We’re pleased to announce the release of our new version: Beta 3. We have not added many new features in this release but have focused on changes to the internal structure of PIRform as well as making installation and error reporting easier to work with.
This version will expire on the 22nd February 2010 and you can work with it fully until then. (In fact, we’re planning to have a new version ready in the next couple of weeks which will include circuit charts among other things).
Read on for details about the changes in PIRform Beta 3…
New Database Structure
We’ve made some big changes to the way that PIRform stores its data in this version. When you install beta 3, PIRform will pick up your existing certificates and thoroughly restructure the way they are stored.
The goal is that you do not notice anything different with this change. It should just work like it did before. Well, okay, you should see a progress dialog like the one below, but that’s all!
We PIRform now also makes an internal backup of your data before it makes any changes. this is just in case anything does go wrong your certificates will all be safe and sound.
Automatic Installation of Dotnet Framework
Previously you had to have a Windows component called Microsoft Dotnet Framework installed before you installed PIRform. I wrote about how you could install this component here. Now the installer does all the work for you – if your machine needs this component, we go off and get it from Microsoft’s website and install it automatically for you. What you will see is this:
Then this will appear and do its work for a while.
It’s worth saying that this whole process can take a long time depending on the speed of your internet connection and how fast your machine is. Worth considering a cup of tea if you see this!
Simplified Error Reporting
We have made it even easier to send us the automatic error reports after PIRform has encountered a problem. The new dialog looks like this:
We will soon let you tell us your email address so we can contact you about any problems that you have if you want us to. Also, we have now fixed most of the problems that you have told us about using the error reporting.
We have also updated the way that we handle any error reports when you send them through to make sure that we can track down the cause easier than before.
Other Changes
As well as a number of little fixes and bits of polish here and there, we have changed:
Company and Engineer
We’ve added some polish to the way that company, engineer and test instruments come through into the certificates. This includes filling in information that hadn’t come through in the previous data upgrade.
Supply Circuit Text
You can now have text in the designation of a circuit that is the supply to a board (previously it replaced your text with “supply to DB…”).
We hope you enjoy using PIRform Beta 3!