• The Pet List can now be filtered by client postcode – this is intended to help with reports of lost animals.

• Added formal licensing – the Black Dog server only runs if a valid license is available. Note a given license, which applies to a unique PC, specifies an expiry date and a maximum number of clients that are permitted to connect to the server. The system automatically checks daily over the internet whether a new license (with a later expiry date) is available and if so this replaces the existing license. Note installations require a license both for the primary server and (if used) the emergency server – all such licenses are subjected to the daily check.

• Configuration option added which allows the check on the open invoice to be omitted when processing payments.

• Added automated software upgrade mechansism. The system automatically checks during the night for any new updates (for the Black Dog system only) – any available are downloaded but not installed.
  The server when closing checks whether there are any outstanding downloaded upgrades and if so prompts the user to install. Thus no changes are made without user knowledge.

• Added support for multiple images in a single ‘document’.

• Client templates now support new fields <DEFAULT_SMS> and <EMAIL>.

• The drug Dispensing Notes field (on the Dispensing and Clinical Notes tab of the drug details screen) has always been displayed when a label is being created. Additionally it is now displayed for non-dispensed drugs via a message box whenever the drug is added to an open invoice.

• System now prohibits the deletion of a pet with any clinical history.

• The scan mode (colour, greyscale, text) can now be set with unspecified as the default.

• A TO DO list facility has been added. This is intended to be used to note tasks that need to be carried out at or by certain time and date. Usage should be reasonably intuitive although the recurrence options may benefit from some explanation: when an item is marked as done the recurrence field controls whether a new to do item is automatically created or not. If a new item is created then the new item can be either a repeat of the old one or can be based on a to do template which allows a sequence of tasks to be created e.g. the first item in a sequence could be receptionist to check receipt of lab report, followed by vet to summarise received lab report on the pet’s clinical history, and finally vet to phone client with results.
  
  The status bar (bottom of window) indicates whether there are any overdue items, and on the TO DO screen itself (accessed by either double-clicking the relevant section of the status bar or locate within Office and Practice Admin) overdue items are coloured red, and those due in the near future orange.

• Pictures opened within the Black Dog system itself can now be printed directly.

• The message facility can now be secured: a permission level can be set for being able to read all messages (which by default is set to zero – all users can read all messages) – if the user enters their password and has sufficient permission level then the message screen will behave exactly as now (so for example system administrators will be able to read all messages).
  Otherwise the to filter box will be set to the user’s short name (as now by default) AND disabled so that it cannot be changed by the user.

• System prompts the user when DNR (do not restock) drugs are invoiced (unless known to be in stock).

• Empty takings periods can now be deleted – these arise when a takings period is mistakenly ended twice. To delete the second empty period, open the cashing up screen for the period, allow edits, and click the delete button. The system will not allow deletion of any period containing any transactions, petty cash entries or in fact any non-trivial information at all.

For further information re. version numbers etc. see the earlier post.