iRed2 - Remotes for the rest of us

Well, well, well, 

it has been a long time since the last (real) new version for iRed2. I have been working really hard for this beta 20, but it does not look very much improved - at least from your view as a user.

However, under the hood I have changed so much, that I always compared the development process with a heart surgery. For weeks the patient does not even showed any signs of life, but one part of the app after the other came back to life in the end.

For the curious: I have completely replaced the data model, that is the library and the remotes are no longer relying on Apple's "Core Data" technology. While Core Data is very scalable and may have many advantages, I was killed by its complexity and the inability to debug the code if things go wrong. And, it was not as fast as I hoped.

Obvious changes

At the first start of iRed2b20 you will see a "log window" which shows some processes going on: your archive of codes and actions and all remotes need to be converted to the new data format. I have checked this process with lots of remotes without problems. However, if your remote does not look or work as it did before, please send me this remote beast for some more surgeries.

Improvements

• Stability: beta 20 is much more stable than the versions before. That was my main concern which lead to this complete overhaul of the app.
• Speed: Opening and saving remotes and the library is much faster as before
• Action Browser: actions are no longer organised by their kind (e.g. AppleScript, IR Code), but by their context: "Applications", "Devices", "More".
• Tuners are now in the "More" section of the action browser/editor. Tuner editor has changed but is still under construction. An assistant for code learning is to come ...
• AppleScript support (see this manual page for the details)
• Bug fixes! Of course! Lots and lots of bugs has been fixed. 

Features under construction

I know that many of you are waiting for new features and improvments in other areas, mainly "Navigation actions", "URL actions", remote editor and, of course, improved support for all features of the IRTrans modules.

Unfortunately nothing of this has been implemented yet, but now standing on a fresh basis of iRed2, I will very soon come with new versions and new features.

Problems? Back to build 162?

If anything goes wrong with the conversion process, you may go back to the latest version before this beta 20. iRed2 will NOT change the existing files (archive.xml, vrc.xml in remotes), but will add new files with the new format. So as a fallback you may go back to beta 12 build 162. Caveat: remotes that you created with the new version will not open in the former versions. iRed2 beta 20 is NOT backward compatible!

More?

For now I will go out and do some garden work. While iRed2 beta 20 was under construction, spring has suddenly occured here in Germany and I need some spare days to check this beautiful weather. We had lots of rainy days until now ...

Stay tuned,

Robert