What's New

Factsmith v1.5 is a major bugfix and feature update (the first in nearly six years). Highlights of the new features:

  • Multiple heading levels
  • Most export styles are now CITE-compliant
  • New and revamped export styles: Signature, Ethos, Source, Blue Book, Verbatim, Wikiful
  • Significant upgrades to the export system, including character styles, better handling of raw text blocks, more flexible emphasis formatting, consistent support for using paragraph breaks instead of line breaks, and various bugfixes
  • Unicode support
  • Many other minor bugfixes and enhancements

Complete listing in the changelog below.

Changelog (can also be found in Changelog.txt)

Key: + added, - removed, @ changed

v1.5
 @ Improved handling of brackets, braces, and backslashes in evidence/styles
 @ Improved export speed slightly
 @ Save/open dialogs now stay on the folder you left them (after initial reset)
 @ Export dialog now opens in the same folder as the brief
 + Added context menu to evidence list
 @ Fixed: Case changes in an article title now show in the source dropdown
 + Added save indicator to statusbar
 + Added option for Remove Breaks to strip double spaces
 @ Fixed: Clean Brief no longer counts already-deleted sources in final tally
 + Ctrl+A now works in the brief information and author credentials textboxes
 + Illegal folders in the brief tree shouldn't crash the program anymore
 @ Impact field moved to Show More panel by default (with option to revert)
 @ Fixed codepage error that made some text with extended characters uneditable
 @ Fixed: Word/ODT/RTF exporter sometimes inserted random digits
 @ Can now drag-and-drop files/folders to the base folder in the Brief Tree
 @ Minor cosmetic tweaks to Brief Tree drag-and-drop
 + File operations in the Brief Tree now properly affect open files
 + Refreshing the Brief Tree now preserves last selection (if possible)
 + Added multiple heading levels
 + Added character styles
 @ Extended style emphasis formatting into start, end, and plain fields
 @ Most reference fields are now pre-rendered in Word
 + N-dashes now convert with surrounding spaces (which is usually what we want)
 @ Fixed: Export no longer inserts an extra space before "and" on authors
 + Export now pushes authors named "others", "et al.", etc. to end of list
 @ Fixed: Editor should always disappear on screenshots (added slight delay)
 + Added Signature export style
 + Added Ethos 2012-2013 export style
 + Added Ethos 2013-2014 export style
 + Added Source 2013-2014 export style
 + Added Verbatim export style
 + Added Wikiful export style
 + Added Blue Book export style
 - Removed Blue Book 2007-2008 and Blue Book 2008-2009 export styles
 - Removed ARC Wiki Standard export style
 + Added CITE-compliance indicator
 @ Most built-in styles are now CITE-compliant
 @ Most built-in styles now understand the Summary and Impact fields
 @ Fixed: impact now properly clears when adding new evidence
 @ Less garish icon for Remove Impact button
 @ No longer have to press Enter to commit changes to impacts
 @ Fixed file associations crashing Factsmith.exe on some versions of Windows
 @ Fixed: & character in dates no longer crashes the date parser
 @ Fixed misbehavior associated with indenting the first paragraph of a quote
 @ Fixed Word errors on empty style definitions
 @ Fixed LibreOffice failing to read briefs with certain extended characters
 + Added Unicode support
 + Added ... formatting code
 @ Fixed issue where  tag could be applied to styles that didn't use it
 + Added Text Block style field and "clean extra line breaks" option
 + Added "Online Help" link to Help menu
 @ Fixed regression of  and  formatting codes
 @ Removed auto-margins from  and  (since main use-case is clean HTML)
 + Added export safety features - basic formatting no longer crosses line breaks
 @ Fixed: now applies correct paragraph style names to tables of contents
 @ Fixed behavior of  and  in LibreOffice
 @ Tesseract plugin is now included in installer by default
 @ Fixed installer permission errors when running as a non-administrator
 @ Fixed installer file associations for newer versions of Windows
 @ Fixed renaming paragraph styles sometimes changing style selections for ToC
 @ HTML exporter no longer merges adjacent margins (now matches DOC/ODT/RTF)
 @ Fixed extra 
s in HTML when applying multiple paragraph styles in a row @ Fixed error on creating a folder in brief tree when root folder was selected @ Fixed error when pressing Enter to confirm a new folder v1.4 + Added bulk exporter @ Internal dialogs now consistently don't show in the taskbar + Added file manipulation options to the brief tree @ Removed unnecessary root-node lines on the brief tree to save screen space + Added sourceless cards (No Source option and null logic for the [SOURCE] tag) @ Updated styles to support sourceless cards + Added brief tree context menu & file management options + Added Select All menu option @ Fixed: Refreshing the brief tree and double-clicking a plus no longer errors @ Fixed: Switching to second author after modify without save no longer errors @ Fixed: Evidence editor now properly eliminates all color @ Fixed: Evidence editor now properly handles accents and extended characters @ Fixed: Can now properly copy and paste images between briefs + Added drag-and-drop to the Brief Tree (credit to anorton) @ Fixed strikethroughs v1.3 + Added undo/redo @ Synchronize keyboard shortcut changed to Ctrl+R (so Redo can get Ctrl+Y) @ Fixed: Author list no longer shows carets after loading a brief @ Fixed errors on keypress when nothing was selected in the EcoView + Can now apply more than one type of formatting at once to evidence + Added email tool - Removed misleading "All files (*.*)" option from export dialog @ Fixed a minor internal inconsistency with filenames being passed to plugins + Added advanced formatting to Ev. Editor: super/subscript, indents, bullets + Added <super>...</super> and <sub>...</sub> formatting codes + Added Print dialog @ Export keyboard shortcut changed to Ctrl+T (so Print can get Ctrl+P) + Added images in the evidence body @ Fixed iPhone Mobile HTML export (was partially broken by paragraph styles) @ Fixed: Pasting nothing into a blank document no longer errors @ Opening a file now focuses the evidence view @ Cursor position preserved when text is pasted into the Evidence Editor + Added desktop icon option and some more explanatory text to the installer v1.2 + Added support for screen OCR (with Tesseract plugin) @ Right-click menu on the access date field now works correctly + Added case-change tools for Evidence Editor (in addition to Source Editor) @ Fixed errors on keypress when the EcoView was empty + Can now use Enter to open a brief on the brief tree + Brief tree now refreshes on F5 @ Fixed article title retrieve crashing on non-HTML pages v1.1 + Added access dates @ Fixed: Source editor popout now properly closes when loaded from Source List @ Fixed exports briefly flashing a console window (introduced in v1.0p) + Added [ACCESSED] insert tag + Added access dates to styles @ Fixed impacts in styles + Added option to globally turn off access dates in exports + Added button to retrieve article title from URL + Added option to always retrieve article title on drag-and-drop + NetSync now supports HTTP (with Syncbox server software) as well as FTP + Added internal updater @ Fixed hyperlinks changing line spacing in RTF + Added paragraph styles to exports + Added <margintop>, <marginbottom>, and <spacing> formatting codes @ Basic style pack updated to use paragraph styles @ Fixed: Using 3 in certain formatting codes no longer corrupts the style @ Fixed: <line>s are now always the correct color in RTF + Added numbering options to for tables of contents + Added paragraph style support for tables of contents @ Fixed: "Delete" still worked when no source was selected (introduced in v1.0) @ Fixed: [LASTNAMES] tag sometimes clipped last character (introduced in v1.0p) @ BBCode exporter now caps font size at 200% (maximum allowed on most sites) @ Halfbreaks now work properly in BBCode @ Fixed: Brief tree now updates after sync @ Fixed: Application sometimes couldn't close after using Updated Briefs v1.0 (patched) @ Remaining glitches with author modification detection fixed @ Fixed: Deleting the last item now properly displays in the EcoView @ Fixed: [LASTNAMES] tag no longer puts two spaces after commas @ Fixed: [LASTNAMES] tag no longer chokes on one-word author names @ Fixed the occasional random numbers appearing at the beginning of briefs @ Fixed: Dragging multiple items upwards no longer reverses their order @ Fixed: Drag-and-drop indicator is now always fully accurate @ Unsaved data dialog for New is now the same as for Open or Close @ Fixed: Now shows the correct icon when using Alt+Tab (in pre-Win7 OSes) @ Fixed: Can now properly paste text with \protect codes into the Ev. Editor @ Fixed: Tables of contents no longer borrow target's formatting in Word + Minor information added to documentation @ Various styles updated and tweaked to be more accurate and bugfree + Added <blockbcolor=color>...</blockbcolor=color> formatting codes @ Fixed: Background colors now display correctly in Microsoft Word @ Fixed: <box> code now displays correctly in Microsoft Word v1.0 + Added EcoView evidence view + Added option to switch between EcoView and classic grid views @ Fixed the occasional misspellings of "Synchronize" @ Fixed font lock sometimes disengaging after the first ev. body drag-n-drop @ RTF encoder streamlined - evidence loads for edit much faster @ Fixed: Brief Data now displays the correct Factsmith version for new files + Added keyboard shortcuts for formatting in the Evidence Editor + Made source name format nicer @ Fixed: Carets in dates (for emphasis) no longer confuse the date parser @ No longer asks before deleting an unnamed author (for convenience) + Now removes blank spaces on the ends of text dragged into the source editor + Now lists usage information when confirming source and author deletion + Added 48x48 version of main icon (finally) @ Synchronize menu option now grays out instead of disappearing + Added marker codes to FSX format: MC, MI, MA + Added iPhone Mobile HTML export plugin @ HTML export plugin now exports to extension .html instead of .HTM + Significantly expanded documentation @ Fixed: Sort in sections wasn't sorting the last section + Sort now uses evidence body as "tagline" for headers and text @ Invalid base folder now alerts instead of crashing + Now automatically sets the checkbox for newly-created authors + Now asks if you want to save author modifications @ Fixed: Remove Breaks no longer crashes if the text starts with a blank line @ Confirmations for destructive actions now have "No" as the default option @ Fixed: Switching to text entry in the source editor now closes popout + Expanded and reorganized the Statistics dialog @ Fixed: Source & author counts in Statistics no longer include deleted items @ Fixed The Copy/Paste Bug - complex groups of authors should now paste right + Evidence Barrel now handles corrupted files without choking @ More intelligent prompts when confirming deletion of headers and text + Added case-change tool - right-click source text fields to change case @ Fixed: Fully fixed the remaining row-delete bugs (and sped up deletion) + Added <box> and <pagebreak> support to HTML plugin + Added Clean Brief tool + Raw text source editor is now font-locked @ Fixed: Canceling Options now properly resets selections to the saved copy + Added full keyboard support to the Find box v0.95 Beta @ Fixed: Updated briefs now properly deactivates when you click the X button + Added evidence barrel + Added keyboard shortcuts to Export, Synchronize, and Insert Sections @ Fixed: brief information now clears when a new brief is created @ No longer inserts tag markers when exporting without a table of contents @ Fixed the Updated Briefs box crashing on double-click when it's empty @ Fixed: Grid now properly unlocks when Ev Editor is closed with the X button @ Text blocks and headers now fully excluded from statistics box counts @ Fixed: can now put line breaks in the Brief Information box + Now asks before deleting authors + Added: Caret marks (^) in sources toggle underline (for source emphasis) @ Fixed the random "d"s inserted into evidence bodies - FINALLY!!!! + Added insert tags [INITIALS], [MINIDATE], and [LASTNAMES] + Added <break> formatting code @ Made some style descriptions more... descriptive + Added Voellesque export style + Added <tab> and <rtab> formatting codes + Added Ethos 2009-2010 export style + Ev. body drag-n-drop now fully converts special chars (like curly quotes) @ Fixed rare glitches that deleted chunks of ev. body text during drag-n-drop @ Improved Evidence Scribe export style + Added <pagecount> formatting code + Added a special option to strip extraneous ", "s when exporting sources - Removed the Macaroni Style Abuser export style - yeeeaaah. @ Fixed: <'s in ev. no longer crash exports (still avoid them; unpredictable) + Added runon protection (to keep underlines etc from continuing beyond card) + Now reloads the brief tree on closing setup wizard or options (if modified) + Improved xBrief file compatability + Added [UBRIEFNAME] insert tag + Added <shadow>...</shadow> formatting code @ Fixed: Leaders and rtabs now come out right with all version of Word + Added <mtab> formatting code v0.9 Beta @ "Saving" tab in Options dialog renamed to "Storage" + Added "Internet Database" options to Storage tab in Options @ Useless "OK" button removed from Source List, "Cancel" changed to "Close" + Added NetSync capabilities + Wrote a quickstart guide for the documentation @ Fixed the Setup Wizard crashing on the first run + Added "Open Base Folder" tool + Now removes line breaks when you drop text in a single-line field + Added [CONTENTS] insert tag for tables of content + Added <pagebreak> formatting code for page breaks @ You can now use formatting codes in raw text sources @ Fixed obi-wan error in the font table for RTF, DOC, and ODT exports @ Fixed: background colors now work in RTF, DOC, and ODT exports + Added <box> formatting code @ [EvidenceID] insert tag now only counts evidence, not headers/text blocks + Added <leader> formatting code @ Source editor now correctly collapses when closed + Double-clicking a source in the source list now opens it for editing + Now asks before deleting sources @ Fixed: "Tagline" prompt now properly disappears when refocusing ev. editor @ Unused SyncDB internal data field converted to XDF (eXtensible Data Field) + Revision counter added to XDF + Added Evidence Scribe export style @ Fixed: "File already open" errors after save crashes @ Fixed: Deleting multiple cards now properly counts as a file modification + Home folder now resets to "(unset)" if cleared @ Fixed WinXP row-delete deallocation bug @ Import menu option hidden in usermode (until it actually does something) @ Cleaned up a few internal procedures @ Fixed a possible bug in the xBrief loading routine + Added support for the new Open Brief common format + Added <lock>...</lock> formatting code + Added <line> formatting code + HTML export plugin now adds header at the beginning and footer at the end + Added BBCode export plugin v0.8 Beta @ Fixed: Tagline would sometimes show up gray and not be recognized @ Fixed: Deleting sources wouldn't show up as modifications + Added Source List box + Now warns when trying to open a file from a newer version of Factsmith @ Fixed: Tab orders back to normal (after reordering) + Ev. Editor body now font-locked, doesn't inherit typeface from drag source @ Evidence Editor toolbar added, Category relocated there, Impact full-length + Added "Remove Breaks" option + Added basic WYSIWYG formatting controls to Evidence Editor body + Added "Snapdragon II" style @ Fixed the problems with blank lines at the top of exports using some styles @ Fixed: New styles didn't save date parsing fields + Added custom page size/margin settings to styles @ Fixed: RTF, DOC, and ODT exports didn't handle "aqua" and "cyan" correctly + Added the beginnings of an FAQ to the (incomplete) documentation + Added basic setup wizard @ Copyright dates now read "2009" v0.7 Beta @ Name is now "Factsmith" - it's about time! @ Options reordering: "Home Folder" is "Base Folder", grouped with Autosave in Brief Tree box Date Parser moved to General Standards moved to a new tab Ctrl+Ins/Shift+Ins option moved to Interface tab ("Keyboard Shortcuts") @ Source reordering: Basic fields moved to left Author section moved to right, with editing popout @ Evidence editor reordering: Tagline moved to top Impact/Category positions swapped @ Main window reordering: Brief Preview now a graphical statusbar (added option to use the old box) + Added Word export support (sort of, it cheats) + Added OpenDocument export support (sort of, it cheats) + Added Rich Text export support @ [PAGENUMBER] is now <pagenum> (better method - styles updated) + Finished proper header/footer support @ Fixed the wildly inaccurate font size changes in HTML @ Toolbar and menus now have the fancy modern style + Added menu icons + New default theme: Apostrophe + Added proper impact management @ Some code cleaning: manual sort, plugin scanning + Added proper evidence sorting @ Fixed: corrupted files no longer cause repeat errors @ Prefs now stored in $Application Data\Factsmith (will copy if not present) @ Fixed: you can now associate files without Factsmith crashing (yay!) + Icons are now stored in the executable @ Fixed some miscelaneous visual quirks + Added proper (though incomplete) CHM documentation + Added a proper installer + Added blank category option @ Hacks menu no longer available to the user v0.6 Alpha + Added "Insert Sections" menu option to automatically insert section headers + Added 48x48 compatability to Style_file.ico @ Made tooltips for the up/down toolbar buttons + Added toolbar buttons for Cut/Copy/Paste + Added graphic themes & theme selection options + Added Saving options tab with personal information + Added saving personal metadata to BRF and xBrief files @ Fixed the tab order on the Interface options tab + Added brief information box below the brief tree @ You can now copy without selecting (takes the current row) @ Fixed: Can now paste into a blank brief + Added an option to use Ctrl+Insert and Shift+Insert for evidence copy/paste @ Fixed: Statistics no longer includes section headers in word counts + Added gray prompt text to the Tagline box @ Fixed: Now can't delete the Section and Text options from the source list + Added [REGION] and [ABOUT] insert tags @ Fixed: [AUTHOR] and [CLUB] insert tags (in Doc Start, Header, etc) now work @ Updated styles to take advantage of new tags, etc. v0.5 Alpha + Added Evidence Scribe xBrief support (imperfect due to incompatabilities) + Added xBrief_file.ico and added xBrief files to the brief tree + Added categories Harms, Source Indictment, Source Defense & Disad Responses + Added Tools>Hacks>Fake Evidence Scribe menu option @ Fixed: Text sources now display correctly after being loaded from a file + Can now use style formatting codes in the evidence body (i.e. underlining) + Added Raw Text Block and Section Header types and full section support + Added [UNAME] insert tag to sections + Added the long-overdue Cut, Copy and Paste commands @ You can now delete multiple cards at once @ Delete Evidence shortcut changed from <Ctrl+D> to <Delete> v0.4 Alpha + Added date prefs to Options + Added date options to style editor and updated styles + Export now can parse dates and export them all in a standard format @ Fixed: Saving a file when you have no home folder no longer errors @ Fixed: The internal modify date is now updated when you save a file @ Fixed: Manually rearranging evidence no longer trashes summary & impact v0.3 Alpha + Added Find dialog @ Made the Style Editor a tabbed interface in preparation for advancement + Added extra style fields (everything on the Section tab - Header, Footer, Document and Section start/end) + Added ordered/unordered lists to style formatting tags @ Fixed: Exporting smaller files over older, larger versions no longer leaves obsolete crud at the end @ Modified several styles: notably, ARC Wiki style is much more accurate now + Added text justify, halfbreaks and new-style indents to styles + Added null logic to style parser + Added inline font sizes to styles - more flexible than heading styles + Added colors to styles (in HTML, bcolor does not work with some browsers) + Added font changes to styles v0.2 Alpha @ Text-only sources now display correctly in source selection box + Added statistics box + Brief tree now functional + Now checks for unsaved data when opening a brief + Added option to autosave when opening from the brief tree + Added 48x48 compatability to BRF_file_2.ico @ Now shows the brief name in the titlebar/taskbar + Added proper About box @ Fixed standards checking for authors @ You can no longer create nameless authors + Can now turn off warnings about version differences + Added "evidence summary" field + Added evidence editor auto-expand option + Added basic Style Editor v0.1 Alpha + Initial release