Release notes 2018

Version 2.8.0, November 1st, 2018

We've added export of a timetable into a spreadsheet that can be opened, edited, printed, ... with popular tools such as LibreOffice Calc or Excel. The generated file contains three worksheets with separate timetables for class groups, teachers and rooms.

Other changes include:

Added page size settings for lists into local storage so that the selected values are remembered in the browser
Allowed associating configuration sets with read-only organisations

Bugfixes include:

Period time interpretation on the server sometimes incorrect
PDF export sometimes crashes
Subscription limitations not reflected in UI
Subscription limitations sometimes not enforced on the server

Version 2.7.0, October 21st, 2018

Export of cover data into report and summary spreadsheets has been added, accessible by single click from the Absences & cover list. The documents are generated based on templates, so user customization will be allowed in the future.

Bugfixes include:

Timetable PDF period times have server time zone instead of client time zone
PDF export crashes when there is an inactive class group with lessons
Lessons needing cover not appearing when cover assignment first opened for week 2 in multi-week scenario
Navigation sometimes broken after deleting all cover data for a week

Version 2.6.6, October 18th, 2018

Sorting in all tables has been enhanced, so that re-sorting by clicking a column name keeps the previous order for equal items. This is especially useful when sorting lessons, constraint breaks, etc.

Other changes include:

Added font size customization to the timetable PDF export
Clicking the "Up" arrow in lesson screen navigates back to the screen from which the lesson had been opened. Previously it would always take the user to the lesson's parent course, which was highly confusing.

Bugfixes include:

Lunch and transit icons not showing in timetable view unless lunch/transit are happening in the first week (for multi-week timetables)
Room filter not applied properly to constraint breaks when viewing a room timetable
Cancelling changes to timeslot availabilities sometimes doesn't bring back the original state

Version 2.6.5, October 11th, 2018

Timeslot availability is now restricted to multiples of 10 % for simpler user experience. Unavailable slots are also marked by a text label for easier recognition.

Other changes include:

Removed the somewhat confusing "approved timetable" feature from terms. Each timetable can now be published individually if desired.
Adjusted default penalty values for room preference constraints
Added auto-correction for course spread. This prevents entering invalid values.
Added auto-corrections for class group and teacher configuration. This greatly reduces the chance of entering invalid values, but some common sense is still required on the user side.

Bugfixes include:

Object sorting incorrect when some names look like decimal numbers
Class group period count incorrect when there are empty divisions
Parts of dropdowns sometimes appear underneath the header, making items unselectable
Cannot re-add a class group to a teaching group after adding and removing

Version 2.6.4, September 13th, 2018

This is a minor service release.

Bugfixes include:

Timetable creation and modification times incorrect after refresh
Room accepted subject not appearing in list when added
Computation module crashes when subgroup max gap duration or max gaps per day constraint is turned off
Teacher max lunch duration calculation sometimes incorrect

Version 2.6.3, August 22nd, 2018

This was more of a continuous series of untagged patches released as they were needed, so let's summarize them now.

Changes include:

Prevented TT wizard disabling room constraints in phase 1 of the optimisation for multi-campus scenarios. Sometimes a legal gap in the timetable is required that can only be achieved by campus transit, which is not possible when rooms aren't taken into account.

Bugfixes include:

Transit gap duration calculation sometimes off
Subgroup gap duration calculation sometimes off for complex scenarios with many divisions
Subgroup period difference constraint break fails teacher TT analysis
Unable to schedule lessons for sister subgroups when courses have different placement requirements
Course constraint break fails teacher TT analysis
Duplicate changed code causes error in XML import when the entity with the code in question also changes code
Intermittent JS error when loading TT snapshot
Classgroup division warning badges not placed correctly after switching tabs
Division lessons list sometimes contains duplicate entries

Version 2.6.2, July 31st, 2018

Changes include:

Added config set column to timetables list
Grouped together timetable warnings by type into collapsible sections
Added kind and placement columns to subjects list
Prevented running room algorithms when rooms are disabled
Prevented merging optimisation for subgroups that can be placed in different campuses
Generation algorithm preassigns preferred rooms to lessons

Bugfixes include:

Cannot navigate to a teaching group from a course top bar
Campus transit time not calculated correctly when subgroup is double-booked
Retrieving a room assigned to a split lesson sometimes not working correctly in multi-week scenarios
Class group undesired starting period sometimes causes teacher TT analysis to fail
Cannot add multiple subgroups from the same division to a teaching group

Version 2.6.1, July 10th, 2018

We've improved support for browsers other than Chrome. But Google Chrome is still the only officially supported browser, at least until WebAssembly adds support for threads.

Other changes include:

Added "virtual" flag for teachers. This should encourage using virtual teachers for various timetable aspects that can't be achieved otherwise.
Excluded disabled objects and virtual teachers from PDF export
Improved static data analysis with regard to minimum periods per day
Improved computation performance
Greyed out disabled items in menus

Bugfixes include:

Browser sometimes navigates to dashboard after XML import for no reason
Importing XML with manually changed organisation GUID corrupts database
Appearance in non-Chrome browsers is non-deterministic
Localisation doesn't work in date picker
Timetable wizard sometimes finishes and reports failure just before feasible solution is loaded
Clicking on a scheduled lesson to reopen it for editing doesn't work

Version 2.6.0, July 4th, 2018

Several features have been added by user request.

Changes include:

Added "Overview by day" option to timetable PDF export
Added placement option for courses. If selected, it overrides the subject placement.
Added option to specify whether a subject or course placement is required or not. A new constraint has been added to facilitate the new option.
Added more info about subject placement constraint breaks in health and fitness breakdown

Bugfixes include:

Clicking on a course constraint break doesn't change the timetable filter correctly
Computation module stops with an error under special circumstances

Version 2.5.0, June 29th, 2018

We've added configuration settings for transits between campuses, for both class groups and teachers. This allows users to specify whether full periods are granted for transits or just breaks of sufficient time between periods.

Other changes include:

Vastly improved ability of the computation module to satisfy required block spread constraints
Added option to move subgroups between divisions

Bugfixes include:

Campus transit time check doesn't work in special conditions
Building move count doesn't work in those same special conditions
Broken class group / subject table layout for new option block
Class groups and teachers imported from XML have zero speed coefficient
Duplicate teaching group codes sometimes appear in XML import

Version 2.4.2, June 22nd, 2018

This is a minor service release.

Changes include:

Improved import from RNDr. Červený Rozvrh XML
Clicking on organisation or term label in side navigation now navigates to the details, instead of collapsing the list

Bugfixes include:

Error dialog appears when timetable auto-save called while manual save is in progress during optimisation
Free trial subscription period calculated incorrectly
In some tables there are missing data and misaligned columns
Cannot open a course detail when no term is selected

Version 2.4.1, June 12th, 2018

This is a service release but still has a few new features:

Added button to add lessons from class group division screen
Added check for rooms available for a lesson to static analysis in Timetable creation wizard

Bugfixes include:

Changing lesson teacher doesn't reflect in teachers list stats
Cannot create lessons for a newly created subgroup in class group screen
Cannot navigate to member subgroup from teaching group screen
Cannot navigate to preferred room from entity screen
Cannot navigate to accepted subject from room screen
Cannot delete a previously opened constraint config set
Cannot delete currently opened constraint config set
Teaching groups and blocks lists intermittently show "No items for filter" when no filter specified

Version 2.4.0, June 3rd, 2018

It brings a quiet revolution in room assignment. It is now possible to schedule multiple lessons to the same room at the same time, up to its capacity. This multi-booking is optional on a per-room basis.

Other changes include:

Added "Not after gap" subject placement. You can use it for subjects that should not be taught after lunch.
A new calendar week is automatically opened when created

Bugfixes include:

Incorrect course information sometimes shown in lesson screen

Version 2.3.2, May 28th, 2018

A lot of UI glitches for mobile devices have been fixed to provide the smoothest possible Skolaris experience when you're on the road!

Changes include:

Improved layout of option block creation
Added recorded fitness to list of timetables on small screens
Added remarks to teacher absence creation
Added inner scrollbar to some right panels in TT view to prevent them from expanding the whole screen
Made visible lessons requiring cover in public TT view
Stretched classgroup/teacher/... creation dialog to full screen on small screens

Bugfixes include:

Subgroup screen contains incomplete information when a newly created subgroup is opened
Cannot create a subgroup with a code that a freshly deleted subgroup had had
Transit between campuses not recognized for an edge case of split lessons planned in sequence for class groups with more than two divisions
Information missing from lists of absences on small screens
Cannot create an absence after editing properties of another absence
Cannot approve a timetable in TT view

Version 2.3.1, May 18th, 2018

We've added several warnings for suspicious / invalid teacher and class group configuration settings.

Other changes include:

Added static timetable check for invalid maximum consecutive periods setting
The user is now taken to the course screen automatically after creating a new course

Bugfixes include:

Additional information such as number of lessons vanishes when a new class group / teacher / etc. is created in the list view
Cannot create a new class group if a class group with the same code had previously been created and deleted
Cannot delete a course with defined spread

Version 2.3.0, May 15th, 2018

We've added visual representation for lunch and transit between campuses. This should help with understanding and assessing the timetables by the users.

Other changes include:

Removed Facebook login support
Extended suggestions for problems found by the timetable creation wizard dynamic analysis

Bugfixes include:

Bad class group config setting interferes with teacher timetable analysis in TT wizard
Cannot import from Untis and ASc if data include preferred rooms
Campus transit time calculation sometimes allows unnecessary gap
Lesson constraints related to class groups sometimes evaluated incorrectly for split lessons

Version 2.2.0, May 5th, 2018

Cover management has been improved to allow selecting a cover type and entering remarks for each covered lesson We've also added sorting for all lists on small screens such as mobile phones.

Other changes include:

Added command to assign random colours to items in a list. This helps those who end up will monochrome items after import (e.g. from Edookit) or just don't like the current colours.
Improved Timetable creation wizard algorithm selection for finding a feasible timetable
Added option to send e-mail notification to the user when Timetable creation wizard finishes the optimisation
Improved timetable screen loading time

Bugfixes include:

Block required spread constraint not activated in XHSTT imported settings when necessary
Additional data missing after saving teaching group list modification with keyboard shortcut
Teacher day schedule overview not respecting "show class group names" visual setting
Tooltips not appearing for list side values on small screens

Version 2.1.3, April 30th, 2018

You'll see several new constraints in the list, which is a result of separating soft and hard variations for room preferences and block spreads to allow finer configuration and better break elimination. In other words, this is a minor change.

Other changes include:

Available rooms dropdown in Edit schedule dialog no longer shows rooms excluded by course room requirements, when "Show available only" is turned on

Bugfixes include:

Constraint name shows HTML code for Czech localisation in Constraint screen
In Assign cover screen the table with teachers available for cover is not showing day schedules clearly on small screens
Timetable control panel overlaps right panel on small screens

Version 2.1.2, April 22nd, 2018

A user interface has been added for course spread management. This had previously been exclusive to imports from the timetable benchmarking XHSTT data format. Now it becomes available to all users. The controlling constraint is Course: Spread.

Other changes include:

Reordered advanced section in navigation panel
Added graceful handling of unsupported browsers. Now everyone that can't open Skolaris should at least see a message to get a proper browser.
Reworded warning about free trial expiration

Bugfixes include:

Timetable creation wizard doesn't show critical warnings, just the Exit wizard button
Cannot tap items in dropdowns opened from toolbar on mobile devices
Navigation drawer scrolls down when opened

Version 2.1.1, April 15th, 2018

Timetable visualisation has been improved to properly align overlapping multi-period lessons. We've also fixed a security issue making it possible for the attacker to obtain the list of e-mail addresses of all users.

Other changes include:

User registration e-mail now uses the language selected at the time of registration
Updated warnings about incompatible browser or device
Added term wizard launch button to main term screen

Bugfixes include:

Visual glitch appears when dragging an unbooked split lesson
Maximum transits between campuses sometimes calculated incorrectly

Version 2.1.0, April 7th, 2018

There's a new constraint called Course clustering. When a course has more than one lesson in a day, this constraint makes sure those lessons form a united block - in other words, they're not separated by other lessons. This is particularly useful when multi-period lessons aren't desirable, for example because room changes are allowed for lessons in such blocks.

Other changes include:

Hid distracting tooltips for mobile devices
Grouped multiple lesson class groups and subgroups into icons in the lesson tile to prevent visual clutter
Added highlight for edited schedule
Prevented editing class group and teacher configurations while optimisation is running
Added delete button to lesson toolbar
Added clone button lesson menu. Previously this has only been available in the course screen.
Improved responsiveness of the popup viewer

Bugfixes include:

Menu button visible when creating a new term
Dashboard tile text overflows when class group name is too long
Some constraint names show HTML markup in fitness breakdown dialog
Saved fitness not available in list of timetables after refresh
Page layout not responding correctly to small screen
Subgroup not visible in tiles for split multiperiod unbooked lessons

Version 2.0.4, March 21st, 2018

Changes include:

Prevented guest user from importing XML
Synchronized header and main content UI transitions

Bugfixes include:

Cannot open a class group when no term is active
Javascript error in subgroup screen prevents correct display of a teaching group that includes another subgroup
Blank page displayed instead of welcome screen when navigating to login page via a hyperlink when already authenticated

Version 2.0.3, March 19th, 2018

Changes include:

Allowed deleting a lesson from the TT view
Added sliding animations for tabbed content

Bugfixes include:

Auto-save sometimes not working when optimisation finds a new best timetable
Preferred room weight not included in exported XML

Version 2.0.2, March 14th, 2018

Changes include:

Added Teacher lunch break max duration constraint. This is in line with the already existing constraint for subgroups.
Added some UI animations

Bugfixes include:

'Create new timetable' button on dashboard visible in read-only mode
Opening class group or teacher configuration from timetable view sometimes opens incorrect set
Listbox opened from top toolbar appears behind tabs

Version 2.0.1, March 5th, 2018

Skolaris passes the Lighthouse web app accessibility audit with a score of 97/100. This means, among other benefits, its suitable for use with screen readers for visually impaired users.

Changes include:

Prevented attempting room assignment in TT creation wizard when no rooms available
Added subject kind guessing to some XML imports
Prevented flickering of TT screen controls when opening
Improved app accessibility and load time as per Lighthouse audit
Added keyboard shortcuts for adding/removing day/period to the term screen
Added auto-calculation of period time when adding a new period in term screen, based on previous periods

Bugfixes include:

"Allow short day lunch break" class group setting not observed during optimisation
"Edit schedule" card shows incorrect finish time for multi-period lessons
JS error when changing a building of an existing room

Version 2.0.0, February 27th, 2018

The long wait is finally over. We will be presenting some of the new features in detail over the coming weeks. For now, here's a brief list of the most important changes:

User interface:

Used material design for a brand new, simplified and responsive UI
Made all text on coloured background compliant with W3C readability recommendations
Added customizable paging for tables
Added keyboard shortcuts for repetitive operations
Added simple lesson creation dialogs

Timetable editing:

Completely redesigned the timetable screen to leverage important controls and clarify all functions
Changed the way timetable quality is reported to users with new 'Health' and 'Fitness' easy-to-understand values
Added health and fitness breakdown with meaningful statistics for class groups and teachers
Added timetable snapshots for saving the state at any given moment
Added undo and redo for manual changes
Improved both static and dynamic data analysis in the timetable creation wizard and added suggestions on solutions for many common problems the analyses reveal

Configuration:

Removed over-complex subgroup configuration. The values were moved to class group configuration.
Simplified class group and teacher configuration, grouped together related values for easier setup.
Added simple mode for constraint configuration, masking physical constraints by grouping them into a few clear timetable aspects with three levels of importance the user can choose from

Room preferences:

Changed the way preferences are input and handled with simpler 'Weight' scale and a Required' toggle
Added overview of inherited preferences for a course

Campuses:

Added constraints for checking maximum daily transits between campuses for class groups and teachers

1.25.3, February 13th, 2018

It fixes a crash in PDF generation for timetables with schedules that have no room assigned.