What's new in LMD-Tools 7?

• • • Introduction
• • • New shared designtime package
• • • Improved Microsoft Windows XP Themes support
• • • New TLMDFaceController feature and improved Controller components
• • • Improved designtime support in Delphi/CBuilder IDE
• • • New Bonus Packs in LMD-Tools CE
• • • Additional features for Professional/CE User
• • • Other new features

LMD-Tools 7 constitutes an extensive update against version 6: More than 40 new components were added (new labeled controls not counted). Check out full component list in LMD-Tools 7 Component overview. New global objects and classes were introduced and existing ones improved. At last hundreds of improvements and fixes to existing components were added! One of the most remarkable enhancement is use of common interfaces throughout the core package, which e.g. allows use of transparency effect now even with form or FormDisplay controls.
The following sections summarize a few of the other new features. See also descriptions of the standalone bonus packages on the main product page to review new package related features and enhancements.
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All LMD 2003 products share the same LMD Designtime Enhancements package which is installed automatically . This package provides common designtime features for all LMD packages. Settings are possible via the About dialog of any LMD control (doubleclick the About property in object inspector). You can switch on/off global designtime editors or get direct access to download area or support options. Besides that in LMD-Tools Core package installation of LMD labeled controls can be enabled/disabled.
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Windows XP support was improved. Controls with CtlXP property (which was now introduced for button controls as well) support now a Themes interface. Now CtlXP value for all child controls of a form or panel can be specified with one line of code (very useful at designtime to test look of themed/unthemed version directly). As in previous release XP Themes support is available even without availability of a manifest file. The automatic support of Windows XP Themes can be switched on/off globally via the LMDApplication object.
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LMD-Tools 7 includes now TLMDFaceController component. This control can be used to share color, font, effect or bevel settings for different control states among LMD-Tools controls. All LMD controls which provide a FaceController property can be linked to it. At designtime you can create and manage setting and states objects comfortably with an enhanced component editor.
Besides that the new TLMDMMButtonFaceController allows to share MMButton settings among any number of connected TLMDMMButtons and to change settings at runtime easily.
Finally another imagelist adapter component was added, so that standard VCL components can make use of the advanced LMD Image- and BitmapList controls.
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LMD-Tools 7 supports Delphi/CBuilder 5 and higher only. Therefore advanced features of these IDE's were used in LMD-Tools. Several LMD-Tools objects support now enhanced display possibilities in object inspector. For example settings of the FillObject or boolean values are displayed visually, or main settings of a FontFx property are shown in clear text. In addition the property category/filter feature in object inspector is now fully supported.
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LMD-Tools in CE version contains three new bonus packages which can be installed fully independly from the LMD-Tools core packages.

LMD BarPack
LMD BarPack provides components which help you to enhance your projects with advanced bar controls (ExplorerBar and SectionBar).

LMD DesignPack
LMD DesignPack controls enhance your projects with advanced designing features - e.g. by adding an object inspector, extended form designer or diagrams.

LMD FxPack
LMD FxPack was designed to help you adding exciting splash screens or form transitions to your applications - select from over 70 families of animation and transition effects which again provide hundreds of different variations.

LMD ScriptPack
LMD ScriptPack enables Delphi/CBuilder applications to support active scripting languages installed in Windows Scripting Host (such as VB Script, Java Script, Perl, Python, Lua, Tcl, Rexx etc).

LMD StoragePack
LMD StoragePack controls are used to save/restore configuration data. Possible target formats are the Registry or Ini-, XML- and binary files.
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As in previous versions only LMD-Tools Professional/CE user have access to full sourcecode of the complete library: Almost 1000 source files with a size of more than 6 MB!!
Package recompilation (if you want to extend functionality of component yourself) was simplified by support of new project groups, whereby CBuilder Versions of LMD-Tools support now same runtime- and designtime packages like the Delphi version.
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LMD-Tools 7 contains new and updated demo projects. The well known Delphi Megademo still exists and can be compiled again by LMD-Tools Standard user. Directory structure was slightly changed so that demo for a particiular control can be found quickly. There are now over 200 separate projects available in the \demos folder. Single demos can be compiled without compiling the full MegaDemo project.

Funtionality of the Installer was further extended and provides now additional configuration options, e.g. installing all LMD-Tools files in one library folder or specifying custom runtime package folder.

As usual LMD-Tools 7 contains many fixes and enhancements which are based on your requests (e.g. enhanced visual features for TLMDListBox, new design styles for TLMDButton etc.).
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• • • Continue with "LMD-Tools 7 Key Features"
• • • Back to LMD-Tools 7 Product Page