NM Collector Software CP v. 0.4 available for download
 

I have completed the next iteration of the new NM Collector Software product and made it available for download for free. It includes reports and the ability to import data from NM Collector JE along with some performance improvements.

You can get more details in my latest Collector Software Blog entry.

One important thing to note is that the new reports are currently not working in my Linux deployment. A solution to that problem is my top priority for my next release.

Here is the latest list of features that I will be implementing in future releases. Please let me know what you think.

1. Fix Reports in Linux
2. Use Font Extensions in Jasper Reports
3. Automated Backup (with recovery option) – can be enabled/disabled
4. Enable Tiff images to be loaded
5. Edit Collections
6. Edit Captions (include notes on impact of changing certain field captions)
7. Replicate
8. Events Tab
9. Maintenance Tab
10. Links Tab (including capture of PDFs)
11. Statistics Page
12. Export/Import
13. Duplicate Items
14. Open Last Used Collection on Startup (and/or option to set default)
15. More Reporting Options (all collections, individual items, pass in current collection and item by default)
16. Custom program to bring in remaining data from JE (Events, Maintenance, Links)
17. Transfer pics from one platform to another (different storage paths)
18. Picture thumbnails in Items List
19. Log to File

Thank you.

Please note, I have uploaded a new Linux version that has working reports. Thanks

Using the latest Linux 0.4 build w/fixed reports...

I found a bug with the filling in of fields. Any field I write into will not be saved if I don't remove focus from the field first before going to a different tab. For example, in the Description tab, fill out the Condition Comments then add something in Notes. Now if I click on any other tab (Receipts, Pics etc) the Notes field is not saved. Now back to the same scenario, when I'm done filling in the Notes, I must click on any other field while still in that same Description tab to remove focus from the Notes field and then it will be saved. This happens with any field that can be typed into. The Data Sheets tab was the bigger challenge for me to figure out. There is only 1 field on that tab, I couldn't save anything. I discovered I had to remove focus from the whole program to be able to save anything there. I hope this isn't another bug with my Java.

Reports - They seemed to work ok except for the Data Sheets. I loaded up a data sheet field and made sure it was saved. Then tried to do an Item Data Sheet report but it only returned a blank page.

Sub-folders - In your old JE seftware, we could do sub-folders in the collections. Under Firearms I had sub-folders called Handguns, Long Guns and Accessories and then the corresponding collections in each one. The design of CE doesn't look like that layout is possible, but in future builds creating new 'Collections' under the main Edit tab may be possible? So maybe we could add or create as many as we wanted to get the same basic effect of separate collections?

Import - Importing from JE appeared to work well for all the data, everything looked to go in the correct place and I didn't notice any missing fields. Pictures though did not import correctly. In JE the exported pics as you know are in separate folders for each item and named pic0.png pic1.png and so on with the same naming structure for each item folder. The problem on my setup is that it looked like every pic was trying to be copied into the same /bin folder. Obviously only 1 file can have the same name, can't have 10 different pic0.png files in /bin so they just keep getting overwritten during the import. In the end all of my items now share the same 5 pictures. Could this be something that will be addressed with item #17 in your todo list above?

Overall I think the CE software is coming along nicely and I like it! I also like the idea of thumbnails in the items list (#18 todo), should be a nice feature.

Thanks for all of the help with Linux!!!
 

Well, my tester lead (a.k.a. Michelle, my wife) tested on Windows and Mac and all was well (including always saving changes when one left the field). I tested on Linux and, as the developer, I should never test my own code!

I do not see how it could be a problem with your Java because I package the Java I want deployed with the application - of course that may not be working as I think it is.

I will revisit all of this on my Linux machine!

One thing to try is to hit enter when you set or change a value in a field. That follows a different path through the code than the lost focus event.

Regarding the data sheet, are you sure you selected the item that has the data sheet in the item drop down list of the reports page? What you are describing happens if there is no data sheet associated with the item. I plan to pass in the currently selected item into the report page but forgot to do that this release.

That JE treeview gave me so much grief that I abandoned the concept for CP. Yes, you will be able to create whatever collections you want! That is slated for the next release.

Again, lousy tester. I noticed the subdirectories were not getting created in Linux but did not test duplicate picture file names. I should have thought of that. I will certainly address that!

Thank you. I really appreciate your help with Linux testing. I am not doing a thorough enough job of that!

Latest List of Outstanding Features
 

As of today

1. Automated Backup (with recovery option) – can be enabled/disabled
2. Better manage file selection (restrict to valid options, remember paths)
3. Remember last selected collection for next time application is started
4. Edit Tab Labels
5. Edit Collections
6. Edit Captions (include notes on impact of changing certain field captions)
7. Replicate Item
8. Related Items Tab
9. Use Font Extensions in Jasper Reports
10. Events Tab
11. Maintenance Tab
12. Links Tab (including capture of PDFs)
13. Statistics Page
14. Export/Import
15. Duplicate Items
16. Open Last Used Collection on Startup (and/or option to set default)
17. More Reporting Options (all collections, individual items, pass in current
18. collection and item by default)
19. Custom program to bring in remaining data from JE (Events, Maintenance,
20. Links)
21. Transfer pics from one platform to another (different storage paths)
22. Picture thumbnails in Items List
23. Log to File
24. Enable Tiff images to be loaded (may not be possible for cross-platform)
    

I just confirmed these problems on my Linux computer. Also, a couple of times the data tab opened to a collapsed window. Perhaps it has something to do with the java that I am packaging with the application. I am packaging OpenJDK 14.0.1. Perhaps I should try an earlier release.

Linux misses Focus Changed event
 

Unfortunately, I was able to confirm (using my debugger) that the Focus Changed event is not fired in Linux when I click on a tab after making changes to a text field (as you noted). This is only be a problem with Linux - the event fires for Windows and Mac.

Hmm, now that makes me wonder why jpg's won't show in CE for me? I assumed it was my version of Java.

I pasted your M1 Garand data sheet into an item (made sure it did save) and made sure to select the correct item for the report, but only get a blank report. Now I did not install the MS fonts like you state in the install instructions, but all the other reports were working so I didn't think much of that before.

You're welcome! I don't mind testing these programs out, I enjoy it actually.

One other thing I just noticed is after importing from JE some of the field names in CE changed to how they were labeled in JE. For example Condition Comments changed to Comments and Notes changed to Accessories. That doesn't matter to me, just didn't know if that's the expected result?

I also had the Data tab open collapsed a couple times too, didn't think much of that either at the time.

Oh, are they still not showing? I thought I solved that. I just verified that it is working on my Linux computer

I agree. I was able to confirm that is the case. I have not investigated yet.

Yes, that is intentional. It took extra work to make that happen. I am trying to make sure to import as many customizations as possible which does mean it will overwrite some of my current CP defaults.

Thanks again.

No, jpg's have not worked on any version yet.