This file contains information regarding the corrections that have been made to LabelView since the release version 5.3.22. New features are also listed here. --------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW FEATURES: ------------- Many of the new features in version 6.0 are briefly described here. For more information, check the on-line help found in LabelView. NEW SECURITY KEY: > A new security key, the Alladin HASP key, is replacing the Rainbow keys that we have used previously. This new key has the advantage that it is programmable, allowing for easier upgrades. (We can send you a disk that will update the key, rather than replacing the key itself.) NEW NETWORK SETUP: > The network setup has been made easier. Network operation will use the License Manager (included with all copies of LabelView) to manage the licenses on all MS Windows platforms. > Note that network keys will no longer work on a Novell server. OLE AUTOMATION: [GOLD] > OLE Automation is the technology that is to succeed DDE. While DDE is still supported by LabelView, new support has been added for OLE Automation. OLE OBJECTS: [GOLD] > OLE objects can now be added onto LabelView labels. This means that you can embed or link MS Word documents, Clip-art, Word-Art (from MS PowerPoint) in your labels. You can even put sound files on labels! OLE DB: [GOLD] > OLE DB is the technology that is to succeed ODBC. LabelView will still support ODBC, but now also has support for OLE DB. OLE DB is easier to use than ODBC, and is more flexible allowing you to use multiple tables from your databases. > Note that, like ODBC, you must install OLE DB (provided by Microsoft) before you can use it in LabelView. DIAGNOSTICS: > A diagnostic screen has been added to LabelView that will allow you to check your configuration at a glance. LabelView information, port information, system information and library versions are provided on a single screen. > Diagnostics will also enable you to check your print jobs more easily. Print jobs can be configured to be displayed as well as printing to file. > A bounding box switch enables you (and our test team) to confirm that the placement of objects on your labels is truly WYSIWYG. (What you see is what you get) > Diagnostics can be found in the help menu. CUSTOM HUMAN READABLE: > Customizing the human readable has been made easier with the addition of a Custom Human Readable tab that is available when editing bar codes. EQUAL SPACING ALIGNMENT: > A new feature has been added to allow Equal Vertical and Horizontal spacing of fields on labels. More than 2 fields must be selected at one time. The 2 most extreme fields (top and bottom or left and right) will not move, but the others will be evenly spaced between these two. DOWNLOAD TO PRINTPAD: > A new Windows-based method for downloading files to the PrintPad has been added. Note that you must have PrintPad BIOS 5.31 or better in order to use this interface. Once you have upgraded to this BIOS version, future BIOS updates will be done automatically. > If you do not have this BIOS installed, or if you experience problems with the new download interface, you can configure LabelView to use the old download interface by checking the "DOS Download" checkbox in the PrintPad tab of the configuration screen. (Options / Configuration / PrintPad) ENHANCED JOB MODIFIER FUNCTIONALITY: > The job modifier has been enhanced to allow you include field names of objects on the label in the syntax of the job modifier. MISCELLANEOUS: > A new option has been added to the Command File configuration tab (Options + Configuration + Command Files) that will allow users to select a prioritization option. Command files may be executed in order of time/date created or alphabetically by file name. This feature is case sensitive; upper case file names will print before lower case names ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BUG FIXES: ---------- The bug fixes have been categorized, below. Many of the defects that have been corrected are printer specific. These can be found in the section particular to that printer. GUARDIAN: - The Guardian verifier unit gave a no read when scanning Codabar bar codes. This was because of the start and stop characters. This has been corrected. - When using demand mode on the Guardian verifier, every label in a batch used to be entered separately in the log file, but now they are being properly combined into their respective batches. - As the Guardian verifier cannot currently handle ladder orientation for bar codes, they are not longer allowed if the Guardian is activated. - Setting the Laser On/Off buttons for the Guardian will now generate an error message if a connection cannot be established. - The Guardian appeared to be verifying its own warning labels. The syntax of the messages given has been changed. - The Guardian will now correctly verify the F1 character when it is part of a linked expression. - Using a parallel printer with the Guardian would cause approximately 3" of label to be printed before the unit was activated. This will no longer happen. LABELVIEW HEALTHCARE: - An HIBC barcode could not be printed from the PrintPad if the data was drawn from a database. This has been corrected. - Using HIBCC LIC 128 Secondary barcode (in LabelView Healthcare) and changing the data source to "when printed" now correctly prompts you for all three fields required for this type of bar code. - Corrected a problem linking a text field to an HIBC bar code in the Healthcare version. All that would print out in the text field was the opening bracket (. No data was included. - Asterisks on HealthCare bar codes will now always be printed in the human readable portion regardless of the printer type being used. ASTROMED: - Hidden text fields on the Astro-Med Top Hand 2 would disrupt other text fields on the label. This has been fixed. - A problem using variable data true type fonts where they were not correctly represented on the Astro-Med Top Hand 2 Printer has been fixed. The fields will now be displayed on the screen as they will be printed. - The problem with updating fields on labels where there are database records printed with True Type Fonts for the Astro-Med Top Hand 2 Printer has been corrected. Incorrect field data was being printed if a large range was printed at one time from the database. AVERY DENNISON: - Reverse printing (white on black) for the Avery TTX family will now be centered properly within the black background. C.ITOH: - The error printing from the C.Itoh EZ-4 printer on the PrintPad where only a single label was printed has been corrected. CODEWRITER: - Reverse printing has been removed from all Codewriter printers as they do not readily support this feature. COGNITIVE: - A problem printing the Ultra Font b from a Cognitive Solus printer has been corrected. The wrong commands were being used. - The drivers for the Cognitive Solus printers have been changed to allow only 2 printer speeds; 2 and 3 IPS. - Postnet, Plessey and Code93 barcode symbologies are now available for the Cognitive Solus printers. - The Cognitive (Axiohm) Solus printer drivers now only allow barcode rotations of Normal and Sideways Down, as these are the only ones the printer supports. COMSTAR: - The following new Comstar drivers have been added: Comstar Xpression 506 Comstar Lightning Jr. Comstar Lightning 404 Comstar Lightning 506 Comstar Lightning 607 Comstar Lightning 810 Comstar Color Lightning Comstar Color Lightning Comstar Color Lightning DATAMAX: - The Plessy barcode check digit appears when you print to a Prodigy Max, but not when printed on a Prodigy Plus. This error has been corrected. - Printing more than 9999 labels using the Datamax Prodigy Max driver caused the program to crash. The Datamax Programming Language only supports a 4 digit quantity. The program has been changed such that it will no longer crash, but it still won't print 10,000. ELTRON: - Some Eltron printers (at least 2642 and 3642) can only file names of 1-8 characters. Longer names will cause errors when printing. LabelView will now automatically rename these files before sending them to the printer. INTERMEC: - The Intermec 4400 printer would return a Range Error 12 or Parameter Error 36 when printing graphics or true type fonts. The printer would still print, but the error remained. The program was passing a value which was too small for the data being sent. It has now been fixed. MONARCH: - Label dimensions on the Monarch 9403 were being reversed, since this printer loads the label on edge and not flat like most printers. - Backfeeding on the Monarch 9490 Renegade printer is not longer allowed as this printer does not support it. NOVEXX: - The justification of paragraphs on a NOVEXX would only work correctly for some rotations. This problem has been fixed. PRINTRONIX: - Printronix 3306 labels were not displaying as they were printed. This has been fixed. - A bug on the Printronix T3306 printer when using a Code 39 where there wass a large gap left in the middle of the bar code has been corrected. The list of available bar code symbologies has also been changed. - Paragraph fields printed on the Printronix T4204 can now be resized by grabbing the corner of the paragraph and dragging the anchor/handle. - Several issues with printing rotated fields on a Printronix printer have been corrected. SOABAR: - An error with Label Logging on Soabar SPX390 printers has been fixed. Some fields were being omitted. TEC: - The default temperature for a TEC B-572 printer has been restored to 0 from 10. The higher setting causee the ribbon to stick to the label and tore the ribbon. - Printing multiple labels across on the TEC 472, 572 or 872 did not print correctly. The number across became the print quantity. This issue has been resolve. - A printing problem where software incrementing TEXT and a Code 128 Multi on the same label caused the fields to overlap on a TEC 572 has been fixed. - Plessey bar code were not printing on the TEC B-572 printer due to inconsistent check digits. Fixed. - When printing on a TEC printer using center justification and a custom human readable field on a bar code, the bar code would be offset to the right by approx 1/2 inch. Fixed. - Enhancements and improvements to the TEC CB 416 (4 color) printer driver have been made. - True Type fonts were being clipped along the top edge when printing rotated on a TEC printer. Fixed. TSC: - Some errors were discovered when trying to print some bar codes that were not supported on the TSC Clever printer. The offending bar code symbologies have been removed from those drives to correct the problem. UBI: - Continuous and Blackmark sensor options have been added for UBI printers. Other changes have been made for the UBI line of printers to match current printer abilities. ZEBRA: - Both the Zebra T-300 and A-300 now support scalable fonts. - The driver for the Zebra 160S now correctly supports the full 6.3" width of the printer. LINKED EXPRESSIONS: > A bug was corrected where it was possible to change a field name once that name was used in a linked expression. The change can no longer be made. > The linked expression NOW would generate the wrong am/pm value, as well as setting the minute to '0' for any actual minute value multiple of 10. This has been corrected. > The CHECKUPCE linked expression will now validate the number of digits entered. Only 6 will be allowed. > The bug where PrintPad would drop any field using the "ASCII" linked function has been fixed. > Nested IF() expressions could generate syntax and circular link errors on some label designs. Fixed. DATABASES: > Databases will now be sorted correctly, instead of not at all, if there is a CommWatch field setup to drive the database lookup. > A label that is printed with just a database and a when printed field that increments and is set to "reset after each record" used to have the counter stay at the same number if one record is selected. Selecting multiple would print correctly. This has been fixed. > Test printing with a label using ODBC data sources would force all such fields to a size of 10 characters regardless of the actual field length specified. This error has been fixed. > Text Justification with ODBC data sources would automatically revert to left justified when accessing the field a second time regardless of the previous setting. Fixed. > A new feature has been added such that when the user tries to add a database field, and there are no dBASE files in the database directory, then a browse window will pop-up, allowing the user to change the path and select a file. The new path will be saved as the new default. > Setting numeric fields with decimals in the database editor was causing some problems if 0 decimals was selected. Now, only 1 number with 0 decimals, or 3 or more numbers with any decimals will be allowed. > Adding records in the database editor and then trying to sort by a field could cause the new records to be replaced by copies of one of the other records. The further to the right in the database you sort, the more fields show up. This error has been corrected. > The calculated number of labels to be printed, which appears in Quick Print screen after selections from the database have been made, will be calculated incorrectly if items were selected and then later deselected. Fixed. > Changing the datasource of the key field of a database would not move the key field to another field on the label. When printing, the database browse button was no longer available, preventing data from being entered. This has been fixed. > Placing more than 205 characters into a memo would cause the program to crash when trying to print. The same database worked fine in earlier versions. This error has been corrected. GENERAL: > When printing multiple copies of a label with an incrementing field, using a run separator would cause it to print as many times as the number of copies selected. This has been corrected. > On the Quick Printing Screen, the first variable data field will now be highlighted (for easier deletion) rather then the cursor flashing in the leftmost position of that textbox. > Some errors were encountered when importing labels from 5.2 where an Invalid Page Fault was being generated on the second print job for the same label. This has been fixed. > There were some problems with "shadow images" appearing on labels converted from version 4.2. The images were not editable, and did not print. The images will no longer appear. > The font problems with the Chinese Version of Windows and LabelView displaying in Chinese has been fixed. > A problem displaying the degree symbol, where it would appear distorted on the screen, has been corrected. > A problem was encountered when moving multiple fields. When one of the fields got close to the edge of the label, it would stop moving while the rest continued. The end result could be to have all of the fields aligned to that side of the label, possibly overlapping each other. This has been fixed. > Using the Erase menu item in would not delete all of the label's files. Only the lbl is deleted. Now, all of the prv, lvd, and ole files are removed also. > When changing the length of serial/database objects, either manually or by being incremented, the representation of the object on the screen appears cramped or stretched; the number of X's representing the field is changed to reflect the new length, but the object size remains the same. Printing would always be correct, however. This problem has been corrected. > Code 128 (multi) with AI=30 will no longer require 8 digits, but will allow UP TO 8. > A problem using a rotated UCC bar code which is placed on a label with a text object that has its data source set to database or when printed would not print until one of the objects was remove. This will no longer happen. > The human readable portion of a UCC/EAN 128 (multi) bar code was not being properly displayed. Fixed. > Numeric only bar codes will now generate a warning if anything other than numbers is entered as data. > Conversion from inches to millimeters would cause would not convert the default label properly. A 4"x2.5" label became a 4mmx2.5mm label. This has been corrected to make the conversion to a 101.66mmx63.5mm label as it should be. This error occurred only with the default label. > A bug when adding a stock to Label Inventory, and then editing the label stock would round off the dimensions to the nearest inch. This has been fixed. > Using CommWatch with a label containing graphics would cause the picture to be re-sent with each label, causing slow printing. Now the graphics will only be sent when there has been a change to the image. > Selecting labels under either Click Print or Quick Print where the printer the label was designed for is not the currently selected one would cause changes in the setup of the label. The label would be converted to the current printer and its defaults, then back to the desired printer and all of its defaults. The originally established parameters will now be maintained. > The MaxiCode bar code can now print in the 4 standard.