From: B. GILLI
                                                           Date: 2001-03-20


             VLT-SW-MAR2001 - RELEASE NOTES FOR CCS
             =======================================
Most of the changes and/or new features for the MARCH 2001 release
concern CS_Lite extensions in order to cover more of the full CCS 
functionality under this platform. That should allow an easier porting for 
applications migrating on this cheaper platform.

Multi threaded applications support:
------------------------------------
Although several core applications of CCS/CCS_Lite are multithreaded, the 
current version of the CCS_Lite and CCS library , IS NOT multithread safe.

This implies that particular design constraints must be applied when 
designing multithreaded applications under CCS. In addition to the general 
multithreading design considerations, the following CCS specific rule must 
be strictly followed: CCS messaging access should be kept in a single thread. 
This includes also CCS functionality making internal use of the message 
system, like database access, event system, timer usage.





ccs:
----

Minor bug fixing,
Under CCS_Lite, better handling of process terminations:
	it is now possible to define in the ccsInit, the behaviour with 
	respect to obituary generation and handling.

CAUTION: In case ccsInit is used to register with an environment different 
from the one defined by the RTAPENV environment variable, it is possible 
that error handling and logging performed before the ccsInit, and those 
produced after the ccsInit are tagged with different environment names. 
By the way, this practice is OFFICIALLY NOT
ALLOWED and supported. However, since it has been found in several 
applications, this warning is issued to help understanding what might 
happen.


Logging System
--------------

Added support for HOURANG and DEGREE 'place holders' in FITS logs.

scan:
-----
Under CCS_Lite, fixed incorrect (with respect to full CCS)
return value of scanDevOff when remote env ios already off.
 
tims:
-----

Minor bug fixing in function timsAddTime.

evh:
----
modified database event filtering to optimize notification message 
generation. 

Plot
----

The plot module provides an Application Programmatic Interface to allow
user applications to store data directly in a plot point, and hence,
to use plotDisplay to graphically show the data on a plot. 
The manpages contain a full example of use.


The API consist in the following routines:

plotInitTable : initializes the database plot table -i.e.- resets the
internal indexes, and initializes some internal data structures used to
handle the writing of the data into the database.

plotWriteTable : stores data  into the plot data table. If the number of
data records exceeds the table size, the routine will handle the data
as in a 'circular' buffer.

plotCloseTable : releases all resources used by an application to write
data into plot table.


his:
----

Standard historian capabilities are now supported also under CCS_Lite.
Configuration must be performed through the standard CCS database classes.

ccsei
-----

ccseiDb has now the possibility to record data to a file.
The interface is similar to that of sampCtrl, the main features being :
- The file name is by default: "yyyy-mm-ddTHH:MM:SS.dblog" and it is stored 
in the env. directory.
- A check button enables the 'auto-rename' feature and when enabled a
file with a  new name is created each time 'open and record' button is pushed.
- The recording check button allows to stop and resume recording on the
same file.

panel
-----

A new 'small' button has been added next to the 'heart beat' to allow
the user to re-stablish the link to the database:
 the button will re-start the DB events and update all output widgets 
associated to a DB attribute.

Under CCS_LITE all panels will now send an obituary when closed in order
to assure a better release of all CCS resources.

                               ___oOo___