Major changes from v1.0.96

PergamonMU v1.0.96 saw a number of cosmetic changes which were performed to rationalise naming conventions for use within primary school environments, especially within the Lookup Manager data.

Note that changes to the text of the lookup manager values in no way affects the purpose of the value within the functional areas of Pergamon, and your existing databases will remain functionally unmodified.

• “Agent Age Ranges” became “Reader Age Ranges”
• “Agent Audience” became “Reader Audience”
• “Agent Circulation Profile” became “Reader Circulations Profile”
• “Agent Gender” became “Reader Gender”
• “Agent Groups” became “Reader Groups”
• “Agent HID Formats” became “Reader HID Formats”
• “Agent Locations” became “Reader Locations”
• “Agent Salutations” became “Reader Salutations”
• “Client Information” became “System Information”
• “Equal Opportunities” became “Reader Protected Characteristics”
• “Equal Opportunity Types” became “Reader Protected Characteristic Types”

An additional Lookup Manager group was created.

• System HUB - containing configuration parameters for use of the local and remote HUB catalogue databases.

containing:

• HUB Database: Cloud Based - the filename of Esferico's cloud based database (may be blank)
• HUB Database: Local - the filename of the local HUB database (may be blank)
• Provenance: Copyrighted - set to “Copyrighted”
• Provenance: HUB - set to “HUB Sourced”
• Provenance: Manual - set to “Manual Data Entry”

Most of the values in System Information (previously “Client Information”) have been modified for easier management by altering the text to reflect groupings and appear in an easier to find alphabetic order.

• -“Default barcode type” became “Barcodes: Default type”
• -“Maximim narrow barcode width” became “Barcodes: Maximum narrow bar width”
• “Minimum item barcode number length (to buffer with 0) became “Barcodes: Minimum item length (to buffer with 0)”
• “Minimum reader barcode length (to buffer with 0) became “Barcodes: Minimum reader length (to buffer with 0)”
• “Client Name” became “Common: Client Name”
• “Text case (…)” became “Common: Text case (…)”
• “Pause before search timer (milliseconds)” became “Scanner: Pause before search (milliseconds)”
• “Scanner Prefix|Suffix” became “Scanner: Prefix|Suffix”
• -“Warning letter 1” became “Warnings: Days after due date before 1st”
• -“Warning letter 2” became “Warnings: Days after due date before 2nd”
• “Display advanced search option on Workspace” became “Workspace: Display advanced search option””
• “Display Lists & Projects option on Workspace” became “Workspace: Display Lists & Projects option”
• “Speaking” became “Workspace: Speaking”
• “Streamlined OPAC issue / return layout” became “Workspace: Streamlined issue / return”
• “Theme Override” became “Workspace: Theme Override”
• “Browser file protocol prefix” became “Workspace: Theme Protocol Prefix”

A very rare bug with some installations of Windows v7.1 (SP1) caused major problems with the failure to recognise and/or display checkbox values in list boxes. While rare, the bug was outside the remit of Esferico ltd. due to it being a part of the operating system's interaction with the Xojo development language.

A custom listbox solution was created internally by Esferico ltd. and in doing so maintaining appearance between the displays on the three main operating systems. The check box has been replaced with a slider-switch: red background and switch to the left is OFF or NO or FALSE, while a green background and switch to the right is ON or YES or TRUE.

While it is impossible to second-guess name and title lengths, the row-height of all Quick Reports have been increased to allow longer text-wrapping. This has resulted in fewer overruns into the next row, but a slightly reduced number of effective rows on each printed page.

• Sterile and Demo Database versions of software are now available to Vendors for all three major operating systems, direct from the Vendor section of the website (Win, Mac and Linux).

• SIMS and UKMarc importers are now being shipped as standard inclusions on OS Platforms in the downloadable install files.

• Pre-Generation of next barcode in sequence is now turned ON by default on the User account when shipped with a new sterile database.

• Additional pre-set Listings in the [Bookmarks & Lists] menu option.

• Ability to set Lookup Manager groups as “auto-list”, displaying their values as list options in the [Bookmarks & Lists] menu option.

• New [Find next duplicate] facility in Lookup Manager to automate and significantly increase the speed of merging duplicate lookup items.

• A paging system has now been added to the Catalogue to assist in managing very large catalogues. By default, the catalogue will display all records, however a page size can be selected from [Info] > [Options] > [Page Limit] to display All, 50, 100, 250, 500 or 1000 records at a time. Once a non-ALL selection is made, [Forward] and [Back] navigation buttons become available in the toolbar. The option is a Persistent Option so maintains its selection between sessions.

• A Quick Access toolbar group has been added to the Workspace (OPAC) which appears when logged in as a managerial user. The icons are configurable within the user manager, and allow fast access to six of the commonly used areas of Pergamon MU.

• A Duplicate Item facility has been added to the Catalogue Item Manager. Selection of the toolbar icon will display the option to duplicate the currently selected item (if any is selected), and/or the last item created (if an item has been created or duplicated in the current window session).

• Obfuscate Readers has been added to allow users to disguise reader names when a database needs to be transmitted / carried outside the operating environment, such as for support.

• A manual Deferred Update package editor is now available in Readers to allow manual creation of deferred update packages used by the SIMS Importer, where an external data source (e.g. SIMS or other school management system) is not available or suitable.

• A range of Vendor Tools have been added to the Tools menu.

• The Help System has now been upgraded to draw its content from the Pergamon.Cloud online Wiki so as to provide immediately currency. Where installations can not benefit from an always-on internet connection however, a System Information configuration setting is provide to allow the installation to draw from a local copy of the Wiki instead. A facility is provided in [Manager] > [Tools] to perform an update from the Cloud when required.

• Dynamic reports now allow reordering of printed columns by drag-and-drop as well as selecting on/off.

• Dynamic reports now allow saving of templates, allowing the re-load of criteria sets and report configurations.

• Three areas have now been turned OFF by default, but can be re-enabled locally by turning the appropriate configuration parameters ON in the [Lookup Manager] > [System Information] areas. These functional areas are Reader contacts, Reader Attachments* and Item Attachments*.

• While the default remains ON, it is now possible to turn off the bookmark buttons in both Readers and Catalogue through the [Lookup Manager] > [System Information] options.

* Special Note: Attachments are not accessible in Pergamon Mu - modifying this setting will therefore be ignored.

Major changes from v1.0.96
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