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   Home  Decision Explorer®  Software updates

Decision Explorer® update history

As part of our ongoing development of Decision Explorer®, we occasionally make updates available. This page details some of the changes made in each version.

Decision Explorer® 3.3 Update

Version 3.3 with better XP compatibility, main new features:

  • Completely new icons for an improved look
  • Support for My Documents and other Windows XP compatibility improvements (user no longer needs to be a power user or administrator)
  • Now requires Windows 2000 or later (Win9x and NT users should use version 3.2)
  • New installer for Microsoft Installer (MSI) compatibility
  • NVivo import issue fixed
  • New reference manual in HTML help and PDF formats - most complete reference ever
  • EXE and Installers are now signed with Banxia's digital signature for authentication

Purchasers of version 3 can use your existing download details to get the installer. We still make version 3.2 available for those on earlier operating systems and when you upgrade your computer, the new version will be fully compatible with your data files.

Decision Explorer® 3.2 Update

This is a full 32-bit version requiring Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, NT or XP.

3.2 Changes

  • XML import and export, with COM interface for system integrators
  • New introduction and presentation included that works with high-graphic machines
  • Added export to text with style info (spreadsheet compatible) and new spreadsheet export mode of "con link con" report.
  • Reduced inter-style gap in printed legend to 1/16th to improve space utilisation
  • Updated welcome screen
  • Allowed up to 8 models to be opened at any time in pro versions.
  • International users can now specify alternative "concept inserts" instead of "rather than" in DEXPLORE.INI.
  • [Inserts]
    Not=Pas de
    Increase=une augmentation en
    Decrease=une diminution en
    RatherThan=alternatively

  • Link styles can now be saved/loaded across models (hold shift in link editor)
  • Fixed problem with tree walking. Walk outputs now kept less than 100 chars wide. Stopped all text mode output at 32,000 lines. Let's face it, you can't handle that much info!
  • Spreadsheet import capability to load a model of concepts and links from matrix files.
  • Memo card launches now improved to allow quotes around the whole URL to include spaces.
  • Tab font now defaults to Arial always.
  • Now handling open from Explorer properly (with spaces or not).

Decision Explorer® 3.1 Service Pack 3

3.1.0 Main facilities

  • 32-bit only - requires Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT4 or compatible (a 16-bit version 3.0.8 is inluded for Windows 3.1 support).
  • Full screen window mode (see window menu, or type "Full" to toggle it).
  • Launch link facility for Memo cards. If the memo has text of the form xxx:xxx (a colon with text either side), then you can "launch" applications and links from the menu. Typical uses will be to have text such as "Source was the web page http://ww.banxia.com" or "Full document is stored in file:c:\docs\source.doc where you can see the full text."
  • Fit-to-window mode now automatically centres the display.
  • Support for Euro currency in concept text.
  • Loop now stops giving detail after 250 lines.
  • Added Alt+[ & Alt+] keys and menu options to auto-change the custom scale.
  • Added rapid entry mode, with toolbar & menu. Press Ctrl-Enter when entering a concept to control it.
  • Potent command now included bottom-most concept

3.1.2 Changes

Fixed an issue with password control, where it was possible to delete concepts when the user did not have had permission. If you are using passwords (see Summer 2000 newsletter), then you should get this update. Otherwise 3.1.1 is fine.

3.1.1 Changes

Released 4 Jan 2000. Fixed problem with pasting from clipboard on Win95. Work done on allowing period characters in directories and filenames. (Period characters are "full stops", not people from Charles Dickens novels). Comma in company name handled properly in printed header & footers. Message about 240 fonts limit no longer displayed (archaic). Options button added to Print dialog. Banded/Fanned mapping mode switch fixed. Improvement of the printing device code. Fixed scaling issue in Copying maps to clipboard. Memo printing now does not cause scaling problems. Link properties editor now properly allows length of style name and thickness editing. Ctrl-T and Ctrl-M now switch between text and map mode respectively. A change in the text mode display now sets the model changed flag. Collapse hiding all selected concepts no longer causes invalid handle access notices. Fixed resource leak in Win95 font use that caused trouble in long listings.

3.0.7 Changes

Import and export from/to QSR NUD*IST. Display of path counts now available when in collapse mode. Screen grab capability now available by button and DDE. Copy screen as bitmap now available when copying. Text listing printing now wraps lines if appropriate. Screen refresh when entering links at command line now improved. New Potentset command allows use with other base sets (not just hiesets). C/E path walking works with more link types. Many little improvements to the general use of the software

3.0.6 Changes

Version 3.0.4 has updates to the contact information to suit the new distribution by Scolari, SAGE Publications. The Analyst version also gains 32 views. New "recover view" facility, which allows you to undo a map or listing and restore the previous map or text layout. A new Zoom control dialog is now provided to control a range of "fixed" zoom from 10 to 200%. New export wizard. You can now export to plain text, spreadsheet or V.I.S.A. See help for details. Loop changed to accept links of other types (custom) as loop links. Map & recommendedPos now take account of borders when spacing, providing better looking maps. QSR NUD*IST import improved with the addition of the new tree mapping algorithm (also available via the new map options dialog). Importing a NUD*IST file now auto-maps (after prompt). NUD*IST import now creates and uses "Index" link style. Bring layout from another view now recalcs map size and redraws. Clipboard picture (metafile) improvements. Now "auto-scales" extent to ten times normal. Decision Explorer® is now less sensitive to model changes, making an immediate close easier. After inserting a new view, the move dialog is automatically shown to allow sensible positioning. Enabled file locking on all versions, to ensure data safety and ease of multi-license use. Edit/Advanced menu and Analysis/Configure submenus now incorporated into the primary menus for ease of finding. (People had asked if things were possible).

3.0.4 Changes

Version 3.0.4 has a variety of minor bugs fixed, and includes a number of new facilities. The main enhancement is printing which has been enhanced to allow borders, style legend and header and footer control. You can now bring the layout of one view onto another, which helps with merging. Merging now improved to swap removed concepts on other views. New LSM command to facilitate merging sets. We recommend all users to update to this version