R:Mail Delivers

John showed extensive improvements in the ease of use of R:Mail 9.0, through the R:Mail Editor's Advanced Rich View Editor. Now a database-driven automated email is easy to make look pretty, with a fully GUI editor that formats your message in HTML. Save the template, and your R:Mail plugin commands can reference the template, saving dozens of lines of code and making the message much easier to edit in the future. R:Mail 9.0 thus becomes much more accessible and useful for the end-user.

R:Charts 9.0

John Minyo walked us through the interface for creating a wide variety of good looking charts from table data. The examples used financial data, and the variations in graph type and styling options were seemingly limitless.

Most awesome: he demonstrated a chart that appears to scroll real-time data (like the Task Manager "performance" tab), by reiterating the plugin call in a timed loop, as rows were being inserted or deleted from the underlying table.

Enhanced DB Grid

Razzak showed off many cool features of the new-in-9.0 Enhanced DB Grid.

• Allow your users to search for/isolate any rows in the DB Grid with a filter bar at the top. 
• Allow users hot-keys for advanced changes to the layout and to advanced search criteria. 
• Preserve a set of selected rows in the grid, through other clicks and actions, until the user changes the selections. 
• Put look-up messages in balloons over data as the mouse hovers over those cells.

He also showed a live example of a government agency application that combined features of R:BASE eXtreme 9.0, R:Magellan 9.0, R:Mail 9.0, and R:SFTP Client 9.0, to do things like plot and display travel routes, retrieve huge files from distant FTP servers, and load their data into a database, and easy-to-use drag-and-drop user interfaces.

Product Showcase and Highlights

In a whirlwind tour of eXtreme 9.0 add-ons, Razzak explained that many of these will be built in -- embedded right within the RBASE code, and can be activated by simply buying a license.

R:PDF Form Filler was one new product, that enables you to link R:BASE tables and columns directly to the data entry fields on a PDF form. You can pre-fill the PDF form from R:BASE.

R:BASE Total Backup enables you to schedule complete (UNLOAD) backups of multiple databases. It can backup 7.6, 8.0, and 9.0 eXtreme databases.

R:Compiler 9.0 features some improvements for performance and for security. You can choose to include form and report definitions right within the compiled EXE file, rather than in the database. This can help minimize data that has to travel back and forth between workstation and server, and can also protect your EEP commands from examination and alteration by unauthorized individuals.

R:Scope will be able to check integrity of BLOB data for the first time.

Introduction of R:BASE eXtreme 9.0

What's special about 9.0?

Just a few highlights: (it's hard to keep up when Razzak is showing off things at full speed.)

Enhanced SQL Engine

Now development is all Visual C++

Single-Engine DLL with built-in File I/O Efficiency

Improvement Speed

Database Explorer

Enhanced XP/Vista Theme-Aware user interface

Redesigned toolbars, icons, look and feel of everything

Data Designer

Every ancient SQL command has a GUI implementation

R> Prompt

Improved console and history

Query Builder

much smarter than before

Form Designer and Report Designer

Hundreds of new features and enhancements

Editor and Debugger

better toolbars

integrated spell-check and thesaurus

enhanced R:Style

BLOB Editor

way beyond what you used to have

Output, File Gateway

improved security, encryption, and more

... and lots of other development productivity features

2009 Conference Day 1 Morning Sessions

Project Bundle-Up cheerleaders Jan Johansen and Tom Eldred introduced a Wizard of Oz theme -- Jan skipped to the front like Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road, swinging the Langenberger basket that traditionally holds donations. After all, it is the 70th anniversary of the movie The Wizard of Oz, and we all came to Pittsburgh to see the Wizard.

Jan introduced a new feature: the Pre-paid amnesty donation. For a $25 up-front donation, Jan and Tom will forgive a whole bunch of sports or political references, or cell phone noises.

A. Razzak Memon welcomed us all, despite the so-called poor economy. He said he doesn't really believe the economy is that bad. RBTI is grinding out new releases and improvements. Work goes on. They take care of customers. There was only a brief moment last spring when Razzak considered not having a developers' conference this fall, but he decided not to change what works.

So regardless what happens, RBTI will still be there. "We ain't going nowhere."

2009: The 12th R:BASE Conference in 11 years!

And the main event program for this year is the beta release and even more exciting enhancement's offered in RBASEeXtreme 9.0:

Make sure NOT to miss out on this 2-Day Action Packed Conference. With the kick-off starting Sat at 8:30 AM! till late Sat Night and again starting Sunday at 8:45 AM till 5:00 PM Bring coffee and be ready for both days.

And for all you current beta testers the RBTI Dream Team has spent countless hours preparing us all for a "Knock Your Socks Off Event" a huge Thank You!

I would like to provide a link to helpful information:

RBase Conference Information

Maps to the Conference Center "A direct link to the Marriott"

RBASEeXtreme 9.0 Site and over 109 Reason to Upgrade!


And to pre-order and receive your Exclusive Beta Copy of RBASEeXtreme 9.0

Stay tuned and refresh this page as this event is happening for the latest in information, pictures and Rnews Live. Well almost - Some delays are expected due to current activity at the conference.