News : Version 15.0

Version 15.0

19th April 2022 (updated 3rd June 2022)

Winteracter v15.0 is now available. As always, upgrades are available from any previous release. See the Price List.

View the full version 15.0 release notes.

  • Platforms and Compilers
    • Windows 11 successfully tested and now officially supported. In practice, no W11-specific issues were encountered, but testing revealed some minor issues shared with earlier Windows releases, which have been addressed. While Windows 11 itself now only runs on 64-bit processors, it still supports 32-bit programs, so Winteracter continues to support creation of 32-bit applications, either on or for Windows 11.
    • The Intel ifx LLVM-based Fortran compiler supplied with the Intel oneAPI HPC toolkit is now officially supported, allowing creation of 64-bit programs on Windows and Linux (there is no ifx compiler for the Mac and ifx does not allow creation of 32-bit programs on Windows).
    • As of 15.0a, the versions of Winteracter built with GCC 8 have been tested successfully with GNU gfortran 11 and 12.
  • Presentation Graphics
    • Combined 2D/3D contour/surface plots : 3D Z plane projection option added to IPgContour2, IPgConFill2, IPgConGrad2 and IPgColFill2. Allows line/fill based 2D contour plots to be drawn above/below 3D surfaces.
    • High/low surface : New IPgSurf3HighLow and IPgSurf3HighLowCol routines. Logically similar to stepped surfaces, but with upper/lower extent specified for each column. Essentially three plot styles:
      • Uniform colour.
      • Graduated colour. Start/end colours determined by high/low values relative to fixed max/min colour range.
      • Individual colours specified for each bar in surface.
    • Bar charts/Histograms : Various enhancements:
      • Graduated colour, where start/end colours are determined by extent relative to fixed max/min colour range.
      • 3D option added to high/low histograms.
      • Graduated colour options extended to include 3D plot types.
      • Various minor outline related improvements.
    • Graduated fills now performed via an automatic runtime choice between IGrPolygonGrad and IGrPolygonShaded, rather than always using the former. Latter gives better performance in most output formats, particularly Windows GDI.
    • Text rotation : Scale annotation and key plotting both benefit from improved client side font rotation on X.
    • Markers : IPgMarker and IPgStyle can use the 16 new markers added to IGrMarker.
    • Key : IPgKeyAll now supports 270 degree rotation in addition to 90 degrees.
  • Graphics primitives
    • IGrMarker supports 16 more markers (now 64 in total).
    • Shaded fills : Support added to PostScript graphics hardcopy driver. Xlib version of IGrPolygonShaded now ~30% faster.
    • Rotated text : 90/180/270 degree rotation now supported on X, when using client side anti-aliased fonts drawn via Xft/fontconfig.
  • Dialogs
    • Treeviews :
    • List box : Better Home/End key support on X.
    • Combo box : Restyled drop down button icon on X.
  • Common dialogs
    • Directory selector : X version completely rewritten to use a treeview. On Windows, Silverfrost FTN95 version now uses a treeview, as for other Fortran compilers.
    • Marker selector : 16 new markers.
    • All : Restyled button images in most common dialogs on X.
  • Editor windows
    • WEditFind : Much faster on Windows. Line length limit eliminated. Word wrap and page break issues addressed.
    • Toolbar : Set/goto bookmark buttons added.
    • XQuartz : Better choice of next/previous word keys on Mac.
    • Focus : Improved focus control when setting position or adding a file to multi-buffer editor.
  • OpenGL
    • Two new graphical input routines. OpenGL equivalents of WGrInput/WGrInputDrag:
      • WglInput : Cross hair, rubber-banded line, rectangle or ellipse.
      • WlgInputDrag : Drag line, polyline, curve or ellipse.
  • Help files
    • Index control in HTML/Javascript help file sets generated by HelpEd reworked to improve functionality and appearance. Easier option selection and better resizing. Same change also benefits the supplied documentation on Linux and Mac.
    • WHelpFile :
      • HTML Help (CHM) support reworked, on Windows. No longer relies on htmhelp.lib import library or wintax/wintax64 DLL. Simplifies linking and eliminates need to distribute DLL with applications built with GNU or Silverfrost compilers.
      • Windows version invokes non-local web pages via ShellExecuteEx. Eliminates browser dependencies and issues with urls containing spaces.
  • WiDE
    • Fortran docs : New Fortran compiler option on the Help menu provides access to Fortran compiler's documentation. Option is sensitive to current compiler choice and, where possible, compiler version number.
    • Intel Fortran : New compiler option on Windows and Linux for the ifx compiler. As of 15.0e, this is complemented by a new C/C++ compiler option for Intel's icx compiler
    • Visual Studio 2022 supported as tools/libraries and debugger provider with Intel ifort and ifx on Windows.
    • Maximum files configurable per-project. Particularly useful for large projects (e.g. subroutine libraries).
    • Number of files which can be added in a single Add project file(s) action substantially increased.
    • Bare project creation's automated file addition feature refined.
    • Application Wizard upgraded:
      • Images updated to provide a more up to date preview of typical resulting user interface.
      • Shares code generation preferences with ResEdit, WED and GraphEd, for consistent code style.
      • Several minor improvements to the generated code.
      • New X dialog icons predefined resource automatically enabled, for restyled X treeview/combo box icons.
    • Improvements to Extract Routines, List Routines, Reformat and WPP options.
    • Improved support for LF95 Express.
  • WED
    • Winteracter routine information option extended to allow message documentation to be displayed.
    • Search history performance improved on Windows.
    • Print option generates page break at form feed characters.
    • Set/goto bookmark toolbar buttons.
    • Find All and Goto Routine rely on stricter syntactic analysis to identify program units.
    • Date insertion uses local language month name.
    • Mixed case keywords choice added to code generation options.
  • Resource editor
    • User-defined include files can now be managed via an option on the Settings menu.
    • X dialog icons option added to predefined resources for modernised treeview and combo box images, on X.
    • Clipboard option added to both code generation dialogs.
  • Graph Designer
    • High/low stepped surface plots.
    • Various bar chart/histogram additions: 3D option for high/low plots, separate 2D and 3D outline colours selectable, graduated colour support extended.
    • Plot preview on X benefits from shaded fill optimisation and improved rotated text support.
    • Keys can be rotated by 270 degrees.
    • Better handling of log/linear scaling.
    • Sixteen new markers selectable in scatter, line and X/Y pair plots.
    • Code generation now uses same preferences as WED, ResEdit and the Application Wizard.
  • Obsolete feature checker
    • New code inspection tool helps identify usage of old Winteracter features which have been superseded or have become redundant. Around 250 obsolete features have accumulated over the last 25 years, so maybe it's time for a spring clean!
    • Identifies obsolete derived types, subroutines, functions and parameter names.
    • For each obsolete feature usage, the checker reports:
      • Line number and source statement.
      • Feature type and version when it was declared obsolete.
      • Advice on why it is obsolete and/or what replaced it.
    • Any number of files can be checked in a single run.
    • Report can be generated in HTML, CSV or plain text format.
    • Supplied via a GUI interface in WiDE or a command line tool for non-WiDE users.
  • Installation (Linux and Mac)
    • MIME filetype association option on Linux, for WiDE projects, resource files, 3D models and graph description files. Successfully tested on Gnome, XFCE and Unity.
    • Desktop shortcut creation now offered regardless of user type performing the installation. Allows desktop shortcut to be added to login user's account, even when installing via sudo.
    • Linux desktop shortcuts now differentiate between tools which support multiple and single command line files, to improve drag+drop support.
    • Several command line options allow semi-automation of installation.
    • Directory selector uses new treeview based common dialog.
    • Higher resolution Winteracter logo associated with desktop icon, when "Launchpad" shortcut selected.
  • email (Linux/Mac)
    • WEmailSend : Rewritten on Linux and Mac, substantially aligning functionality with Windows versions:
      • DisplayInterface flag supported for first time on both Linux and Mac. Invokes system default email application, with program supplied data, ready to edit/send.
      • Reliance on sendmail eliminated entirely on Mac. System default email application also now used when DisplayInterface not specified.
      • System email app now opened automatically when no recipient specified.
  • 3D Model Viewer
    • Combined zoom+pan feature, in single operation, using Ctrl+Shift+mouse.
    • Improved error reporting when loading files.
    • When using software renderer, X version benefits from faster shaded fill primitive.
  • 3D Modelling
    • Gouraud shading : W3dShow benefits from improved Xlib and PostScript shaded fill support.
    • Vertex indices : Max number configurable via W3dNew. Current and max can be interrogated via Winfo3dInteger.
  • Graphics Import
    • PNG : Transparent image support extended to accept paletted PNG files (specifically, files with <=256 colours containing a "tRNS transparency chunk" rather than 32-bit RGBA data). Internal "color type" now reported by IGrFileInfo.
    • JPEG : Support for poorly formed JPEG files with "SOI" marker, but mising JFIF/Exif information.
  • OS interface
    • IOsFullPathname : Now uses realpath() on Linux/Mac.
    • Original user : IOsUserName can now return current user's original login name, regardless of use of sudo and WInfoFilename can now report their login directory.
    • System strings : New WInfoSystemString routine returns o.s. version as a string, o.s. name and local computer host name.
    • Version number : WInfoSystem now returns major, minor and build numbers as three separate values on all of Windows, Linux and macOS. Allows differentiation between Windows 10 and 11.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Multi-resolution ICO/CUR file Creator : GUI version of the command line mergeico tool added. Allows input files to be assembled via a file selector and previews input file contents.
    • PlotConv : Shows more precise colour/transparency information for PNG files. Supports transparent paletted PNG files.
    • WPP pre-processor : Max line length increased from 132 to 256 characters.
    • Licence information dialog now includes a Check for update button. Opens a page on this site which reports whether a bug-fix update is available for the currently installed version.
    • WInfoScreen : Menu and tooltip colours now interrogated via themes library on Windows, giving more accurate results.
    • Stock images : Several new stock icons, toolbar buttons and cursors.
    • Demos : Several new demos and various updates to existing programs.
    • As notified previously, this release drops support for the discontinued Lahey Fortran 8.x compiler on Linux. Windows support is not affected.

Customers who purchased v14.10 on or after 1/Mar/2022 will normally be entitled to receive a free v15.0 update. Qualification for free updates from 14.10 is based on the date of licence shipment from I.S.S. or a recognised I.S.S. reseller and in any event is at the sole discretion of I.S.S. Ltd. Free updates are normally delivered automatically, a few days after release and do not need to be requested.

For more information email:

Please note : References to "support for" specific third party software do not imply endorsement of same. Refer to Supported Compilers/Platforms for more information.