_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ / CDValet (TM), Version 3.01 \ \ (C) Copyright 1997, Greg Leichner, All rights reserved. / -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- July, 1997 CDValet was formerly known as EasyCD2 What's New in CDValet v3.00 & v3.01 ----------------------------------- New Features in CDValet: 1) Hey, if you haven't noticed yet, it's got a new name! 2) NT 4.0 support. CDValet now works on Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. 3) Support for querying the CDDBD servers via HTTP. Now if you can get to the Web, you can use CDValet to query the CDDBD servers, even if you are behind a firewall! 4) New support for submitting new entries to CDDB using MAPI. Now, if you run Microsoft Exchange for sending and receiving E-Mail, CDValet can use it to submit new entries without requiring direct access to an SMTP server. 5) Full integrated Windows help. All online documentation is now in Windows help format including popup help for the properties and options dialogs. 6) Multiple CD-ROM support. CDValet will now keep track of all CD-ROM drives in the system. 7) CD-ROM changer support. CD-ROM changers are supported under both Windows95 and Windows NT 4.0 based on proper CD-ROM driver implementation. 8) Random mode can cross multiple drives. CDValet can play a track on one drive and then randomly pick the next track from all audio CD's in the drives. 9) Volume control on CD Control Panel can now control any any volume mixer, i.e. main volume, CD volume, etc. 10) CD Control Panel now can display the CD title information or the time and drive status. 11) The CDValet CD database is now stored in it's own files instead of in registry. This could probably be put in the 'Bugs Fixed' list, but I see it as a feature. ;) 12) Auto server list download. CDValet will automatically download the most current Internet CDDB server list. It will never have an out dated server list again. 13) Auto category list download. CDValet will automatically download the most current CDDB category list. This list is not anticipated to change, but if it does... 14) CD entries can now include arbitrarily long 'extended' information for each CD and for each track. This can be used for information on conductors, composers, or lyrics. 15) CDDB revision number tracking (this is maintained internally for the Internet CDDB Servers to keep track of updates to titles). 16) CD Control panel now displays current CD-ROM drive. 17) Optional interactive popup status dialog. 18) New exit options for leaving CDValet running even if there are no CD's in the drive(s). 19) Query and submit operations can now be started from the main menus. 20) Can start CD Database Manager directly from the main menus. What's New In The CD Database Manager: 1) Full text search. You can now search the CDValet database for any text string. 2) CD Database Manager now uses a more sophisticated 'list view'. You can sort the list by ID, artist or title by selecting the column header, just like in the Explorer. 3) CD Database Manager shows entry source (Manual or CDDB) and submitted flag. The submitted flag shows that you have previously submitted the entry to CDDB. 4) CD Database Manager now has a built in backup and restore options. Now it is easy to backup the CD database so you can restore it later if you need to reload windows. Bug Fixes: 1) Found the cause of occasional corruption in the CDValet database. This would sometimes cause CDValet or the CD Database Manager to display an error message after trying to compact the database. 2) Fixed problem running CD Database Manager with empty database causing CD Database Manager to exit with an error message or to not start at all. 3) Volume selection now saved between startups. 4) Extended information is no longer truncated. 5) Fixed problem displaying '&' in popup menus. Previously, track titles that had an '&' in them would display them as '_' in the popup menus. 6) Installation script now has double quotes in the paths for correct operation with long file names. 7) Previous track button now re-starts current track with a single click and goes to previous track with a double click just like a real CD player. 8) Fixed the processing for a CDDB fuzzy response that sometimes caused the inability to download the selected entry (this would sometimes cause an infinite loop of fuzzy responses). 9) Editing of an track title in the properties dialog now behaves better with cut and pastes. 10) Only one copy of CDValet can run at a time. 11) Improved local CDDB query accuracy. The increased size of the local database was causing occasional incorrect lookups in the local database. The increased accuracy is, of course, at the expense of decreased a success rate. What Was New In Previous Versions --------------------------------- New Features In Version 2.20: 1) New CD database manager program. This new add-on program to CDValet provides for "off-line" viewing and editing of entries in the CDValet database. The database manager also allows you to export the CD entries to a standard "comma-delimited" text file for import into just about any commercial database program. 2) New time display options. You can now select from four time display options for the CD Control Panel and tray tip displays. These are: track time elapsed, track time remaining, disc time elapsed, disc time remaining. 3) Enhanced introduction play mode options. A new option has been added allow you to automatically play the middle of each track for a specified period of time. 4) The track times and CD total play time are now stored in CDValet's database. This allows the user to view the CD times in the CD database manager and export the times along with the title information. 5) The popup menu available on the CD Control Panel now has more of the menu options that were previously only available from the tray icon menu. This allows the user to perform the same operations from either menu. 6) The CDDB server list has been updated to reflect the most recent list of active CDDB servers. The changes are listed below: New Servers smurfy.tcimet.net - East Lansing, MI, USA cddb.dartmouth.edu - Hanover, NH, USA cddb.westel.hu - Hungary Removed Servers cddb.delphi.com - Lowell, MA, USA Bug Fixes In Version 2.20: 1) Repaired the CDDB ID generation in CDValet. Previous versions of CDValet generated incorrect CDDB ID's for many CD's. This has been corrected in this version. Please read important announcements about CDValet version 2.21 in the file 'Notice.txt'. 2) Fixed a couple of file content errors in the entries submitted to CDDB from CDValet. Please read important announcements about CDValet version 2.21 in the file 'Notice.txt'. 3) When toggling the CD Control Panel "Always On Top" attribute, you previously needed to exit and restart CDValet for the change to take effect. This has been fixed. 4) All popup dialogs now have appropriate tab orders set for all components. New Features In Version 2.10: 1) Full support for the remote CDDB server "fuzzy" search. This greatly increases the success rate for finding your particular pressing of a CD. CDValet displays a new dialog when the CDDB server returns that a possible match was found. The dialog displays the list of possible matches. You select the CD you are currently playing from the list and CDValet retrieves the information for that CD from the CDDB server. 2) The "CD Control Panel" now contains a fully integrated volume control. No more looking around someplace else when you really want to crank it up for your favorite song! In addition to the volume control, CDValet has a small volume indicator AND if you click on the volume indicator it's a "Mute" button! 3) Improved tray icon functions. You can now use the tray icon for selecting the next and previous tracks in addition to being able to pause the CD. A single-click on the icon is Pause, a double-click is Next Track and a triple-click is Previous Track. 4) A new exit option. This option allows you to either stop the CD player when you exit CDValet or to leave the CD playing. 5) Enhanced Introduction Play mode. The Introduction Play mode now has unlimited offset and unlimited duration settings. 6) The CD control panel has a new improved layout to include the volume controls and also has new easier to see buttons. Bug Fixes in Version 2.10: 1) The CDDB server error: "Server handshake error #500" has been fixed. This was caused by Windows95 user names or computer names that had spaces in them, such as "Greg H. Leichner" or "My Computer". 2) Various errors connecting to some SMTP servers have been fixed. CDValet is now compatible with the vast majority of SMTP protocol implementations. 3) The problem when initially connecting to the CD player(s) that resulted in the message "Unable to find audio cd on any players in system." or the message "CD player has already been opened by another application. Exit the other application before running EasyCD." has been fixed. 4) The CD Information dialog now behaves better when typing in the track titles. The 'Enter' key can now be used to complete the current track entry, and it will the automatically go to the next track. No more: type, type, type, grab mouse, click, back to keyboard, type, type, type.