NewViews 2.09

Released - September 18, 2007

This is a version change, not just a service pack. The service pack number is reset to zero. After installing this version, each workstation, server, or application database will be automatically processed the first time you open it. You will be asked for comfirmation before any processing is performed, and as a precaution, a backup is made automatically before each conversion.

** IMPORTANT NOTE for users converting to version 2.09 **

Version 2.09 will re-create all workstation and server databases!

• Why new workstation and server databases are necessary
  
  Changes to the windows used are so dramatic it would have been practically impossible to convert a workstation database. Windows are still created on demand as new application data is explored, but significantly fewer windows are created. See Completed folder management and User managed settings for table column layouts for more.
  
  The items listed below are the things that will be lost, and need to be recreated. We understand it will be a significant irritant, but hopefully the new approach to window setup and use will make it worthwhile.
  
        Report/Account custom analysis settings.
        Any additional database explorers.
        Any custom column sizes and positions, window sizes, etc
  
  

What's New

• Added Timecard Payroll (formerly named Accrual Payroll)
  
  Allocate employee compensation expenses, including employer contributions.
  
  
• A NewViews database is now a single file
  
  Before version 2.09, a NewViews database consisted of a group of files with the same name but with different types (extensions), such as database.hdr, and database.0, ... database.N. These files were kept in the same folder and the database was identified by the folder.
  
  From version 2.09 on, each database is a single file.
  
  In addition, there are no longer any separate recovery files associated with a database. Recovery is now managed without the need for additional files.
  
  Reasons for this change boil down to integrity and user convenience. From time to time, NewViews users were mixing up database files by copying some but not all of the files associated with a database from one folder to another. This usually occurred when backing up, restoring from a backup copy, or just copying a database to a different folder. Sometimes the database files were copied but recovery files, if any, were omitted.
  
  Although these mistakes resulted in confusion and inconvenience, Q.W.Page has been able to revive all databases on which these mistakes occurred.
  
  Note the following issues related to this change:
  
  Each NewViews file now has the file type ".nv2".
  
  Any number of databases can be kept in the same folder.
  
  Converted accounting databases are named database.nv2.
  
  When converted to version 2.09, workstation and server databases are renamed.
  
  The maximum size of a database is 16 terabytes.
  
  

• Added File>Save, File>Save All and File>Backup commands
  
  The File>Save command saves changes to disk for the current file.
  
  The File>Save All command saves changes to disk for files currently open. If issued anywhere on a workstation, all files you have open on that workstation are saved. If issued anywhere on a server, all files that the server currently has open, i.e. that users have open through that server, are saved.
  
  Although NewViews saves information to disk automatically as work is performed, for efficiency purposes the changes are saved during background processing, i.e. when NewViews is idle. NewViews may not be idle very often when many users are simultaneously making changes in a multi-user environment, and the information lost by a system crash can increase accordingly. The File>Save and File>Save All commands force all changes to disk, ensuring that they will not be lost in the event of a system crash.
  
  The File>Backup command saves the current NewViews file to a backup file that has an automatically generated file name. By default, the backup is created in the same folder as the database, but this default can be overridden.
  
  

• Another check added to nvcheck.
  
  A fifth check operation was added to nvcheck. It checks the existence of all objects that are referenced from other objects. When errors are detected nvcheck now produces an error file which is a Windows help file of type chm, instead of a flat text error file. The error file is only created and displayed if errors were detected. The error file can be closed and displayed again at any time by double-clicking it in a Windows Explorer.
  
  nvcheck now finds all errors before it exits, and displays an error count as processing proceeds.
  
  

• Accounts no longer have a posting tags field.
  
  If you don't know what account posting tags were, then you can skip this section.
  
  Account posting tags offered the ability for accounts to filter tags so that accounts would receive postings only for tags as specified in their posting tags field. This posting tags mechanism was primarily for efficiency. It has been eliminated because it was relatively difficult to understand and this outweighed its benefits.
  
  All postings now ripple all the way up the total-to structure and are not filtered out. If posting tags had been used in a database, the database will be converted automatically to reflect this change.
  
  

• Print template changes.
  
  INVOICEDESCRIPTION
  
  This template field was added to invoice and statement print templates. It prints the description field taken from the invoice header.
  
  PHONE
  
  This template field added to invoice print templates. It prints the phone number field taken from the invoice header account's address.
  
  

• Add a version field to a session object.
  
  Each session now has a field containing the NewViews version that was being used during that session. Note that the version was already contained in audit record objects but as a result you could only tell what version was used by a session if changes were made during that session.
  
  

• Ability to encrypt scripts was added.
  
  Since Q.W.Page has not yet released a programming interface it could not release scripts to users. However, with encrypted scripts, which prevent users from seeing or modifying source code, Q.W.Page can now release custom (encrypted) scripts while retaining the ability to continue development of the programming interface.
  
  

• Completed Folder Management
  
  Version 2.08 added a rudimentary way to create sub account folders. Version 2.09 completes the feature by extending it to the entire accounting application database (i.e. you can now sub folder reports, all types of journals, and payrolls, in addition to all types of accounts).
  
  This new capability is important and expected to be used a lot. This means database explorers will be exploring deeper hierarchies. The default window setup strategy used prior to version 2.09 had to be changed. Instead of setting up windows for each individual folder, this version sets up windows only once for each type of folder. These windows are then reused each time a folder of the same type is activated.
  
  See the next section for more...
  
  

• User managed settings for table column layouts
  
  The default window setup strategy used prior to version 2.09 created too many explorer windows. In addition to setting up each folder individually, several seperate explorers were created to view the data different ways. For example, an Accounts Payable account folder had an explorer for the simple list, one for Single Period Report, one for the Multiple Period Analysis, one for Order Aging, one for Invoice Aging, and so on. There were eight seperate explorers.
  
  (The theory at the time was that the partner window panes for ledgers, etc., would be focused on different data for different tasks. For example, when exploring Account Setup, the companion window may have been positioned on the address window, and when exploring Invoice Aging the companion window may have been positioned on open invoices.)
  
  In practice, this approach appears to have been overkill. Instead, now only one explorer is created, with several "views" (i.e. different column layouts). The Window>Define Columns command (shortcut ) now supports the management of multiple column layouts.
  
  

• Simpler and hopefully more intuitive user interface
  
        Window Tabs and the Window List Button
        Sub-Folder Management
        Managing Column Layouts
        Row Stripes
        Fit Columns to data width
  
  Several new views of data have been added (they can be found under a window tab or in the window list, or in the View command). For example, account ledgers now support debit/credit split views.
  
  

• Improved block copy and paste
  
  Block copy/paste buffers are stored in a more compact format, and the paste preview windows will operate several times faster.
  
  

• Improved clipboard cut/copy/paste
  
  Microsoft Edit Cut/Copy/Paste are now on shortcuts ^X ^C ^V respectively.
  
  Window>Copy Table Columns and Window>Paste Table Columns commands added for copying a table layout. The only requirement is that both the source table and the destination table must be the same color (type). This feature is useful now, but will really come to life when the advanced interface is released (i.e. the existence, appearance and behaviour of all windows can be user controlled).
  
  

• Improved printing, including multiple account ledgers per page
  
  Print>Account Ledgers has been upgraded to include new features.
  
  

• Easily sort transactions by order entered
  
  Working on a journal's (pink) table of transactions in order entered is an extremely important feature. You can see a contiguous block of new transactions at the end of the journal and it makes it easier to focus on the work at hand. When transactions move around according to a date or reference sort order, users are easily confused or annoyed. Prior to this version, the only way to sort by order entered was to issue a View>Sorted By>Select Index command and select the /id index. Many users couldn't find this solution on their own.
  
  For these reason, clicking on the line number column title will now sort transactions in the order entered.
  
  Remember that transaction detail items have a line number too, and clicking that column title will sort by the /interactive index (so you can Block>Move>Insert and Block>Move>Append to arrange items in any order).
  
  Remember also that transaction headers do not have an interactive index so block move commands are not supported.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 10

Released - April 17, 2008

This service pack adds memory command line options to enable increased memory usage in version 2.09. This is intended for internal PAGE use to speed up the nvreorganize utility in version 2.09 prior to converting databases to 2.10. From time to time a corrupted database must be reorganized before it can be converted and this allows it to be reorganized more quickly.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 9

Released - December 20, 2007

What's New

• Includes Canadian January 01, 2008 tax calculation update.
  
  All Canadian payroll users will require this version to process payroll after January 1st, 2008.
  
  
• Includes United States January 01, 2008 tax calculation update.
  
  All United States payroll users will require this version to process payroll after January 1st, 2008.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 8

Released - November 13, 2007

Problem / Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that occurred when adding new timecards.
  
  Attempts to add a new timecard, manually or via block paste, caused an error. This release fixes the problem.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 7

Released - November 8, 2007

What's New

• User Data Edit Safety option implemented.
  
  The implementation of this feature always took a back seat to more pressing issues.
  
  
• Several new confirm and notify prompts were added.
  
  Many commands can significantly alter the database. In cases where you may make a mistake (e.g. Tools>Pay Account to pay all vendors with Confirm/edit Payments set to no), you are prompted to confirm.
  
  Many commands do things that aren't readily apparent on screen (e.g. copy a table column setup or a block copy/paste buffer entry to the clipboard). Commands of this nature will now display a notify prompt.
  
  
• A new, one-window block copy/paste interface.
  
  Having two separate windows to manage a block copy/paste buffer was awkward (i.e. one window for block copy and another for the block paste preview). These two windows have been amalgamated into one.
  
  
• Inter-books block copy/paste interface.
  
  Two command buttons have been added to the new one-window block copy/paste interface; a button to copy a buffer entry to the clipboard, and a button to load a buffer entry from the clipboard.
  
  A block copy/paste buffer entry can now be copied to the clipboard and pasted into another NewViews database. This feature can be used to copy report and employee account setups, journal entries, and ledger items from one set of books to another.
  
  Note: Currently, block copy/paste is only supported on account, transaction, and ledger tables. A future version will extend this capability to all tables.
  
  
• Block paste transactions as-is or with price/cost and trade taxes recalculated.
  
  Prior to this release, a block paste of purchase transactions did not recalculate, but a block paste of sales transactions did! This release introduces user control over the behavior and you will be prompted to select a method.
  
  
• Tools>Fill Column for transactions as-is or with price/cost and trade taxes recalculated.
  
  Prior to this release, a fill column operation on transactions (i.e. a journal or a ledger), would in many cases recalculate. This release introduces user control over the behavior and you will be prompted to select a method.
  
  
• Create "private" desktops (to explore data in the same manner as version 2.08 and prior).
  
  Version 2.09 introduced a significant change to the way database explorers function. Prior to version 2.09, each folder had it's own set of windows. It was decided that this approach was overkill, and that one set of windows for all folders of a particular type was good enough. However, some users were upset about the change. In particular, a single set of windows made it impossible to configure the [F3] select key "Pick Root" on a folder by folder basis.
  
  Version 2.09 now includes a qw_script to create a "private" set of windows for any folder. Simply right mouse click on the folder desktop title bar, choose the Tools>Script Evaluate command and run the qw_script found in c:/nv/nv20.exe/object/system/gui/desktop_create.qw_script. This script will create a private set of windows for the active folder, effectively restoring version 2.08 or prior behavior for that folder. Note that this script must be run for each folder for which you wish to have a private set of windows and hence private pick roots.

Problem / Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that occurred when moving reports to a new folder.
  
  When re-parenting a report, i.e. moving it to a new sub-folder, an index record would be corrupted and this would be detected when nvcheck was run. Running nvreorganize will fix the corruption and this release fixes the problem, so that it will not occur again.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in folder management.
  
  It was possible to move or attempt to move folders/objects to a destination that would essentially mean the creation of a new "class". For example, moving an account to the root account folder was possible, but this is clearly an error. The only objects currently permitted in the root account folder must be classes, like Accounts Payable or Accounts Receivable. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in Trial Balance amount display.
  
  The Trial Balance amounts displayed were incorrectly affected by the user's History Display Begin Date. If this date was not early enough to capture all transactions in the database, then the trial balance amounts displayed were not correct. This release fixes the problem.
  
  IMPORTANT NOTE: To effect the fix, you must perform a Window>Default Setup of the Trial Balance Report desktop, followed by a Tools>Create Trial Balance command.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in the Sales Journals, Tax Information view.
  
  In the tax information view of a sales journal folder, the accounts used for posting tax 1 and tax 2 amounts were not displayed, and it was an error to attempt to select an account. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug that caused Print and Tool prompts to auto-dismiss prematurely.
  
  In a restricted user access situation, some Print and Tool option prompts would prematurely disappear after a single value was edited. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in Tools>Pay Account auto-incrementing check numbers.
  
  If the Tools>Pay Account command was issued and set off to run by the "Post and Print Check" button, with Confirm/edit Payments set to no, check numbers were not auto-incremented (i.e. every check created and printed had the number of the first check). This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented NV1 books from converting to NV2.
  
  Version 2.09 Service Pack 2 introduced a glitch that prevented NV1 books with payroll from converting to NV2. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug printing option prompt windows.
  
  Print and Tools commands prompt for option values that control the operation of the command. Attempts to print the option window resulted in a bug and/or unpredictable behavior. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in Print>All prompt options.
  
  Prior to this release, an attempt to edit the print output filename (for a table of accounts) resulted in an erroneous error related to selecting a printer. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in Print>Account Ledgers, Include Empty Accounts option.
  
  Prior to this release, an account with no activity in the selected range was not properly recognized as an Empty Account. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in timecard payroll employer contribution allocation.
  
  There was an arithmetic error in timecard payroll employer contribution allocation rates. Employer contributions are allocated using a pie chart constructed from job/expense allocations. If the same job was posted to multiple times in the same pay period, the pie chart was broken. This release fixes the problem.
  
  If you have been running timecard payroll, you may already have misallocated employer contributions. The misallocated contributions may not be material. Inspect the paychecks; you may be content to live with the result. If you want to clean it up, simply unprocess and re-process all payruns created and processed since you installed version 2.09. The only numbers on the paychecks that will change are the employer contribution allocations. Paychecks already printed will not be affected. Feel safe to perform this internal, housekeeping operation.
  
  NOTE: Unprocessing and reprocessing payruns could wreak havoc on a bank reconciliation.
  
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented a red progress box from disappearing.
  
  There were circumstances under which a progress box with a red title would not disappear after an operation completed. Since no activity is allowed when a red progress box is displayed, the NewViews workstation would appear to hang and would have to be terminated using the task manager. This release fixes the problem.
  
  This problem only occurred when several databases were opened simultaneously on the same server from the same workstation and yet another user initiated the operation on the same server that caused the display of the red progress box.
  
  
• Fixed a bug that could result in an infinite loop when importing from NV1.
  
  Under rare circumstances, apparently at random, importing from NV1 would sometimes enter an infinite loop. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• The Tools>Totalto>Semiloop Search could miss some semiloops.
  
  The management of the totaling structure changed in version 2.09. So-called semiloops were deprecated, meaning that if there are no semiloops in a database then none will be allowed, but if a database already has semiloops then they continue to be allowed. If the semiloop search command can find no semiloops then semiloops are not allowed in the database from that point forward. But a change to the way the totaling structure is managed also introduced a bug into the semiloop search command and sometimes that would result in no semiloops being reported when there were indeed semiloops. Worse, as a result, semiloops could become prohibited in a database that already contained them. In this case, when re-totaling accounts, bogus errors were generated indicating that the re-totaling would introduce a semiloop and that the re-totaling was thus prohibited. This release fixes the problem.
  
  In addition, the Tools>Totalto>Semiloop Search command was previously designed to work only on a local database. This release allows the command to be used on a remote database, i.e. a database opened through a server.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 6

Released - October 9, 2007

Problem / Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented conversion of application databases to version 2.09.
  
  When converting an application database to version 2.09 the error "missing close-brace: possible unbalanced brace in comment" would sometimes appear. This release fixes the problem.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 5

Released - October 4, 2007

Problem / Bug Fixes

• Creating a new set of books would hang.
  
  Under certain circumstances, attempting to commit a new account would result in an infinite loop, causing NewViews to "hang". This bug was introduced in the previous release and would typically cause a hang when creating a new set of books or importing from NewViews 1. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a problem decompressing payroll transactions.
  
  When payroll transactions were being decompressed and payrun objects associated with those transactions have been deleted, and bug was reported. This release will re-create the missing payrun objects automatically for use by the decompressed transactions.
  
  We remind users that you should decompress transactions at the earliest convenient time, prior to restructuring the set of books in any significant way.
  
  
• Fixed a bug that could occur when converting a database to version 2.09.
  
  Bug 314120070604152115, "Encountered unexpected change to XXX." could occur when converting an application database to version 2.09. The underlying reason was that an audit record was found for an object on which changes were not allowed. It turns out that this can be safely ignored as the audit record in each case indicates that nt actual changes were made. This release ignores problem.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 4

Released - October 2, 2007

Problem / Bug Fixes

• Several account indexes could be damaged when a report name is changed.
  
  When you change the name of a report that has sub-reports, several account indexes can be damaged. Such damage is reported if you run nvcheck, or a bug may occur if you change the name of the report again, or move accounts from one report to another. This release fixes the problem.
  
  If a database has already been damaged by this bug, then running nvreorganize on the database will fix the damage.
  
  
• A bug resulted in damaged books when changing multiple amounts in a ledger column.
  
  This bug required a column fill or manually changing a number of posting amounts in an account ledger. The database was damaged in a way that is detected by nvcheck and fixed by nvreorganize. This release fixes the problem.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 3

Released - October 1, 2007

Problem / Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that could occur when deleting lines "too quickly".
  
  The text of the bug was typically "Could not find an observer with tag table.N". It could appear in a number of places, often when deleting lines. It was timing related so it would appear to occur at random, depending on the timing of keystrokes and mouse-clicks, and so on. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• A bug could occur when deleting sales invoice items.
  
  Version 2.09 introduced a bug that can occur when deleting a line item from a sales invoice. This release fixes the problem.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in red progress windows.
  
  When a red progress window appears you are not supposed to be able to continue working until the current operation completes. However, a bug allowed keystrokes to be gathered and processed while the operation was in progress, and this would generally lead to a cascade of other bugs occurring. The problem has been fixed in this release.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in the conversion of some databases to 2.09.
  
  The previous service pack, i.e. release 2.09.2.20070927, inadvertantly introduced a bug in the conversion of some databases to version 2.09. This release fixes the problem.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 2

Released - September 27, 2007

Problem / Bug Fixes

• Go to>Any Account only went to accounts on reports.
  
  The command refused to go to an account that is not on a report. This has been fixed.
  
  This command is also issued using the key and it is used only on a blue table of accounts.
  
  
• Problem with automatic distribution of tax1 and tax2 on purchase invoices has been fixed.
  
  When you are on a purchase invoice detail item and you enter the item total, NewViews extracts the tax from the total and distributes it to the tax1 and tax columns. There was a bug in this feature and it has been fixed.
  
  
• Incomplete payroll transactions prohibited.
  
  There was an obscure loop-hole that allowed a payroll transaction to be created manually instead of when processing payroll.
  
  
• Expense account tables had an empty column.
  
  There was a harmless column with no title and no data on expense account tables. This column can be deleted from existing tables or eliminated by issuing the Window>Default Setup command.
  
  
• Added an account balance column to account folder or list views.
  
  A column displaying the account perpetual financial amount was added to the folder and/or list view of a blue table.
  
  New users were sometimes confused because they couldn't find a simple account list that had a simple account balance column. So the column was added to the window default setup. The column will appear for all new workstations and for existing workstations when Window>Default Setup is issued on any account desktop.
  
  
• Paycheck detail items were not appearing right away.
  
  Newly added paycheck detail items were not appearing right away unless the key was pressed, or until background processing updated the screen. This delay has been eliminated.
  
  
• A bug that occurred intermittently when deleting sales invoices has been fixed.
  
  When this bug occurred it required correction using nv_reorganize.
  
  
• An obscure bug identified as 314120061121135550 has been fixed.
  
  This bug was timing dependent and resulted from somewhat overzealous error checking. It occurred only when deleting an account that was being used as a sales tax payable account, and only if the payble account was deleted immediately after moving all postings from the account to another account.
  
  
• Conversion of workstation and server databases dropped information.
  
  Several login field values were dropped when converting a workstation database, and several fields were also dropped when converting a server database.

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NewViews 2.09 - Service Pack 1

Released - September 18, 2007

Problem / Bug Fixes

• A bug in printing checks using CPA compliant templates has been fixed.
  
  
• Two new fields can be placed on any paycheck template.
  
  New pay check template fields (Pay Period Start and Pay Period End).
  
  
• A number of new fields can be placed on direct deposit pay advisory templates.
  
  New template file direct_deposit_paycheck_detail_stub.xls demonstrates the use of the new direct deposit pay advisory fields.

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