Here is the detailed list of bugs and new features implemented in the course of beta-testing SuperMemo 8.4 (August 20, 1997 - January 21, 1999):

New features

The following new features have been added to SuperMemo 8.4 as compared with the previous release:

1. Double hierarchy window for easier drag-and-drop operations
2. Options File : Reset : Sort pending queue makes it possible to sort the pending queue for ordinals (lower values first)
3. File : Reset : Knowledge system provides two options to setting the pending queue: linearization (in the order of the hierarchy tree) or sorting (in the order of increasing ordinals)
4. New template operations Merge and Add makes it possible to reshape the appearance of homogenous branches in the Contents (e.g. changing the arrangement of components, colors, background bitmap, etc.) or add extra components in all elements
5. New node operation option: Set title makes it possible to set titles in the entire branch
6. Registry export and import as text makes it possible to easily spell-check a registry
7. Text and translation registries display both texts and their translations
8. Intelligent translation import.
9. Translation export dialog box makes it possible to export translations alphabetically, by occurrence, from a subset file, from a range, with duplicates, only untranslated texts, etc.
10. Select untranslated makes it simple to translate untranslated texts in the text registry
11. Double click in text components opens the lexicon with the corresponding entry selected
12. File : Export : Subset makes it possible to transfer a subset of elements to another knowledge system
13. Adding Comments registry.
14. Element parameters dialog makes it possible to change ordinals, comments and Contents category of an element
15. Selecting and deselecting elements in the browser by browser range or element range.
16. Faster instant phonetic transcription.
17. Next button can be customized to choose next Contents element, next topic, next pending element or next element number.
18. New drag-and-drop operation in Contents: Transplant partly
19. Option Arrange folders in Contents
20. Path tab in the element window makes it possible to easily view the location of deeply nested branches in the Contents
21. Option Apply filter in registry makes it possible to perform global string operations on registry member names
22. Option Feed all to browser in registry makes it possible to browse all elements that use registry members in the current registry form. Similarly, Feed one to browser browses only the users of the currently selected member.
23. Option Match registry to subset makes it possible to select only members that correspond to a given element subset file
24. Sorting registries for the number of member users
25. Option View : Range
26. SM7AVPath from KS.INI can now be edited at Tools : Options : Data access
27. Import from SuperMemo 7 imports question and answer fonts
28. Import from SuperMemo 7 imports the forgetting curve for first repetition and E-Factor=2.5
29. Locking KNO files to prevent simultaneous access by two users over the network
30. Allowing more than one instance of the program in memory
31. Simplified element browser
32. History list implemented as a browser
33. New script commands: NAVIGATION, STATUS and MODE
34. Internalize files in registries makes it possible to integrate external files with the knowledge system (including files in SuperMemo 7 audiovisual format)
35. Option for saving Contents as a text file (also with the descendant count in particular branches)
36. Possibility of sorting object registries for file priority determined by file size, user count and the order of appearance in the system
37. Sound component option: translate on mouse move
38. Ctrl+F10 can be used to repeat element autoplay (e.g. to play again the sound component, etc.)
39. File : Recover can now handle errors in filespace caused by mistakenly disconnecting the secondary storage
40. File : Recover compresses COMPON.DAT file with information about components and their attributes
41. File : Garbage makes it possible to delete temporary files, reports, subset files, etc. (including sound files recorded the user)
42. Registration procedure makes it possible for everyone to test SuperMemo before buying it.
43. Add would be disabled in zero-sized registries.
44. Element parameters dialog box available on element pop-up menu
45. History of repetitions available from Element parameters dialog box
46. Operation Swap (swap question with answer); long requested by users of SuperMemo 7
47. File : Backup and File : Restore makes backups of the entire knowledge system possible in PKZIP, ARJ and RAR formats.
48. Improved Tools : Mercy makes it possible to define individual rescheduling criteria such as: Investment, Importance, Lateness, Recency or Easiness
49. New phonetic transcription registry can be created by simply specifying its name in Tools : Options : Language : Phonetic transcription
50. Separating Learn : Outstanding from Learn : All (the first is inactive for Outstanding=0).
51. Enhancing File : Recover with better tolerance for garbage in COMPON.DAT file (the binary file storing the outline and properties of individual components) and with better reporting of such problems.
52. Options File : Export : Learning process and File : Import : Learning process for easily backing up the learning process in large systems such as Advanced English 97.
53. Tools : User : Generate report can produce a text file with all important learning statistics.

Bug fixes

Beta A, Aug 20, 1997

1. Editing names in Categories combo-box would result in errors
2. Add Item button would call Find String function
3. Import from SuperMemo 7 would duplicate sound entries in CD-ROM Alias mode
4. Wrong component registration at Duplicate on element's pop-up menu
5. Continuous Appending was not available from the menu
6. Small components would change their size upon entering dragging or editing modes
7. On learning new elements, the outstanding parameter in the status bar would be incremented and decremented on each repetition

Beta B, Oct 19, 1997

1. Transplant children would not transplant to the root node
2. Transfer node would not update script ELEMENT command parameter resulting in lost hyperlinks
3. Element window size would be different slightly in Hidden SuperMemo
4. Arrange in folders in Contents would not duplicate translations
5. Script command TRANSLATE would not block mouse-move translations
6. Clicking overlapping components in editing mode would not bring them to front
7. Translation dialog box would not react to changing the mode from ReadOnly to FullAccess
8. File browser preview would fail on large text files
9. File browser would not react to '\' in the filename field
10. File browser would not often close with Cancel
11. Upgrade note would often abort import from SuperMemo 7.4 or earlier
12. Importing from SuperMemo 7 databases in CD-ROM mode would not be possible
13. STATUS ON in scripts would not write the new status to knowledge system's INI file
14. Registry Replace all would loop in LearnOnly mode

Beta C, Nov 12, 1997

1. Resetting a knowledge system would not reset the repetition progress bar
2. Resetting a knowledge system would not remove from final drill items that had a status different than Memorized (e.g. dismissed topics)
3. Mercy would display error messages on items with over 20 repetitions
4. Dialog box of File : Import : From SuperMemo 7 would stick out of the screen for lower resolutions
5. Double click in Spell-Pads would attempt to open the lexicon with the clicked word
6. Final drill would occasionally loop on topics

Beta D, Jan 17, 1998

1. Wrong time estimation for operations Transfer node and Import text
2. Copy transcription was not disabled in systems without transcription registry
3. Duplicate would often use the answer instead of the question for a newly generated element title
4. On quitting Tools : Categories, the last selected category would not be set as active (the default category would be used instead)
5. Without warning, File : Recover would automatically internalize files in SuperMemo 7 format (this would, for example, transfer the sound files of some Deine Chancen systems to the user's hard disk!).
6. Text file preview would not be able to handle files over 32K.
7. Dismiss followed by Add to Drill and Delete would result in ... an empty element in the final drill
8. Sound registry would occasionally report Cannot open player device and cause GPFs on linking new sound members

Beta E, Jan 21, 1998

1. File : Recover would not detect wrong value ranges for A-Factors and U-Factors
2. Import : Learning process would fail if the date display format was changed in Windows since Export : Learning process

You can compare the present beta-testing procedure with the results of beta-testing SuperMemo 8.2 and beta-testing SuperMemo 98