New update for azzCardfile 5 is released – version 5.0.4.
* Export to html
* Scan hypertext (find a button in the bottom of Card properties Task panel)
* Paste as text item in ribbon menu
* Export to Android (.azzdbs) fixed, apk file updated
* Many fixes and small improvements
Other fixes are in progress, version 5.0.5 will be released soon with more improvements.
Dear azzCardfile users,
New update for azzCardfile 5 is released – version 5.0.3.
Version 4 and 5 license files compatibility is fixed*.
Card background color imports from version 4 properly now.
Other bug fixes and small improvements.
Other fixes are in progress, version 5.0.4 will be released soon with automatic hyperlink detection and other improvements.
Thank you for support.
If you didn’t find the appropriate answer, or you’d like to comment on the program, submit suggestions for future releases or report what you think is a bug, please click Help on azzCardfile menu and select Email to author. Do not change Subject line – you will lose priority E-mail support. Be precise: include the azzCardfile and Windows versions in your message. Describe in detail what steps you take and what happens (or does not) and exactly what error messages you get.
I apologize that I cannot reply to each message (requests from registered users seeking support have a priority), however, I can assure that all of them will be taken into consideration. My apologies for the delay in replying. Many of messages require urgent response; some of them demand time for considering the matter.
Those who have difficulties communicating by email, can fill azzCardfile support form. It is not as reliable as default way.
* – in version 4 you activate license file azzCardfileLicense.txt. After clicking “Import License File” button, a special encrypted file azzCardfileLicenseEncrypted.lic is created in “C:\ProgramData\azzCardfile” folder.
Version 4 checks this encrypted file.
If version 5 finds this azzCardfileLicenseEncrypted.lic file, a link to upgrade appears in “Help | About”.
Version 5 license file registration is different: when you activate license file azzCardfile5-License.txt, it is just copied to “C:\ProgramData\azzCardfile” folder.
There was a bug in version 5.0.1..2 – during version 4 detection, azzCardfileLicenseEncrypted.lic file was changed, and version 4 did not recognize it later (this zip error).
This bug id fixed in version 5.0.3.
Happy New Year!
Best regards,
Antanas
www.azzcardfile.net
Dear azzCardfile users,
After a long testing I decided to release final version 5 as it is now.
There are still things left to fix, but many testers are already using this new version, it works in most cases.
I would like to improve it more before the release, but that development could take forever.
Therefore, I would appreciate it if you could accept azzCardfile version 5 as it is, try to install it, try to use it, and report me about issues. There will be many more improvements, I will publish updates regularly.
To upgrade to the new version, I suggest the following steps:
1. Do not uninstall previous versions of azzCardfile. Versions 4 and 5 may co-exist on the same system. Data files are different and do not change each other.
2. Download newest version from https://www.azzcardfile.net/#download
3. Run installation file. Give all necessary Windows permissions during the installation. (It is hard to get necessary certifications, but I am working on that).
Possible solutions if there were problems with the installation:
a. Run installation file as Administrator
b. Make sure the installation file is on your local drive (not in the network)
c. Temporary remove sample.azzdb file from \Documents\azzCardfile Files\
d. If you have version 5 beta, uninstall it
e. Turn off Controlled Folder Access (Windows Security | Virus & threat protection | Virus & threat protection settings | Controlled folder access | off)
f. If none of these solutions worked, write me, and wait for the fix. Let me know your Windows version, what error messages you get (send screenshots)
4. After you installed azzCardfile version 5 successfully and run it first time, you will get to Sample file. Check how the program works. Do not put your important data in this sample file, use other files for that.
5. Import your existing data to the new version.
Make a backup of these files first (do this often, not just following these steps). After that try “File | Open”, select “old azzCardfile files” in the list near “File name” input box. A new file will be created with extension .azzdb. Use this file in future, not original .azz (or .azzx). If you have a link to the original file somewhere (e. g. on the Desktop), update this link or create a new one.
Possible issues importing data files:
a. It can take a long time to import a file (1-2 seconds each card). This is one-time process, new .azzdb files will open fast then.
b. If you get error message like “not valid zip file” or something like that, try to open this file with version 4 (just double-click on this .azz file if you uninstall azzCardfile version 4). If you get same error message in version 4 program, this file is corrupted. Find how to fix it in https://www.azzcardfile.net/faq. If you can open this file in version 4, try “File | Save As” and select “uncompressed azz file” in “Save as type” box. Then try to open resulting .azzx with azzCardfile version 5. Let me know, if it didn’t help.
6. After importing all data successfully, check the functionality and convenience of the new version. Enjoy new features, let me know if you missed something that was in the old version.
7. If the new version does not meet your needs at all, you can easily revert new files to old version (File | Export | azzCardfile version 4), use the resulting files with azzCardfile version 4 and uninstall azzCardfile version 5.
8. After testing new version longer time, if you like it, register (upgrade).
I want to thank everyone who helped release azzCardfile version 5 with their notes, comments, language corrections (my English is terrible) and everyone who will continue to send useful suggestions, write about the bugs they find. Soon I will start sending free licenses to the most active testers.
Best regards,
Antanas
Version 5.0 beta 12 is ready for testing.
Download link: https://www.azzcardfile.net/dl/azzCardfile_50_b12_Setup.exe
Most improvements are done by your feedback, thank you very much for support.
What is new:
What next:
It is pre-release version, next will be final.
After publishing final version, I will concentrate on azzCardfile Android application.
Thank you for testing,
Antanas
Version 5.0 beta 11 is ready for testing. Most improvements are done by your feedback, thank you very much for support.
What is new:
• Fixed importing azz version 4 files issues.
• Improved popup menus.
• Improved encryption:
azzdb files are encrypted by default using aes-256 cipher algorithm which provides top strong confidentiality and Integrity. However, this happens at the price of a certain performance reduction, especially for a large database.
If azzCardfile is running slowly after encryption, try to encrypt it using alternative encryption mode.
The aes-ecb cipher algorithm provides comparably weak confidentiality and no Integrity. However, it has the best performance across other encryption modes and is secure enough in most of cases.
• Created a choice of cards selection for printing and exporting (current, selected, all, titles only)
• Small improvements and bug fixes.
Now azzCardfile 5 has almost all functionality, next version will be final or pre-release.
Dear azzCardfile beta testers,
Version beta-10 released for Windows.
Most improvements are done by your feedback, thank you very much for support.
What is new:
• Faster search, including Advanced search
• Task panel resizable now
• Tabs can be aligned to left, right, top, bottom (Tools | Options | View | Groups)
• Cards can be assigned to the groups by menu (right click on the list)
• Set color to multi selected cards
• Some bidirectional text in cards improvements (for Arabic and Hebrew script) – need to test (Options | General | Bidirectional mode)
• Some bugs fixed
• Some bugs added (hopefully not too much)
Now azzCardfile 5 has almost all functionality, next version will be final or pre-release.
Thank you for your interest in azzCardfile.
Visit https://www.azzcardfile.net/beta for more information and download.
o Read and comment azzCardfile author’s blog
o Join azzCardfile Facebook group and discuss with author and other users
o Visit azzCardfile in Facebook
Best regards,
Antanas
www.azzcardfile.net
Version beta-9 released for Windows.
Added:
Now azzCardfile 5 has almost all functionality, next version will be final or pre-release.
Download: azzCardfile version 5 beta
Version beta-8 released for Windows.
Added: advanced search, default formatting. Some bugs fixed
Download: azzCardfile version 5 beta
Version beta-7 released for Windows.
Spell checker added. Some bugs fixed.
Download: azzCardfile version 5 beta
New spell checker added to azzCardfile-5 beta 7. More than 30 languages supported.
Windows application version 5.0 beta 6 ready for testing.
Download it from azzCardfile beta site.
Besides some bug fixes (mostly related to grouping) and UI improvements, one important feature added – pictures compressing.
Out of memory (RAM) related azzCardfile problem was my headache for a long time. Cards in a file get so big in bytes not because of many cards or text in cards, but because of pictures and other objects inside the cards. Initially I didn’t think, that azzCardfile will be used as photo album, but many users do it and I get many complaints about that.
Earlier versions of the program were loading entire file for fast search and other operations with cards, therefore cardfiles with hundreds of pictures becomes gigabytes in size and didn’t load at all.
azzCardfile version 5 has advanced data base engine and can operate with huge amounts of data without “out of memory” issues. The problem seems to have been resolved, however, operations with large files began to be very slow.
I am working on reducing memory occupying by pictures (usually photos) in the cards. Most pictures made by camera are too big to fit in the screen, so, after inserting, it is necessary to shrink them manually by dragging picture’s corner. However, this do not change actual image size in bytes and file size remains huge.
In newest version (azzCardfile 5 beta 6) I have made an option to shrink picture dimensions during insertion to the card (by “insert picture” menu, pasting, or dropping from Windows explorer). Find this option in a new Pictures tab in Options. Default value is 800 pixels width, which should be enough for viewing photo in the card, if you don’t want to enlarge it later. This works on jpg, gif, bmp, tiff files (so far png files are distorted by this operation, therefore png files are ignored, I will try to fix this later).
Default value is 800 pixels width, which should be enough for viewing photo in the card, if you don’t want to enlarge it later. This works on jpg, gif, bmp, tiff files (so far png files are distorted by this operation, therefore png files are ignored, I will try to fix this later). Besides picture dimensions shrinking, you can reduce photos even more by applying jpeg compression. It works only on jpg files and can distort colors, if compress too much (I don’t recommend to use less 50% rate).
Besides picture dimensions shrinking, you can reduce photos even more by applying jpeg compression. It works only on jpg files and can distort colors, if compress too much (I don’t recommend to use less 50% rate).
I suggest to try these options – insert a picture when both options unchecked, and again with checked. If applied shrinking and jpeg compression do not change picture quality, keep options checked and your file size will not grow so fast.
Picture above is inserted with options unchecked. It takes about 10 MB of file size. Picture below inserted with applying default options. It takes about 0.1 MB.
Typical picture made with modern camera inserted with options unchecked can take about 10 MB of file size. Applying default options it can shrink to about 0.1 MB.
You can compress all existing pictures in the file by selecting “File | Tools | Compress pictures”. Try this on a large file, see the differences, but keep a copy of original file, if compressed pictures quality is not enough good. Experiment with other options figures to find optional. It should be interesting for me to read your impressions and suggestions.
Tip for those who want to continue using older version 4, but are suffering from that “out of memory” problem:
It is temporary solution, because file will continue to grow fast after adding more pictures to it. Hopefully this can help before stable version of azzCardfile version 5 release.