Knowledge Base

ToolBook 8.6. Feature list and upgrade instructions.

Article: P757

ToolBook Instructor and Assistant 8.6

This article talks about the following topics

New Features in 8.6
General Notes about 8.6
Things Fixed in 8.6
How to Move to Version 8.6

New features in 8.6

Sun Java runtime engine now supported
A ToolBook book that has been exported as Web content (using the HTML runtime) can be viewed with the Sun Java runtime engine (JRE) from Sun Microsystems. If you use the Internet Explorer browser and have it configured to use the Sun Java runtime rather than the Microsoft Java runtime engine, exported ToolBook content will run in this situation.

Communication between servers using a signed Java applet
A new option allows communication between online content stored on one server and a different server. The server which is not storing the content can have either of the following:

• an AICC Learning Management System (LMS)
• a CGI or ASP script that processes an HTTP Post created in the Actions Editor

ToolBook content can communicate with a different server when the Java applet used for this communication is "signed". If this option is selected, the end user must accept a signed Java applet security certificate that will appear when the content is launched. This option, "Use Signed Applet for AICC or HTTP Post" is available in the ToolBook Web Specialist directly below the Package options.

In summary, the signed Java applet option allows you to use HTTP Post to send information to a different server from the one, which contains the online content. Also, it enables communication between ToolBook content stored on one server and an AICC LMS stored on another server.

Support for recent versions of JAWS screen reader added
ToolBook content can be accessed through a Web browser by people who are blind or have limited vision through the use of screen reader software. This release includes support for newer versions of the JAWS screen reader software from Freedom Scientific.

Aspen 2.x support added
ToolBook content can be published in the latest release of the Aspen LMS from Click2learn. This option is available in the Web Specialist.

General Notes About 8.6

Books created in 8.5 will run in 8.6 without running the Version Updater
The ToolBook Instructor 8.6 release is backwards compatible with the 8.5 release. ToolBook files created in Instructor 8.5 or Assistant 8.5 do not have to go through any conversion process in order to work in the 8.6 release. Once saved in version 8.6, your ToolBook files can still be opened by any ToolBook 8.5 user.

Navigating to page with different background may cause momentarily blackness
If you view ToolBook content through Internet Explorer and are using a version of the Sun JRE released since 1.3.1_07, if you navigate from one page to another page that uses a different background, the page may go black momentarily. The problem is not seen in the Sun JRE version 1.3.1_02.

Return value for sysVersion in OpenScript is unchanged from previous version number
In this release the return value for sysVersion in OpenScript will return 8.5, not 8.6. ToolBook system files that have "85" in the filename continue to have "85" in the name (not 86). Also, the version number displayed in the About box from the Help menu will be 8.6, but the build number will indicate 8.5.

Uninstalling the ToolBook Instructor 8.6 software
If you run the full installation of Instructor 8.6 from the program disc, you can use the uninstall program provided with ToolBook to uninstall this software.

If you upgraded to version 8.6 by downloading the incremental update program from the Click2learn Web site, you will notice there is no entry for ToolBook 8.6 in the Add/Remove Programs properties dialog box of the Windows Control Panel. For removal of an incremental update, you can use the existing entry for ToolBook 8.5. You may find some references to ToolBook 8.6 after uninstalling the incremental update; for example, the Windows Start menu will still show the ToolBook 8.6 menu entries.

Things Fixed in 8.6

Actions Editor arrays
You may have encountered an error message stating "Not a valid array" if you attempted to use an array in the Actions Editor in ToolBook 8.5. This message would appear when testing your application in Native ToolBook, but not when exported to DHTML. You can remove this error message after installing version 8.6 by updating any action code that contained array references prior to the installation of this version: choose Update Actions from the File menu in the Actions Editor.

Windows Media Player version 9
In the 8.5 release of ToolBook Instructor, if you installed Windows Media Player 9.0 then the Universal Media Player would stop working in native ToolBook. This is no longer a problem.

If you use a Universal Media Player that uses the Windows Media Player, or audio question feedback, or a Media Player Icon (from the Media Players category of the catalog), when exported it wouldn't work when run locally (it would work when run from a server). It now works when run locally.

Testing a return value from Display Confirmation action
In the Actions Editor, if you attempted to use the Display Confirmation action in ToolBook 8.5, the return value from this action was always False during testing in native ToolBook. A value of True should be returned if the user presses the OK button in the dialog box. This problem would not occur after exporting to DHTML. You can remove this problem by updating any action code that you had written which contains the Display Confirmation action: choose Update Actions from the File menu in the Actions Editor.

Bullet object alignment
In the previous version of ToolBook, the Bullet objects in the Actions category of the catalog did not align with each other properly. This is now fixed. You can repair the alignment of bullets in an existing book by simply opening the Extended Property editor for any one of your bullet objects.

Simulation object corrections
The following fixes have been made to the functionality of the simulation object:

• Radio buttons in a radio button group now work properly as evaluation objects.
• The auto reset and auto start properties in a simulation now work together as expected.
• When a course contains a simulation and is launched from an LMS, if the course is suspended and the resumed, the simulation's score will now be correct.
• Automatic feedback for a single radio buttons is now working as expected.

Printing a DHTML page that contains editable text fields
When using a Web browser to view a ToolBook page with editable text fields, if you tried to print the page the browser might lock up when you attempt to close the browser window. This issue has been resolved.

Exit and discard results
In ToolBook 8.5, the Exit and discard catalog object was resetting questions that were previously saved. Now the results are discarded.

How to Move to Version 8.6

If you are using ToolBook 8.5 Instructor or Assistant and have a valid Product Support contract:

The ToolBook 8.6 Update Package will automatically be shipped, free of charge, to all owners of ToolBook who have a current Product Support contract.

In addition, you can download and install the latest release of the 8.6 Updater by clicking on the link:

ftp://ftp.sumtotalsystems.com/pub/tb2/common/86/update/tb85to86updater.exe
[11 Megs] 5/13/2003

After you download the Updater to your hard drive, double-click the downloaded TB85TO86UPDATER.EXE file to start the installation process. The updater will only update an existing installation of version 8.5. If you do not have version 8.5 installed, this Updater application will not function properly. Please contact Click2learn Sales at 1-800-471-5184 to purchase the upgrade.

If you are using ToolBook 8.5 Instructor or Assistant and do not have a valid Product Support contract:

You can purchase the ToolBook 8.6 Update Package by contacting Click2learn Sales at 1-800-471-5184.

In addition, you can download and install the latest release of the 8.6 Updater by clicking on the link:

ftp://ftp.sumtotalsystems.com/pub/tb2/common/86/update/tb85to86updater.exe
[11 Megs] 5/13/2003

After you download the Updater to your hard drive, double-click the downloaded TB85TO86UPDATER.EXE file to start the installation process. The updater will only update an existing installation of version 8.5. If you do not have version 8.5 installed, this updater application will not function properly. Please contact Click2learn Sales at 1-800-471-5184 to purchase the upgrade.

If you are using the trial version of ToolBook 8.5 Instructor or Assistant:

You can download and install the latest release of the 8.6 Updater by clicking on the link:

ftp://ftp.sumtotalsystems.com/pub/tb2/common/86/update/tb85to86updater.exe
[11 Megs] 5/13/2003

After you download the Updater to your hard drive, double-click the downloaded TB85TO86UPDATER.EXE file to start the installation process. The updater will only update an existing installation of the trial version 8.5. If you do not have the trial version of 8.5 installed, this updater application will not function properly.

If you are not using ToolBook 8.5 Instructor or Assistant and would like to upgrade to 8.6:

Please contact Click2learn Sales at 1-800-471-5184 for information on upgrading to ToolBook version 8.6.

If you are interested in purchasing ToolBook:

Please contact Click2learn Sales at 1-800-471-5184.

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