What's New?
===========
## [0.9.6] - 2026-08-01
### Added 
- (macOS) Separate packages for Silicon (arm64) and Intel (x86_64) processor architecture. (SOOS 346, 347)
- (macOS) Future updates through SooSL will install package for native architecture. (SOOS 346, 347)
- (All) Startup dialog is now moveable and can be dragged between displays. (SOOS 359)
- (All) File dialogs now show sign count for dictionaries instead of total file size. (SOOS 360)
- (Windows, macOS) Update to Python 3.13.13 (core programming)
- (All) Update to PySide 6.9.2 (gui programming)
### Fixed
- (Windows) SooSL icon not showing in taskbar and search menus. (SOOS 336)
- (Windows) Help not working. (SOOS 348)
- (macOS) Video scaling problems when moving to extended display. (SOOS 357) 
- (macOS) Corrupted view of parameter search dialog if moved to extended display. (SOOS 361)
- (macOS) Written language dialog opening causes error.
- (All) Addition of logo and creator wasn't available in new dictionary dialog. (SOOS 277)
- (All) Attempting to change sense order by dragging causes error. (SOOS 342)
- (All) Attempting to change name for exported dictionary causes error. (SOOS 343)
- (All) SooSL may show nothing when opening a dictionary due to an incorrectly set search language. (SOOS 349)
- (All) Corrupted export path in users settings could cause problems when exporting. (SOOS 350)
- (All) Desktop application not connecting to soosl website. (SOOS 351)
- (All) Attempting to change target location for importing dictionary causes error. (SOOS 352)
- (All) Locking issues when connecting to a remote project; sign locks not respected. (SOOS 353)
- (All) Invalid empty extra video/picture path blocking web upload. (avoid error and fix .json file) (SOOS 354)
- (All) SooSL version and build not showing in startup window. (SOOS 355)
- (All) SooSL does not retain unknown project and sign parameters. Future added parameters would be lost when opened by older versions. (SOOS 356)
- (All) When signs are marked with multiple dialects, selecting a single dialect may leave them out of parameter search results. (SOOS 358)
- (All) OK button of import dialog remains disabled if change location dialog cancelled.
- (All) Update copyrights to 2026.
- (All - developers) Running from source code may not find important file and directory paths.

## [0.9.5] - 2025-12-03
### Added
- Add multiple signs to dictionary through bulk import of sign videos; filename used for initial gloss. Available through "tools" menu. (SOOS 289)
- Text search on finder list matches anywhere in gloss, not just at the start.
- Unknown extra folders/directories found within a dictionary project will be moved outside of the project's directory. (SOOS 257)
- SooSL doesn't crash if unknown folders found in a project's folder. (SOOS 282) 
- Remove "Other folders" sidebar option in file dialogs. All locations are already accessible through other options. (SOOS 334)
- Some missing icons for folders ("home", "desktop", etc) now showing in file dialogs.
- File dialog items can now be sorted by clicking on a column's header.
- Remove old win32 dlls (removes compatibility with Windows7, though old systems probably include these already)
- Upgrade Python 3.12.10, targeting 64bit architecture.
- Change to PySide6 for gui toolkit. (from PyQt5)
- Update organization name to "SIL Global" in source code. (from SIL International)
- Update logos to use new organization name and sharper SooSL image.
- Update help files.
- Updating Written language, Grammar category and Dialects dialogs used in tools menu and new project dialog.
- Set application style to "Fusion" for better cross-platform look.
- Set an application palette for "Dark" scheme.
- Convert extra pictures to .png (except .gif, .jpeg, .jpg) as some file formats are not supported for website publication. This is done when a new picture is added and when opening a project (for existing photos in other formats). 
- Enable dialog close buttons (red X icon, top-right corner) for Windows. (SOOS 260)
- About SooSL tool - "Terms of Use", "Privacy Policy" and "Licensing" buttons now open their specific Help file page.
- "Show focal abbreviation?" checkbox option in Dialects dialog now activated after OK button pressed and dialog closed.
- Dialects dialog was unable to add more than one dialect at a time - fixed.
- Linux: VLC and FFmpeg libraries now contained in SooSL and not as external dependency.

## [0.9.4.250802] - 2025-08-02
### Added
- Documents and download folders added to sidebar of file dialogs.
- Linux builds are now self-contained. Larger download file, but few system dependencies apart from VLC and FFmpeg.
- A reminder dialog at startup if there is saved feedback to send, as there was already for error/crash reporting. (SOOS-32)
- File locks (used when editing) now differentiate between multiple users and/or SooSL instances on same computer.
- Error and crash reports recorded to website; this works around issue with sending large reports to development team. (SOOS-170)
- Error and crash reporting updated to make use of JSON format for files.
- When SooSL starts, operating system and version details are uploaded and recorded to website to aid in future development. 
  NO USER DETAILS are included with this upload.
- Fixed issues with removing expired lockfiles left behind after crashes during editing or uploading. (SOOS-264)
- Alter appearance of dialect icon when dialect filter is active. (SOOS-135)
- Alter appearance of search and filter icons when parameter search is active. (SOOS-135)
- Fixed issues with finder list while editing - keep showing only glosses for sign being edited (for now).
- Automated download of updated help files. (SOOS-325)
- Using HTML for Help files across all operating systems. (No more CHM file for Windows and Linux.)
- Add version information to executable for Windows.(displayed in Properties >> Details for executable file)
- Better icon for filtered/un-filtered finder list. (SOOS-135)
- Search icon moved above finder list. Edit sign and New sign icons order reversed. (SOOS-304)
- Dictionary project location (folder) added to startup window. (SOOS-267)
- Enable selecting of texts (gloss, sentence, notes) for copy-to-clipboard while viewing sign. (SOOS-88)
- Note fields only show if there are additional notes to display for a sign; '???' no longer used to mark empty text fields.
  (SOOS141)
- ZooZL files can now be imported and opened through the "Open Dictionary" dialog. (SOOS-173)
- Limit video/image filenames to 100 characters. (SOOS-310) Long filenames causing problems with upload to website.
- Newer translation files will be downloaded from the SooSL website if available, including completely new language translations.
  (SOOS-299)
- Country flags removed from translation language lists. (SOOS-321)
- Text in translation language lists consists of language code and language display name. (SOOS-321)
- Language display name included in translation file. (SOOS-321)
- Above three points mean that gui translations can now be just one file instead of a directory of three files. (SOOS-321)
- Lightbulb icon in main toolbar initially "on"; controls whether larger pictures of handshapes are available ("on") or not
  ("off"). (SOOS-305) User's selection remembered between sessions.
- Add a project logo to dictionary. (SOOS-231)
- Improve "About Dictionary" dialog: whole page scrolls if long description; logo at top. (SOOS-231)
- Add dictionary creator's name to project information. (SOOS-231)
- Improved progress dialogs when importing, exporting and opening large dictionaries.
- Search dialog remains open during editing.
- Updated copyrights to 2025.
- Updated gui translations for Spanish, French and Romanian.
- Added gui translations for Chinese (traditional and simplified).
- Updated wording for error and crash reports.
- Change from \u0000 format display of Unicode text in json files to utf-8 encoding to make 
  non-ASCII characters human-readable (in most editors).
- Dictionaries opened in SooSL 0.9.4 (this version) cannot be opened by older versions due to above change.
- Updated importing and exporting to zoozl.
- Dictionaries exported from SooSL 0.9.4 (this version) cannot be imported to older versions due to above change.
- Finding a dictionary project to open using the full file dialog ("Other" option in SooSL file dialog) 
  will now return the higher-level project folder if a sub-folder of a project is chosen.
- [macOS] Now built under version 15 Sequoia.
- Improved SooSL update method. For future versions, only requires upload of latest version and release notes to 
  dedicated folder on website.

### Fixed (this version)
- freezes and crashes when editing with invalid search filter.
- file locks removed during normal program closure if editing.
- Web upload bug where project only has only one variant [public or private]. 
  Canceling upload would simply cancel and discard uploaded signs without the option to keep them and 
  resume the upload later.
- Export of project included two inventories.
- When overwriting a project on import, checking the replace checkbox now hides overwrite warning.
- Sorting word list by dialects; incorrectly dealing with numbers in gloss.
- [macOS] Help files were not launching under MacOS Monterey.
- [macOS] Ok button in dialect filter dialog now appears enabled (blue) when dialect selection changes.
- [Linux] Fixed sizing issue causing errors on Linux versions: Ubuntu Jammy Jellyfish and Debian Bullseye.

## [0.9.3.221122] - 2022-11-22
### Added
- AWS transfer acceleration enabled to improve upload rate to WebSooSL.
- Improved upload dialog.
- "Send feedback" action now available in tools menu while editing signs.

## [0.9.3.220805] - 2022-08-05
### Fixed
- Bug fix for macOS only.
- TimeMachine backup conflict resolved, which prevented file dialogs from opening.

## [0.9.3.220412] - 2022-04-12
### Added
- Bug fix for macOS only.
- Updated installer for macOS version 12 Monterey.
- Fixed Help not opening on Monterey.
- Fixed "Upload dictionary" feature on Monterey.

## [0.9.3.220321] - 2022-03-21
### Added
- Upload to WebSooSL feature added including support for uploading to either a public or private version of the same dictionary.
- Tool menu items reordered.
- Improved "About SooSL" dialog.
- Improved "About Dictionary" dialog.
- Improved startup screen (displays and logs progress).
- Improved file dialogs used for opening, importing and exporting dictionaries.
- File extensions are now case-insensitive in file dialogs. (.mp4 = .MP4)
- When importing a dictionary from a ZooZL file, you can now specify the new project's folder name.
- Tools menu automatically opens (with usage advice) when opening SooSL without a dictionary.
- Reinstate sign count in status bar of main window. (Also still available in "About dictionary" dialog.)
- Updated interface (display language) translations in Spanish, French, and Romanian.
- Updated and improved help files covering both the desktop and web versions of SooSL.
- Revised the words used to describe SooSL, for consistency across SooSL Desktop, SooSL Web, and help files.
### Fixed
- Word list not reloading after deleting sign [macOS] - fixed.
- Occasional crashes on opening [Windows] - fixed.
- File locks not working over network [Linux] - fixed.

## [0.9.2.210921] - 2021-09-21
### Fixed
- New signs no longer create an empty JSON file which caused errors when editing grammar categories, dialects or written languages.
- Exiting editing mode sometimes selected the topmost gloss in the finder list instead of the current one being edited.
- Improved sorting of words in finder list, when gloss strings contain numbers.
- Sorting based on first letter unless gloss is a single word starting with a number.
- Remember last opened media file folder, last opened project folder and last opened import/export folder.
- Problem with setting search language solved.
- After deleting extra videos/pictures from sign, the associated media file(s) were not being deleted after the project closed.
- Better default widths for Gloss & Dialect columns in finder list columns.
- Video window "detaching" from main window and not scaling properly when adjusting system scale factor for a screen.
  (seen on a 4k 3840x2160 resolution monitor, but also on regular screens)
- Update to help files. (Terms of service)

## [0.9.2] - 2021-08-28
### Added
- Network support added for group working over a local area network (LAN).
- Project directories renamed to prevent bug in versions older than 0.9.2 from deleting media files.
- Removal or replacement of certain characters from media filenames in order to prevent conflicts
  when sharing dictionary projects in different desktop, web and network scenarios.
- Inventory of files taken when exporting dictionary projects to ZooZL files. (*.zoozl)
- Many of these changes help lay the foundation for project merging and publishing to WebSooSL;
  new features to come in future versions.
- Help files have been completely rewritten.
- Help files are also available online: https://www.soosl.net/help/en/index.html.
- The count of signs in a dictionary has moved from bottom-left of the main window into the window displayed by 
  the 'About dictionary' tool.
- Dialogs that have shown sign counts now also show sense and gloss counts, if appropriate.
- 'About SooSL' tool now opens the help files to the 'About SooSL' page.
  ('Thanks' and 'Team' information now included in the help files.)
- Startup dialog shows more progress information.
- More information shown in file dialogs when opening, importing or exporting dictionaries to help identify 
  dictionary projects correctly.
- French now included as an interface language option.
- Tool icons for showing sign parameters and sign information are now both displayed together in the toolbar.
- Tool icons for switching between photo and signwriting handshapes are now both displayed together in the toolbar.
- The term 'components' used in tooltips changed to 'parameters'.
- The term 'project' used in tooltips changed to 'dictionary' or 'dictionary project'.
- Fix location parameter sign counts in Search dialog and sign editing display.
- Remove unused location parameters and sign counts from normal sign display.
- Fixed a number of issues causing program crashes.
- Fixed duplication of signs and dialects following crashes.
- Python updated. Windows --> 3.8.10
- VLC updated. Windows and macOS --> 3.0.12

## [0.9.1.210219] - 2021-02-19
### Changed
- Improved Networked project access

## [0.9.1.210210] - 2021-02-10
### Changed
- Corrected gpg signing successfully (Linux)

## [0.9.1.210209] - 2021-02-09
### Changed
- Fix for Linux using Python3.6; dateutils<2.7 not able to parse isoformat strings

## [0.9.1.210208] - 2021-02-06
### Changed
- Correct dependency for Linux; python-dateutil --> python3-dateutil

## [0.9.1] - 2021-02-06
### Added
- Bugfix release.
- Fixed video loading and flickering issues.
- Black video surround replaced with white background.
- Now able to change interface language without restarting application.
- Amendments to project file format to facilitate future merging and publish features.

## [0.9.0] - 2020-09-17
### Added
- Web version has been launched (soosl.net/web), providing a path to dictionary publishing online. 
  Contact us if you are interested.
- Sign data storage was changed from a SQLite database to JSON text file, making it easier to share data 
  with the web version and laying the foundation for further collaborative uses.
- Major version change from 0.8.10 to 0.9.0 due to change from SQLite to JSON.
  Older projects will update to work with this version of SooSL, but new projects will not work with older versions.
- A project ID was added to the data stored about a project. It is created using the name given to the 
  project when it was first created. This is used to identify the project and to name its directory structure.
  It will remain unchanged even if a project is renamed, copied, imported or exported.
- The name of the sign language for the project is now recorded when the project is created; 
  previously it was only available as part of the project name, and then only if the creator remembered to include it.
  There is a new field in the 'Create New Project' dialog for this purpose; also a new small dialog appears when 
  opening an old project in order to add the sign language name.
- Dialogs for opening projects have been improved to show the project name, file name, file size and date when the 
  project was last changed; also shows whether or not a project can be edited (locked/un-locked icon).
- When importing an existing project, there is an option to change the project directory, replace the old copy of the 
  project or make a new copy. The option to rename a project on import by manually renaming .zoozl file has been removed.
- Projects can now be renamed through the 'About project' option in the tools menu. (This does not affect the filename.)
  The filename for a copy is programmatically generated based on the project ID. (The project ID remains unchanged.)
- Some formatting can now be added to a project's description using html through the 'About project' option.
- Sign counts have been added for indexing by location.
- Amendments and fixes to program code to accommodate the change to JSON file format.
- Improved error detection, reporting and recovery; crash detection now works again.
- Cancel button added to startup dialog.
- 'Close project' option added to the tools menu.
- Fixed interface translations for Romanian.
- Python updated. Windows --> 3.7.8; macOS --> 3.7.9
- PyQt5 updated. Windows & macOS --> 5.13.1
- VLC updated. Windows & macOS --> 3.0.3
- FFmpeg updated. macOS only --> 4.3.1

## [0.8.10] - 2019-01-22
### Added
- Interface translations added for Romanian.

### Changed
- Updated Python version used for Windows and macOS (v3.7.2).
- Installed fresh versions of Python and Python libraries on development computers to remove (small) chance of malware
  infection in previous versions of SooSL [Windows].
- Repaired issues in SooSL and SooSL's website (soosl.net) which were preventing the sending of feedback and error reports.
  The same issues were also preventing SooSL from checking for software updates.

## [0.8.9] - 2018-12-15
### Changed
- First release for Linux in the packages.sil.org repositories.
- Large projects now open much faster.
- Updated copyright dates and other text in the 'About SooSL' dialog.
- Updated Python version used for Windows, macOS and Linux Bionic (v3.6).
- Updated PyQt5 version used for Windows, macOS and Linux Bionic (v5.11).
  (Python = core programming language; PyQt5 = visual interface toolkit) 
- Dropped support for Mac OS X 10.8.5 Mountain Lion.
- Security changes on our website meant that sending feedback, error reports and update checks from SooSL
probably didn't work; these issues have been addressed.

See website https://soosl.net/older_software_and_sources.html#Changes to see release notes for earlier versions.
