New Features for 4.0 - 4.7

Presto now includes predefined heading (e.g. H1, H2, H3) styles so you can give your titles consistent styling across all screens without coding HTML or CSS. This feature uses CSS classes behind the scenes so you won't have to reapply styles if you change them in the future.

The palette also includes predefined styles for containers, which are an effective way of grouping data together. The new styles include a container with a gradient background and one with rounded corners. It was possible to add containers in previous versions of Presto but required you to pick a background color or create a CSS class.

It is now possible to access spool files as PDFs in Presto. With Presto's spool-file-to-PDF feature, you can access the list of IBM i spool files from any screen you're on in Presto and view spool files in PDF format. You can then download the PDF versions and email them or print them on any printer that you can connect to from your PC.

The new 'palette' in the Visual Editor makes it easier for you to add new UI elements to your screens. You pick from the illustrated list of UI elements, then drag & drop these elements onto the screen. The subset of SmartChart styles in this release is an example of how Presto's Visual Editor's palette reduces the number of steps it takes to define your charts.

This feature paves the way for allowing us (and you!) to add a wide range of pre-defined custom elements. In the very near future, there will be multiple variations of containers and headings, which reduces the need to set properties or make CSS changes to style elements to your liking.

We have replaced Presto's original table detection feature (rendered less useful by the modern skins) with a Subfile Detection option, which leads to nicer looking subfile screens without any manual intervention. When Presto detects a subfile and renders it as a table, it applies formatting that includes alternating row colors and borders.

You should see significant performance improvements (up to 3x faster) for web-enabled screens that don't have customizations. This is a result of shifting more of the page element positioning logic to the server before the page is delivered to the user.

Screens that have been customized with the Visual Editor will also be rendered faster, but not at the same proportion as non-customized screens. Screens with fewer customizations that are accessed on older browsers will have a larger improvement.

Presto now includes the ability to generate HTML5 versions of SmartCharts (instead of Flash) so you can display single-series charts on non-Flash devices such as iPads. You can also access additional SmartChart attributes in the properties window.

You can now create your own skins and edit them faster with the new clone and modify skin options in the Presto Designer.

Say goodbye to mapping your IFS or using System i Navigator to edit CSS or other custom files in the /presto/userresources/ directory. You can now edit them directly in the Presto Designer.