History of Helena


Helena 1.5.2 (August 2011)

(Autowork)

1. [Minor UI update] Several minor updates on tip and status information.

 

Helena 1.5.1 (June 2011)

(Scheduler)

1. [Fixed the bug that Clock Synchronization ran into error] The international atomic clock time server failed unexpectedly recently, which caused Scheduler's Clock Synchronization failed to function properly. In this version, we added 10+ backup time servers, so as long as your computer can properly connect to the Internet, you will never have to worry about the re-emergence of this problem.

 

Helena 1.5 (April 2011)

(Autowork)

1. [New: File System Instructions] The File System Instructions group is enabled.  Instructions in this group include Run (Program), Open, New, Cut, Copy, Paste, Create Shortcut, Delete, Rename/Move and Properties. They are the typical file system commands you can use in Windows Explorer's context menu.

2. [New: VME context menu] A context menu was added for the instruction list in Visual Macro Editor.

3. [New: Edit macro source file] When you edit a macro with Visual Macro Editor (VME). you can click the Source button at the bottom left of VME to edit its plain-text script file. After you save changes and close this file, VME will prompt you to accept changes and load it into VME.

4. [Errors and Warnings] There were only errors in previous macro validation report. Now some of the Errors are categorized as Warnings. You cannot run a macro with errors, but you still can run a macro only with warnings. An instruction with a warning may have some kind of problem(s), but it may also go through at run-time. You'd better look into it individually.

5. [Macro Properties: Apply current screen size] When the screen size of the macro is not the same as the current screen size, you will see a button at the right of the screen size parameters, by clicking which you can conveniently set macro screen size as the current screen resolution.

6. [Visual Instruction Editor: "Planned" mark for unused instruction type] If an instruction type still haven't been implemented, you will see the text Planned after the type name.

7. [Other bug fixes and improvements] Other bug fixes and improvements, especially within VME, where appropriate.

 

(Scheduler)

1. [Clear and Stop Countdown] With this new command in the Scheduler menu or context menu, you can clear and stop a pending or paused countdown schedule. Its shortcut key is Ctrl+L.

 

Helena 1.4.1 (April 2010)

(Scheduler)

1. [Various bug fixes] Fixed some bugs involved in the creation, listing, running of monthly/yearly schedules, in the layout of monthly/yearly scheduling dialog boxes and in the creation, running and listing of randomization, etc.

 

Helena 1.4 (March 2010)

(Autowork & Scheduler)

1. [Support for non-admin user accounts] Due to the restriction of non-administrator user accounts from accessing many disk files and entries in the Windows Registry, in previous versions, our products were not allowed to run without administrator's permission. To enhance the experience of some users that frequently use non-admin accounts on Windows, from this version on, Helena (including Autowork and Scheduler) begins to support non-admin users. However, restrictions on non-admin users would not be removed simply because we support this type of user account. Please only operate on files or registry entries you have privilege on. You are still suggested to use our product with a user account with administrative permissions.

 

Helena 1.3.5 (March 2010)

(Scheduler)

1. [New schedule type - Yearly schedules] A new schedule type - Yearly schedule - is now available. You can now add important days of the year, such as the birthdays of some VIPs, holidays and anniversaries. You can optionally set the reminding date at 1 or 2 days before that important date so you can have enough time to prepare for it.

2. [Large screen enhancement] More and more people are using large-screen monitors. The recommended minimum screen resolution for Scheduler is now 1024*768. However, you can still use it with an 800*600 screen if you want. When Scheduler is started, it detects your screen resolution and decides an optimized main UI layout accordingly, so you will automatically have a more spatial and comfortable main UI if you start Scheduler at a resolution of 1440*900 than at 1024*768. If you change the screen resolution on the fly, you will need to change your UI language to another one and then switch back to activate this UI adjustment. Many dialog boxes have also been enlarged for you to have a comfortable view.

3. [Alerts] You will be notified when the target program does not exist any more or failed to run for some reason.

4. [Other improvements] Other improvements and bug fixes.

 

(Autowork & Scheduler)

1. [Major function update: improvement on Windows Vista/7 compatibility] Multiple compatibility updates for the Windows Vista/7 operating system. Some were fixed, others, which cannot be fixed due to Vista/7's special nature, are prompted with instructions and alternatives when they appear.

2. [UI string update] We updated Chinese UI strings based on localization standards.

 

Helena 1.3.2 (February 2008)

(Scheduler)

1. [Bug fix] Fixed a bug that a countdown schedule may crash under certain situation.

 

Helena 1.3.1 (December 2007)

(Scheduler)

1. [Function improvement: suspension of a countdown schedule] Now we can pause (suspend) a countdown schedule. In the previous versions, we can only temporarily suspend a countdown schedule when we are editing the schedule and it will instantly resume after we finish editing. Now this suspension becomes global - it will be kept paused after we exit the edit UI or even the program. Besides pausing/continuing a countdown schedule in its edit UI, we can also pause/continue a countdown schedule with a command in the main menu, or with a similar command in the context menu, or with the hot key Ctrl+P. Now with this great new feature, we can suspend a long countdown job in the mid when we need a short or long break, so the continuous countdown for a job over days can be under control.

 

(Autowork & Scheduler)

1. Some UI text/documentation improvements.

 

Helena 1.3 (December 2007)

(Autowork & Scheduler)

1. [Major function update: improvement on Vista compatibility] Multiple compatibility updates for the Vista operating system. Some were fixed, others, which cannot be fixed due to Vista's special nature, are prompted with instructions and alternatives when they appear.

2. [Updates: product updates] New version auto-detection and download is supported in our past versions. Now we change it into an option, so a user fond of and fairly experienced in some specific version can keep using that specific version without being prompted day and day to update when a newer version is available. Fixed the bug that sometimes the Download Now button is not enabled properly.

3. Multiple other bug fixes, updates and improvements.

 

Helena 1.2.1 (June 2007)

(Autowork)

1. [Bug fix] Fixed the bug that the prompt before running a macro was not complete.

2. [Improvement] The prompt before running a macro is now suppressed for macro launched by Scheduler.

 

(Autowork & Scheduler)

1. Documentation update: Some documentation update.

 

Helena 1.2 (May 2007)

(Autowork & Scheduler)

1. Bug fix (data directory): Sometimes the data directory couldn't be opened; sometimes modification of the data directory in the Options dialog box does not work.

2. Bug fix (auto-update): Automatic update did not work since we moved back to the current web site.

 

(Autowork)

1. [Compatibility] Enhanced Windows Vista support.

2. [Bug fix] Fixed the bug that Autowork does not fully exit on some OSes.

3. Some other bug fixes and improvements.

 

(Scheduler)

1. Support standby and hibernation: Standby and hibernation are added to the list of "Special Windows operations".

2. Enhanced system compatibility: Special improvements on Vista compatibilities; various other compatibility improvements in the program and documentation.

3. Improvements on randomization: Multiple improvements on randomization.

4. Bug fix (password): Sometimes you couldn't change the password and changing password will remove all existing items.

5. Documentation update: full language proofreading; test and maintenance of all links; description on how to open or close the dial-up network; multiple other improvements and updates on documentation.

6. Other bug fixes and improvements.

 

Helena 1.2 Beta2 (August 2006)

(Autowork)

1. [Bug fix] Fixed the bug that Autowork does not fully exit on some OSes.

 

(Autowork & Scheduler)

1. [Bug fix] Fixed the bug that sometimes you cannot open a directory with special characters in the path.

2. [Bug fix] Fixed the bug that you cannot move User Data Directory within the options dialog box.

3. [Bug fix] Fixed the bug that sometimes you cannot change your password.

4. [Bug fix] Fixed the bug that new edition check failed in the new site.

5. [Documentation update] Overall documentation update.

 

Helena 1.2 Beta (January 2006)

(Scheduler)

1. Schedule randomization -- it is a new tab with which you can add randomized effect to an existing schedule.

2. Clock synchronization -- it can adjust your computer clock time according to the time provided by a world standard atomic clock.

3. Optional delay for At Logon schedule -- now you can delay an At Logon task for up to 1440 minutes (24 hours) for more flexibility.

4. Run-time switch for Log Off/Reboot/Shut Down -- you can now switch between Log Off/Reboot/Shut Down at the final prompting period before these tasks actually performed, and you can even save change at that critical time. It's more convenient than before.

5. Fixed the bug that repeating tasks start at a slighter different time than the proper time.

6. Multiple other bug fixes.

 

Helena 1.1.1 (June 2005)

(Scheduler)

1. Fixed the bug that sometimes User Data Directory cannot be properly created.

 

Helena 1.1 (May 2005)

(Autowork)

1. Added some background music effects.

(Scheduler)

1. Fixed some bugs such as the program will crash when switching enable/disable status for a task.

2. Changed default sound from beep to mid or wav music.

3. Added some carefully selected mid and wav background music files in the installation pack.

 

Helena 1.0.6 (April 2005)

1. Fixed some bugs related to the editing of initial data.

2. Fixed some bugs related to the editing of macro instructions.

3. Fixed the bug in installation that the default installation folder for a newer version may be directed to the installation folder of an older version if there is an older version still not uninstalled in your system.

4. Many other minor bug fixes, refinements and updates in program, UI and documentation.

 

Helena 1.0.4 (March 2005)

 (Autowork)

1. Fixed some bugs related to macro password setting or encrypted macro.

2. Refinement for Quick Bar Item Editor.

3. Documentation update.

 (Scheduler)

1. Fixed minor bugs in program.

2. Documentation update.

 

Helena 1.0.3 (March 2005)

 (Autowork)

1. The UI of VME changed from a fixed-size UI to a resizable UI.

2. Code optimization within VME.

3. Fixed some bugs in UI (in VME and Control Panel) and installation.

4. Documentation update.

 

Helena 1.0.2 (February 2005)

 (Autowork)

1. Speed adjustment - user can now adjust running speed of a macro from 5% to 2000% (1/20 - 20 times) of its original speed. This option can be set in the Macro Properties dialog box. 

2. Documentation refinements. 

3. Various minor bug fixes.

 

Helena 1.0.1 (January 2005)

 (Autowork)

1. Optional mergence to key stroke, click and double click in recording - Now when recording a macro, user can choose to merge recorded press and then release of a keyboard key into a key stroke, and can merge the press and release of mouse button into a mouse click, and merge 2 continuous pairs of mouse button down and up into a double click. This kind of merge can reduce the size of the recorded macro and increase readability of a macro. The default setting is on for all these options. The options can be set at the Record Tab in the Options dialog box.

2. Autowork can now write back into a system/hidden/read-only macro file upon user's agreement.

3. Some other minor bug fixes.

4. Our new temporary web site (www.speedy7.com) now started to work during the time when our main site (www.speedy7.com) is within the period of server maintenance.

 

Helena 1.0 Beta 7.2 (January 2005)

1. (Anasoft Scheduler) Removed the limitation of maximum 4 schedules for unregistered users during the 30 day long evaluation period.

 

Helena 1.0 Beta 7.1 (January 2005)

1. Fixed the problem that some language packs cannot load properly.

2. Some refinements in documentations.

 

Helena 1.0 Beta 7 (January 2005)

1. First formal public release.

2. All basic parts for the instruction engine have been complete at this version - user action recording and replaying, command line command, sleep, repeat control, debugging control.

3. Completed the documentation work up to this version.

4. Increased loading speed for a non-embedded language. Now the loading speed can be satisfactory for most users of a non-embedded language UI.

5. Countless other minor bug fixes and refinements.

6. Anasoft Studio Product Forum (http://www.speedy7.com/forum) has been available. Our users have a new place to seek for help and resources.

 

Helena 1.0 Beta6 (December 2004)

1. Semi-public release in a small range.

2. First basic running engine.

3. Basic structure for Autowork's documentations.

4. User Data Directory support. User will be advised to save all important user data files under the new User Data Directory, which is outside of the installation directory of the product. So important user data can be kept during product update or after the product was uninstalled.

5. Fixes and refinement for UI and multi-language UI related problems.

 

Helena 1.0 Beta 4-5 (April 2003 - August 2004)

1. In-depth work on Autowork code editing engine.

2. Increased loading speed for non-embedded UI resources.

 

Helena 1.0 Beta 3 (January 2003)

1. First edition of Scheduler, as an independent scheduling tool and partner program for Autowork.

 

Helena 1.0 Beta 2 (August 2002)

1. Basic UI structure for Autowork finished.

2. Project management documentation jobs.

3. Writing several tools for the development of Autowork.

 

Helena 1.0 Beta 1 (April 2002)

1. Autowork project started.