JEDI Code Library

Release 2.5
Build 4572
06-September-2012



Content of this file



About this release

JCL release 2.4 provides support for RAD Studio XE3 (including Delphi XE3 and C++Builder XE3) an updated support for all targets.

Multiple bugs have been fixed; for detailed change logs, use the facilities of our Subversion repository at Sourceforge.net  http://sourceforge.net/projects/jcl/ , see below.

Head changes:

Important:

(Windows only) Installation options:

Packages compiled by the JCL installer don't contain any debug informations to keep their size as small as possible.

The JEDI Code Library packages are required by some 3rd party packages (including the JEDI Visual Component Library - JVCL), the installer generates them if the "Packages" node is checked.

The installer can generate MAP informations for each package. These informations can be linked into binaries to become JCL debug data or be converted to .jdbg files. Once linked MAP files could be deleted. These options are subnodes of the "Packages" node.

For BDS 2006, RAD Studio 2007, RAD Studio 2009, RAD Studio 2010, RAD Studio XE, RAD Studio XE2, RAD Studio XE3, RAD Studio XE4, RAD Studio XE5, RAD Studio XE6, RAD Studio XE7, RAD Studio XE8, and RAD Studio 10 the compiler introduced a new option to make the same packages available in C++, by checking the "Dual packages" option of the "Packages" node, you will be able to call functions of the JCL from C++ code.



Supported Tools

The JEDI Code Library can be compiled and installed in the following environments

Only runtime support:

Only design-time support (only experts):

Both supports (run time and design time):



Installation notes

Installation for Turbo Delphi

The JEDI Code Library can be compiled targetting Turbo Delphi Explorer and Turbo Delphi Professional. Turbo Delphi Professional is recognized as BDS 2006, you have to download its command line compiler from CodeGear website at http://www.codegear.com/Default.aspx?tabid=160  to install the full JCL on this tool.

To install the JCL targetting Turbo Delphi Explorer, consider the following checks:

Installation on C#Builder 1 and Delphi 8:

		   Executable files (exe and dll)      - BDS\X.0\bin
Compiler files (dcp and dcu) - BDS\X.0\lib
Toolsapi source files - BDS\X.0\source\ToolsAPI

Default installation

For all others versions of Delphi, C++Builder and BDS, simply launch Install.bat and the installer window will let you configure options and install the library.



Manual Installation

Although it is not recommended, a manual installation is possible. You will have to manually configure options for the library. That is done by modifying an included file.

For each tool you want to install the JCL in, repeat the following steps:

  1. Open and edit included file to customize options:
  2. In the IDE, open and compile package Jcl.dpk (or Jcl.bpk for C++Builder) located in a subdirectory of the "packages" directory matching your version of the IDE. This package doesn't have to be installed since it doesn't provide any components.
  3. If you want to install experts, open package JclBaseExpert.dpk and compile it, then you can install all the experts you want (packages are located in the same directory).


Distribution content

Install.bat                   - Compile and run VCL version of the JCL Installer (Win32)
bin                           - Common place for sample application EXE files
lib                           - Common place for compiled units.
docs                          - Readme (this file) and other documents
docs\Readme.html              - This file
docs\Experts.html             - Readme file about the experts
docs\MPL-1.1.txt              - The Mozilla Public Licence (MPL) version 1.1
docs\MPL FAQ.html             - Frequently Asked Questions about the MPL
docs\cps.html                 - Cross Platform Strategy
experts                       - JCL IDE experts source code
experts\debug                 - JCL Debug IDE expert for using JclDebug unit
experts\debug\simdview        - Low-level debug window for XMM registers
experts\debug\threadnames     - IDE expert showing class names for debugged threads
experts\favfolders            - Favorite folders combobox in IDE open/save file dialogs
experts\projectanalyzer       - Project Analyzer IDE expert
experts\repository            - Repository expert
experts\repository\ExceptionDialog - Repository expert for exception dialogs
experts\repository\ExceptionDialog\StandardDialogs - standard exception dialogs
experts\stacktraceviewer      - stack trace expert
experts\useswizard            - JCL uses wizard
experts\versioncontrol        - Integration of TortoiseCVS and TortoiseSVN in the IDE
examples                      - JCL example applications
examples\common               - CLX and Win32 example applications in Delphi
examples\windows              - JCL example applications for Delphi.Win32
examples\windows\delphitools  - Collection of system tools using JCL
examples\windows\debug\tools           - Tools for creating files with JCL debug information
help                          - Help file (distributed in a separate archive)
install                       - Installer source code
packages                      - JCL package sources
source                        - JCL source code


Giving your feedback

If you have any comments or suggestions we would appreciate it if you drop us a note. There are several ways to get in contact with us:

Reporting bugs

The general rule is: If you want to get a bug fixed you need to log it!

An issue tracking tool can be accessed via ('Code Library' category): http://issuetracker.delphi-jedi.org/

Please be aware that you are allowed there to enter feature request and code donations as well.

The JEDI issue tracker is based up on the Mantis BugTracker Open Source project. More background information about it is available on its homepage  http://mantisbt.sourceforge.net



Downloads of stable sources

These sources are official JCL releases and file status can be considered as stable for use in final applications. During the past years, there have been around 2 or 3 releases per year.

JEDI Code Library: File List on SourceForge:  http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=47514



Development sources

These files are under active development and may cause some incompatibilities and some conflicts with existing code. You should not use these files in final applications. The JCL development team provides these files for testing and feedback from users.

You can download snapshots of the Subversion repository updated every day in the JCL daily page  http://jcl.sourceforge.net/daily/

To always have access to the most recent changes in the JCL, you should install a Subversion client (we recommend TortoiseSVN http://tortoisesvn.tigris.org/ and RapidSVN http://rapidsvn.tigris.org/) and download the SVN repository files to your computer as explained in the repository page of the JEDI Wiki at http://wiki.delphi-jedi.org/index.php?title=Repository  With the SVN client, you can update your local repository at any time. You can also view the repository online via the web interface at http://jcl.svn.sourceforge.net/



Getting involved in JCL development

If you want to help out making JCL better or bigger or just plain cooler, there are several ways in which you can help out. Here are some of the things we need your help on:

JCL accepts donations from developers as long as the source fullfills the requirements set up by the JEDI and JCL teams. To read more about these requirements, visit the page http://jcl.delphi-jedi.org/

You can also donate your time by writing help for the source already in JCL. We currently use Doc-o-Matic to create the finished help files but the actual help sources are plain text files in a simple to understand format. We can provide you with auto-generated templates with all classes, properties, types etc already inserted. The "only" thing left to do is fill in the actual help text for the help items. If you are interested in writing help, contact us.

If you want to help fix bugs in JCL, go to Mantis and check the bug report there. You can post replies as well as fixes directly in the bug report. One of the JCL developers will pick up the report/fix and update the Subversion repository if the fi is satisfactory. If you report and fix a lot of bugs, you might even get developer access to SVN so you can update the JCL files directly.