Flight Logs Files

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Flight Logs 

Read Me File
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Version 0.7.3 - ALPHA Release
15 March 2021

This version of the database is being release while work continues on
several programming areas and user documentation. 

This release incorporates a new installation program. The installation
program should make it easier to install and, in the future, update the
installation of the software. If you experience issues with the installer
please report that to us so that we can correct them.

There are three versions of the software being released at this time.

 - Flight Logs V0.7.3 64-bit 
   This release should be used if:
      a. You do not have any version of Microsoft Office installed
      b. You have a 64-bit version of Microsoft Office installed, with or 
         without Access 2010 or greater installed 

   This version will not work on systems with the 32-bit version of 
   Microsoft Office installed. Download and install this version only if 
   you have a 64-bit version of Microsoft Office installed or have never
   installed a version of Microsoft Office.

 - Flight Logs V0.7.3 32-bit
   This release should be used if:
      a. You do not have any version of Microsoft Office installed and are
         running a 32-bit Windows Operating System.
      b. You have a 32-bit version of Microsoft Office installed, with or 
         without Access 2010 or greater installed 

   This version will not work on systems with the 64-bit version of 
   Microsoft Office installed. Download and install this version only if 
   you have a 32-bit version of Microsoft Office installed or have never
   installed a version of Microsoft Office.

 - Flight Logs V0.7.3 Developer Edition
   This version should be downloaded and installed if you want the original
   development files for the program. It also includes all of the individual
   HTML files and graphics for the HTMLHelp file. 

The default install location is now C:\Flight Logs. We do not anticipate this 
will change in future releases. It will also place an icon on the desktop and
in the Start Up menu. The software will also now have an uninstall option 
available that will remove the database from your computer.

The new installation program will scan your computer for an installation of
Microsoft Access or the Access Runtime Module. If it is unable to locate 
either software product, it will prompt you to download and install the Access
Runtime Module.

The installation program will automatically take care of setting up a
Trusted Location for the installation location of the database.
   -------------------      -------------------       -----------------

Version 0.7.3 - ALPHA Release
15 March 2021

This is the seventh release of the Flight Logs Access database software. 
It should still be considered ALPHA level software and not for use in 
a production environment. 

This version of the database is being release while work continues on 
several programming areas and user documentation. This release 
includes a number of updates.

Installation Updates
Previous releases were done as simple Zip files, requiring the user to
unzip the file and determine where the various files should be stored.
With this release we are trying out a new Setup Program. This should
make the installation of the Flight Logs software just a bit easier on
the user. 

Programmatic Updates
 - Data Preferences
   In this release the "Set Trusted Location" option and "Compact and 
   Repair" option have been removed. The "Set Trusted Location" 
   feature is now included with the new Installation and Setup 
   software. Therefore it is no longer needed as part of the Preferences
   section. The "Compact & Repair" option is included as part of the
   database backup creation option.

 - Manufacturer's & Vendor's Form
   The two forms have been merged into a single form. Instead of having
   to enter in a company twice, only one entry is required and you can
   identify if a company is a manufacturer, a vendor, or both by 
   clicking on the checkboxes at the bottom of the form. 

 - Program Preferences
   You can assign an icon for the program and all of the forms in the
   software. This is done through the Program Preferences option.

 - Map Options
   There are several forms that allow you to pull up a map showing 
   the location (requires Internet access). In previous versions you
   were restricted to Google Maps. You can now select between Google,
   Bing, or OpenMaps. This is done through the Program Preferences 
   option.

 - Reports
   Version 0.7.3 and the upcoming Version 0.7.4 focus on the reports
   available in the database. Here we have a number of updates in 
   this release.

   - Reports Switchboard
     The Reports Switchboard underwent a major change. Instead of a 
     series of buttons, there is now a listing of all of the reports
     that are available. When a report is highlighted in the list, a
     description of that report is displayed at the bottom of the
     form.

   - Custom Reports
     At the bottom of Reports Switchboard is a new button labeled
     "Custom Reports". This option is available on the Fleet, Flight
     and Personnel tabs. When clicked it allows you to create your own
     set of custom reports. A Custom Report Designer allows you to 
     select the elements of the report along with the order they 
     appear in the report. Once you have the report created you can
     save it, along with a description of what the report displays, so
     you can use it multiple times.

     This is very much a work-in-progress. It is the reason for the delay
     in this version being released. Please let us know any issues you
     experience with this section of the software. We will continue to
     work on improving this section and updating the available options
     in future releases. For example, we are aware that the current release 
     does not perform the altitude or duration calculations, but only 
     provides the raw data.

   - Preference Reports
     A number of reports were added that will print out the preferences
     available in the database.  

 - Error Reporting
   The error reporting screen continues to be updated. In some situations it
   will now provide additional information on how you may be able to correct
   the error.

 - Help File
   The Help File continues to be updated as new sections are added to the 
   software.

What to Expect in the Next Release
Version 0.7.4 will be our next release. Again, the development of reports will
be the primary focus. It should feature several new NARTREK levels allowing 
the user to create additional NARTREK submission packages. 

We should be able to provide additional reports to help with the tracking your
fleet and your launches. We also should be adding additional reports to make
the Builder's Log and Maintenance Records more useful.

We will also be reviewing and updating the help file, and perhaps expanding it 
a bit to make it more useful.

Tell Us What You Think
This software is being designed and built for you, the model rocketeer.
Let us know how we can improve this software package. Visit us at our
web site at
     https://sites.google.com/view/austin-aerospace/
or through our SourceForge site at
     https://sourceforge.net/projects/flight-log/