ExamWritePad

[ass17]

Using EWP for the first time today (surprise exam nobody told me about, hooray). Only a few criticisms so far (not meaning to be too critical, as this software saved me today, and some of which could be config related):

 

1) The candidate "numbers" were strings, e.g. STU56749. The Candidate number field has a max for 4 characters, and doesn't allow letters (obviously, because it's a number) but this caused issues since it was both mandatory and unusable.

 

2) "You have autosave turned on and have not yet saved your document. Click close to save your file. [close]" - I think this is unduly confusing, with "close" button meaning "save", and we had a couple of students fearful about clicking close, because their work was unsaved.

 

3) I'm also tempted to say that with the info given in the candidate name / subject field, EWP has enough info to immediately prompt a save dialogue with a decent suggested save name. It seems at the moment, after the initial dialogue the user is encouraged to continue without saving - there's no visible save option in the window (showing the design tab), and the user is only prompted about it when they get the autosave error / warning mentioned above.

 

I thrive on feedback, lol.

 

Answer to number 1, there is a config option you need to turn on to allow alphanumeric candidate numbers and one for long candidate number to max 16 characters.

 

Number 2, we have just discussed a few replies back and I going to fix it so it doesn’t start the timers until you start writing on the document window.

 

With regards number 3, there is a config option to suppress save messages which saved the document without the prompts.

[Driftingashore]

Thanks, I'll have a look for the config settings - I'd changed the basics but my eyes glazed over quite quickly as there were a lot!

[ass17]

Thanks, I'll have a look for the config settings - I'd changed the basics but my eyes glazed over quite quickly as there were a lot!

 

There are 150+ options so I don’t blame you!

 

But this gives people the chance to configure it specifically for their needs.

[supportman]

Better out of the box defaults would help such as allowing alphanumberic in candidate numbers, default location for autosave, remove prompts to save.

[ass17]

Better out of the box defaults would help such as allowing alphanumberic in candidate numbers, default location for autosave, remove prompts to save.

 

Yes which all these are configurable options in the config editor. It makes EWP more flexible this way!

[supportman]

Yes which all these are configurable options in the config editor. It makes EWP more flexible this way!

 

Sorry I should have explained better, it would be good to get those options turned on by default. So we dont need to configure it when first installed.

 

The first time use experience seems very locked down currently which may put some people off.

[ass17]

Sorry I should have explained better, it would be good to get those options turned on by default. So we dont need to configure it when first installed.

 

The first time use experience seems very locked down currently which may put some people off.

 

I see what you mean with the alphanumeric but this is only on one board I think so most will be numeric, it is a case of restricting the mistakes students make on the candidate details screen. I know it’s not up to me/EWP but the pupils who have to check them, but if we can mitigate then we can do no more for them…

[ass17]

As with the default for the paths/locations, they default to the desktop if they are blank so no configuration is needed really. Blank is done intentionally because I’ve haven’t the foggiest where you might want them [emoji23]

[ass17]

Have just tried to update the App from within it, selecting Updates. An error message appears stating "Cannot connect to the remote server to check for an update". Is there a domain that needs to be whitelisted?

 

No, this is a known issue with version number checking and always fails regardless. In the older versions it’s looking for an integer value but the new numbering system goes beyond the max integer into long numbers, this erroring with an incorrect error message. Hence I’m asking people manually to update via the website.

[dhandford]

Hello! I've been setting this up with our Trust and just noticed that there is a setting for the PreviousVersionsRecoveryMinutesDisplay which has a description that looks a little different to what you can actually change, I can only set it to 200 rather than the maximum of 1440, is that intentional? I am on version 22.04.02.2024

 

Love the software btw

[ass17]

Hello! I've been setting this up with our Trust and just noticed that there is a setting for the PreviousVersionsRecoveryMinutesDisplay which has a description that looks a little different to what you can actually change, I can only set it to 200 rather than the maximum of 1440, is that intentional? I am on version 22.04.02.2024

 

Love the software btw

 

Thanks! Much appreciated.

 

It was initially 1440 but in retrospect I changed it to 200, so that the backups were not visible to EWP when other exams might start even though they are unlikely to ever be the same.

 

The auto backup files will still be available but only through explorer, not via EWP. Thus if you wish to open the backup in EWP via explorer, then you would have to rename the file extension from .ExamTextBackup to .ExamText

 

Hope this makes sense.. and I will be changing the descriptions in the ConfigEditorGUI and documentation PDF when I release the new version this week…

Edited April 27, 2022 by ass17

[ass17]

New version out this weekend, nothing critical but will post the usual change log and links in the next few days.

[ass17]

Quick update to mention the new release:

 

● CHANGED: EWP’s Icon now has rounded corners.

● FIXED: Added missing ConfigGUI option ‘SaveAs_NoOverwrite’.

● ADDED: New button to Export to Plain Text file. With this comes the usual ConfigGUI options to disable the button ‘Disable_Ribbon_Btn_ExportTXT’ andexport to a text file without overwriting another file with the same name ‘SaveAsTXT_NoOverwrite’, just as in the export to DOCX button and configoptions.

● CHANGED: ‘DefaultExportDOCXPath’ has now changed to ‘DefaultExportPath’ so that the exporting process of DOCX or TXT files will now use the samefunction and path. DefaultExportDOCXPath can still be used but is merged with DefaultExportPath when reading the config.

● CHANGED: The debug log file now has a filename that includes the hours/minutes/seconds of when EWP was launched. Each subsequent launch willresult in a new log file creation. This has been done to reduce the chances of an application crash because the log file is locked by another process or hashad its permissions removed.

● FIXED: The ‘File not saved’ message window would appear when filling in the candidate details on the first launch. This would only happen if you hit theautosave timer set in the config, this timer will now start when the candidate details have been entered and you are on the document window.

● CHANGED: The description for config option ‘PreviousVersionsRecoveryMinutesDisplay’ was incorrect stating 1440 was the max when it should be 200.

● FIXED: DefaultOpenPath, DefaultSavePath, DefaultBackupPath, DefaultExportPath all had issues when trying to resolve environment variable paths. Mainlypaths that included a variable not specified at the start. for example: C:\Users\%username%\Desktop would always fail and revert to a fallback path. Butthis has allowed me to reduce the long-winded function that does the path checking. down from 720 lines of code to now 180.

 

Where to download?

 

examwritepad.com

or

links in my EduGeek Signature

[Ula]

Hi,

 

I was testing the new version 2022.05.02.1140 and stumbled upon ExportDOCX and ExportTXT function. When I start the computer from cold or restarted, start a new exam and attempt to export the file, I receive an error window with an "There was an error exporting the document." If I then save and close the exam and reopen the file and attempt to export the document, the export works. The export then works for any newly started or opened exams files, even when the different user signs in, unless I reboot or shut down the device The save, export and open paths are set to D:\ (USB key) that is encrypted but unlocked for the time of the exams being written. Is this export behaviour intended or is it a bug?

 

Thank you for your time and help.

[ass17]

Hi,

 

I was testing the new version 2022.05.02.1140 and stumbled upon ExportDOCX and ExportTXT function. When I start the computer from cold or restarted, start a new exam and attempt to export the file, I receive an error window with an "There was an error exporting the document." If I then save and close the exam and reopen the file and attempt to export the document, the export works. The export then works for any newly started or opened exams files, even when the different user signs in, unless I reboot or shut down the device The save, export and open paths are set to D:\ (USB key) that is encrypted but unlocked for the time of the exams being written. Is this export behaviour intended or is it a bug?

 

Thank you for your time and help.

 

Hi,

 

I would need a copy of your config file to know for sure and test but I’ve just tested the default config and set the paths to a usb drive D:\ then restarted my computer and then launched EWP, filled in the candidate details, then pressed export to DOCX and TXT, both exported the files fine, no issues.

 

So not sure why you have different…

[ass17]

Hi,

 

I was testing the new version 2022.05.02.1140 and stumbled upon ExportDOCX and ExportTXT function. When I start the computer from cold or restarted, start a new exam and attempt to export the file, I receive an error window with an "There was an error exporting the document." If I then save and close the exam and reopen the file and attempt to export the document, the export works. The export then works for any newly started or opened exams files, even when the different user signs in, unless I reboot or shut down the device The save, export and open paths are set to D:\ (USB key) that is encrypted but unlocked for the time of the exams being written. Is this export behaviour intended or is it a bug?

 

Thank you for your time and help.

 

Also turn on DebugApplication in the config, carry out your steps to reproduce the error, then send me the log file from the c:\programdata\ExamWritePad\ExamWritePad\22.05.02.140\ they are HTML files.

[Jawloms]

We have just started looking at ExamWritePad today. While testing it, I told it to print my "exam". All the cover sheets came out of the printer, but then the printer was complaining about paper, even though it had loads. I eventually figured out that it wanted to print the actual exam work from a different paper tray (the manual feed) which had no paper in it. Is this a setting which can be changed? Is it deliberate behaviour so you can have different colour cover sheets?

 

Thank you

 

Stuart

[ass17]

We have just started looking at ExamWritePad today. While testing it, I told it to print my "exam". All the cover sheets came out of the printer, but then the printer was complaining about paper, even though it had loads. I eventually figured out that it wanted to print the actual exam work from a different paper tray (the manual feed) which had no paper in it. Is this a setting which can be changed? Is it deliberate behaviour so you can have different colour cover sheets?

 

Thank you

 

Stuart

 

Hi,

 

No this is not normal behaviour. The printer will print to what ever tray the printer driver has been set to. If the coversheet came out ok then the exam should do too.

 

All you need to do is confirm with another printer to see if the results are the same.

[ass17]

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

If you intend to manually change the ExamBoards in your config, more specifically, changing CIE to CAIE as they are now called, It will break the ability to print off the Form 4 coversheet for CIE only.

 

So, you have two options:

 

Stay as you are "CIE", change nothing and form 4 will be available as normal.

or

Download and install the version available for you all Monday 9th May, which with have all references to CIE changes to CAIE.

[jessica]

Good Morning,

We have just been told that the English paper this year is spilt into 2 papers and they will need to start a new document for the second paper as they can't have access to the first.

Currently when they click file/new they get asked if they want to use the same candidate information. Is there a way, when they hit new to open up the candidate details as it would on startup for a new exam so they can change them and then get prompted to save the file?

[Rob_D]

Good Morning,

We have just been told that the English paper this year is spilt into 2 papers and they will need to start a new document for the second paper as they can't have access to the first.

Currently when they click file/new they get asked if they want to use the same candidate information. Is there a way, when they hit new to open up the candidate details as it would on startup for a new exam so they can change them and then get prompted to save the file?

We've been looking at the same issue and have come to using different logins for each paper to be sure they can't re-open papaer1 while they're doing paper2.

[ass17]

I suppose this is down to a specific exam board? Or is it all of them?

[ass17]

Good Morning,

We have just been told that the English paper this year is spilt into 2 papers and they will need to start a new document for the second paper as they can't have access to the first.

Currently when they click file/new they get asked if they want to use the same candidate information. Is there a way, when they hit new to open up the candidate details as it would on startup for a new exam so they can change them and then get prompted to save the file?

 

As it stands now, you can click new, and retain the candidate details or not, but is the point not to be able to see paper 1? If so then we have an issue in that regardless of what you do, pupils can still recall the previous version backup and restore it to use.

[jessica]

I have just spoken to our exams officer who has agreed they shouldn't be able to see the answers to paper1 when they do paper2.

This is a simpler fix now I have the homedrives working to create a blank one each login.

Thanks

[ass17]

I have just spoken to our exams officer who has agreed they shouldn't be able to see the answers to paper1 when they do paper2.

This is a simpler fix now I have the homedrives working to create a blank one each login.

Thanks

 

What you also might want to do is to disable the backup history button so they can’t restore/look at previous answers.

 

We are doing iGCSE so not an issue for us single papers, hence why our EO never said anything previously.

 

Going back to your request, it could ask an additional question after the first question about using the previous details, maybe something like “Would you like to modify those candidate details now?”

 

Would this be of benefit to you? I can have it done ready for the new release this weekend if so..