Clarion 12 is Here: Smarter, Faster, and Built for the Future

We’re excited to announce the official release of Clarion 12!

After a marathon development journey, this release delivers 100% backward compatibility and introduces powerful new features to enhance your development experience. Clarion 12 ensures your existing projects compile seamlessly — even those pushing the limits of the C11 compiler and runtime library (RTL) — while laying the groundwork for 64-bit binaries in the next release (C12 currently produces 32-bit binaries).

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✨ What’s New in Clarion 12?

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  Just about every important IDE component, and close to 65% of the Runtime Library has been refactored, optimized and adjusted in preparation for the move away from the Topspeed compiler technologies and into a modern compiler architecture – it was both necessary and meticulous work required to get to the end goal of 64-bit. We’ve posted about version 12 many times, but here is a recap of some of the more recent and significant changes.
  
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  Improved Unicode Support with a Refactored STRING Type
  
  We’ve eliminated the complications of managing two string data types (STRING/USTRING). The improved STRING type simplifies working with Unicode, making your apps more compatible with global languages — and, perhaps most importantly, ensures 64-bit readiness for future updates.
  
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  Compiler Performance Improvements
  
  You’ll notice faster compilation times and improved code generation, making the dev cycle smoother and more efficient.
  
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  Foundation for 64-Bit Compatibility
  
  We’ve made significant improvements to the runtime library, laying the foundation for full 64-bit compilation in an upcoming release. This ensures Clarion remains future-proof for all of your projects.
  
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  “Check for Updates”
  
  On the IDE “Start Page” you’ll find a new Check for Updates button option that allows you to keep you up to date incrementally and effortlessly. When run, it displays details on any available updates, your subscription coverage, and links to your purchased products. Enhancements and Bug fixes to the IDE, RTL, drivers, and templates will reach you faster. When an update is available you can download and install the new version right from the IDE.
  

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Let us know what you think, and thanks for being a part of the Clarion community!