Release Notes

Version 5.0.0  (1 September 2022)

This document provides information about each fixed problem, enhancement, and/or change in functionality included this release.

Note: Enhancements and problem-fixes from previous releases are automatically incorporated into the latest release.

IMPORTANT CHANGES

• All login passwords will all be reset to "password"
  The password format has changed to be more secure, and since there is no way to know what the existing passwords are, they had to be reset to a known value. Passwords can be reset normally after logging in.
• Unsaved search criteria will be lost.
  Currently, a report "remembers" the last search used, and redisplays it when it is reopened. These "last searches" are temporary data essentially attached to the report itself and not stored anywhere in the database. Therefore, these will not transfer with the upgrade because the entire reporting system is new. Reports that "look" like old reports are still brand new, so there was no way to keep that temporary search data. ALL SEARCHES that you want to keep MUST be saved in the old system as named advanced search criteria. This will store them in the database so they can be converted. (To save a search, use the Advanced Search, enter the criteria, and click the Save button.)

Enhancements

• General
  • Total rewrite of the entire program code base to ensure compatibility with future versions of windows.
  • The program and database server are now 64bit, for faster performance and scalability.
  • User-interface redesign and face-lift to use modern controls and ribbons, and more graphical navigation.
  • Program is now aware of high-dpi monitors and will appear correctly (i.e., windows will not become smaller on high-dpi displays).
  • Many usability improvements to reduce the number of windows that are needed to perform different functions. For example, windows that previously would show as a list, and then would open separate windows to edit a row in the list, now display as a dual-view window with the list and editing area all on the same window.
  • Consolidated and reorganized preferences to avoid having settings scattered around different areas of the program.
  • The street address portion of an address (i.e., the Address lines) are now a single multi-line address field to be more consistent with industry standards.
• Postings
  • The old "Postings (any)", "Postings (dues)" etc. separations have been removed, since most reports are already specific to dues/donations, etc. For reports that are area-independent, a new criteria called Posting Type Area is available, to let you set the report for Dues, Donations, etc. See help for Postings for details.
• Email
  • Email is now processed in the "background" from a queue. This means you can choose to send email to a list of people, and the system will queue all the messages and work through them in the background while you do other things. A message will appear when mail has been sent.
  • Embedded fields are now true merge fields (rather than just "text in brackets" we would evaluate). Any embedded fields must be reselected and inserted so they become active merge fields. Existing embedded fields will still show as [[FieldName]] but will not be recognized.
  • Email profiles no longer require incoming server settings, and fewer outgoing mail settings are required.
  • The global email signature has been removed. Email signatures are now part of individual profiles.
  • Rich Text (HTML) email signatures were stored previously in a format that is no longer supported. Any HTML signatures on email profiles must be recreated.
• Database
  • Database functions have been moved to a separate Database Toolkit application that is installed alongside the main program. This toolkit consolidates all database maintenance capability (create/restore/backup/etc).
• Reports
  • The old reporting system was a home-grown system, which was no longer viable. A new reporting system has been implemented, and functions very much like the old system. See help for details.
  • Some user reports may need to be tweaked to ensure that column widths are correct. This is also caused by trying to convert/use the old reporting settings in a new reporting system. Buttons are available on the report preview window to auto-size and help correct any issues.

Problems/Issues Fixed

• None - New Release