
Release 7.4.4 correctly handles the error that occurs when the images.zip file is not found.
A future release will probably display a bespoke message, as this is an error that can be anticipated.
News about the Sales Manager
Release 7.4.4 correctly handles the error that occurs when the images.zip file is not found.
A future release will probably display a bespoke message, as this is an error that can be anticipated.
As of Android 12, Device Ids are now the only way that Google allows developers to identify individual devices. EMI/IIE numbers MAC addresses are no longer available. This means that some self hosting licences may have to be reissued.
This release is the first attempt to replace the use of Dropbox with a proprietary solution using standard Android methods. The motivation for this the frequency with which Dropbox publishes new APIs, and their extremely poor documentation.
The layout of the old Dropbox screen has been modified as follows:
A number of changes have been made to the Profile page of the Hosting Service (see above):
This release has been compiled to run on Android 12.
In release 7.3.1 of the Android client app, all in-app purchases have been removed. This was done in order to make the app more future proof.
Version 7.3.0 of the Android app now runs on Chromebooks. See the August newsletter for details.
The Sales Manager has been named App of the Day, on the website of the same name.
Version 7.2.0 contains a fix for the Store screen, which stopped working soon after version 7 was released. It uses the code from version 6, combined with the improved user interface of version 7.
The billing library has been rolled back to version 3, but there was no deadline for version 4 anyway. This will give me more time to focus on the new Dropbox API.
The new release also uses a permanent SSL certificate provided by the web host, rather than the temporary one provided by Apache. This may help with some devices.
This post summaries recent changes made to the Android client. These are currently in the beta channel, but are due to go live in April.
Emails can now be sent using a Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo account. They can also be sent manually, instead of by JavaMail. This avoids authentication issues, but only works with the Outlook app. Other email apps do not support HTML.
This is necessary, as external storage is deprecated. Dropbox stores its files in a different area, and is not compatible with older Files screen. Support for Google Drive may also be added, though this is problematic.
The blue plus buttons have been moved slightly to the left, to avoid clashing with the scroll bar. A proposal for a more radical change was rejected.
Online help will now be delivered in HTML format. This is work in progress.
The app icon has been updated.
All GPS and mapping features have been withdrawn.
Scanning barcodes using the built in camera on a phone has been withdrawn.
The Lines screen (shown above) is used to add products to an order. Tapping the plus buttons increment the quantity ordered. Tapping anywhere else displays the details for an item, which allows the user to edit the quantity.
But the buttons are difficult to tap, and the details screen can be a distraction. The target area extends either side of the buttons, but they are too close to the scrollbar for that to help.
The proposed solution is to use a long press or ‘touch & hold’ gesture, to access the details screen. This is in line with Android design principles, and it frees up the tap gesture as a way to increment the quantity.
Minus buttons could be added to decrement the quantity. These would be in a different colour to the existing ones, and moved slightly to the left.
I will be conducting a survey of user preferences, and any solution will be pushed out to the beta channel, in the first instance.