What's New
Data view rows and column can be sorted by clicking middle mouse button on column or row titles or using items from Edit - Sort Header menu. See Sorting Data View. [Aug 2018]
Special Menu (green rectangle in top left corner) and Transpose are now available as items in Edit menu and Transpose has a keyboard shortcut (F4). [Aug 2018]
If you are viewing an SL4 (solution) file, you can choose to display results as annual average changes over N years (you specify N). This might be useful where a single simulation computes a 'one-shot' forecast over several years, say from 2015 till 2040. See Show annual average results. [Mar 2018]
ViewHAR and other GEMPACK Windows programs are now available in two versions: 64-bit and 32-bit. Most will be using the 64-bit version, which can view bigger data and is more accurate. See 64-bit and 32-bit ViewHAR. [Mar 2018]
Tired of the message 'You cannot view more than 2 dimensions ... Aggregate another dimension first' ? The AutoAggregate option in the File..Options menu allows you to avoid it. [Feb 2018]
ViewHAR and ViewSOL grids (tables) can now be scrolled up and down with your finger (if your PC has touchscreen). [July 2017]
The Compare items on the File menu allow you to compute absolute differences. More details here. [Dec 2016]
When saving to GDX format, you now have a choice whether GAMS names are based on HAR coefficient names or on HAR header names. [April 2016]
Since May 2014 both TABmate and ViewHAR by default delete BAK files more than 2 days old -- see Options [May 2014]
ViewHAR is now more forgiving if you try to view a HAR file which is too large to fit in memory. Even if some headers are too large to store and view, smaller remaining headers can still be viewed. See Not enough memory to load array. There is also a way to view just one header from a HAR file -- which may assist in viewing very large arrays. See Command Line and File Association [Apr 2014]
When viewing a [non-timeseries] SL4 file in ViewHAR, the History menu item now shows you the "verbal description" of the simulation; which TAB file produced it; and the creation time of the SL4 file. [Apr 2013]
The Export..Tablo Code command now includes more set declarations and includes mappings recognized by ViewHAR. As well it offers a "Long Lines" option to wrap lines at 255 (not 80), for use with GEMPACK 11.2 and later, which allows lines in the TAB file to be up to 255 chars long (previous limit was 80). [Mar 2013]
The Sparse Sorted View now allows you to sort either ascending or descending. This is useful when viewing percent change results -- you can see which sectors contracted most. [Oct 2012]
ViewHAR warns you if some other program has changed the file you are viewing. The dialog that appears in this case now offers a "Don't-ask-again" option. More details here. [Apr 2012]
The Compare items on the File menu allow you to compute difference metrics, as used in the CMPHAR program. More details here. [Apr 2012]
A new item on the File menu allows you to compare (ie, see the numerical differences between) 2 SL4 files. More details here. [Jan 2012]
A new viewing option, Hide zero rows and columns, suppresses display of table rows or columns which contain only zeroes. Access this option through the Special View menu (in Data window, click on the green button at the left of the top tool bar). [Dec 2011].
You can launch Another ViewHAR from the file menu. [Apr 2011].
ViewHAR now tries to make file extensions visible in Explorer -- although you can prevent such attempts -- see Options [Dec 2010].
ViewHAR can now read GAMS GDX formats V5 to V7. It writes in GDX format V7. Read more here. [Oct 2010]
A new item on the File menu allows you to compare (ie, see the numerical differences between) 2 HAR files. More details here. [Sep 2010]
In the past, monster sets with >5000 elements have caused problems for ViewHAR. First, the View Set Library command could be very slow; this has now been greatly speeded up. Second, tables with 5000 or more columns are slow to display -- although 5000 or more rows causes no problem. To speed up display, the ViewHAR data window now automatically displays the transpose of such matrices -- more details here. [Jul 2010].
New Square Matrices option gives access to routine for transforming square matrices, such as Sam Balancing and Cholesky Decomposition [Jan 2010].
ViewHAR now displays SL4 solution files in a more user-friendly way. Unlike in ViewSOL, you can see values for variables with 4 or more dimensions. The Contents page contains a "<-100" column which counts how many values changed sign, and there is a way to track down which elements of huge variables changed sign. See Opening SL4 solution files [Dec 2009]
New Screen Values option appears if you are in advanced (editing) mode and from the Contents view right-click on a real matrix and select Change Values [Dec 2009].
Since Nov 2009, ViewHAR is 'Large-Address-Aware' -- it can use up to 4GB of memory, if run under 64-bit Windows. Under 32-bit Windows, it can still use only 2GB. See http://www.copsmodels.com/gp-laa.htm.
Optionally, the contents page will show the total of absolute values in each real header. [Sep 2009].
At the bottom right of the ViewHAR window is a button divided into 9 sections, like this:
The button is designed to help you arrange ViewHAR sessions side-by-side (or above and below). Click the middle top section of the button to make ViewHAR fill the top half of the screen; click the middle left section to make ViewHAR fill the left half of the screen; and so on. Click corners to move ViewHAR to a quarter of the screen. Clicking the middle section makes ViewHAR fill the middle part of the screen. [Sep 2009]
There have been various improvements to the placement and sizing of windows if you are using huge or multiple monitors. [Sep 2009].
ViewHAR now writes HAR files in sparse storage format by default. More information here [Sep 2009].
Small change to the Export..Create Tablo Code command, which generates TABLO code to process all (or just one) of the real matrices in the file. Previously, set elements were listed in the produced TAB file, even if their elements could be read from a string (1C) header. Now, by default, set elements are read from file, where possible. [Sep 2009]
ViewHAR now displays SL4 solution files in a more user-friendly way. Unlike in ViewSOL, you can see values for variables with 4 or more dimensions. See Opening SL4 solution files [June 2009]
The Rebuild Set Library button in the Set Library window recreates the set library, using only sets from the currently open file. Read more here. [Mar 2009]
The Rename Set button in the Set Library window allows you to change the name of a set. All occurrences of the set in any real matrix (RE) header will be renamed. Read more here. [Feb 2009]
If you are in advanced (editing) mode, from the Contents view you can now right-click on a real matrix and select Change Values. Four options are presented:
•set all elements to a common value
•set minute or zero elements to a small number
•set tiny elements to zero
•screen values (generalized version of the above 3)
More details here [Nov 2008].
A new option, AccFlex, has been added to the Number of Decimal Places choice. The AccFlex (Accurate Flexible) format is similar to Flex, but it shows 7 significant figures and drops down to scientific notation for very tiny numbers [May 2008].
Optionally, the contents page will show the smallest absolute value in each real header. [Dec 2007].
Buttons and other elements now follow the appearance you chose for your Windows XP or Vista "theme" [Mar 2007].
You can now Save..As real (RE) headers as a Database text file. This text format is used by some database programs. The same format can be very easily used to create an Excel Pivot Table [Feb 2007].
Changes to accommodate Windows Vista: The online help file is now in the more modern CHM format (used to be HLP) and small changes to fonts and layout have been made to suit the default Vista fonts [November 2006].
ViewHAR now works better if you have 2 monitors: window positioning is improved, and if you launch several ViewHARs they no longer appear right on top of one another. Similar improvements have been made to other GEMPACK windows programs [Sep 2006].
Goodbye Leif, hello Dick ! [Feb 2006].
ViewHAR now allows users without a GEMPACK licence to save modified files with up to 20,000 real numbers, and to save un-modified files of any size. [Nov 2005: previously the licence restriction applied to un-modified files also].
ViewHAR can now read HAR files which use the new sparse storage format. More information here [Nov 2005].
If you have several ViewHARs open, the last item on the File menu will be Exit all ViewHARs -- so you can close them all with one click [Aug 2005].
New Help..GEMPACK PDF Documentation gives you direct access to the GEMPACK manuals, if you installed them with GEMPACK [Aug 2005].
ViewHAR can now read and write GDX (GAMS) files, subject to various limitations [Aug 2005].
Edit..Create new header now allows you to directly specify the set associated with each matrix dimension (previously you had to do this later using Sets..Add or Modify Set Labels). The help topic is also revised and expanded. [Aug 2005]
Export..Create Tablo Code now generates code to read set elements from file, where possible. [Aug 2005]
An end to the annoying Incomplete Labelling Information is not saved warning message. [June 2005]
By default ViewHAR adds up rightmost dimensions to display 3- and higher-dimension matrices. The Options screen now lets you select Prefer first slice to sum, causing ViewHAR to select the first element of rightmost dimensions to display 3- and higher-dimension matrices. [April 2005]
The Sets...Create New Set dialog now can create Automatic set elements, eg, elements ranging from "Com1" to "Com40". [Feb 2005]
Export..Create Tablo Code now can write Assertions. [Feb 2005]
If you have opened several instances of ViewHAR, each ViewHAR may be accessed by a button on the Windows Taskbar (normally at the bottom of the screen). The captions on these Taskbar buttons have been improved so you can more easily see which file each ViewHAR contains. [Jan 2005]
You can now copy individual rows or columns of numbers from the Data window. To copy a column, control-click (ie, hold down Ctrl key while clicking left mouse button) on the column heading. To copy a row, control-click on the row label (left-most cell). A similar facility has been added to ViewSOL. [Jan 2005]
If you are in advanced (editing) mode you can right-click on the matrix in Contents view and choose to replace zeros in the selected matrix with a tiny number. See Zeros in the database. [Sept 2004]
ViewHAR remembers the extensions (suffixes) of files that you recently opened and files of those types are displayed when you choose File..Open. [Sept 2004]
Export..Create Tablo Code now declares input and output files. [July 2004]
ViewHAR now respects Windows conventions whether a period or a comma is used as the decimal separator character. However, you can force a period to be used. See Decimal point or Decimal comma. [May 2004]
Optionally, the contents page will show the number of zeros in each real header. Get rid of the zeros with TinyHAR program [November 2003].
Two new options, Sci and Flex, added to the Number of Decimal Places choice [April 2003].
The properties of a matrix (to see this, right-click on item in Contents page) now shows numbers with more decimal places, and tells the value of the smallest non-zero element [April 2003].
You can right-click on the panel at the bottom of ViewHAR to copy the text which is displayed there. [April 2003].
The Set Library and other set-related commands have been revamped and extended. In particular, you can now ensure that RE Set Labels are consistent [Feb 2003].
The Aggregation...Choose Mappings dialog shows which mappings are onto [Jan 2003].
Edit...Re-Order Headers command allows you to change header order, and offers a quick way to remove a lot of headers [Dec 2002].
Edit...Change Size allows you to change array dimensions [Dec 2002].
Advice on How to report a problem
The Edit...Create New Header command imposes limits on the size of arrays you can create. As of February 2002, the limits have all been extended by a factor of 10. Also, zero-length arrays may be created [Dec 2002].
Logic of saving files has been changed and extended: you can now save:
either all headers or just the currently selected header,
as a HAR, CSV or XLS file.
See Save for more details [Nov 2001].
Programs menu item allows you to launch various GEMPACK windows program, or a DOS box. The DOS box or Another ViewHAR commands have been removed from the File menu. [Nov 2001].
If you right-click on an item in the Contents page, a popup menu appears. This allows you to inspect the properties of a matrix, or to use some of the more common Edit menu commands [Sep 2001].
Top left cells of tables showing real matrices now may contain information about the coefficient name (and perhaps header name). Handy when you paste to Excel: there is some record of what you pasted [Aug 2001].
Improved algorithm for deciding the width of columns and of combo-boxes for slicing and summing [Aug 2001].
Since May 2001, ViewHar stores INI and temporary files in different places.
New policy on GEMPACK licencing. All features are enabled whether or not you have a licence -- except that you need a licence to SAVE modified files over a certain size. See GEMPACK licence.
ViewHAR now warns you if a file has been modified or replaced by some other program since you opened it in ViewHAR. You get a chance to load in the new file. See Disk File has Changed.
You can edit single cells by right-clicking on them. Also useful for seeing a single number with more decimal places. You can copy or paste numbers between the edit window and the Windows calculator (accessible from Programs menu item).
A built-in aggregation facility, and companion program AggHAR.
Optionally, the contents page will show the total of each real header, or the number of elements.
Optionally, the contents page will show the minimum value, maximum value or largest absolute value of each real header. Especially handy for identifying arrays which ought to be all zero, but aren't.
A little more convenient in many tiny ways for those who prefer the keyboard to the mouse.
Now you can colour your numbers in luscious new RAMochrome.
ViewHAR nows offers a number of ways to generate fragments of TABLO code, based on the file you have open. The TABLO code is copied to the clipboard -- from there you can paste it into a TAB file. The Export..Create Tablo Code command generates TABLO code to process all (or just one) of the real matrices in the file. Edit..View Set Library allows you to copy lists of set elements -- as a ready-made set declaration -- into your TAB file. Similarly Aggregation.. Choose Mappings lets you copy a mapping declaration together with mapping formulae into your TAB file.
Edit..View Set Library also allows you to copy lists of set elements straight into Excel. Similarly Aggregation..Choose Mappings lets you copy a mapping to the clipboard in a spreadsheet-friendly format.
Edit..View Set Library shows subset relations.
You can create new sets and new mappings.
Do you hate those messages when old versions of files are renamed to VUHAR008.BAK? The File..Options dialog allows you to switch them off.
ViewHAR goes psychic.
You can use Import..from HAR file to extract set details only from another file.
Import..from HAR file offers more options if imported header has same name as existing header.
Simultaneous ViewHAR sessions share the same list of most recently used files.
Life is going to become a bit more complicated: see Lahey and Fujitsu File Formats
Discussion of How Accurate is ViewHAR?
See previous What's New listing.
URL of this topic: www.copsmodels.com/webhelp/viewhar/hc_whatsnew.htm
Link to full GEMPACK Manual
Link to GEMPACK homepage