When there are many child windows, it's hard to tell which window is active.

A magenta frame is added around active window title bar 

System Variables:
@AWI = No Indicator
@AWI = 1, default, solid line, outside window frame

@AWI=2;title bar frame
@AWI=3;title bar top line

and add 4 to use thin line 
and add 8 to use dashed line
for example 
@AWI=9;//thick dashed line, window frame

@AWF=0 (default), no flashing
@AWF=100, in milliseconds, the flashing time

@AWC for indicator color

@AWC=color(255,0,0);

• Extra large icon view and Preview of workbook in Windows Explorer.
• In Project Explorer, Extra large icon view and tooltip.

To support an analysis template which contains both workbook and matrix, everything must be in one workbook.

So in Origin 2018b, we allow user to right click a workbook tab and choose Add Matrix as Sheet context menu. 

This actually adds the whole matrix book as a sheet in workbook. You can double click the matrix to open the matrix again.

For example, code

 \L(1, PatternScale:p200) 

means set both X scale and Y scale of pattern to 2. 

• show color scale for 2d plots colors.
• show an independent color scale.

@LDC=1 (default)- Double clicking legend opens Properties dialog

@LDC=0 -- Double clicking legend goes into in-place edit mode (old behavior in versions before Origin 2018)

1. Add check box in Display tab of PD at Layer level: "Reference Lines on Top of Data"
2. Add right-click context menu entry to Axis: "Reference Lines on Top of Data"

When number of x cols <= number of layers, use x col as separator to plot into layers; When number of x cols > number of layers, pop up error message： When number of x cols > number of layers, pop up error message. Add X Column" to the "Group By" combo in Multiple Panels by Label tool dialog.

For example, if data is organized as XYYYXYY and user asks for a 2-panel plot, the first three Y columns will be plotted in layer 1, and the last two Y colums will be plotted in layer2.

Add a context menu "Dynamic Ends" to the Plotvm dilaog's Input node. When it is selected, virtual matrix's range will be expanded to both row&column ends.

Output the SE of derived parameter and in the Summary table.

Calculate the P value more accurately for tcdf and fdcf significance levels in Nonlinear Fitting Tools.

Change code to calculate P value for tcdf and fcdf in fitting tools for significance

2D Frequency Count/Binning output sheet creates 4  type columns ahead with following LongName: Bins of A, Bin Beginnings of A, Bin Centers of A, Bin Ends of A and create 3 label row : Bin Beginnings of B, Bin Centers of B, Bin Ends of B.

Frequency Counts output sheet creates 4  type columns ahead with following LongName: Bins, Bin Begin, Bin Centers , Bin Ends.

Right-click on the sheet tab, two new context menu items are available.

• Copy Sheet
• Paste as New Sheet

Use Copy Sheet to copy current sheet with all information(including the header lines and structure) into the clipboard, and then use Paste as New Sheet to paste it as a new sheet from the clipboard into a new layer or new window.

LabTalk command is also provided,

Added a new Import Mode option:Start New Rows option for import CSV tool

If user merges some column labels e.g. Comments and import mode is set as Start New Columns. Then Origin will treat the merged column as a unit and check if 1st column in the unit is blank or not. If blank, import into it. If not, start new column after the unit and import there. 

System vairable @DCM=1;//disable check merged labels. Then Origin will work the old way before 2018b. Import into empty columns in the unit.

Columns with missing values are still treated as columns with data. In the past, when user tried to import multiple data into same sheet with Multi-File Import mode set to Start New Columns, data will be imported into new columns after missing values columns. In 2018b, data will be imported into those missing value columns.

S1: Some label on ASCII dialog were changed:
1. Show blue hint "each character is treated as one delimiter" when the number of "Other Delimiters” is more than 1.
2. Multiple Delimiters --> Multiple Characters
3. Combine Delimiters as one Delimiter --> Treat Consecutive Delimiters as One (use a same label as ImpWiz)
4. Move "Header Lines" branch node above "File Structure" node, to be consistent with ImpWiz.

S2: Restrict editbox to allow single character input

On Import Wizard dialog, Data Columns page, the "Other" editbox is not allowed to enter more than 1 char.

 1. Any object with name beginning with "NoExport" will be skipped as master items. Use @UPN=1 to disable it.

2. We can use labtalk command to apply active page's width and height to all other pages.

doc -pdad;

This command was made for the button on the master page.

3. Allow rotate from landscape to portrait. The following labtalk command is used.

page -o r

"Rotate" button is on the master page template.
4. "Save" button is on master template.

We tend to have no dialogue, no interaction, in batch process. So the rule of batch process now becomes to:

1. Before doing any batch process, user must make sure the input files format should be match with the last import settings in .ogw or filter in UFF.
2. Last import setting must be used when check on "Use Import Setting in Workbook". filter file will be used when uncheck "Use Import Setting in Workbook".
3. when filter is used, the proper filter should match: a. input file extension must be match with filters setting. b. filter file format must be match with last import settings in ogw.

Once user make analysis template with import ASCII, that means the template is only used for ASCII file. If user want to it for other type file, they must import another file from MENU and save analysis template again.

If the embeded matrix exits in the analysis template, batch processing support importing data or image to the embeded matrix. Besides,  drag and drop to import data or image to opened analysis template is also supported.

1. Add Backup shortcut after installation
2. Tools | Options | System Path tab dialog adds Project Backup, Unsaved Files
3. Add System Variable in case want to roll back to old behavior

@OPJ=
0 Project to use new format and Copy Paste also new format
1 Project to use old format but Copy Page to use new format
2 Project to use new format, but Copy page to use Old format
3 Both will use old format

We are working on supporting moving windows in bottom panel to reorder them. If there are folders in subfolder, it's hard to reorder windows. So we hide folder in bottom panel.

• Folder structure will only show in top panel. 
• Set system variable @PEF=1 to show folder in bottom panel
• When mousing over folder in top panel, tooltip will show about folder comments, size, etc. 

new LT command

doc -log1; //turns on for current project with empty password doc -log1 test;//turns on for current project with password = "test" doc -log0 test;//turns off for current project
doc.AuditLog=; //(ready-only )returns 1 or 0 AuditLog is on/off for the current project.

New system variable that is Registry based added

In Script Window, run
@ALOG=1;//turn on Audit log on New project (untitled)

You can also preset this in msi installer script to set registry

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OriginLab\Origin 9.5b\International\SysV\ALOG

with a DWORD value of 1

Add the nlsf_install_fdf and nlsf_uninstall_fdf OC functions to install and uninstall fitting functions.

LabTalk Access is supported:

run.section(dofile.ogs, OnInstallFDF, "%Yfitfunc\MyGauss.fdf")
run.section(dofile.ogs, OnUnInstallFDF, "%Yfitfunc\MyGauss.fdf")

Add the template_install and template_uninstall OC functions to install and uninstall graph templates.

LabTalk Access is supported:

run.section(dofile.ogs, OnInstallTemplate, "%YMyGraph.otpu")
run.section(dofile.ogs, OnUnInstallTemplate, "%YMyGraph.otpu")

S2: Support accessing page properties by OC functions:Pagebase::SetProp() and Pagebase::GetProp(), for example:

void test_Graph_Set_and_Get_Properties()
{
	GraphPage gp;
	gp.Create("origin");
	gp.AddLayer("Test");
	double vv;
	gp.SetProp("active", 2);
	gp.GetProp("active", &vv);
	
	return;
}

S2: Programming way to view Master Items on Screen LT

page.master = 0, not export the Master item.
page.master = 1, export the Master item, but not view it on screen.
page.master = 2, for screen, but ignore if bit 1 not set

However, if page.master = 1,  can use LT script "Menu -e 33096" to toggle viewing Master items on screen, but cannot control it.

 Labtalk command to remove divider:

page -ADX -<opt> dividerindex;

Labtalk command to restore dividers:

page -ADGR;

Added a new parameter "lpcszInitTitle" to the OC function okoc_folder_browser, and the new parameter is used to specify the title of dialog box, now the function is:

int okoc_folder_browser(LPCSTR lpcszInitDir, StringArray* saFolders, LPCSTR lpcszInitTitle)

The new parameter "lpcszInitTitle" is used to specify the title of dialog box, and its default value is NULL.

Example:

#include <Origin.h>
#include <okocUtils.h>
void folder_browser_ex1()
{
	vector<string> vsFolders;
	int nRet = okoc_folder_browser("C:\\test", &vsFolders,"Folder browser");
	printf("%d folders selected!\n", nRet);
	for ( int ii = 0; ii < nRet; ii++ )
			printf("Folder%d: %s\n", ii + 1, vsFolders[ii]);        
	return;
}

1. int GraphPage::CanDuplicate(int nWith = CAN_DUP_WITH_ANY);
Suppose a graph is active, use this OC function to tell if this graph is possible to duplicate with new columns, sheets, books.

2. int GetDuplicateWithCols(StringArray &saItems, DataPlot &dataPlot = NULL, int nModifier = PMMT_IGNORE);
Assume a graph is active, use this OC function to get the list of columns which can be used to batch plot the graph.

3. int GetDuplicateWithBooks(StringArray &saItems, int nModifier = PMMT_OFFSET, int nMatchCol = MATCHCOLUMN_INDEX, int nMatchSheet = MATCHSHEET_INDEX);
Assume a graph is active, use this OC function to get the list of sheets or books which can be used to batch plot the graph. If nMatchSheet == MATCHSHEET_IGNORE then Range is Sheet, else Range is Book.

This will be useful for user who want to keep using English date format in C/J version

• rename current "Use English in Reports" into "User English in Reports and Graphs" in change Language dialog
• Add User English in Reports and Graphs checkbox in Numeric Format tab of tools options dialog

1. Fitting function file(*.FDF) and origin template(*.otpu,*.otwu,*.otmu,etc) will be also installed after installing opx
2. Install Support Files is removed from package manager dialog.

• Select a symbol shape from dropdown, will clear the "Custom Construction" checkbox
• Select "Custom Construction" checkbox, options in custom construction group will affect the preview

A system variable, @AIP, is added to control whether ignore hidden column(s)/plot(s) or not when adding all as input(s) for analysis.

• =1 (default), ignore hidden plots.
• =0, include hidden plots.

For example, if some columns or plots on a graph are hidden, when opening an analysis dialog that supports multiple inputs and the user chooses All Columns or Add All Plots, hidden ones will be ignored by default unless @AIP is changed.

Add new Category key to FDF General Information section.

1. When D&D the FDF to Origin, FDF is automatically installed under the Categorys according to the Key.
2. If this new key is empty or missing, it will pop up dialog to ask about which category to install.
3. Operations in Fitting Function Builder and Fitting Function Organizer will update this Category key, such as Create/Move func.
4. Fitting Function Builder allow to change category since 2018.

In Nonlinear Fit tools, add All option in the Select data to iterate drop-down list which allow to iterate on multi datasets at the same time. 

• In Nonlinear Fit tools, Data Selection page, all weighting methods are putted in the Weights drop-down list whichi allow to set multi datasets' weight mehod.
• In Nonlinear Fit tools, Data Selection page, add Apply Weight to All menu to Range's context menu list. 

• If Peak Finding direction is Positive only, then Area boundary is >=0.
• If Peak Finding direction is Negative only, then Area boundary is <=0.
• If If Peak Finding direction is Both, then no boundary is set.

Example scripts:
//To export a graph sheet with sheet name: Graph1
expGraph type:=pdf  overwrite:=rename export:=specified page:=Graph1!;

//To export a graph sheet with is the 5th sheet
expGraph type:=pdf  overwrite:=rename export:=specified page:=5!; 

//To export embedded graph in result sheet by graph short and long name
expGraph type:=pdf  overwrite:=rename export:=specified pages:="FitLine - Linear Fit"; 

//To export embedded graph in FitLinear result sheet by graph short name
expGraph type:=pdf  overwrite:=rename export:=specified pages:=FitLine;

//To export embedded graph in worksheet cell
expGraph type:=png filename:="<long name>" export:=specified page:=col(A)[3];

//To export multiple graph cells or floating graph

 expGraph type:=pdf  overwrite:=rename page:=2!; //sheet index

File extensions are changed to: OPJU, OGWU, OGGU, OTWU,, etc.

New structure allows file sizes to be reduced (sometimes greatly).

It also allows files to be loaded more quickly.

In Origin 2018, File: Export: As PDF File... menu is added.

In previous versions of Origin, Export worksheet as PDF file is an option in File: Export: As Image File... dialog. But is not obvious.

Apps have been a free feature of Origin since Origin 2016. To raise awareness of Apps, we decided to ship a few with Origin 2018 to draw attention the apps Gallery. If the user has not previously installed Apps in earlyier versions of Origin, the following three Apps will be installed:

• Send Graphs to PowerPoint - better than the built-in tool
• Send Graphs to Word - send multiple graphs to Word
• Simple Fit - simple to define fitting functions and fit on graph

This feature is useful when user needs to select all layers in agraph or all objects in layout to move and/or resize together.

• Ctrl+A to select all layers in a graph.
• Ctrl+A to select all objects in layout window

When launching Origin 2018 for the 1st time, after specifying User Files Folder, a messagebox asks user if he/she wants to copy over Origin 2017 workspace and toolbar layout. Alternately, the user can go to View: Toolbars, click Reinitialize button to see the message again.

When launching Origin 2018 for the 1st time, a message box will popup asking user if they want to transfer User Files from Origin 2017. If "No" is chosen, the user can later choose Tools: Transfer User Files... to transfer them. 

If user has valid Origin Maintenance, she/he can install 2018 with the same Serial number as Origin 2017 on the same PC as Origin 2017,

The Product Key for Origin 2018 will be automatically pre-filled with the one from the Origin 2017 installation. Just click Activate button once to activate Origin 2018. 

The following folders are no longer put into Origin version-specific subfolders making migration to future versions of Origin much easier.

• User Files\
• AutoSave\ 
• Unsaved\
• License\

Before Origin 2018, if user customized a single point in line graph, the symbol failed show in legend.

If user customized a single point in line+symbol graph, the special point legend showed as line+symbol.

In Origin 2018, both are supported. For line+symbol plot, if you want the single point legend show as line+symbol as before, set @lsl=0.

Before Origin 2018, if Alternate Fill was checked for Reference Lines, user couldn't change fill color.

In Origin 2018, click Details... button on the tab. Then select all entries on the left panel and change Fill Color to change all fill colors together.

In Origin 2018,

• When Anti-Aliasing toolbar button is pressed, axis break will look smooth as well.
• Use Proportional Unit for Axis Break Positions checkbox is added on Display tab of Page level of Plot Details dialog.

This will allow user to create a graph with only begin and end ticks and no ticks in between by:

• On Scale tab, Set Major tick by Count and Number of Ticks to be 0.
• On Special Ticks tab, choose Show in Show column of Axis Begin and Axis End.

Before Origin 2017, In Tools: Options →Axis tab, when specifying unit separator as /<U>, or -<U>, an extra space shows after / or -.

In Origin 2018, by default no space will be added after / or -. User can manually set it as / <U>, or - <U> to add a space.

We will continue to have space before units separators by default. System variable @ATSS is added to control space before unit separator.

1: space before unit separator (default)

0: no space before unit separator

Origin 2017 supported customizing system color list, shape list, etc. for line, line+symbol, scatter plot.

But when user added more then 1 column of data to existing graph, the customized system color list wasn't used. Instead the color list defined in graph template was used. 

In Origin 2018, when adding more than 1 column of data to existing graph, the customized system color list will be used. 

User wants to Scale In toolbar button and keep on zooming in by drawing a rectangle.

Before 2018, after scale in once, need to click Scale In button again to zoom in further.

Display of masked data on graph can now be controlled for individual graphs via the following Labtalk:

page.mask = 2; // Display masked data on active graph

page.mask = 1; // Hide masked data on active graph

In Origin 2018, user can uncheck Smoothing checkbox when using Custom Boundary.

Before Origin 2018, the checkbox couldn't be unchecked so there was always some smoothing effect. Workaround: Set system variable @tcs=0 to minimize the number of smoothing data points

Hotkey S is added on 3D graph to move light source.

• S key + arrow keys
• S key + drag
• S key with + to zoom in. S key with - to zoom out

In Origin 2018, if user right-clicks on a data file and set the file to open with Origin or set Origin to be the default program to open it,

data file will be imported into Origin directly whenever such a file is double-clicked.

Before Origin 2018, if user copied some cell(s) in Excel and then pasted it into Graph window, it was pasted as Excel object by default. User must use Edit: Paste Special... to paste as unformatted text.

In Origin 2018, the cells will be pasted as text by default. If user wants to paste as Excel object, user can choose Edit: Paste Special... or context menu and choose to paste as "Microsoft Excel Worksheet".

Set system variable @PXLTXT=0 to change back to old behavior.

Reconstruct the Import ASCII X-Function "impASC"(including the impASC setting dialog), and also it is compatible with the old one in LT script. However, we also add a system variable @IA for users who want to use the old one to roll back.

@IA = 1
File Menu: impASC_94
Tool Bar: impASC_94
LabTalk Script (run -xf impasc): impASC_94
Reimport (from old 94 .ogw): impASC_94
Drag and Drop (with old 94 .oif): impASC_94

@IA = 2
File Menu: impASC
Tool Bar: impASC
LabTalk Script (run -xf impasc): impASC
Reimport (from old 94 .ogw): impASC
Drag and Drop (with old 94 .oif): impASC

Before Origin 2018, when exporting a worksheet as ASCII data, hidden columns were exported.

In Origin, by default hidden columns will be ignored and will not be exported.

To export hidden columns, set system variable @UHC=1. 

Origin 2018 is Unicode-based with UTF-8 as the encoding method. For details on how this changes both LabTalk and OriginC text string processing functions, see this blog post:

http://blog.originlab.com/programming/labtalk-and-originc-changes-due-to-unicode-support-in-origin-2018

Implemented in Origin 2018. When opening an opj/opju which version is higher than your Origin, a smart hint show 

The file was created in a higher Origin version.
Some features may not be accessible.
It is recommended to upgrade your Origin to work on the file.

With graph window active, run layer.group1.AllCols=1; in Script Window.

Then all Y data in the worksheet will be plotted and, as Y columns are added or deleted, they will be removed/added to the graph.

Note: This only applies to worksheet with XYYY... plot designation.

Add optional argument to current function:

vec Diff(vec[,n]) //support length of vector is N

where n can be
0 default, output vector length is N-1
1, pad 0 at the end, output vector length is N
2, pad 0 at the beginning, output vector length is N
3, 1st value in v, diff(v,0), last value in v,  output vector length is N+1 

For example: Suppose there are 10 rows in column A and Set Column Values of B as

diff(A) – returns 9 numbers. No value in last row.

diff(A,1) – returns 10 numbers. 0 at the end.

diff(A,2) – returns 10 numbers. 0 at the beginning.

diff(A,3) – returns 11 numbers. The begin and ending values are original begin and ending values in A. In between are diff(A) values .

Syntax for the conversion command is is

file -ocz password srcpath destination;

srcpath can have wildcard in file name, and in this case destination must be a folder location and destination files will use source file name and extension changed to OCZ.
password must be between 2 to 20 characters and space is now allowed.

The Message Log will list each successful conversion and indicate at the end as "Done!" or "Failed!". If any errors occur, they will be displayed in a Messagebox.

For example:

file -ocz junk "%YOriginC\*.c??" "%Yabc"

file -ocz "aB12#$" "%YOriginc\test.c" "%Yjunk.ocz"

The X-functions below can be run  via LabTalk to create graphs.

• plot_paretobin
• plot_paretoraw
• plot_gboxindexed
• plot_windrose
• plot_gindexed
• plot_lineser
• plot_kde2
• plot_prob
• plot_matrix

For  example:

plot_gboxindexed irng:=col(A) group:=col(B) theme:="test";

Add a new LabTalk function to get the data range of a plot in graph.

Syntax: dataset plotdata(index, designation, x = 0, y = 0) //x&y refers to panel index.

Also, two new LabTalk functions added to get the first point and last point of a plot.

Syntax: 

double FirstPoint(vector vec);
double LastPoint(vector vec);

• save -i filename; //Save the active worksheet, graph, or matrix window to a file with new file format, file extension will be ogwu, oggu, ogmu 
• save -ij filename; //Save the active worksheet, graph, or matrix window to a file with old file format, file extension will be ogw, ogg, ogm 
• save -ik filename; //Save the active workbook as analysis template with the extension of ogwu 
• save -ikj filename; //Save the active workbook as analysis template with the extension of ogw 
• save -t windowName filename; //Save windowName into a graph or worksheet template with new file format, fill extension will be otpu for Graph, otwu for Worksheet
• save -tj windowName filename; //Save windowName into a graph or worksheet template with old file format, fill extension will be otp for Graph, otw for Worksheet
• save -di/-di1 filename; //Save the project as new file format with the extension of opju 
• save -dij filename; //Save the project as old file format with the extension of opj 

Also, use option X to Save With Format Determined From Supplied File Extension. Following switches are supported, -ix, -tx, -dix.

For example, 

• save -DIX %yMyProject.opj; //saves the project in the opj format with the name MyProject.opj
• save -DIX %yMyProject.opju; //saves the project in the opju format with the name MyProject.opju
• save -DIX %yMyProject; //saves the project in the opju format with the name MyProject.opju.

Function below is added

BOOL	DataObject::GetCustomEscapedString(string& str, LPCSTR lpcszCustom);
BOOL	DatasetObject::GetCustomEscapedString(string& str, LPCSTR lpcszCustom); /// for loose dataset

See below for the sample codes:

void test_GetCustomEscapedString()
{
	Worksheet wks = Project.ActiveLayer();
	XYRange dr;
	dr.Add(wks, 0, "X");
	dr.Add(wks, 1, "Y");
	
	Column colY;
	dr.GetYColumn(colY);
	
	string str1, str2;
	colY.GetCustomEscapedString(str2, "@U"); /// Longname & Unit
}

In Origin 2018, we support executing UTF-8 files in Code Builder.

1. All code files (*.c, *.ogs etc.) Origin ships (so it is placed EXE folder) is kept as ANSI.
2. When create a new empty code file, it is also ANSI. However, when saving, we will pop up msg to ask to if save as Unicode when Unicode characters appear.

This file contains characters in Unicode format which will be lost if you save it as an ANSI encoded file.
Click Yes to save as Unicode (UTF-8) encoding format.
Click No to save as ANSI.

Enable popping up a message in an HTML dialog, it should be on top of graph control . Download the zip file below to see the sample codes

Before Origin 2018, formula auto expanded in some cases.

• Sheet index in formula auto expanded to sheet name. E.g. user typed 1!A. It auto expanded to Sheet1!A.
• If type A+0.5 in column A formula, it will become This+0.

System variable @SCVU is added in Origin 2018.  By default what you type will be what you see. If you want it to go back to 2017 behavior, set @scvu=0.

Since Origin 2018, when use choose Copy Full Precision, the copied content will be text only in clipboard, then it would be convenient for user to paste to another application.

Set @CPF = 0 to go back to 2017 behavior.

For a workbook with many sheets, user can right click any sheet tab and choose Navigate to delete, order, duplicate sheet etc. But renaming sheet wasn't supported.

Added in Origin 2018 now.

When mousing over a worksheet tab, worksheet short name, long name and comments show. But it can block other sheets.

A system variable @WTT is added. Default is 1 (enabled). Set it to 0 to disable worksheet tooltip.

• Before Origin 2018, the maximum sheets per book was 255. Now in Origin 2018, it's 1024.
• page.nlayers property is set to writable so run page.nlayers=1024 to quickly create 1024 sheets. It's faster than using repeat 1023 { newsheet; }.
• If there are more than 255 sheets in a book, the project can't be saved as opj. Can only be saved as opju.

In Origin 2018, the default maximum number of Undos is set to 100. Before Origin 2018, it was 10 times. Corresponding system variable: @UN.