Very basic problems with TeeChart 7 (Pro)

[Axelfarr]

Hello,

the problems I have reported in January are still there, since then I had to work on older code so I needed to uninstall TeeChart 7, uninstall BCB 6 and reinstall BCB 6 to get the chance to work on older code unsing the older TeeChart Standard 4.04 supplied with BCB 6.

Yesterday, I tried again to get TeeChart 7 work with older code, but without success:

a) The TQRChart component installed with TeeChart 7.07 Pro does not work, it constantly redraws itself in the Editor. The problem is solved in the source code, but until now (!) no binary is available with a workable version, so I have to recompile TeeChart 7 in order to get a working version. Since the source codes for version 7.11 are out, today I tried this version, hoping that the old problems will be gone with it. To recompile it, I used the exe-file included in the source code (Tee7recompile ore something like that), and the bug with the constantly redrawing TQRChart is gone.

b) when trying to use an older application (created with TeeChart 3), I can not get rid of messages that refer to changed elements (like "Error reading Series2->Marks.Callout.Brush.Color: Property Callout does not exist." ). The answer of your support did not solve anything, since I used a different method of recompiling and I can not kill all instances of older TeeChart versions of my computer, because then no older program will run! (see: [http://www.teechart.net/support/viewtop ... 0352#20352])

c) it seems not to be possible to have different versions of TeeChart on one installation. Not even a quick method to switch versions is available. When I install TeeChart 7, I definitely can not run any recompiled version of my older programms because of b). Even worse, I can not de-install TeeChart 7 and hope that I could use my compiler as before, the complete set of TeeChart components is missing. So I have to uninstall and reinstall C++ Builder 6 in order to make my computer work as before! This procedure takes nearly half a day!

One problem with b) is that Steema itself has different, not allways working procedures for compiling a set of packages. The first set is a bpg-file called (as far as I can remember) Tee7BCB6.bpk. This should be compiled. The package contains several portions, and the activated portion is the last one, obviously requiring a version of QuickReport that I do not posses, so it is clear that this will fail. Other portions of the package require TeeChart7 components, but when I recompile the package, it it clear that TeeChart 7 does not exist at that moment, so the compilation fails.

Maybe during recompilation code from older and newer versions get mixed up? Newer versions get linked to older libraries? Can it be something like this which produces the error message in b)?

Is it possible for you to create a working TeeChart 7 installable package to BCB 6 which fixes the "TQRChart permanent redrawing error in Form editor", which also enables me to use older components?

Greetings, Axel
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[Narcís]

Hi Axel,

a) The TQRChart component installed with TeeChart 7.07 Pro does not work, it constantly redraws itself in the Editor. The problem is solved in the source code, but until now (!) no binary is available with a workable version, so I have to recompile TeeChart 7 in order to get a working version. Since the source codes for version 7.11 are out, today I tried this version, hoping that the old problems will be gone with it. To recompile it, I used the exe-file included in the source code (Tee7recompile ore something like that), and the bug with the constantly redrawing TQRChart is gone.

I imagine you got it working using qrtee.pas provided with the source code installation.

b) when trying to use an older application (created with TeeChart 3), I can not get rid of messages that refer to changed elements (like "Error reading Series2->Marks.Callout.Brush.Color: Property Callout does not exist." ). The answer of your support did not solve anything, since I used a different method of recompiling and I can not kill all instances of older TeeChart versions of my computer, because then no older program will run! (see: [http://www.teechart.net/support/viewtop ... 0352#20352])

This error message is because your IDE is still referencing old TeeChart packages. Or, at least, its search paths point to old packages instead of new ones. Only one package version can be used in each IDE but this is not a TeeChart's limitation it's a BCB and Delphi limitation. So, to have different package versions working in the same IDE, the minimum you need to do every time you want to change them is enabling/disabling corresponding packages at the package list and update search path list references.

Moreover, when openning an application using an old version of TeeChart with an IDE with a newer version installed you shouldn't having any problem building it there as backwards compatibility is something we specially care about. Even though, BCB is quite tricky and sometimes project files need to be manually edited and old packages references removed.

c) it seems not to be possible to have different versions of TeeChart on one installation. Not even a quick method to switch versions is available. When I install TeeChart 7, I definitely can not run any recompiled version of my older programms because of b). Even worse, I can not de-install TeeChart 7 and hope that I could use my compiler as before, the complete set of TeeChart components is missing. So I have to uninstall and reinstall C++ Builder 6 in order to make my computer work as before! This procedure takes nearly half a day!

As told in my reply to b, it is not strictly necessary to remove everything and reinstall the IDE. At least, you should just enable/disable corresponding packages and set up new package references on TOP of the search path list so those are the first ones to be chosen by the IDE.

One problem with b) is that Steema itself has different, not allways working procedures for compiling a set of packages. The first set is a bpg-file called (as far as I can remember) Tee7BCB6.bpk. This should be compiled. The package contains several portions, and the activated portion is the last one, obviously requiring a version of QuickReport that I do not posses, so it is clear that this will fail. Other portions of the package require TeeChart7 components, but when I recompile the package, it it clear that TeeChart 7 does not exist at that moment, so the compilation fails.

TeeChart Pro v7 VCL is shipped with packages compatible with Quick Report version shipped with BCB. TQRChart packages need to be recompiled with every change of either TeeChart version (v7.00, v7.01, v7.02, etc.), Quick Report version and IDE version. Having said that, you'll see that this makes a huge number of available combinations.

However, if you are having any problem during this process please post it here the exact problem you are having and we will try to help you solve it.

Maybe during recompilation code from older and newer versions get mixed up? Newer versions get linked to older libraries? Can it be something like this which produces the error message in b)?

As I told you before, the error message you said in b is because of versions conflict. Your IDE is referencing different versions. You should check which packages are enabled and disabled and also check which TeeChart packages are referenced in the search path list at Project -> Options -> Directories/Conditionals, Include Path and Library Path lists.

Is it possible for you to create a working TeeChart 7 installable package to BCB 6 which fixes the "TQRChart permanent redrawing error in Form editor", which also enables me to use older components?

As you already know, this was fixed in latest source code release. So any release from then will already have this issue fixed.

Regarding the use of older components, the only way to achieve that is what we have already told you.

[Axelfarr]

Hello,

concerning a corrected (installable) Version: The latest Version of TeeChart 7 in binary form is 7.07, even the newest files on the download area are the same release and the same size as the one included with the CD delivery, the CD dating from mid-december 2006. The error is fixed in the sources even on the CD, but not in the binaries. The sources seem to be out with release number 7.11, but there are still only binaries from the 7.07 version of TeeChart Pro in the download area.

Concerning the activation/deactivation of packages: I have problems understanding how you mean that. There are different ways things are handled with packages:

a) Packages need to be installed in BCB, other than libraries. When they are installed, BCB "knows" about the according .bpl-file, normally BCB has a entry for the package's components in its tool bar. I can only install packages, import Active X and prevent components from beeing shown in the tool bar, but I do not see a menu entry which allows me to uninstall a formerly installed package.

b) in the options portion of an application I have the possibility to select/deselect packages for linking with the application (Packages section of the options dialog). There are buttons for removal of packages and for adding packages, but BCB checks if there are other packages needing the removed packages, so clicking the wrong one eleminates other packages too.

c) in the same portion of the dialog box, there is a part called "run time packages", followed by a text field, this field containing names of packages.

I suppose you either mean one of the possibilities b) or c).

Another question: When I deinstall TeeChart 7, all TeeChart components and also the TQRChart component from the QuickReport are gone. How can BCB 6 be reset to its original state (with TeeChart 4.04 components) without de- and reinstallation of BCB 6?

Greetings, Axel

[Narcís]

Hi Axel,

concerning a corrected (installable) Version: The latest Version of TeeChart 7 in binary form is 7.07, even the newest files on the download area are the same release and the same size as the one included with the CD delivery, the CD dating from mid-december 2006. The error is fixed in the sources even on the CD, but not in the binaries. The sources seem to be out with release number 7.11, but there are still only binaries from the 7.07 version of TeeChart Pro in the download area.

Yes, that's right. As you can see here, from v.7.07:

- v7.08 just solved an issue with BDS 2006's help system.
- v7.09 was the Standard version releases for BDS 2006 registered customers.
- v7.10 Standard version shipped with Delphi 2007
- v7.11 is a beta version which adds support for Delphi 2007.

Concerning the activation/deactivation of packages: I have problems understanding how you mean that. There are different ways things are handled with packages:

a) Packages need to be installed in BCB, other than libraries. When they are installed, BCB "knows" about the according .bpl-file, normally BCB has a entry for the package's components in its tool bar. I can only install packages, import Active X and prevent components from beeing shown in the tool bar, but I do not see a menu entry which allows me to uninstall a formerly installed package.

You can do that at Project -> Options -> Packages or at Component -> Install Packages...

b) in the options portion of an application I have the possibility to select/deselect packages for linking with the application (Packages section of the options dialog). There are buttons for removal of packages and for adding packages, but BCB checks if there are other packages needing the removed packages, so clicking the wrong one eleminates other packages too.

Yes, that's right. However BCB asking you before removing packages helps seeing package dependencies. Here search paths also play an important role. If search paths are not properly set packages may not find necessary dependencies.

c) in the same portion of the dialog box, there is a part called "run time packages", followed by a text field, this field containing names of packages.

That's not crucial. If you enable this checkbox or not just means that your application will need run-time packages installed on the machine where it is being used or those packages will be already included in the .exe thus affecting .exe size.

I suppose you either mean one of the possibilities b) or c).

Yes, what's important is point b. I know dealing with Borland/CodeGear package system is quite tricky but there's little we can do here. We already created TeeRecompile tool to deal with all this automatically.

Another question: When I deinstall TeeChart 7, all TeeChart components and also the TQRChart component from the QuickReport are gone. How can BCB 6 be reset to its original state (with TeeChart 4.04 components) without de- and reinstallation of BCB 6?

When installing TeeChart v7, old files are backuped at c:\program files\borland\cbuilder6\lib\obj\backup_teechart. Bpl files can be found at c:\windows\system32. You just need to add bpl packages and set appropiate search paths again.

As I told you before, if you are having any specific problem during this process. Please let us know about the exact problem (and possible error message) and we'll try to help you solving it.

[shiv]

I am using tee chart ver4 on bcb5 and tee chart ver8 on bcb6 on the same pc.
I was getting this error on running the application. but if i compile the app with option 'build with runtime packages' unchecked it works perfectly.