jAlbum 29 has now reached release candidate status, i.e. final stage before release.
Changes:

• Runs on Java 19 instead of Java 14
• Faster album builds (page processing)
• Faster image processing: 3x faster TIFF reading. Faster and more solid HEIC and WebP processing
• More solid reading of TIFF and PSD files
• Now supports Apple's M1 CPU architecture as well as Intel
• Mac version now using new "Metal" graphics pipeline
• Updated sftp library capable supporting modern encryption algorithms
• Updated Groovy language support (v4.0.4)
• All external tools rewritten using Groovy (shorter, cleaner code examples)
• Updated look & feel library. Improvements to Windows rendering
• Windows version now has a fully working "Open in file system" ability
• Support for new image formats: HDR, IFF (Amiga)
• Code updated to comply with Java 19
• MultiMaker can now force rebuild projects. (Use ALT key)
• MultiMaker now keeps green color on made projects until window is closed and reopened
• Fix to recovery tool not handling certain file name combinations
• Recovery tool is now aware of Variants (making better choices when recovering)
• Fix: File->Recent projects->Clear wasn't working properly
• Fix: If a skin disables widgets, then the widget activation button under Settings->Widgets is also disabled
• Developers: New DiskCache API to handle caching and copying of files
• Updated BeanShell scripting language to comply with Java 18's module system
• Updated skins, including an updated Responsive. Thanks Jeff!
• Improvements to System console: More clever scrolling of output panel. Ability to execute statements in either panel
• Minor bug fixes

Installers:
Mac: https://jalbum.net/download/jAlbum.dmg
Mac M1: https://jalbum.net/download/jAlbum-M1.dmg
Windows: https://jalbum.net/download/jAlbum-install.exe
Linux (Debian): https://jalbum.net/download/jalbum.deb

So far, jAlbum 29rc1 has passed the acid test. I used the multi-maker to rebuild all of my sample albums, without errors. Then I ran my entire skin demo site through Total Validator, which checks not only HTML and CSS syntax, but also looks for broken links. No errors. This gives me a lot of confidence!

You'll be singing a different tune when jAlbum 30 or jAlbum 31 removes BeanShell support, and MatrixSlide turns into a pumpkin.



The jAlbum and skin developers have been giving this a lot of thought. We won't hang you out to dry!

In short, if BeanShell goes away (it's virtually abandonware, and has problems with newer Java versions), skins have to be revised for Groovy scripting. The upcoming releases of all my active skins take care of that, but I didn't really intend to go back and revise legacy skins.

But I just took a quick look at the MatrixSlide code. I've gotten a lot better at things, but my basic coding style hasn't really changed. Unless I'm forgetting about something that's buried in there, I could probably "Groovy" that skin in about 15 minutes.

To test this, I made a list of projects for the multi maker with these projects:

Project NoErrorsMM.jap has no problems.
Project MinCrash.jap uses a skin which crashes.
Project NoErrorsFB.jap has no problems.
Project MinCrash2.jap uses a another skin which crashes
Project NonExisting.jap does not exist.
Project MissingThemeImage.jap gives a warning message: *** Non existing theme image
Project DamashedThemeImage.jap gives a warning message: *** Could not read predefined theme image.

After the execution of this list the console shows this:

Making "NoErrorsMM" (Changes)
"NoErrorsMM" made in 1,635s
 
Making "MinCrash" (Changes)
 
***** Error processing MinCrash (make): *****
se.datadosen.tags.ElementException: Element /ja:fileiterator has no matching beginning tag (index.htt:66)
 
Making "NoErrorsFB" (Changes)
*** Error with file: I:\Users\Andre\Documents\Mijn websites\jalbum.net\TestErrors\NoErrorsFB\ThemeImageWithTitle.jpg
*** Could not read predefined theme image
"NoErrorsFB" made in 1,391s
 
Making "MinCrash2" (Changes)
 
***** Error processing MinCrash2 (make): *****
se.datadosen.tags.ElementException: Element /ja:if has no matching beginning tag (index.htt:71)
Using cached scriptEnvironment
 
Making "MissingThemeImage" (Changes)
*** Non existing theme image: https://www.andrewolff.nl/FotoSerie/Wandelingen/Oostvaarderplassen/ThemeImageWithTitle.jpg
"MissingThemeImage" made in 1,228s
Using cached scriptEnvironment
 
Making "DamashedThemeImage" (Changes)
*** Error with file: I:\Users\Andre\Documents\Mijn websites\jalbum.net\TestErrors\NoErrorsFB\ThemeImageWithTitle.jpg
*** Could not read predefined theme image
"DamashedThemeImage" made in 1,197s

The jAlbum window is showed in screenshot NotificationsButtonNotVisible.png

I still see a number of bugs:

• The notification button is not always visible, so I think you should open the list automatically.
• Only the first crash is visible, the second crash is not reported at all, also not if you manage to detect the notification button, see screenshot OnlyOneErrorReported.png
• The non existing project is listed nowhere even not in the console window, so typing errors are never detected.
• The 2 last projects do give error messages without crashes, but the multi maker does not report this.
• If a list of 40 projects is processed I see not a final pop-up window telling me that there were no erors, I see nothing, even the last notification is gone. If I click the notification button, only the last 10 projects are visible, the system shows no scrolling bar, see NoScrollingBar.png
• After I uploaded these projects with the multi maker, not all entries are green, see NotAllUploadsGreen.png suggesting that there were problems, however the console window shows no problems for these 2 uploads. Later I used the same list again to upload these projets and now all entries were green.
• Next I closed jAlbum and reopened it again. The multi maker shows next a list of projects, some white, some blue., see screen-shot WhyNotAllMyProcessedProjects.png .The blue ones are from my last processed list. But it does not show all processed projects and I can't find back the 2 project which were not green after the upload. I always start with clearing this list, so why do I see these old projects in white? Why don''t see I only all my last processed projects? Why do I see in that list a project named 'Downloads', with a nice picture, but with an empty 'Last made' and 'Last published' cell?
• Errors during uploading like java.io.IOException: Error while adding album. Server reported: Album image not found. and Jalbum.net is unavailable at the moment, please check back again shortly! do not give a red notification message.

Edited by: AndreWolff on 28 Sep 2022, 11:13

Edited by: AndreWolff on 28 Sep 2022, 11:37

Edited by: AndreWolff on 28 Sep 2022, 11:45

Edited by: AndreWolff on 29 Sep 2022, 19:29

I've updated the Windows version fixing that extra slash you reported Jeff.
I've also updated the Linux version. Turned out it wouldn't run (I had to build the Java package using jlink on a Linux machine, couldn't use my Mac to do cross platform builds)

Only the variants have debug info printed on them, as for the "typical" images, you know their sizes already as that reflects what's entered under Settings->Images->"Image bouds" and "Thumbnail bounds"

As for that upload error: Error while adding album. Server reported: Could not read album image. Not an image: url = https://andrewolff.jalbum.net/Sample_Project_PS/thumbs/priscilla-du-preez.webp

It's a server side issue that has been reported before. We need to add WebP support to the server code as well. It's on the todo list

This is mainly a setting for skin developers, and we'll let the documentation state "Print debug information onto Variants"