Blockpad - 0.9.2206.0 Release Notes

Release Notes

Blockpad 0.9.2206.0 (2019-4-29)

Highlights of this release

Sort tool
Filter tool
A test operator with a right-hand side defines a test function. For example, <10 defines a function that tests whether a given number is less than 10. Also, Or and And functions may chain functions together. For Example, Or(<0, >=10) defines a function to test whether a give number is less than 0 or greater than or equal to 10. This is useful for filtering tables and spreadsheets, but it may be used in other formulas too.
Merging and splitting cells
Introduction of DateTime library
- Date values are now supported. Different from numbers with time units, a date value refers to an absolute point in time. A date value can be specified by typing a date into a spreadsheet cell, through functions in the DateTime library such as Date(2019, 4, 24), or by a multi-part number in the form 2019.4.24, 2019.4.24.13.20.5.100, etc. in a formula.
- A time number may be added or subtracted from a date value. For example, Date(2019, 4, 24) - 10 day = 2019.4.14. Note that this depends on the unit you use. For example, Date(2019, 4, 24) + 1 year = 2020.4.24, while Date(2019, 4, 24) + 365 days = 2020.4.23, because of the consideration of a leap day, based on the given units.
- A date value subtracted from another date value gives a time number. For example, 2019.4.24 - 2019.2.1 = 82 day.
New time units (day hr min, day hr min sec, hr min sec, hr min, min sec). For example, 5.624 hr to hr min sec = 5 hr 37 min 26.4 sec.
- Note that "sec" in multi-part units is different than "s" as standalone unit
Dates and times may now be input into table cells, in formats such as 4-29, 4-29-19, 4-29-2019, and 2019.4.29. Note that slashes do not work for date input (since they are similar to fractions), but they can appear through specifying the Value Format.
Transpose, Rows, Columns functions
Inverse units now supported in the form 5 1/s, as well as 5 1/(m*s). 5 s^-1 also still works.
Factorials supported by Fact function in math library, as well as 8! syntax.
While multiplying and dividing numbers, unit cancellation is now more aggressive. For example, 2 ft / 1 in = 24, rather than 2 ft/in.
Units such as lbf*ft/ft may now be specified without being cancelled out. For example, 10 lbf*ft/ft * 2 = 20 lbf*ft/ft (rather than reducing to 20 lbf), and 500 lbf to kip*ft/ft = 0.5 kip*ft/ft.
Underscore is now optional when specifying multi-part units. For example, 5 m to ft in = 16 ft 4.85 in.
'$' symbols are preserved as results of math operations. For example, $10/mo * 1year = $120, or $20/lb * 5 = $100/lb.
Rpm unit translates to 360 deg/min when converting to and from units with angles. For example, 2 rpm to deg/min = 720 deg/min, or 180 deg/min to rpm = 0.5 rpm. For other conversions, rpm is simply defined as min^-1, for example, 1 Hz to rpm = 60 rpm.
Any array, vector, matrix, or table range may be used as a function
- (row) - Returns the whole row, base 1, for 1D array or vector, returns that item
- (row, col) - Returns the given cell, base 1, * indicates whole column
Table ranges may be defined with headers and lookup fields
- Instead of basic array function, table range acts as lookup function
  - (lookup values…, header names…) - gives cell
  - (lookup values…) - gives whole record
Any background color for dynamic expressions or static expressions is now supported by setting Text Highlight property
Text highlight and other background color now appear when printing
While inputting formulas, referenced objects and ranges are highlighted
Shape Type property for circles and rectangles, to specify whether to include edge, fill, or both. This useful to prevent fill area of a circle or rectangle from overlapping other objects.
Misc bug fixes and usability improvements

Upcoming features

In Excel blocks, full support for formatting, images, and shapes
Saving Blockpad files as Word documents, and reopening them with formulas intact
Improvements to copying and pasting
Example engineering blocks
Equation solving for non-linear equations
In 2d drawings, Bring to Front and Send to Back tools