newstuff@microsoft.com

Happy New Year! After you enjoy your hair-of-the-dog mimosa, settle down to read about some of the great new products that will make your life easier. This month, we've got translation software, project management, a multimedia authoring tool, Java packaging, a Handheld PC language debugger, an ActiveX grid control, an MFC extension class library, a DNS management tool, a patch wizard, and a banner and slideshow tool. Globalize Your Web Site Transparent Language Inc. recently released the Enterprise Translation Server, which can be equipped to give companies a centralized capability to perform translations from English to Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese, and to translate Spanish, French, and German to English. By embedding a translation button into a Web site, you can make dynamically generated translations of your pages accessible instantly. The Enterprise Translation Server also allows businesses to provide employees access to server-based translation capabilities, making it possible to read email and Web pages written in foreign languages. When visiting a translation-enabled Web site, the user clicks on the translation link, indicates into which language the page should be translated, and then shortly receives a dynamically generated translation that includes all the formatting and illustrations of the original page. Six client interfaces are supplied with the server: a desktop client for Windows® allowing drag and drop translation of files, standalone Java applications for text and files, and HTML browser clients for Web pages, text, and files. Transparent Language Inc. 22 Proctor Hill Road Hollis, NH 03049-0575 603-465-2230 http://www.transparent.com How Much is that Project in the Window? PRICE Systems L.L.C. is now shipping ForeSight 2.0, its project management software solution for forecasting time, effort, and costs for commercial and nonmilitary government software projects. ForeSight 2.0's Project Wizard has been expanded to include a Quick Estimate feature, which enables users to develop a first-glance forecast by answering just a few critical questions concerning the project. This estimate may be used to more completely and accurately specify a project's costs as new information becomes available. ForeSight 2.0 further provides the ability to do Web development cost estimates with a new interface that includes forecasting knowledge of Internet and Web-based applications, whether they are client-based, server-based, or both. IS managers can obtain both a quick estimate for the cost of a Web site development project and a detailed estimate of the costs. The new version also includes a Microsoft® Project 98-based interface that uses the Microsoft COM architecture. Other new features include more implementation tools, including complexity profiles for FrontPage®, VBScript, Visual J++™, Delphi, Power Builder, JavaScript, and HTML. More application types have been included in the Project Wizard selection screen such as Internet, Text Processing, Database, Human Resources, Logistics, Management, Office Productivity, Operating Systems, and Telecommunications applications. PRICE Systems L.L.C. 700 East Gate Drive Suite 200 Laurel, NJ 08054 800-43-PRICE, 609-866-6856 http://www.pricesystems.com Multimedia Authoring Tool Breaks Out Rhode Island Soft Systems Inc. recently announced the availability of version 2.1 of its Ovation Studio Pro Authoring Tool, a multimedia development product for Windows. New to Ovation Studio Pro Authoring Tool version 2.1 are features that include support of QuickTime and MPEG video formats, an enhanced WaveX subsystem for sound playback that eliminates "hiccups" that sometimes accompany CPU activity during long CD-ROM access periods, enhancements to the Jive Editor, new automatic sizing for graphic checkboxes, upgraded custom cursor support, and the addition of a new sample project: a floating logo screen saver sample. The upgrade is available free to any licensed Ovation user. Rhode Island Soft Systems Inc. P.O. Box 748 Woonsocket, RI 02895 800-959-RISS, 401-767-3106 http://www.risoftsystems.com Enhanced Java Packaging System preEmptive Solutions Inc. recently announced an enhanced version of its DashO-Pro Java packaging system. DashO-Pro 1.1 includes extension of DashO-Pro's bytecode-to-bytecode optimization with devirtualization and desynchronization techniques. These allow runtimes to execute any given Java language-based application faster and more efficiently. DashO-Pro's "forName detection" capability assists in detecting Java program classes that are dynamically loaded. About 70 percent of dynamically loaded classes are automatically identified by DashO-Pro. Version 1.1 also includes the ability to detect the use of reflection within the code written in the Java language and produce a report that shows where such usage is identified. Microsoft tools based on the Java language, such as Visual J++ and the SDK for Java, allow an application to communicate with and implement COM interfaces. This is achieved by using special class file extensions that the Microsoft Virtual Machine knows how to interpret. DashO-Pro 1.1 now understands these special class file extensions and it can be used to obfuscate, speed up, and package the Java language-based application without losing the Microsoft-specific functionality. preEmptive Solutions Inc. 26250 Euclid Avenue Suite 503 Euclid, Ohio 44132-3602 216-732-5895 http://www.preemptive.com Multiplatform Source Level Debugger Dolphin ToolWorks recently started shipping the upgraded TotalView debugger. Designed for developers deploying large and complex applications, TotalView supports High Performance Computing (HPC) languages and parallel computer paradigms. It is designed to run on SGI, IBM, Sun, Digital, and other Unix workstations and real-time platforms. TotalView supports multiprocess and multithreaded applications typically found in research laboratories modeling nuclear physics and other multiple-processor applications. The new TotalView version 3.8 improves support for debugging C++ templates, Fortran 90 modules, and laminated variables. Support for KAI and Apogee C++ compilers has been added to existing support for native compilers, PGI HPF, MPI, and PVM. The GUI-based single and multiprocess debugger speeds development time via its select-and-dive approach. Developers may unravel and control multiple threads and processes running on single or multiple-processor SMP or MPP systems. Related processes and threads can be acquired automatically. Dolphin Toolworks 111 Speen Street Framingham, MA 01701-2090 800-856-3766 http://www.etnus.com ActiveX® Grid Control Upgrade APEX Software Corporation is shipping True DBGrid Pro 6.0, which includes support for data access methods in Visual Studio® 6.0 including ADO and OLE DB. The 32-bit True DBGrid Pro 6.0 data-aware control is designed to manage database operations, and adds more than 100 data presentation and user interface features to the DBGrid component included in Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0. True DBGrid Pro comes with two OCX controls: an ICursor version for connecting to the Microsoft remote data control and the Visual Basic® 5.0 and 6.0 intrinsic data controls, and an OLE DB version for connecting to OLE DB and ADO-compatible data sources such as the ADO data control included in Visual Basic 6.0. The two OCXs are functionally identical, differing only in the data access methods supported. Some of the new features in True DBGrid Pro 6.0 include native ADO and OLE DB support including master-detail and hierarchical data sources, full support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and other ActiveX-compatible browsers, multicolumn sorting and searching with an enhanced XArray object, OLE drag and drop, and formatted preview and printing of grid contents from ad hoc queries. True DBGrid Pro also allows you to merge contiguous like-valued cells of a column into a single cell. It provides per-row, per-column, per-cell refresh and refetch methods, export to HTML or delimited text files, and enhanced styles for rendering in-cell graphics (background, foreground, and transparent bitmaps). A free 30-day evaluation version of True DBGrid Pro 6.0 is available for download from the APEX Web site. APEX Software Corporation 4516 Henry Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213 800-858-APEX 412-681-4343 http://www.apexsc.com Class Library of Forms and Grids TCK Software Inc. recently released VForm 2.0, an MFC extension class library for developing Windows-based apps with C++. VForm 2.0 enables scrolling, multiple-row forms and grids. Form mode allows multiple row types and morphing rows, and can be used as a hierarchical editable tree control. Applications can let users swap between grid and form modes at runtime. VForm 2.0 also includes the VForm AppWizard and the VForm Builder, designed to greatly increase development productivity. The Builder makes it easy to visually design your forms, grids, and reports using drag and drop. Other features include record selectors, header/footer sections, reports with print preview, special effects, bitmaps, animation, automatic resizing, masked/numeric/multiline edit controls, dropdown lists, bitmap backgrounds, OLE drag and drop with autoscrolling, autoadd, scrolling tooltips, and much more. VForm is 100 percent MFC and 100 percent royalty free. VForm may be used as a DLL or statically linked into the application. The 32-bit control will work with Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT. Developers can download a free evaluation copy or purchase VForm at TCK Software's Web site. TCK Software Inc. P.O. Box 626 St. Charles, IL 60175 630-443-8776 http://www.tcksoft.com Translate Host Names to IP Addresses Data Fellows Inc. is now shipping version 2.0 of its F-Secure NameSurfer DNS (Domain Name System) management tool. DNS translates host names to IP addresses and is a critical component of any IP-based network. F-Secure NameSurfer provides network managers a Web interface for DNS administration, and its graphical user interface and automatic error checking is designed to prevent network managers from generating faulty DNS data. The new version also makes it possible to prevent the network manager from creating address records whose IP address falls outside the home network. Thus, ISPs can give their customers the permission to change addresses and still be sure that they'll stay in their own network zone. The configurations can be done remotely and by multiple network managers with personal administration rights. Prime target customer groups for F-Secure NameSurfer are telecommunication operators, ISPs, and other organizations that need to manage Internet or intranet security. Data Fellows Inc. 675 North First Street, 8th Floor San Jose, CA 95112 408-938-6700 http://www.DataFellows.com Need to Patch Your App? WinPatch 1.2, currently available from Artistry Inc., compares an old file system in one Windows folder to a new file system in another Windows folder, then creates a self-extracting patch executable that can be distributed and used to update other sets of files to the new version. WinPatch (and the WinPatch Wizard) is a 32-bit Windows-based application that can be used on Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT®. WinPatch comes in several different editions depending on how the update is to be applied. The WinPatch ActiveX control lets you apply updates from a Web page, Visual Basic program, or Java application. Artistry Inc. 102C West Germantown Pike East Norriton, PA 19401 215-499-6561 http://www.artistry.com/products/winpatch Create Banners and Slide Shows SPG Inc. has released SPG WEB Tools Revision 4.004, adding the Batch Banner Image Merger, Batch Banner Image Combiner, Batch Image Watermarker, and the WEB Slideshow Builder to its Web Graphics Plug-in Suite. All current SPG WEB Tools users receive these enhancements for free using the program's auto-update system. The new Web tools allow for selection of images with the SPG Image Browser, then the desired effect is created with them automatically. Controls for selection, placement, use of transparent colors, and tiling are included. The WEB Slideshow Builder automatically generates the necessary HTML pages, JavaScript code, and navigational structures to display the selected image files in a Web slideshow presentation. Controls for page colors and slide window format are provided. SPG Inc. 6170 NW 173rd Street Hialeah, FL 33015-4541 800-474-6672 305-362-6602 http://www.spg-net.com

Does your company provide development tools for interactive applications? We'd love to hear the news! Email us at newstuff@microsoft.com.

From the January 1999 issue of Microsoft Internet Developer.