What's new in QuickOPC 2020.1

See also: Versions; Previous version: What's new in QuickOPC 2019.2

Internal version number: 5.57

Key changes:

• MQTT transport in PubSub
• JSON mapping in PubSub

Targeting

• Operating Systems: Removed Windows 7 (x86 or x64) with SP1 from the list of supported systems.
• Operating Systems: Windows 10 (x86 or x64) versions 1607 and 1703 are no longer supported.
• .NET Runtimes: Added support for .NET Core 2.1.13-2.1.14.
• .NET Runtimes: Added support for .NET Core 3.0.0-3.0.1.

Component Improvements

OPC UA PubSub

• Added support for MQTT transport protocol mapping in OPC UA PubSub. Multiple MQTT communication packages are available.
• Added support for JSON message mapping in OPC UA PubSub (can be used with MQTT transport, besides UADP).
• Added IEasyUASubscriber.SubscriptionResolved event, which allows the developer to inspect and/or modify the resolved dataset subscription descriptor before it is used by the component.

Other

• Added methods AsEnumerationData, AsOpaqueData, AsPrimitiveData, AsSequenceData, AsStructuredData to the _GenericData (COM) interface, and extension methods with the same names into a new GenericDataExtension class. These methods have been introduced primarily for languages like PHP that do not allow down-casting.
• All COM interfaces that "inherited" from IFormattable have been extended by a method ToString_3(string), which converts the value of the current object to its equivalent string representation using the specified format. The method has been added for languages like PHP that have problems with ToString_2(string,IFormatProvider).

Component Refactorings

• Replaced the numeric ErrorCode property by a string property ErrorId. This affects, among others:
  • The OperationResult and derived classes.
  • The OperationEventArgs and derived classes.
  • The ResultArguments and derived classes (consequently, Live Binding, and connectivity model in general).
  • The formatting of such objects.
  • Mapping kinds (in Live Mapping and Live Binding).
  • Payload classes in StreamInsight Option.

Tools and Online Services

License Manager

• License Manager: Improved error messages given when reading the license from file fails.
• License Manager: Added version number to the main window caption.

OpcCmd Utility

• OpcCmd Utility: It is now possible to specify command-line argument using a response file ('@' syntax).

Demo Servers and Publishers

• A public MQTT server (broker), with data fed by UADemoPublisher (using UADP message mapping), made available on opcua-pubsub.demo-this.com (port 1883), for use in demos and user evaluation. Topic name is "opcuademo/uadp/none". Note: only for subscriptions - you cannot publish to it yourself.
• UADemoPublisher: It is now possible to specify command-line argument using a response file ('@' syntax).

Examples

• Added many examples in VB.NET, especially for PubSub.
• Added many examples in Object Pascal (Delphi), especially for PubSub.
• Added larger example in Object Pascal (Delphi): EasyOpcUADemo. Shows how to make a desktop windowed OPC UA client application, mimicking the example that is available in C# and VB.NET.
• Added large number of examples in PHP.
• Added several examples in VB6, including PubSub.
• Added specialized Object Pascal (Delphi) examples showing how to subscribe to, or repeatedly read many variables from Softing OPC UA .NET Demo Server.
• Added VBScript example with unsolicited user interaction.
• Consistently show proper error handling practices in PHP and VB6 examples.

Documentation and Help

• Added many examples that were installed only on the disk to the documentation.
• Included parts of conceptual text right into the corresponding reference documentation.