Union 1.0 Beta 2 Release Notes

Union 1.0 Beta 2 is now available for download. We are happy to announce that Union 1.0's feature set is now complete. We do not expect to release another beta before shipping Union 1.0. Union 1.0 Beta 2 introduces OrbiterMicro, a lightweight JavaScript framework for creating multiuser web applications and content. With OrbiterMicro, you can create chat, whiteboards, real-time multiplayer games, meeting applications, collaborative editing tools, and shared interfaces that all run directly in your desktop or mobile web browser.

Union 1.0 Beta 2 also completes Union's banning and moderation features, dramatically improves Reactor's core performance, polishes HTTP communications, expands Union Admin's capabilities, and includes a long list of final API tweaks and bug fixes.

Users of tryunion.com please note: Previous versions of Reactor (Beta 1 and older) are not compatible with Union Server Beta 2. To ensure that your users can connect to tryunion.com, please recompile your applications with Reactor 1.0 Beta 2.

Union 1.0 Beta 2 includes the following new features and fixes. For a detailed list of platform-level changes, see the Union Platform Beta 2 Roadmap

Reactor (Client Framework for Adobe® Flash® Player)

  • Dramatic speed improvements in client and account setup and access time
  • Added an API for promoting a user account to moderator status
  • Added an API for banning clients
  • Revised HTTP implementation to prevent out-of-sequence messages
  • Added HTTP-retry, which automatically re-sends messages that fail to reach the server when communicating over HTTP
  • Added an API for modifying room settings
  • AccountManager: added getNumAccountsOnServer()
  • RoomManager: added getAllClients()
  • ClientManager: added getInternalClients()
  • ClientManager: added kickClient()
  • RoomSettings: removed clientTimeout
  • Client: added isAdmin()
  • UserAccount: added isModerator()
  • Removed "unique attribute" flag for client attributes
  • Fixed an account observation issue
  • Fixed AccountManagerEvent.CREATE_ACCOUNT_RESULT event issue
  • Fixed exception on multiple sequential connect() calls
  • Fixed exception in Reactor's dispose() method

For a complete list of changes in Reactor, see the Reactor Beta 2 Roadmap.

OrbiterMicro (Client Framework for JavaScript)

  • First Release

Union Server

Please note: some security action names have changed, see (http://factory.user1.net/issues/show/448). You may need to edit your union.xml from Beta 1.

  • Allow admins to perform restricted actions without a password
  • Add additional actions to security.
  • Implement max_clients server setting.
  • Fixed: Changing password was creating a new account in the default database.
  • Fixed: Connecting using different connection types with the same session may cause a ClassCastException.
  • Fixed: Server.getClientByUserID returns the concrete LocalClient when it should return Client.

For a complete list of changes in Union Server, see the Union Server Beta 2 Roadmap.

Union Admin

  • Added a Banned tab for viewing, adding, and removing banned clients.
  • Dramatic performance improvement in server's Log tab, Clients tab, and User Accounts tab.
  • Server tab now shows the UPC version currently in use by Union Server.
  • Client tab now shows admin, moderator status
  • User Accounts tab: added "make moderator"/"remove moderator" buttons

Reactor GUI

  • Added FastTextField and FastTextArea for displaying large amounts of text
  • Added BanClientPane, BanClientWindow, BanAddressPane, and BanAddressWindow
  • ClientGrid, AccountGrid, UserAccountCount: re-factored to improve performance