Hercules Windows GUI Interface

Fixes

• BrowseForInput/Output/File/Directory: default to (i.e. start browse from) defined preferred directory.
• Max mainsize now 1024MB (min still 2)
• Add missing 9336 support to DASDINIT dialog (plus addt'l device types & "-a" alt-cyl opt)
• Fix Preferences dialog "Invalid o/p directory" bug causing inability to get past Logging page if an invalid preferred logfile directory (or no directory at all) was specified.
• Logging options erroneously changed when switching to a different tab; fixed.
• Utility start/stop messages out-of-sequence; fixed.
• Fix "crash when device renamed while Herc is up" bug reported by Edwin Fine.
• BrowseForDirectory not modal; fixed.
• Preferred Directories and Console Font Apply button handling wasn't right; fixed.

Enhancements

• Make all device dialogs slightly wider.
• Groupbox all dialogs (slightly better looking that way IMO)
• Add spinner to DASDINIT "size" field and other dialogs where a numeric value is specified.
• DASDLS: auto-add filename to list
• Update CTCA dialog for CTCI-W32
• Shrink control panel images if display resolution is 800 x 600 so they fit on the screen. (they're ugly due to their smaller size, but hey, at least you can see them now!)
• Utilities: make necessary DasdInit utility changes and add support for new DasdCat utility.
• New Hercules shit: nosyio, iodelay, ctci-w32.
• Device stmt edit: remove highlight and trim trailing blank
• Configurable (via registry) upper/lower range values for: CTCI-W32 buffer sizes, max #of autolog files, num CPUs, num vector facilities, min/max main storage and internal HerculesView_Panels.cpp "StdxxxNagleThread" nagle times.
• System config dialog: selectable list of known CPU types controlled by "cpu-types.txt" file in preferred Configuration Files directory.
• Handling of PGMPRDOS control file statement.
• Advanced logging options: wrap-around logfile and memory & disk limits.
• ABOUT box: Hercules support = Hercules-390 list; GUI support = me.
• Device List panel right-click menu: display subchannel status and start/stop tracing.
• FAQ: "HHC020I Cannot obtain xxx mb of main storage: Not enough memory." : Cygwin issue fixed by adding or modifying a registry entry value.

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Version 1.3.0 (build 2769)

Fixes

• Fixed filename handling to use forward slashes '/' to be Linux compatible.
• Title bar now reflects currently opened control file (and log file too) (reported by Don Thimsen)
• Fixed problem with instruction count getting chopped off: calculate required window width and resize/move windows as needed.
• Selecting (browsing for) reader files now automatically adds the file to the list.
• Prevent closing app if Herc is still running to prevent loss of logfile messages generated when Herc shuts down.
• Don't change displayed CPU Percentage if no interval samples (panrate=5000)
• Multiple reader files was being ignored if ascii or ebcdic option specified. It should work okay now.
• Fix web page info re: CVS source: correct checkout is "wingui" (NOT "hercgui").

Enhancements

• Command-line arguments now supported. Use "HercGUI -f hercules.cnf" to auto-open & PowerOn using the specified control file. (suggested by gpetermann (at) hotmail.com)
• Add 'sockdev' (socket device) support for card reader. Remote submission of reader input now possible via HercRdr utility.
• Preference option to ignore configuration file parse error(s) and accept/use "invalid" configuration file anyway.
• Device Configuration dialog: Right-click menu to manually edit device statement.
• FAQ update: Add a few more trouble-shooting hints for determining cause of CreateProcess failures (try non-GUI execution to see Windows's error dialog).
• CFCCIMAGE support removed.
• Herc version 1 support ("Mode" menu) dropped. (Who uses version 1 anymore anyway?)
• Use "InitializeCriticalSectionAndSpinCount" for locking instead of "InitializeCriticalSection" for better performance on multi-processor systems.
• Partial CTCA support ("CTCT" protocol only (CTC over TCP/IP), as it's the only one that is supported on Windows builds at the moment).
• Add icons/bitmaps to menus.
• Prevent shutting down if Herc still running or any utility processes still running.
• Preference option: exit gui when Herc is Powered Off: (Yes/No/Ask)
• Assign reasonable identifying titles to the Font & Color dialogs
• New Herc console logging options: at Startup, at Shutdown, or Autolog (#of files and root filename).
• Add "Don't ask again" checkbox to IPL dilaog. Reset whenever config changed.
• Add support for new 'multifile' reader option.
• Merge all preference dialogs into one multi-tabbed property sheet dialog.
• Tweaked color of PowerOn button to look a little "warmer" (realistic).

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Version 1.2.2 (build 2573)

("Hot Fix" maintenance release)

Fixes

• Don't do an abortive TerminateProcess without asking the user for permission first. (New "Expected shutdown wait time for this configuration" setting on Device Configuration dialog).
• Prevent "STEP=" messages from being displayed when opening compressed CKD disks.
• Add support for 9345 CKD in preparation for Herc 2.13.
• Fix Dial & lights display problem by making the background color true BLACK (instead of the ugly muddy very dark grayish brown or whatever the heck color it was).
• Fixed IPL dialog "Device does not exist" bug.
• Disable Browse button for Shadow file on DASD dialog if shadowing option is not selected.

Enhancements

• (None)

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Version 1.1.3 (build 2559)

Fixes

• The .EXE has been renamed to "HercGUI" to avoid the obvious name collision with the Hercules emulator itself.
• The "HERCULES_CNF" environment variable is now supported. (See Enhancements section)
• Configuration error messages are no longer issued twice.
• The configuration errors dialog box now has scroll bars.
• The problem caused by blanks being in the executable pathname (which would cause "CreateProcess failed rc=1147" errors) has been fixed. (You can now have blanks in any pathname, whether is be the executables path or any other directory path).
• Multiple CPU configurations are better detected so "stop" vs "stopall" chosen correctly.
• DASDINIT has been fixed to allow specifying sizes that includes alternate cylinders.
• The button handling has been changed so they now actually work with Linux 'wine'.
• The missing TODDRAG control file statment is now supported.
• The DASD device dialogs now support ALL dasd options (shadowing/compression/etc)
• The currently opened control file is no longer marked "dirty" (as having been modified and thus needing Saving) when you click on the OK button if nothing was actually changed.
• IPLing via the menu selection (rather than clicking the IPL button) now properly updates the dials on the control bar.
• Missing support for the TAPECOPY utility (missed in the last release) has been added.
• LOADPARM handling has been fixed to pad on right with periods if less than 8 characters.
• Fixed bug causing the registers display to sometime stop from being updated.

Enhancements

• The last control file used is now remembered across executions. If no control file is open when you Exit, the last used control file will be blank and the "HERCULES_CNF" environment variable (if set) will be used instead. This only affects Powering On without opening a control file first.
• New "Close control file" menu command.
• Add *.jcl to reader file filter.
• New preferences dialog to specify your preferred file extensions for all Open/Save dialogs.
• Card reader devinit settings are now remembered across executions.
• You can now add one line of descriptive text as a comment to the control file.
• The main window position & size is now remembered and restored across executions.
• Support for new Herc v2.12 "devtmax" control file statement.
• Support for new Herc v2.12 card reader (multiple input files and autopad option).
• Information regarding the version of the GUI is also written to the console log file.

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Under Consideration...

Slated for eventual inclusion in a future release

NOTE! These are just ideas/suggestions!   I can't promise that any of these will actually be included in any future release.   I'm just listing them here for informational purposes only so you can know what's being considered and/or being worked on.

• Hercules: Windows CTCA support: WDM intermediate NDIS protocol device driver
• (Both): "Spooling" system: Stop Printer, Start Printer, etc. to print to real printer.
• Hercules: Design new GUI <--> Herc communications (more efficient DEV status)
• Hercules: Redesign intra-thread message passings for performance (eliminate need for pipes) (was: BUG: multiple tasks writing to stdout??)
• HercGUI: Command to "view" print files? (132 column, etc)
• HercGUI: High-water mark for MIPS & SIOS
• HercGUI: Auto-start programs @ PowerOn (telnet, 3270 terminal program, etc) or triggered via message text.
• Hercules: Herc: System Reset/Clear command
• Hercules: Rework/redesign console (socket) handling (connections, sends, recvs, etc)
• HercGUI: Config: what telnet program to use, what 3270 program to use, etc.
• HercGUI: Integrated telnet???
• HercGUI: .cmd "batch file like" facility.
• HercGUI: RELATIVE paths? (e.g. /dir, ./dir, ../dir, etc.)
• HercGUI: Config: move options out of registry and into .hgi file?
• HercGUI: Config: corresponding command-line switches for all config options
• HercGUI: Text selection?
• HercGUI: SPECIAL: Display/Alter ANY Hercules memory address (maybe even full debugging capabilities? Breakpoints/traces/etc?)
• HercGUI: Experiment: option to dock panes to desktop instead of main window