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Docklight Scripting v2.5 and the New Markdown Project Format

We are pleased to announce an alpha release of Docklight Scripting v2.5 . This version introduces an "automation-first" approach designed for modern CI/CD and AI-assisted development environments. The main update in v2.5 is a new project/script/docs/settings format. It replaces the old multi-file system with a single text/Markdown file that is easy for both humans and AI to read, understand, create and modify. The .docklight.md Project Format Docklight Scripting v2.5 introduces a new integrated file format for project, script, documentation and options. It replaces the existing multi-file structure of existing projects with a single, human-readable and AI-generatable text file. Key benefits of the new format include: Git and diff-friendly : text-based, .docklight.md files are fully compatible with Git, allowing for clear diffs and change tracking. AI Integration : The structured Markdown format is designed to be easily read and generated by Large Language Models (LLMs). A f...
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Roadmap until 2027 and beyond - Docklight / Docklight Scripting / VBScript / Windows 11

UPDATE 2025/09 - It seems that contrary to Microsoft's roadmap announcement some Windows 11 24H2 new installations come with the VBSCRIPT Windows Feature disabled by default. Please see our related Windows 11 24H2 troubleshooting info for more details and instructions to fix this.  Original news item from 2025/01, with updated release plan for Docklight V2.5:  As we have stepped into 2025, it's a good time to discuss our ideas for the future of Docklight and Docklight Scripting.  Docklight and Docklight Scripting have always been developed and maintained with an "it just runs" focus, carefully maintaining full compatibility and avoiding any breakage with any new release. At the same time, the software world continues to evolve or is even revolutionized by AI tools, and a newly designed Docklight today would certainly look different from our existing Windows offerings.  So let's provide some answers to some obvious questions. (And, no, I didn't ask ChatGPT to ...
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Keeping the Docklights on - ecommerce platform MyCommerce (Digital River) in turmoil

Your license remains valid after MyCommerce cancellation notice - please coordinate payment with us! UPDATE 2025-01-26: The MyCommerce platform is now defunct and we expect Digital River GmbH to cease all operations shortly. We strongly advise against any interaction with MyCommerce / Digital River. If you require assistance in clarifying your licensing or need a copy of your license key details, please contact us directly .  Original post from 2024-10-23:  Dear Docklight users,  Recent online buyers for Docklight licenses have received cancellation / refund notices from the MyCommerce software reseller we have been using until October.   The MyCommerce cancellation/refund notice Unfortunately, we are affected by what gradually turns into an international news item and a major issue for software vendors around the globe. Here are the main articles concerning the topic:   The Register - Digital River runs dry, hasn't paid developers for sales since...
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Visual Studio Code is a great editor for Docklight scripts

UPDATED 2023-03: We now included the Visual Studio Code preset described below in the free Docklight Scripting v2.4.11 update . This also fixes the CPU load problem that came up with v2.4.5. - The original post from January, with some improvements concerning the VS Code editor integration - Let's start this new year with a great tip for anyone who writes his/her own Docklight scripts to automate things. Docklight's built-in script editor is very basic by design and we never felt we should add the weight of a fully-fledged code editor to Docklight. Instead, Docklight Scripting offers you to integrate your favorite code editor via the menu Scripting > Customize / External Editor  . Now, for many years Notepad++ has been the Docklight default and my go-to solution for any script editing. But things changed last year once I tried Visual Studio Code - I was immediately won over. One of the many benefits of Visual Studio Code is its well-documented Command Line Interface. So he...
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Docklight V2.4 free update and Windows 11

Docklight / Docklight Scripting V2.4 available We are pleased to announce our Docklight V2.4 and Docklight Scripting V2.4 updates. Here are the direct download links: Docklight Scripting V2.4 - Download Docklight V2.4 - Download As usual, this is a free update and part of our  lifetime license commitment that makes Docklight such a great one-time investment. The V2.4 updates address minor issues that our users and we noticed in the daily work with the V2.3 releases from 2020. The full changelog looks like this: Docklight / Docklight Scripting V2.4.5 (04/2022) Fixes and Improvements: - New Expert Option: Devices -> "Disable I/O error detection / hotplug feature for COM." Hotplug / auto-recovery was added in Docklight V2.3, but could produce I/O error events with some specific drivers even in normal operation. V2.4 has improvements, plus you can always disable hotplug completely (back to V2.2 behavior). - Improved COM port RX timing for devices using Microsoft's st...
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Is Docklight affected by the log4j vulnerability CVE-2021-44228 ?

The short and straightforward answer is: no.  Docklight is not affected. It is not built with with Java. What we use is a combination of  C libraries with direct Win32 API calls and "classic" Visual Basic 6. Or Qt / Qt5 libraries for "Docklight Pro Monitor".  You can find the full information at our related  log4j vulnerability  FAQ  . Some additional comments from my side:  Shoutout to the initiative from Korean company logpresso and their CVE-2021-44228-Scanner (log4j-scan on GitHub) . It's a great helper for checking your Windows PCs - it comes as a codesigned executable, it is constantly fine-tuned and improved, and the source code is easy to review. I could also confirm that the scanner actually detects vulnerabilities, because my son's an ardent player of Minecraft Java Edition. And, yes, log4j-scan detected and fixed vulnerabilities there. I highly recommend this tool for a dedicated PC scan! Best regards and wishing you a merry and exploit-fre...
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RS232 / tty testing and simulation on Linux

( UPDATED 2022/02  - Use Docklight V2.4 and additional winetricks) Summary / TL;DR How to run Docklight on your Linux desktop without using VirtualBox/Windows ?  Use  WineHQ package and winetricks !  We successfully tested the access and use of serial ports (tty) and networking (TCP / UDP) functions, but display output is significantly slower than on VirtualBox .  For installation, use a 32-bit WINEPREFIX and  winetricks  corefonts consolas vb6run richtx32 comdlg32ocx comctl32ocx wsh57 . Experimental use only “Use at own risk” - The below description of Docklight installation and use on Linux desktop computers is for experimental use. It is currently not recommended in production environments. Limitations / Known issues -  For tty / serial ports, use Docklight V2.4 versions (e.g. the  Docklight Scripting V2.4 Preview ), not V2.3. Docklight Tap Pro and Docklight Tap 485 cannot be accessed.  In Docklight Scripting, some VBScript sys...
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