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Release Notes
Impact:ECS version 6.3
Impact:ECS version 6.3 offers a wide range of new features to improve the overall
user experience. Whether you work with Impact:ECS as an administrator, model builder,
programmer or core user, you will find benefits to upgrading to the latest release.
We have intertwined the feedback from customers with advances in technology to offer
you a more robust and flexible cost management solution.
New Features for Core Users
Navigation Options
Redesigned Query Screen
Redesigned Global Factor Screen
Recent Items in File Menu
Menu Customization for Each Window
Updated VSFlex Grid Control
New Features for
Model Builders
Forms Item Type
If True Calculation Action
If False Calculation Action
Write To Table (Ignore Accumulator)
Calculation Action
Lookup Table Calculation Action
Impact:ECS DataLink OLEDB Provider
Report Parameters
Row Locking
Define Primary Keys in the Data
Publishing Wizard
New Features for Administrators
Event Polling
Data Link Security
Default Data
Links for Models
Execute Folder
Permission
User
Preferences Stored in XML Files
Copy and
Paste Model Enhancements
New
Features for Programmers
Manually Execute Script Module Functions with Parameters
Abbreviated Syntax for Calling Script Modules
Access Folder Permissions from Script Modules
LineItem Enabled
Property
LineItem
InitializeBuckets Property
Model Object
New Script Module
Functions
New Features for Core Users
Navigation
Options: New navigation options appear as both
toolbar icons and in the view menu. Back, forward and up
commands are now available when the Main window is open, the
Synchronize command is available when an individual item is
open.
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Redesigned Query Screen:
Users can now access the Data Link name and the maximum
number of records to return from the Query in the new Query
design tab.
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Redesigned Global
Factor Screen: The global factor screen now
displays an individual control for each field value. This
provides users with a calendar control when the Global
Factor data type is set to Date.
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Recent Items in File
Menu: The File Menu now contains a Recent
Items menu option which allows users to view and open
recently opened items.
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Menu
Customization for Each Window: Each unique
Window, such as the Main Window, the Cost Object screen,
etc., can now have its own customized menu options.
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Updated VSFlex Grid
Control: Impact:EDC now uses the VS Flex Grid
8.0 grid control. This control includes support for XP
themes.
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New Features for
Model Builders
Forms Item Type:
The single most significant new feature in Impact:ECS
version 6.3 is the new Forms item type. Forms are items that
allow users to view and input data on the screen in a
customized format. Model builders design the layout or
appearance of Forms by placing individual controls in the
Forms Designer. When a user opens a Form normally, the
controls can be used to capture user input and fire events.
Form events allow model designers the ability to perform
certain actions or calculations in response to the user's
interaction with the Form itself.
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If True Calculation
Action: The "If True Jump To" Calculation
Action gives model designers the ability to write
calculations that compare the accumulated value against a
True Boolean value. If the value is equal to True, then the
calculation will immediately jump to the line number
indicated in the Operand column.
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If False Calculation
Action: The "If False Jump To" Calculation
Action gives model designers the ability to write
calculations that compare the accumulated value against a
False Boolean value. If the value is equal to False, then
the calculation will immediately jump to the line number
indicated in the Operand column.
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Write To Table (Ignore Accumulator) Calculation Action:
The "Write To Table (Ignore Accumulator)" Calculation Action
works just like the "Write To Table" Calculation Action
except for the fact that it does not automatically write the
value of accumulator into the first data (or non-indexed)
field.
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Lookup Table
Calculation Action: The "Lookup Table"
Calculation Action is similar to the "Read From Table"
Calculation Action except for the fact that it does not does
not raise an error when a record is not found in the table.
Instead, this action returns a Boolean value that indicates
whether or not a record was found. If the record is found,
the Table's field values will be immediately available from
the Calculation.
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Impact:ECS
DataLink OLEDB Provider: Reports can now
specify a Model's Default Data Link as their data source
using the new Impact:ECS DataLink OLEDB Provider. This
allows Model builders the ability to design external Reports
that run on any Impact Model, provided that the underlying
databases contain the same table definitions.
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Report Parameters:
Reports can now use parameters. Parameters values can
automatically be supplied from Global Factors, Session
Variables or Form Variables during the Report rendering
process.
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Row Locking:
In addition to defining cells as read only, it is now
possible to disallow row inserts, row deletes and row
appends.
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Define Primary Keys in the Data Publishing Wizard:
Impact's Data Publishing Wizard now support the added
ability to specify columns as primary keys when creating new
Tables.
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New Features for
Administrators
Event Polling:
Event polling enables Impact:EDC clients to monitor events
that occur when tasks are executed on the server and network
traffic form the server to the client is blocked. These
events include changes in the client's status log, entries
in the client's message log, task progress, etc.
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Data Link Security:
New Data Link security options allow server administrators
the ability to determine what users or sever groups are
allowed to use each Data Link. This feature helps improves
the overall security of Impact's underlying databases.
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Default Data Links
for Models: A Default Data Link can now be
assigned to each Models. This can help secure a model by
allowing administrator to reduced the user's default
security permissions on the model's underlying database.
Queries, Scripts and Reports that do not provide a specific
Data Link name now use the Model's Default Data Link (if one
is provided).
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Execute Folder Permission: In addition to the
View, Delete, Modify and Administer permissions, folders now
have an Execute permission. Execute permissions have a
slightly different meaning depending upon the item types
contained within the folders. For Cost Object folders, the
execute permission allows users the ability to recalculate a
Cost Object. For Calculations and Processes, this permission
allows users to call or invoke the item during Cost Object
recalculations or Script Module Executions. For Queries,
Script Modules and CostTalks, this permission allows users
to execute items within the folder. For Global Factors,
Reports and Labels, the permission has no effect.
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User
Preferences Stored in XML Files: The user
preferences are now stored in XML files. These preferences
include items like menu and toolbar customizations, window
or docking pane layouts, recent items, etc. The preference
files are located in the user's current Windows profile
directory. The file names are CommandBars.xml and
DockingPaneLayout.xml.
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Copy and Paste
Model Enhancements: Copying and Pasting new
Models now includes adding the appropriate Groups and Folder
permissions.
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New Features for
Programmers
Manually Execute Script Module Functions with Parameters:
Users are now presented with new Select Function dialog box
when the manually execute an individual Script Module. This
dialogue box now allows users to supply the appropriate
parameter values to individual functions.
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Abbreviated Syntax for Calling Script Modules:
Now Script Modules can call specific function within another
Script Module with a new, abbreviated syntax. This syntax
takes on the form <ModuleName>.<FunctionName>.
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Access Folder Permissions from Script Modules:
New GroupRights and UserRights properties have been added to
the Folder object. This allows Script Module authors to view
and edit folder permissions form Script Modules.
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LineItem Enabled
Property: LineItem objects now have an Enabled
property to simplify viewing and modifying this LineItem
setting from Script Modules. Previous Script Module authors
were required to access this property indirectly from the
LineItem's Settings property.
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LineItem
InitializeBuckets Property: LineItem objects
now have an InitializeBuckets property to simplify viewing
and modifying this LineItem setting from Script Modules.
Previous Script Module authors were required to access this
property indirectly from the LineItem's Settings property.
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Model Object:
The new Model object can now be used in Script Modules in
place of the existing Database object. This new object is
essentially just an alias that can be used to help
distinguish the difference between an Impact cost model and
its underlying database.
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New
Script Module Functions: The following is a
list of new object properties that are now available from
Script Modules
- Groups.GroupNames
- Groups.GetUserGroups
- Groups.GetGroupMembers
- GridProperties.GetRowProperty
- GridProperties.GetCellProperty
- GridProperties.GetColumnProperty
- GridProperties.GetGridProperties
- Users.GetUserNames
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