lasernet applications and manuals.

Connect to Lasernet

Log into the Lasernet configuration server as a Lasernet and/or Admin user with a secure connection.

Start

Here you can create, import and open a configuration.

Lasernet Developer

We have updated the user-interface with a new skin, frameless editors, improved usability, new modules and new deployment and administrative tools.

Deployment Tools

Along with a new Lasernet Developer theme, new deployment tools are now available on the ribbon.

Master JobInfos

You can now set Master Jobinfosa in the configuration for each server using the Server JobInfos button.

Changed Object Status

The status for changed objects can be shown.

Tools

A new Tools panel has been added with four new options: Search, Subforms, Phrases and Resources:

Search: users are able to search for text strings in objects and resources.  

Subforms: Subforms can be accessed in EMF.

Phrases: in DOCX

Resources: users can show and maintain grab files, images, overlays,  schema files, templates etc. in the configuration.

Lasernet Configuration Server

Users can now commit or add new objects to the Lasernet Configuration Server or revert changes previously added to the configuration. Changes made can be seen in the Show Changes window once you have clicked the  Show Changes button:

The Show Changes window, displaying the changed properties for a range of supported object types  

Before committing any changes, you can log messages which give more details of the change within a message field. A Revert button enables users to revert changes to the local server version.

History

View a history log, committed objects with date/user details for all revisions of the configuration.

Deploy to server

Deploy a configuration from the Lasernet Developer to any available Lasernet Server added to the Lasernet Configuration Server using the Deploy button.

Patch server

Patch server works in a similar way to the Lasernet Update tool found in previous versions of Lasernet and only available from Lasernet Developer, using the Patch button.

Modulization

Create your own customized modules with inline Modifiers, Scripts, XML Transformer Forms, Database Connections and Commands and their settings. You can now view inline objects with criteria as pseudo code and select a custom icon for a module.

Export/Import objects

Toggle between showing all objects and only checked objects. Export/Import configuration objects as a single file (.lnconfigx).

JobInfo Master Store

There is a new server feature to set environment JobInfos on the server level:

JobInfo substitution support has been added to most value fields in configuration to replace JobInfos/values added to the master store. JobInfo added to the JobInfo master store is set exclusively for jobs received by the server instance for where the JobInfos are specified.

JobInfo dialog

There is now a new toolbar with editing tools:

This includes :

• Support for actions and syntax highlighting for HTML and XML in JobInfo values.
• Default value for log level is now set to "JobInfo" instead of "NoLog".

Lasernet new modules and minor changes

The following content summarises the new modules and minor changes/improvements that have been made:

PDF Converter

The PDF Converter's speed is now up to three times faster.

PDF Merge

There is now a new module to combine/merge PDF documents.

PDF Split

New module to split PDF documents into multiple parts.

PDF Stamp

New module/editor to stamp PDF documents with text strings, images and page numbering.

FTP, Mail and Exchange modules

There is now support for running modules as modifiers.

CSV

Support for CSV to JSON and JSON to CSV.

Web Server

Support for parsing JSON RESTful when setting up web services in the Web Server module.

Printer Output

Build-in auto print tools for DOCX, PDF and XSLX formats created by Lasernet. No need for third-party party components, but they are still supported.

Magic bytes support to auto-detect job format for background printing of DOCX, PDF and XSLX documents. No need for additional JobInfos to detect a print job.

Rich Text Converter

New module to convert DOCX documents generated by Lasernet to PDF.

Lasernet XML Transformer Editor 9

We have updated skin with frameless editors and dialogs. Forms without criteria are no longer processed and at least one criterion in a form is mandatory. 

Lasernet Form Editor 9

Updated skin with frameless editors and dialogs.

Usability

• New user interface for Rearrange, Barcode, Chart, Image, Text and Shape dialogs.
• New ruler representing millimeters and not centimeters.
• New RGB colors for guidelines, ruler markers and margin borders.
• New window to show name and values of input and output objects.
• New font types for logger and XML trees.
• Settings for output zoom, scroll and splitter positions are registered for each sheet of the form.
• Create horizontal and vertical ruler guides in EMF forms.
• Elegant print viewer with color codes for EDI tags added to template editor in EDI output mode.
• New function to assign existing child objects to a new Pattern.
• New function to keep assigned objects when deleting a Pattern.
• Default values for start and end Y-position in the Conditional Area are not fixed, but is calculated on behalf on the page length of a new sheet.
• You can now activate/deactivate guidelines for Conditional Areas, Regions, Rulers and Paper Margins.
• Drag'n'drop support for the images from File Explorer to the Form Editor
• New help dialog for copy/paste of multiple Rearrange objects between forms with XML as input.
• New default values when adding Patterns. "Progress": 0 mm, "Progress is relative to highest value": Active, "Keep Rearranges together": Active.
• New default value when adding Rearranges: "Keep rows together": Active.

New Formats and Tools

Subforms

There is now a new subform editor to create a new object called Subform.  A Subform can contain multiple Rearranges, Shapes, etc., and saved as a local or global Subform. You can inherit a global Subform multiple times in multiple forms, both in a static position (similar to Overlays), or in a user-defined position (similar to Rearranges).

Rich Text Editor

A new Rich Text Editor with mail merge support and DOCX, PDF, PDF/A as output formats is introduced; with a built-in Phrase Editor to create and inherit multiple inline or global phrases across forms created as DOCX/PDF format.

Excel Spreadsheet

New Excel Spreadsheet Editor with mail merge support and XSLX as an output format.

Dataset

New Dataset input and output format used for mail merge support in Rich Text and Spreadsheet Editors.

Alternate rows - odd/even colors in the body of tables

Customize the background colours for odd/even lines in the body of tables. Define the user rules for background colors for the top and bottom of margin and the additional progress based on output results for first/last odd/even colors.

You can detect alternating rows within Pattern Properties, and set odd/even colours in the body of all tables.

Additional

Form indexes for Form Engines and XML Transformer Engines are replaced with a new setting named 'Setting'. Forms with the lowest value have the highest priority.

Server list

The server name and port number are maintained from the Lasernet Config Server. In Lasernet Developer 9 configuration, you only have to add the name of the Instance.

Multi developer

Support for locks and synchronization of committed objects in multi-developer mode.

Preview

Activate View->Preview to show/edit preview for Resource objects and Phrases.

Zoom in XML forms

User-defined zoom values for XML views in Form Editor and XML Transformer Editor.

SQL Server

SQL Server is used as a backend for the Lasernet Configuration Service.