Just a quick update to let everyone know that the immediate roadmap of features/changes is as follows:
ExamText File (under the hood)
The file format makeup of ExamText files will change from XML to DOCX-based so that each file can be directly loaded into Microsoft Word. This means that It will reduce the codebase and number of functions which also removes the need to have a separate button to export to DOCX. You will in future just need to change the file extension from ExamText to DOCX or right-click on the ExamText file and select ‘Open WIth…’ then ‘Choose Another App’, then select ‘Word’ (Just Once).
Released in March 2024
License File (Deployment)
It can be quite cumbersome for some admins to copy the License file to each PC that uses ExamWritePad. Therefore in the Config options will be a new option called “LicenseFilePath” where you can select a single path on a file server/share, therefore maintaining just one copy of the license file.
Released in November 2023
PDF Reader (Sizing)
The ability to resize the PDF window (when you unpin it) so you don’t have to rely on the PDF zoom controls as much.
Released in November 2023
PDF Reader (Speaking)
Speaking only any given selection of text.
Released in November 2023
Drawings and Shapes
Word-compatible drawings and shapes can be inserted and edited.
Released in April 2024
RibbonBar (Design)
More and more people are using high-resolution monitors and setting the DPI scaling to 125% up to 300%. Therefore the redesigned RibbonBar will now be able to scale with the DPI change like the rest of EWP does and look crisp.
Marked for August 2024
Coversheets (Form 2 Scribe) REMOVED
The JCQ have removed Form 2 from their website, which will need to be downloaded from Access Arrangement Online in normal circumstances. EWP will discontinue Form 2 printing because each board may decide to tweak the form and we cannot guarantee its acceptance by the boards.
Released in March 2024
Some will ask questions regarding certain features currently not available in EWP – I will address those now…
PDF Reader
We are currently trying to liaise with the developers of the PDF addon to allow the highlighting of text directly on the PDF as each word is spoken, just like the narrator currently does.
Removing support for older Windows versions
We will inevitably be looking to drop Windows 7 from the list by the end of 2024 and move the .net framework version up from 4.8 to 6 or 8 ready for when the project begins its migration away from VB.net to C#
Jan 2025 – CONFIRMED
EWP on other platforms
It has always been a long-term goal to get EWP working on multiple operating systems/platforms. But it is almost impossible to offer the same feature set that is currently offered on WIndows. Therefore, the only logical way to move forward to support ANY platform is to redevelop EWP completely as a web-based solution. Yes, I can hear the alarm bells going off in the Exam Officers’ heads saying it stipulates in the JCQ no internet access on a computer. In time this will change and all schools should be sitting behind a firewall/web filter so they could provision a computer/device and remove access to all the internet apart from URLS required for EWP. This at the moment is just one vision we have but nothing is finalised as yet.
Narrator Voices
We are currently looking into costings of bundling in with EWP commercial voices in British English from third-party sources. At the moment it is very expensive with most voices having to be bought on a per device basis, rendering a bill to EWP in-access of £20,000 a year. Therefore, schools should seek to buy SAPI5 voices like Ivona or CereProc at their own expense to help enhance the Narrator and PDF Reader experience.
https://harposoftware.com/en/english-uk/139-amy-english-uk-voice.html
