Analytica 4.0 beta Release Notes

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These Release Notes apply to Build 4.0.0.54, 14 Aug, 2007.

Installation Notes

  • Analytica 4.0 can coexist with Analytica 3.1 on the same computer. Thus, you can install Analytica 4.0 beta while retaining Analytica 3.1. After installing 4.0, a double-click on a x.ANA file will run the model in 4.0. To run a model with 3.1, start Analytica 3.1, and use the Open Model... option from the File menu to select the model.
  • If you uninstall Analytica 3.0 or 3.1 after installing 4.0, it will wipe out the 4.0 registry tree. So, you will need to re-run the 4.0 installer.

Upward compatibility for Models from Analytica 3.1

Most models created in Analyica 3.1 load and evaluate fine in 4.0. We hope beta testers will check that 4.0 works and gives the same results as 3.1 -- unless there is a good reason why they should be different. There are two areas where you should expect results to be different:

  • Graph settings: Some Graph Setup options will not transfer to 4.0, because 4.0 offers different (and much richer) graphing options. For example, settings for axis ranges in 4.0 may attach to the Index rather than the graph. So, expect to do some tweaking of graphs -- and to enjoy the new options.
  • 0*NaN and 0*INF: Analytica 4.0 supports the IEEE 754 Binary Floating Point Arithmetic standard: Thus 0*NaN or 0*INF return NaN. In 3.1, the result was zero. If your model took advantage of the old behavior to zero out NaNs or INFs, you may find NaN or Null in downstream results that were not there in 3.1. If you check Show result warnings in the Preference dialog, it will warn you if your model relies on the old behavior and help pinpoint where this occurs.

See Changes in 4.0 that could impact 3.x models for a more comprehensive list.

Not working yet

  • There may be some problems saving models in XML format, especially related to system variable settings. For important stuff, stick with the default Analytica file format for now.
  • Auto recovery does not correctly recover "Add Linked Module" actions. Some problems after "Add Module". OLE links are not re-established. In the latter two cases, saving the model after crash recovery, then reloading should fix the problem. It is best to save after adding a module or library, rather than relying on auto recovery.

Changes in 4.0.0.54

(since 4.0.0.53)

(this list is in progress)

Diagrams

  • In browse mode, input and output nodes highlight when selected.
  • Pressing TAB when viewing a diagram moves to the "next" selected node. The order of nodes is now based on the geometric layout of nodes, so the selections tend to move left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Formerly, tab moved in the order in which nodes were created.
  • In browse mode, when TAB moves to the next node, text nodes and picture nodes without scripts are skipped.
  • When Snap-to-grid is on, or when Shift-arrow is used to move a node when snap-to-grid is off, the selected node moves to the next grid position, rather than moving by one full grid increment if the node is not currently on the grid.
  • When a variable is defined as a distribution, its class is automatically changed to Chance. (This used to work, but hasn't been working in recent beta releases).


Scripting & OLE Linking

  • Changing the Moniker attribute from a button script now causes an OLE link to re-establish itself to the newly specified data source. This makes it possible for your Analytica model (via a button script) to automatically adjust the data source for OLE linked data.
  • If a variable is defined as a Choice, and it Script attribute contains typescript commands, the typescript is run whenever the user changes the selection in the Choice pulldown.

Functions

  • The Gamma distribution function now accepts zero for the first parameter.
  • The Handle function can now be used directly to obtain handles to modules and other non-definable Analytica objects.
  • The Unique function accepts an optional position parameter. When set to true, e.g., Unique(A,I,position:true), the index positions are returned rather than the index values. This is the positional dual of Unique(A,I).

ADE

  • The method CARenderingStyle::VarTermFormat has been deprecated and renamed to CARenderingStyle::HandleFormat. (The old method name still works, but the new name more consistently reflects current terminology).
  • CAObject::CreateDefTable - when a non-existant index is passed, no error condition was being signaled. This was fixed.

Previous Beta Builds

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