Updates, updates

You may have noticed that the App has had some more updates quickly following on the main update (to version 2.0.0) issued last month.
So what's going on?
The first 2 updates (2.0.1 & 2.0.2) fixed a mistake in the App where, if an Extra Cost was entered in the Sundries list, it wasn't read properly and returned zero. The first update fixed it for most of us, but then I realised that if the currency symbol was placed at the end of the amount (ie 34.56€) the figure still would return zero. This led to the second update which fixed this.
I also took the opportunity to make it easier to see which dimension box you were about to enter data (rebate size). The hint in that box (Cm or Inches) changes colour when it is ready for you to enter the size.
That was all thanks to discussions with users at the Art & Framing Roadshows.

The last (for a while, I hope) update (2.0.3) makes it easier to update the Mouldings.csv file.
The problem was that if a new "Mouldings.csv" file was copied to the Download folder (or any other folder) and there was an earlier version(s) of the file already there, then the new file would be labelled "Mouldings(1).csv", or "Mouldings(2).csv" and so on.
As the App was programmed to only look for "Mouldings.csv" it was quite easy to use an old file by mistake to update the App. The answer was to delete the old file(s) first, then download the newest file. (A bit of a faff).
So, what's changed?
Now, when the App looks for the update file it will show you all the csv files in that folder.
Also, the title of the file can now be whatever you like ("wessex_arq.csv" for instance).

Simply select (tap) the file you want to use, and then tap "OK".
This should make updating the moulding data much easier.

An extra piece of info - In the latest versions of Android (version 5 onwards) the SD card is not shown when looking through folders (a "security" feature, thanks Android). So make sure you always copy (download) the file into the "Download" folder.

Not in the UK? - No Problem!

I had a new question asked today - Can you use Wessex Professional abroad? Well, it's been so long since I'd talked about that subject that I momentarily forgot how the program was set up! So, I thought it might be a good idea to set down what happens if you are using the program outside of the UK.

The obvious one is the currency symbol. This is taken from whichever country you have the computer set to (in Control Panel > Clock, Language & Region). If, for instance, you have the computer country set to United States, then the currency symbol will automatically be "$". If the computer is set to Germany then the symbol is "€". (It may be obvious, but you don't actually have to be in that country to have the computer set to it!)
Easy so far?
From a programming point of view I thought I'd cracked it, that is until someone told me that in France the symbol comes after the amount (ie. 25.67€)! So I had to design a sub-routine that tested the resulting string of characters to see if the symbol was before or after the amount. Then the rest of the program could get to grips with just the figures (adding up an invoice for instance).

The next point is the tax abbreviation. In many European countries it is "VAT", while in France it is "TVA". Whichever abbreviation is used in your country you can set that in the program by going to "Setup > Values" and choosing the "% + VAT tab". You can use up to 10 characters/spaces, so there is room for "Sales Tax".

As most countries have a decimal system there is no problem with working out the price - you just need to adjust the program values to give the prices you want. In Europe the values will be something like 20% higher than the sterling equivalent (Nov. 2013), but there may be local variation to allow for (glass may be more expensive for instance).
There is a potential problem if you use the update files issued in the UK (Wessex & Frinton), as the moulding is priced in sterling. You can get round this by opening the file (in Excel) and changing the Price/mtr column values and then importing it as usual. On the other hand you are unlikely to be using a UK supplier directly, so the problem is unlikely to arise.

That only leaves the language itself - everything is in English. All I can say is that if sufficient framers want a different language I'll do my best to sort it out.