
                         The History of PowerCache

This  file  contains  descriptions  of  the specific changes and fixes that
occur  in the different releases of PowerCache.  The most recent version is
first in the list.

The following list of abbreviations indicate the nature of the change:

MIN - Minor bug fixed
MAJ - Major bug fixed
NEW - New feature
CH  - Change in operation
OPT - Optimization or improvement of existing feature

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerCache 37.64 - Now uses keyfiles for registration

05-Aug-1993	NEW	German (deutsch) locale graciously provided by
			Gerhard Kupka
		CH	Evaluation version now permits multiple volume caching,
			leaving the startup requester and the half-our timer
			as the only two constrains in the eval version 8^)
		CH	Now uses keyfiles rather than seperately compiled
			versions for each registered user. New "registering"
			section in the docs (read it!) and registration
			form.
		MIN	PowerCache did not close the catalog it was using.
			This made it very difficult to make new language
			translations for PowerCache, since you had to reboot
			the machine to test a modified string. Fixed.
		OPT	Removed redundancies in the GUI code, shaving some
			500 bytes off the executable. Hey! It all adds up :-)
		MIN	ARexx command SETENABLEKEY was returning the previous
			_disable_ key rather than the previous enable key.
			Fixed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerCache 37.58 - Additional minor changes

18-Jul-1993	MIN	Devices with no TCB are no longer shown in the device
			list. This also removed a few (harmless) Enforcer
			hits that appeared when opening PowerCaches window.
		NEW	The distribution now contains the COMPLETE CatComp
			source, including .cd file and all .ct files.
		NEW	Norsk (norwegian) locale graciously provided by
			Mario Gonzalez
		NEW	Franais (french) locale graciously provided by
			Reza Elghazi
		OPT	Cache purge routine made signifficantly faster.
			Floppy users will notice this for sure.
		NEW	Listviews in main window now have double-click
			actions (device list -> install cache, currently
			cached -> edit cache)
		MIN	Version strings added everywhere (was actually
			missing from the executable as well. Oops!)
		OPT	Window message port sharing code rewritten so that
			windows no longer reserve a signal bit each. This
			means statistics and deviceinfo windows can now be
			opened even though you are caching many units.
		MIN	Statistics windows were trashing memory. Fixed.
		MAJ	Zooming stat windows could cause crashes (bug
			introduced in 37.51, sorry!) - Fixed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerCache 37.51 - Minor changes

01-Jul-1993	MIN	USEHELP command was missing in the ARexx docs
		OPT	Minor optimization in file cache code
		CH	Statistics windows will no longer display buffer
			usage for file caches (not much sense in that)
		MIN	In certain borderline cases, statistics windows
			could cause division by zero errors. Fixed.
		CH	Distribution now includes version 38.1042 of
			reqtools.library

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerCache 37.46 - First public release - ENJOY!

18-Jun-1993	CH	NOHELP keyword replaced by a checkbox in the main
			window
		NEW	Implemented USEHELP ARexx command (a la BEEP/POPUP)
		MIN	Minor syntax error in The Installer script corrected
		MIN	Starting PowerCache from another directory than the
			current one meant no online help, unless PowerCache:
			had been correctly assigned. Fixed.
		OPT	Excessive use of message ports (or, to be precise,
			signal bits) would result in failure to use more
			than three caches at a time, or open morethan five
			different windows of any type (info, statistics, etc).
			PowerCache now only creates message ports where it
			is strictly necessary.
		MIN	Opened devices were not always being closed if the
			cache initialization code failed. Fixed.
		MIN	'Currently Cached' listview was not being properly
			updated after a Remove Cache operation. Fixed.
		MIN	Bug in the preferences file loading fixed.
		NEW	'Currently Cached' listview entries now show cache
			mode and type, as well as cache dimensions
		NEW	All windows can now be okayed by hitting RETURN or
			ENTER, and cancelled using ESCape (as opposed to
			pressing gadget shortcut keys or using the mouse)
		MIN	PowerCache would generate a [harmless]Enforcer hit
			when pressing HELP over a LISTVIEW gadget. Fixed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerCache 37.35 - Second round of bug fixes

5-Jun-1993	NEW	All gadgets now have keyboard shortcuts
		CH	No longer Inhibit()s drives before caching them
		MIN	PREFSFILE keyword didn't work
		MIN	'Beep' feature now works as advertised
		OPT	Cache routines made generally faster
		OPT	Read-only caches are now 30-50% faster than
			read/write caches.
		OPT	Cache write operations sped up. With a prefetch of 1,
			no drive access will occur even if a large file is
			copied onto a drive. It stays entirely in the cache.
		MIN	On exit, PowerCache would reset all device function
			vectors - even those which it had failed to
			initialize in the first place. Fixed.
		MAJ	Auto-configuration code was broken. It now works as
			described in the docs.
		MIN	If PowerCache was stopped while its child task was
			busy purging a cache, either PowerCache or the child
			would hang (and the drive would not be completely
			updated). Fixed.
		CH	Cache flush child task (executed when a cache times
			out) is now "interruptable" so to speak. A Dir df0:
			would take forever if the drive was beingupdated by
			PowerCache. The Dir operation now takes precedence
			over the flush operation, whichwill be postponed
			until the drive becomes idle once again.
		MIN	PowerCache would hang or crash if reqtools.library
			could not be opened. Fixed.
		NEW	PowerCache now waits for a validating drive to settle
			down before adding a cache to it.
		MIN	Failure to allocate a cache line of the type selected
			for that cache would cause a horrible system crash.
			Fixed.
		CH	Pressing HELP over the main preferences window now
			links AmigaGuide to the HelpInfo section in the manual,
			and not simply to Main (the first node).
		MAJ	Low-memory handler was not being removed when quitting
			PowerCache. Would cause instant guru if PowerCache
			was stopped and the system then ran low on memory.
		MIN	Delay time for statistics windows was only being
			ajusted once, not once per second. Fixed.
		OPT	Window refreshing (after a Zoom operation) is now
			optimized and fully compliant with C= guidelines.
		MIN	The Install window wasn't refreshing gadtools
			gadgets at all. It now does.
		MIN	A small error in the cache editing function could
			cause unpredictable behaviour (that means GURU) when
			okaying changes. Fixed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerCache 37.15 - First round of bug fixes

25-May-1993	MAJ	PowerCache would crash if started twice (it will now
			correctly wake up the dormant copy and exit)
		MAJ	Purge gadget in Cache Edit window would lock up
			the program. Fixed.
		MIN	Internal structure arbitration tightened up. Could
			cause lockups if removing a cache from a frantically
			active drive.
		OPT	Cache buffer loading routines are now faster.
		NEW	Added NOHELP switch/tooltype

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerCache 37.10 - Internal beta (first attempt)

17-May-1993	-	History begins.
