ProFactor News

8th February 2010 - StyleManager v1.17 Released, Now Half Price!

ProFactor StyleManager v1.17 is now available for download, with a new lower price of just �21.95 (GBP ex VAT), less than half the price! Changes in this release:

Configuration window is now multi-threaded, allowing faster and more fluid setting and checking of styles. UI no longer stalls when processing very large files.
New 'Restyle open files' feature, applies a restyle to every file currently open in the IDE.
Restyle File no longer requires clicking 'OK' if a restyle produced no changes to the original file.
Improved handling of inherited property sheets for include paths and macros on makefile projects.
Changed command line version to not write files to disk if the original file exactly matches the chosen style.
Restyle Selection bug fixes:

Now correctly handles cases where selection spans a section of a multi-line comment.
Fixed problems with line endings (CR/LF) occasionally being altered after Restyle Selection.

Parser and restyler bug fixes and features added:

Added options for controlling conditional operator spacing (?: clauses), found under Expressions->Conditional Operators.
Added options for placing function parameter brackets on separate lines to the parameter list, found under Functions->Parameter Brackets.
Added options for selecting word-wrap preferences around pointer operators.
Improved word-wrapping heuristics to handle bracketing indentations more reliably.
Improved handling of indentation changes on multi-line comments.
Fixed problem with align-at-bracket options failing if the first parameter after the bracket is a PP token.
Fixed bugs with function parameter default alignment option.

Icon artwork updated to modern style.

StyleManager is available as a 28-day fully-featured trial from our download page.

Existing customers can upgrade for free by simply installing the latest version.

20th October 2008 - StyleManager Now Used On Microsoft DirectX SDK

In conjunction with the new v1.16 release, ProFactor are pleased to announce that its source code formatter, StyleManager, is now being used by Microsoft's DirectX SDK Team.

As Jason Sandlin, DXSDK Dev Lead says:

"We use StyleManager to keep our DirectX SDK sample code uniform and readable. It is flexible enough to match our existing style, and allows us to focus our time on other areas while keeping the quality bar high."

Jason tells us that StyleManager was used on all of the samples in the August 2008 SDK, as well as those of the Xbox 360 XDK. Both StyleManager and IncludeManager are proving to be popular products within the games industry, so we are proud to see how far this popularity has spread.

With the new release we have now added support for Visual Studio 2008, as well as improved support for project include path gathering.

Updates include:

Added support for Visual Studio 2008.
Improved handling of macros and include paths:
- Added support for VS2005 and VS2008 inherited property sheets.
- Improved handling of build settings for multi-platform project configurations.
Fixed an issue with command-line version with styles in user-specified locations

StyleManager is available as a 14-day fully-featured trial from our download page.

Existing customers can upgrade for free by simply installing the latest version.

22nd September 2008 - IncludeManager Update: Now Supporting VS2008

ProFactor are pleased to announce support for Visual Studio 2008 with IncludeManager.

Updates include:

Added support for Visual Studio 2008.
Improved handling of macros and include paths:
- Added support for VS2005 and VS2008 inherited property sheets.
- Improved handling of build settings for multi-platform project configurations.
Altered token analysis statistics to account for precompiled header benefits. PCH-based includes are marked as "filename.h (pch)", and are treated as a zero-token-cost include for the purposes of build impact measurement.
Added support for manual control of graph cutoff points. In the options window, the "Stop at paths" option will take a list of wildcard paths, and any matches to these paths will halt the graph renderer at these points.
Fixed bug with incorrect update of project graphs when live-editing files.
Fixed issue with large graphs not being saved as separate pages properly.

IncludeManager is available as a 14-day fully-featured trial from our download page.

Existing customers can upgrade for free by simply installing the latest version.

6th December 2007 - Major Updates: Vista Support and Much More!

ProFactor are pleased to announce new versions of its two products StyleManager and IncludeManager.

Amongst the many features and improvements in both products is the support of Microsoft Windows Vista:

Administrator rights are no longer necessary to run on Windows Vista.
All user data files are now stored in Documents and Settings/Application Data.
Existing user data is automatically imported from the old installation directory.
Trial versions will no longer expire early.

ProFactor IncludeManager v1.02 has these new features:

Major new feature, 'File / Project Detail View':
- View all dependency information as a tabulated list.
- Sort the list by project, number of includers / includees per file, token counts, and build impact.
- Total build impact shows the percentage build time that can be attributed to that file. This helps find build hotspots even for very large projects where the graph would be too big to manage.
- Butterfly view below the main list shows includers and includees for individually selected files. This is traversable by double-clicking the include files in the two lists.
Added configuration-specific detection of build settings for graph generation, including:
- Include paths
- Macro definitions
- Per-configuration build exclusion rules
Added automatic importing of include paths for Xbox 360 and other non-Win32 projects.
Added ability to view graphs from groups of source files, as well as groups of projects. Accessed by selecting several files in the solution browser and clicking the 'project graph' option.
Added option to ignore the IDE's idea of which files are compiled source files (only use the source file filter).
Added option to disable auto-refreshing on the graph.
Bug fixes:
- Fixed problem saving very large graphs to a bitmap. Images are automatically split over several files where necessary.
- Fixed several graphing problems related to including boost header files.
- Fixed problem with #pragma once taking effect in #if 0 blocks.
- Fixed graphing problems related to include paths with trailing backslashes.
- Fixed problem with IncludeManager clashing with some other Visual Studio Addins.

ProFactor StyleManager v1.15 has these new features:

Added a file exclude filter for the command-line client (--exclude WILDCARD).
Added an option to not split function definition lines.
Made member variables and member function optionally align independantly.
Word-wrapper made aware of pointer/reference rules.
New style of switch() {} alignment added.
Options for controlling comma placement in multiple inheritance and constructors added.
Bug fixes:

Some issues with macros containing nested {} resolved.
"*" character was being treated as multiplication operator in loop constructs.
Templated base classes would have their base class doubly indented.

Both StyleManager and IncludeManager are available as a 14-day fully-featured trial from our download page.

Existing customers can upgrade for free by simply installing the latest version.

Article: ProFactor Software Frequently Asked Questions

General

How do I get technical support for ProFactor products?

You can mail support@profactor.co.uk, or you can post your request on our forum.

StyleManager

Some code I have doesn't seem to get restyled. Why is that?

The most likely reason is if the code is '#if'd out. StyleManager treats your code the same way as a compiler would, so it will only restyle the parts of your file that are actual compiled code.
StyleManager gives me a 'statement error' on some code that looks fine. The code then restyles incorrectly. Why?

The most common reason for this is from the use of macros in the file that StyleManager doesn't know about, which are '#define'd in a header file. This is usually solvable by enabling the 'Obtain additional paths from the IDE' option, which ensures StyleManager can find all necessary header files to parse the code.
Could you add feature 'X'?

We're always looking for ways to improve our software, so please feel free to drop us a line if you have any suggestions, at profactor@profactor.co.uk. We take all requests seriously, and in many cases have fast-tracked feature requests into new releases where it has been possible to do so.
Why does it take a long time to restyle certain files / selections?

Unlike many of our competitors, StyleManager uses a full compiler front-end to parse the code. This means it can take quite a while to process a large body of code, but the upshot is that it can provide a more reliable restyle since it knows more about what the code means. This also applies to selection restyles: The selection only makes sense within the context of the rest of the code (for example, to determine if a function is free-standing or a class method), so the whole file will always needs parsing.
I can't get StyleManager to work on VS2002 / VS Express Edition.

We've had to drop support for 2002 due to .NET1.0 compatibility issues. VS Express Edition doesn't have full support for external add-ins, so we're unlikely to ever be able to support that platform.
Will there be a Visual Studio 6 version?

Unfortunately, due to the differences between earlier Visual Studio versions and the .NET versions, we are unable to create a Visual Studio 6 version.
Is there a command-line version of StyleManager?

Yes - the command-line version is installed to the location you specified during installation, usually c:\Program Files\ProFactor\StyleManager\StyleManager.exe. For simple usage instructions, simply run it from a command prompt.
Are there any plans to port StyleManager to other platforms?

Ports to other platforms are under consideration with us; it all depends on how much interest there is. Let us know what you think! If there's enough interest in a port to a particular platform then we'll provide one.
I can't find the 'restyle selection' button. Where is it?

The Visual Studio command system is certainly a quirky beast! We've made a number of revisions to our installation process recently, so if you're having problems with missing toolbar icons then please try installing the latest version. We're fairly confident that the toolbar should be reliably updated now.
My StyleManager toolbar has disappeared. How do I get it back?

Reinstalling the software should solve this problem, but failing that, a work-around for VS.NET 2003 is to open a VS command line and type 'devenv /setup'. However, this will reset all your toolbars and configurations, so we advise that you only use this as a last resort.
I've found problems with non-ASCII characters causing source code corruption.

We fixed this severe problem in v1.06, so please install the most up-to-date version of the product to ensure you don't face this corruption bug.
The progress bar doesn't show much progress.

We'd love to fix this, but it's actually a quite tough due to the complexity of parsing source code. The progress bar does show useful progress when restyling a whole project, however.

License System

My hardware has changed and now I need to re-authorise the software, but the license system says I have no licenses left. Can you reset my license please?

If you log in to our support site you can reset your license yourself to allow it to be re-authorised. This is completely automated; the license will be reset instantly. Please note that there are a limited number of times that our system will allow automated resetting, after which you'll need to email us to reset the license. Alternatively, it is possible to download the license file directly from our support site using a normal web browser. This can be found by logging in and viewing the details of your purchase.
StyleManager keeps asking me to reauthorise it.

Some users may have experienced problems with our license system when running on a virtual PC, or when changing network hardware. Our license system no longer generates licenses that are tied to specific hardware now, so we recommend that you relicense the software one more time to ensure you do not face this problem in future.
StyleManager says it can't contact the license server to authorise itself. How can I authorise the software?

The license system is designed to operate through any normal firewall or NAT-based router (it uses pure HTTPS). You may find your virus checker, ad-blocker, or other system firewall may be blocking the request altogether. If you're persistenly facing such problems then please try disabling any software which might interfere with your internet connection for the duration of the authorisation process. Alternatively, it is possible to download the license file directly from our support site using a normal web browser. This can be found by logging in to our support site and viewing the details of your purchase. Failing that, email us at support@profactor.co.uk and we can provide instructions and a license file for manual authorisation.
Why do you use an activation-based licensing system?

After some useful feedback from our customers, our licensing system is no longer activation-based. Licenses generated for recent versions of our software are not bound to specific machine hardware. Customers should find that our license files work in a quite traditional fashion, but with the added benefit of our automated license installation system. In most cases, installing the license is as simple as entering the key you receive after purchasing the software.

11th July 2007 - StyleManager v1.14 Released

ProFactor StyleManager v1.14 is now available for download. Changes in this release:

New option - an option to set a minimum alignment column for class members.
Added support for 64-bit integer literals and MS extensions on template class declarations.
Parsing of GNU-style vararg macros now supported.
Installation issue fixed: installing an upgrade from v1.11 in some cases caused some system not show toolbars.
Parser and restyler bug fixes:

Fixed parse error when deriving from a templated class involving a logical or expression.
Fixed unknown class member error.
Fixed parse error in object constructors involving logical operations and scoped values.
Fixed issue where macros can be indented every time the file is restyled.
Fixed parse error in template parameters containing pointers.
Formatting a project no longer strips high-ascii from files.
Recursive #include file issue fixed.
Added parser support for bit-fields.

Try before you buy with StyleManager's fully-featured, no obligation, 14-day free trial. StyleManager customers can download this update to StyleManager and use it with their existing license.

26th April 2007 - StyleManager v1.13 Released

ProFactor StyleManager v1.13 is now available for download. Issues resolved include:

Fixed issue with nested template classes not formatting correctly.
Fixed issue where reformatting could lead to '< ::' being incorrectly transformed to '<::'.
Various constructor formatting issues resolved.
Bracket spacing in a variety of positions improved.
Single-line function definition issue resolved.
Line wrapping improvements.
Fixed local class inline functions issues.
Fixed parse error on templated constructors.
Fixed parse error with ternary operators in template typedefs.
Parse error on function pointer typedefs fixed.

Try before you buy with StyleManager's fully-featured, no obligation, 14-day free trial. StyleManager customers can download this update to StyleManager and use it with their existing license.

26th February 2007 - StyleManager v1.12 Released

Now with even more features, ProFactor StyleManager v1.12 is now available for free trial download. New features include:

Exception specifiers can now be formatted.
Support for text logs of restyle operations added.
Issues with UTF-16 support fixed.
Parser failure with logical or in templates fixed.
Issue where in some cases packing caused "> >" in templates become ">>" fixed.
Trailing semicolons on function definitions no longer format incorrectly.
Issues with pointers and comments fixed.
Issues with preprocessor commands within a declaration fixed.

Try before you buy with StyleManager's fully-featured, no obligation, 14-day free trial. StyleManager customers can download this update to StyleManager and use it with their existing license.

25th October 2006 - IncludeManager v1.01 Released

With several entirely new features including a much faster preprocessor, ProFactor IncludeManager v1.01 is now available for free trial download. New features include:

New 'build impact' graph, showing a proportional tree of the current file's dependencies. The estimated compiler impact of each file based on token counts is shown by the size of each file block in the graph. This powerful tool will help pin-point the biggest compiler bottlenecks with an intuitive visual breakdown of each file's cost.
Estimated build impact for each file is now overlaid on the include graph in the form of a 'percentage' bar. This useful feature ensures the most expensive files will stand out clearly on include graphs.
'Fast mode' preprocessor, many times faster than before, allows IncludeManager to cope with much larger projects.
Cross-project include view. Entire solutions can now be viewed as a series of interdependent projects, helping to identify where unnecessary project dependencies have crept in. The multi-project view is fully interactive too, allowing individual projects to be expanded in detail with a single click on the graph.
Several other bug fixes and improvements.

Try before you buy with IncludeManager's fully-featured, no obligation, 14-day free trial. For further details please visit the ProFactor website.

11th October 2006 - Major Update: StyleManager v1.11

Now with more features than ever, ProFactor StyleManager v1.11 is now available for free trial download. New features include:

New command-line client. This is installed in the StyleManager installation folder and as 'StyleManager.exe'. Run 'StyleManager.exe --help' from a command prompt for options.
New option to force include a file before preprocessing files. This aids restyling MFC projects. (Options/Force Include File)
New option to align globally defined variables and static class variables. (Global/Align Global Variables)
Complete new set of options for template alignment and indentation. (Templates/*)
Line endings in comment blocks are now consistently formatted.
Packing function arguments on a line now packs the brackets onto a line too.
Bugs in indentation fixed: extra space in type/pointer, inline constructors.
Bug when formatting templates with nested template parameters fixed.

Try before you buy with StyleManager's fully-featured, no obligation, 14-day free trial. For further details please visit the ProFactor website.