Version History
v2011 vol 2
AJAX-based Rendering in XAF ASP.NET Applications
ASP.NET templates have been updated to use AJAX-based rendering. Nearly all requests are now callbacks. Your XAF ASP.NET application will now generate about 25% fewer HTTP requests with a two-thirds drop in network traffic.
To learn how to migrate your existing XAF application which uses custom templates to this new release, refer to the eXpressApp Framework v11.2 ASP.NET Application Migration Guidelines knowledge base article.
Related Blog Post: Improvements to AJAX and Performance in XAF ASP.NET UI (coming in v2011 vol 2)
Domain Components Technology Release
This release extends our Domain Components implementation. We have introduced new functionality and addressed issues with the initial beta release.
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The database schema generated for Domain Components is now simplified with fewer database tables.
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All issues regarding primary keys support have been resolved. Domain Components now work flawlessly in XAF ASP.NET Web applications.
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Support for new domain logic methods have been introduced, including methods such as OnLoaded, OnDeleting, OnSaved, BeforeChange.
EasyTest
A number of changes have been made to script commands within EasyTest - our functional testing framework. Several new commands have been introduced and existing command functionality has been extended.
- CompareFiles, CheckFileExist, DeleteFile and CopyFile - these are new commands for file operations. Their names are self-descriptive. Use case includes testing data export.
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The new CheckTableAction command can be used for testing the availability of grid actions in ASP.NET applications.
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The CompareScreenshot command now supports a mask that can de used to exclude certain screenshot areas from comparison. A mask is a duotone PNG file that is specified via the Mask parameter.
Localization
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When you need to translate your application to a new language, you may require the assistancene of a professional translator. For this purpose, XAF is shipped with the Localization Tool that includes an option to export texts to be translated to a CSV file. But a translator who is not familiar with XAF is unaware of context and will experience difficulties when translating certain captions or messages. To facilitate translation, our Localization Tool includes a new column that provides descriptions of localizable properties. These descriptions are taken from XAF documentation (for "built-in" properties), or from System.ComponentModel.DescriptionAttribute attributes in your custom Application Model extensions.
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You now have an option to improve community-provided XAF localizations that are incomplete or contain mistakes without the need to translate "from sctratch". All community localizations are available in CSV format, in The collection of localized DevExpress assemblies KB article. If you send your modifications to our Support Team, we will update sattelite assemblies with your changes.
Middle Tier Service
XAF v2011 vol 2 introduces the new Middle Tier application server, which is step towards complete N-tier architecture support.
XAF applications can now obtain data from the application server, thus preventing the client application from direct database connections.
To simplify creation of the application server, an Application Server v11.2 project template is available.
Middle Tier Security
New XAF security model prevents client applications from retrieving sensitive data. All permission requests are redirected to the security service located on the application server.
Your secure data is much safer now as it will not leave the server. A new Proxy security strategy is implemented for this purpose.
With the new security, client XAF applications connect to the Middle Tier application server via WCF or Remoting. Client's ObjectSpace provides access to the Data Service. Specialized Proxy Security Strategy redirects security requests to the Security Service.
Object-level and Member-level Security
XAF v2011 vol 2 introduces a preview of the new security model that includes the following ready-to-use permission types.
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Type Permission - Grants access to a particular object type.
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Member Permission - Grants access to specific members of a type.
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Object Permission - Grants access to objects satisfying a particular criteria
There are no denying access modifiers in permissions.
This simplifies security logic and makes it easier to implement custom permissions.
Type-level permissions can be edited by application administrators in a "permission matrix" formed from persistent object types available in application. To specify permissions for members and for particular object instances, an administrator can use a dialog invoked by double-clicking a record in a "permission matrix".
Note that the legacy security system is still avalable for compatibility purposes and there is no need to immediately migrate your applications to the new security.
Note, however, that we are planning to completely remove the old security in future releases.
Online XAF ASP.NET Demos
All XAF ASP.NET demos have been published to our web servers. You can now demonstrate XAF features to your potential customers without installing XAF.
Project Subfolders in XAF Project Templates
XAF module projects now contain subfolders that help you categorize your code. Follow the suggested hierarchy and your business objects will not be mixed with custom controllers and database updaters. Each project folder is now accompanied with a readme file that provides a brief explanation of a folder's purpose and useful links to relevant documentation.
Support for Exporting in all Built-in List Editors
We have improved our Export functionality. End-users can now export content from all built-in Windows Forms List Editors and most built-in ASP.NET List Editors. The range of target formats includes: PDF, RTF, TXT, CSV, HTML, MNT, XLS, XJSX, and the following image formats - PNG, GIF, JPG, BMP, TIFF, WMF, EMF.
State Machine Module
With this release the state transition management UI has been improved.