• joe
  • Administrator
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  • Registered: 03/15/2007
  • Posts: 5,085

Topic: Release 2.4 beta

Announcement

This is a preliminary FrontAccounting ERP 2.4 Beta release.

This version provides a couple of new important features (in addition to all the
features merged from latest 2.3.24 release), but main development effort was
focused on internal architecture changes and cleanups to make future FA development
easier. Please keep in mind the application in current beta stage is only rougly
tested, so installation on production servers is not recommended yet. Until final
2.4.0 version both software API and database scheme are subject to smaller changes.

At the time of release most of optional extension modules available from central
extensions repo has been also ported to 2.4 and should be mostly usable.

Due to deep changes made under the hood, we highly encourage all current FA 2.3 users
to make test upgrades on a copy of your working installation connected to separate database
filled with your real company data. This will allow us find and fix any possibl
upgrade issues before final 2.4 release. Please report any bugs/problems found via our
Mantis Bugtracker at http://mantis.frontaccounting.com.

Download instructions

In Sourceforge FrontAccounting, select
Files -> FrontAccounting 2.4 ->2.4.beta.

For Windows users select the zip file. For all other users select the tar.gz file.

Common

  • Added full UTF-8 support with per-company selectable collation, and automatical convertion
    with charset repair from earlier FA versions during upgrade.

  • Added attachment link after most popular entry forms

  • Added support for png and gif item images.

  • Changed hardcoded date range in inquiries (30) to be a user preference.

  • Additional separate permission level allowing other user's transactions edition.

  • New mysql/mysqli driver implemented. Uses mysqli driver from php version 5.5.

  • Many global variables from config.default.php has been moved to GL Setup, Company Setup and Display Setup.

  • Cleanup: removed all closing tags in php files.

  • Switching all MyISAM tables to InnoDB to ensure better db consistency.

  • Added stub for database query profiling.

  • Rewritten upgrade procedures now allow additional upgrade parameters selections.

  • Multiply cleanups in db scheme: removed obsolete fields, optimized some fields type.

  • Improved journal trans: added currency support, tax and source document date. Allowed multiply customer/supplier
    allocations to single journal transaction.

  • Transaction references extended with parametrized patterns, initial transaction reference patterns set to {001}/{YYYY}.

Sales

  • Legal text field in Company Setup increased to a text field.

  • Implemented sale in prepayment mode (invoices are issued for customer partial payments, as opposite to partial deliveries)

  • Removed sparse fields contact_name,disable_trans from cust_branch, added branch bank account field on customer entry form.

  • Salesman Report: fixed bug in provision calculation, Sales Persons: changed break point definition to turnover level.

  • Improved recurrent orders feature: added invoice date and memo edition, additional checks for proper nvoice generation.

Purchasing

  • Default Receival Days setting added in System and GL Setup.

  • Added possibility to assign payments against orders (to be reallocated to invoices later).

  • Added exchange rate field in grn_batch.

  • Added dimension edition on purchase invoice entry.

Items and Inventory

  • Added 'no_purchase' option for items (with default value set in stock category).

  • Inventory Adjustment: removed obsolete increase/descrease selector from entry form (negative quantities can now be entered
    just with minus sign).

  • Removed obsolete Movement Types handling.

Bank and General Ledger

  • Bank deposit/payment edition added.

  • Setting customer/supplier currency bank account in payment / deposit forms.

  • Rewitten document reports layout for easier modifications, support for multiply payment services.

  • Implemented journal entries with multiply virtual AR/AP subaccounts.

  • Shipping tax is now defined per tax group as set of selected tax type(s).

  • Bank charges posting can be now cutsomized using Bank Charges Account in bank account settings.

  • Added memo and usage fields in Quick Entries.

  • From: Singapore, India, Chennai
  • Registered: 05/02/2009
  • Posts: 6,089

Re: Release 2.4 beta

@joe: Stating Minimum and Recommended PHP/MySQL versions for FA 2.4 and ini/conf parameter values would be useful.

apmuthu's Website

  • joe
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 03/15/2007
  • Posts: 5,085

Re: Release 2.4 beta

Yes, it would. Shortly, I guess the requirements are the same as for release 2.3. I will ask Janusz to give a more specific overview.

/Joe

  • Registered: 12/25/2007
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: Release 2.4 beta

Minimal requirements for MySQL and PHP are stated on System Diagnostics page (also at the start of install process), being 4.1 and 5.0.0 respectively. There is no 'recommended' versions, frankly I don't know how it could be defined wink.

Janusz

  • Alaa
  • Alaa
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: Jordan
  • Registered: 03/27/2015
  • Posts: 156

Re: Release 2.4 beta

Congratulations ..
how long do you think it'd take before FA 2.4 is ready to be used on production servers ?
and what is next ?

  • From: Panama
  • Registered: 03/16/2015
  • Posts: 12

Re: Release 2.4 beta

Is this feature https://frontaccounting.com/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=5634 now implemented in the 2.4 release?

  • From: Singapore, India, Chennai
  • Registered: 05/02/2009
  • Posts: 6,089

Re: Release 2.4 beta

@joe's post states it is so - just try it and let us know.

apmuthu's Website

  • Registered: 12/25/2007
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: Release 2.4 beta

Regarding main question: yes, period closing is implemented in 2.4 beta.

Alaa wrote:

how long do you think it'd take before FA 2.4 is ready to be used on production servers ?

It depends only on community response. Since beta release we have received no bug reports for 2.4 version so far. While I'm sure we have done all the best to make the 2.4 beta bugfree, I'm also pretty sure there are some bugs (we don't know about) in the release, just like in any other beta code. Therefore we have to consider 2.4 beta version as still untested, which means it is not ready to be used on production hmm.

The only way to change this status is positive response from real FA 2.4 testers. In other worlds: you will have to test it on yourself, or wait until other user will do it wink.

Janusz

  • From: China and Hong Kong
  • Registered: 01/09/2013
  • Posts: 15

Re: Release 2.4 beta

Add in a few bit and pieces to clarify things as mentioned in this topic below and will downloading and testing right away. Wink wink - nudge nudge wink


https://frontaccounting.com/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=5783

  • From: Panama
  • Registered: 03/16/2015
  • Posts: 12

Re: Release 2.4 beta

In the previous FA version, I added @apmuthu's function https://frontaccounting.com/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=5420 to a report I customized. I tried to add it again and run on FA 2.4, but when I try to generate the report, nothing shows. I haven't looked at it really carefully, but I just wanted to know if there's something new in FA 2.4 that may be conflicting with this function or if the function has been implemented somehow in the new FA already.

Thanks

  • From: Singapore, India, Chennai
  • Registered: 05/02/2009
  • Posts: 6,089

Re: Release 2.4 beta

Although the function is now available in FA 2.4, the pre-requisites of having the extra fields added into the appropriate functions that return data arrays for use in reporting / forms has yet to be included. The wiki page on it is self-explanatory - look under the heading "Include the fields necessary in the functions / methods called".

apmuthu's Website