RELEASE NOTES IMS Utility Billing Version 6.280 11:11AM Jun/29/2012 Billing Message Anomaly Corrected: ---------------------------------- When the length of a message to be printed on utility bills was greater than 255 characters the 256th character would be skipped. Alphabetic Book Number Support: ------------------------------- The current balance report now supports alphabetic book numbers in the breakdown by book. Meter Reading History Report Enhanced: -------------------------------------- Improvements were made to the report at File, Customers, Change, Record tab, Print Account. When printing meter reading history, the number of readings was previously limited to 126. If the account had more readings than the limit some readings would be omitted between the bottom of the left column and the top of the right column. The number of readings printed is now unlimited, and no readings are omitted at column breaks. A control was added to allow limiting the number of readings to be printed. Leaving it blank will allow printing all readings for all meters. Note also that the number field on the options window applies to the transaction history, not the meter history. (That has not changed.) Consumption Averaging Change: ----------------------------- Preview meter readings are now ignored when computing average consumption. Second Meter Sheet Format Added: -------------------------------- A new meter sheet form was added at Reports, Standard Reports, Meter Sheets, Landscape. It is printed in landscape format to allow room for additional columns, and includes additional filter options. Bill Form Adjusted: ------------------- The text on the right hand side of the return stub was moved down one line (.167 inch) to allow for variations in the location of the perforation line. This change was made to form Letter Laser 2 only. Logging Error Corrected: ------------------------ False beginning balance error messages were added to the activity log when customer charges were edited. Comment Print Control Fixed: ---------------------------- The Include Comments control at File, Customers, Change, Record tab, Print Account was inoperative. If any comments for the customer existed they would print even if the Include Comments control was unchecked. Email Bill Options Increased: ----------------------------- When the Email and PDF Bills options are installed, users now have account level control of whether bills are printed or emailed. Previously this control was based on whether the account had an email address. Now it is possible for a customer to have an email address but receive a printed bill. Also added was support for runs of mixed email and printed bills. The previous options of generating only email bills or only printed bills are still available. Activity Logging Enhanced: -------------------------- If Activity logging is enabled, additional accuracy checks are now made when adding or editing transactions, and any errors found are added to the activity log. Installation: ------------- If this version is to be installed on a Vista or Windows 7 system where UAC will be used, the following procedure is recommended: Before installing this version, start UB and go to Setup, Configuration and set Data File Path to where the data files are currently located, even if it is currently the same folder as where the programs reside. (If the programs and data are in the same folder the Data Path will probably be blank.) Click on OK and exit UB. Install this version of UB to the directory where the UB data files are located so the data can be converted. Once Utility Billing has been started and the data files converted, you may exit from UB and move programs and/or data as required to adhere to the requirements for UAC, including copying ub.ini from the Windows directory to c:\Users\Public\Public Documents\IMS\UB. Future versions of install packages will address the dual location issue so the post-installation moving of files will not be required. If installing to a Windows XP system or if UAC is disabled none of the above procedures are necessary. Install as for previous versions. Transfers from this version of Utility Billing will require General Ledger version 4.506 or later. All UB data files that have been changed since the version being replaced will be automatically converted from any version back to 6.14. Be aware that the space required by the database tends to grow with subsequent versions, and that prior versions of changed data files are saved from each subsequent version. Be sure there is enough free disk space before starting UB. This release requires the Pervasive SQL database. Compatibility Requirements: --------------------------- General Ledger: 4.506 or later. Inventory Work Order: 2.210 or later.