BattleScribe 1.13.04 Released!

This is now available for Android and Desktop. As usual, the iOS version will be forthcoming, depending on how long it takes Apple to approve it (there's also a couple of extra bits I want to clear up for iOS, so I haven't submitted it quite yet). I've also submitted to Amazon, so it should be available for Kindle once approved... Hopefully*.

This version has a couple of minor new features and some bug fixes. The main stuff is some more new features and upgrades for data file authors and hosts.

All Versions

• Relevant book and page references included when viewing/printing a roster (as long as the data files include this information).
• Data file author name, contact details and website for your current files can be seen in the About box (as long as the data files include this information)..
• Using a link to a ".bsr" repository file as a repository URL will be handled correctly - the data is imported from the file and any URLs it includes will be added to your list.
• Fixed bug where catalogues containing links that had modifiers on would loose those modifiers when a roster was created with the catalogue.
• Fixed crash when creating a roster from a catalogue that contained links with modifiers/conditions that pointed to shared items.
• Fixed bug where the global min/max for shared entry groups wasn't being checked.

Android

• Clicking a link to a repository will allow you to open it in BattleScribe and set it up automatically for you (as long as it's a repository that's created with v1.13.04).
• Added a "What's New" popup to keep you up to date with changes/new features - shown each time BattleScribe updates.
• Added occasional (monthly) prompt to remind you to check for new data files.

For Data File Authors & Hosts

• Data Indexer now lets you specify specific files from the source folder to include in your repository. The rest of them are ignored.
• New option to "cleanse" rules - this will remove rule descriptions from the resulting repository files (leaving the original source file intact of course!). This is useful to make the files "safer" for hosting publicly on the Internet - some hosts prefer you didn't include this information in files.
• You can optionally include your name, contact details and a website in your data files. This is so you can appropriately take credited for your hard work, and gives users a means of contacting you if they want to report a bug for example. This is shown in the About box.
• Rules, profiles and entries in catalogue files can now have a "book" and a "page", which is outputted when viewing the roster. This provides an "official" means to include this information, and prevents it being cleared out if you're "cleansing" rule descriptions when creating your repository.
• When creating a repository, a new "index.bsi" file is created. This is just the normal "index.xml" file, but zipped and with a ".bsi" extension. This lets mobile users import your repository just by clicking a link to this file (rather than messing about with copy/paste). You can start linking users to "index.bsi" instead of "index.xml" if you want - just make sure your users know they must have v1.13.04 to make use of it.
• The old-style "index.xml" is still created when creating a repository (and should still be hosted with your repository) so existing users that already use the URL to this won't have anything break.
• More reliable repository creation - hopefully this should prevent an occasional case where files created on non-English language computers couldn't be loaded on some systems.

* A note for Kindle users: Amazon approve apps for their general Android store first, and then it goes through another round of approval for Kindle. Now, they do inform me when/if the first round of approval is successful and I can see it appear in their store. However, with the second round of approvals there is no feedback whatsoever - not even to say if it's passed or failed. I have no idea when/if it gets approved for Kindle and no way of looking. Which, I know, is ridiculous. If someone could let me know if v1.13.04 shows up at some point - or can even tell me which version is there right now - I'd be grateful.

New Version for Desktop and Android, Submitted to Apple Appstore

Quite a bit of news today: There are new releases for the desktop and Android versions, and I've submitted BattleScribe Mobile to the Apple App Store for iPods and iPhones!

Desktop
First up, there's a new release of BattleScribe for the desktop (version 1.12.05b). This just contains a whole pile of little tweaks, fixes and other minor gubbinz that were done as I've worked on the Android and iOS versions over the last few months. Some of the bigger fixes are listed in the release notes below, but there are plenty more little bits and pieces.

BattleScribe 1.12.05b

• Fixed some errors incorrectly appearing for entry groups in some cases.
• Default entry group child is now checked when editing catalogues to make sure the child selected actually exists in the catalogue...
• Broken default entry group children now cleaned when the file is loaded. This prevents an issue where an incorrect entry group child would be added in some cases (eg space wolf rune priest armour).
• Default entry group child now works for sub entry groups (ie entry groups within entry groups).
• Fixed incorrect catalogue xml namespace.
• Fixed "no category" entries being displayed twice in view/print roster.
• Plenty of other little fixes to minor problems and crashes.

Android

I've also released a new version for Android on the Google Play store and Amazon App Store. This just has a couple of little bits (just so the desktop and mobile versions are at the same level). It's still awaiting approval for the Amazon store, but should be available in the next few days. It should also become available for Kindle Fire users soon, but unhelpfully Amazon don't actually tell you when this happens, so you'll have to tell me when it does ;)

BattleScribe Mobile 1.12.13b

• URLs entered on the Manage Data screen are now checked for validity
• Better handling of intents, so BattleScribe should recognize data files as importable if they are sent to your phone, opened from the SD card etc.

iOS

Yes, you read that right - BattleScribe is finally coming to iPods and iPhones! Rejoice! I have finished the app and submitted it to the app store, though it's currently "Waiting for Approval", so it's not quite available yet. I'm not sure how long the approval process takes (it's already been a few days) but I will announce here when it's done. Hopefully it won't be long!

Here's some screenshots:

BattleScribe Mobile Available on Amazon App Store

They took their time, but Amazon have finally approved BattleScribe Mobile and it's gone live in their app store. That means all you Kindle Fire owners out there can finally get hold of it in the same way as any other app - no more sideloading.

Here's the links to the store pages:

• BattleScribe Mobile (free, ad supported)
• BattleScribe Mobile Pro (£1.99, no adds, additional dice statistics tool)

I'll add these links to the BattleScribe website when I get a chance.

Note: Due to the time it takes for Amazon to approve the app, it's actually a version behind (v1.12.11). I've submitted the latest version, which has to be approved yet again, so it might be a couple of days before the update becomes available.