Aurora version 1.3 user manual

Introduction

Aurora is a native Delphi tool customizing Delphi's Object Inspector. Being mounted into Delphi, Aurora makes it possible to distinguish properties have been changed by user from that haven't been changed by HIGHLIGHTING CHANGED PROPERTIES.

Installation

Note:Aurora currently supports only Delphi 5.

To install Aurora package, you have to select Component | Install packages menu, then click "Add" button and enter the path to design package, Aurora13dm.BPL for demo version or Aurora13rg.BPL for registered version. If you have loaded form or data module, you have to re-select currently selected component(s) or select another one to see the difference. That's all - enjoy !

Uninstallation

Select Component | Install packages menu, then select "/xxxxxxxxx/ Aurora Package © Align Software, 2000" from the list and click "Delete" button.

Note: you have to manually uninstall Aurora demo version before installing the registered one.

Limitations of demo version and advantages of registered version

Currently, Aurora if a shareware product. This means that actually there are 2 versions of Aurora: demo verison and registered version.Demo version have full functionality of registered version except for a small window showed every time the Delphi starts. If you like our product, and want to support us in developing useful and bug-free components and experts in Delphi, you may want to pay a small sum of money for a registered version. This includes not only removing of annoying startup window, but also high quality customer support via e-mail, implementing your wishes in the future versions of product and many other.

Warning: you can use demo version of this product for a test period of 30 days only. After 30 days of using demo version of this software you must register or delete all copies of Aurora from all your storage devices.

Technical Information

Technically, Aurora is a set of property editors (TPropertyEditor descendants).
There is one property editor used to highlight all properties that don't have a sub-properties, called TGeneralizedModifiedProperty. It supports not only standard properties like strings and integers but also a large set of specialized properties, including the hundreds of pre-installed Delphi properties. It saves behavior of all specialized property editors and adds the support of highlighting. This is true not only for VCL - defined properties but also for a large variety of customized properties introduced in third-party libraries.
There are also several sub-property-compliant property editors used for handling classes, components, sets, etc.

Known issues

Only the newest version of Delphi (Delphi 5) is supported. This is because of sufficient changes in TPropertyEdiotor class (many new methods have been introduced to support owner-drawings)
Stored flag isn't checked to be true. Thus Aurora can highlight property that 'll not be stored with form definition. This lack is not important with standard VCL classes because they don't use non-stored properties.
You have to re-select the component after installing Aurora package to inspect the changes

License for use and distribution

All copyrights to Aurora are exclusively owned by Align Software.
Anyone may use this software during a test period of 30 days. Following this test period of 30 days or less, if you wish to continue to use Aurora , you MUST register. If you don't want to register, you must remove all copies of this software from all your storage devices.
The demo verison of Aurora may be freely distributed, with exceptions noted below, provided the distribution package is not modified. No person or company may charge a fee for the distribution of product without written permission from the Align Software.
The registered version of this software can be used on one computer, for any legal purpose. The registered version of this software may not be rented or leased, but may be permanently transferred, if the person receiving it agrees to terms of this license. You must not keep a copy of registered version's package if you transfered it to another person.
You are not allowed to publish any part of the registered version package in any way. Publishing this package to the open world (e.g. publishing it on a web or ftp site) means that you want to pay a world-wide license for $1.000.000.
AURORA IS DISTRIBUTED "AS IS". NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND IS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. YOU USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DATA LOSS, DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS OR ANY OTHER KIND OF LOSS WHILE USING OR MISUSING THIS SOFTWARE.
You may not use, copy, emulate, clone, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile, disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or transfer the licensed software, or any subset of the licensed software, except as provided for in this agreement. Any such unauthorized use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this license and may result in criminal and/or civil prosecution.
Installing and using Aurora signifies acceptance of these terms and conditions of the license.
If you do not agree with the terms of this license you must remove Aurora files from your storage devices and cease to use the product.

This file ware created 17-Feb-2000