What’s New in QuickOPC 2016.2 (5.41)

Previous: What’s New in QuickOPC 5.40

Key changes:

• Documentation format improvements
• Simplified packaging

Installation and Uninstallation

• Adobe Reader is no longer required. No PDF files ship with the product (although a User's Guide in PDF is provided as an option for download; it is expected that the main source of the documentation will be the browser-based User's Guide).

Component Core Improvements (.NET)

• Added static EasyXXClient.Create() methods (behave the same as parameterless constructors).
• Ensured expandable display of all types in LINQPad.

Component Core Improvements (COM)

• Added methods _OperationEventArgs.SetState and _OperationResult.SetState (and the same to all interfaces that "inherit" from these). These methods have the same functionality as the setter for the State property. They are intended to allow easier coding with tools such as VB6, where it is was only possible to assign non-object types of values to the State property with late binding.

Packaging

• The OpcLabs.EasyOpcClassicInternal assembly has been merged into the OpcLabs.EasyOpcClassic assembly, and consequently removed. The corresponding type libraries have also been merged in the same way.
• The OpcLabs.EasyOpcClassicForms and OpcLabs.EasyOpcUAForms assemblies have been merged into a single assembly, OpcLabs.EasyOpcForms. Consequently, the corresponding type libraries have also been merged in the same way. Note that this means that whenever you use the OpcLabs.EasyOpcForms, you are effectively including support for both the OPC "Classic" and OPC UA specifications.
• Modified assembly and type library descriptions so that they better match their current purpose. For example, the description of the OpcLabs.EasyOpcClassic assembly and type library is now "OPC Labs EasyOPC "Classic" Library".
• The NuGet packages now include LINQPad examples with them. If you add a reference to one of these packages in LINQPad, the examples will automatically show under the "Samples" tab in LINQPad.

Examples (.NET)

• Added C# example UASimpleLogToSql: Logs OPC Unified Architecture data changes into an SQL database, using a subscription. Values of all data types are stored in a single SQL_VARIANT column.
• Added F# example project UADocExamples, and started adding examples to it. Examples taken from this project appear in the reference documentation.
• Added F# example UAConsoleApplication1: The simplest console application. Reads and displays an OPC-UA node value.
• Added examples in LINQPad.

Examples (COM)

• Added example in VB 6.0 - UAReadAndDisplayValue: The simplest form for OPC-UA. Reads and displays an OPC-UA node value.
• Added example in VBA under Excel - UAClientCertificateParameters.xls: Shows how to set the application name for the client certificate.
• Added example in VBA under Excel - UADataDialog.xls: Shows how a user can interactively select an OPC-UA endpoint and a data node.
• Improved VBA example in Excel - UASubscribeToMultiple3.xls: Now also shows how to specify an absolute deadband.

Documentation and Help

• Following documents have been merged into a single User's Guide and Reference: Concepts, Reference, Getting Started, Examples, User's Guide-StreamInsight Option for QuickOPC, Automated Deployment of QuickOPC License.
• The conceptual and reference documentation is now generated using a new tool.
• The full reference documentation is no longer available in CHM format.
• The User's Guide and Reference is available online, and the User's Guide (without Reference) as a PDF download. Start menu shortcuts link to the corresponding online locations.
• The Visual Studio help now contains the full User's Guide and Reference (and not just the Reference).
• The document "What's New in QuickOPC" (used to be an online PDF) has been replaced by a wiki page.
• The document "QuickOPC Test Tools" (used to be an online PDF) has been replaced by a wiki page.
• The document "QuickOPC Bonus Material" (used to be an online PDF) has been replaced by a wiki page.
• The (previously restricted) document "Automated Deployment of QuickOPC License" is now incorporated into the public User's Guide and Reference
• The product name can now be branded in practically all places of the documentation.
• Added a Start menu icon for Knowledge Base.

Removed

• Removed the obsoleted method EasyAEClient.CreateSubscriptionFilter, and related examples.
• The obsoleted DABinder, UABinder and OPCDataNetEngine components are no longer shown as Toolbox items in Visual Studio.