Version 5.0.7.0
Maintenance release.
This release is necessary because of a web server upgrade. The current convention on the internet is to use the secure protocol https rather than the basic http protocol for all communications. Until now, Winrat has used http for communicating with the server for annual licence online updates. This release supports https, and the web server will make this mandatory by the end of this month, March 2024. Attempts to update licences online after that may fail unless this release has been installed.
Version 5.0.6.0
Feature release.
This release makes the graphics handle size user-configurable. "Handles" are the little black boxes that appear at the corners and edges of a selected block, to enable resizing of blocks by dragging with the mouse. On small or high-resolution screens the handles may appear uncomfortably small, and the size can now be configured in the "View Details" dialog.
The installer has been extended to include an option to install the Windows MFC libraries if they are not already present on the user's PC (see note to v5.0.5.0 below). We recommend accepting the "Typical" installation option which leaves out these components. If WinRAT then fails to start up, re-run the installer and include the MFC component.
Version 5.0.5.0
Maintenance release.
This release aligns the WinRAT installer with current Microsoft guidelines on the redistribution of their software toolkits (specifically MFC) for applications using them. Originally the toolkits were bundled as part of MS operating systems. Since 2020 they have not been bundled, and applications were expected to include them in their own distributions. That accounted for the increased size of the installer (.msi) file for WinRAT 5.04. The guidelines have now changed again and this practice is deprecated in favour of explicit intallation of the MS Visual C++ Redistributable if this proves to be necessary on the target computer, resulting in a much smaller WinRAT installer file size.
Version 5.0.4.0
- This upgrade brings WinRAT into alignment with current software best practice in the use of "wide characters". This allows full support for multiple languages and scripts. There should be no visible changes for most customers.
- Cosmetic improvements and corrections to the program documentation (the Help text), and terminology in some dialogs (about "locking" block values in particular)
- Installer upgrade, including cleaner management of Microsoft redistributable components.
Maintenance release.
Version 5.0.3.0
Addition of SGL Fireball model.
This algorithm has been contributed to WinRAT by Suregrove Ltd (email) and provides a method for estimating the damage radius resulting from the rupture of a vessel and subsequent delayed fireball. This type of explosion can occur when a serious fire engulfs a structure in a plant or a road tanker.
See WinRAT help (Algorithms section) for a detailed explanation of this and the SGL Tank Fire model.