Hi everyone,

We'd like to thank everyone for their patience and support during the past months as well as suggestions and prompts for the replacement system for ArchRecords. Although we have had a few private issues along with John moving house, we've invested a lot of our spare time into working on fixing the issues with the current software and making it work - as well as adding the new age groups and classifications into the system. This has proven to be a massive job and, having given it all we can, we've had to admit defeat on certain fronts - particularly those of junior age groups. These changes to critical, fundamental principles would require a complete re-write of many sections of the code - something we are planning to do in the new version anyway. We don't feel this is a time for half-measures in patching up one system while delaying the progress on the new system which, we feel, will better meet the requirements we all have as Records Officers.

So, where does that leave things? Well, the good news is that progress has been made on the re-write during this time - so we're not starting from scratch now - and we're still working to the timescales we set ourselves originally for release of the new system. Further to that we've learned alot about structuring the new software from lessons learned from the current system. The bad news is that we will not be able to provide an update to the current system which satisfies everyones needs at this time.

So what are we planning for the replacement system? Well information at this point, as I'm sure you'll all appreciate, is not set in concrete, however we can say that it will be built on much better technology, using principles we apply in our daily jobs as developers. Additionally, many of you are now starting to use 64-bit computer systems, which the present version of ArchRecords does not run upon. We plan to produce a platform unspecific system which will function regardless of what your home computer is running upon - including Linux and even mobile devices. We also want to make sure that there is a proper structure in place to backup and maintain your data and provide a better way of implementing changes which happen from time-to-time to Handicaps, Classifications and Age Groups. Another key requirement we will stick to is retaining the history you already have from past use of ArchRecords.

We understand that this announcement will disappoint many of you and - being users of ArchRecords ourselves - we've been as disappointed. However, we have to be honest and say we've done everything we can without instigating a complete re-write of the fundamental principles of the software - which is, in effect, what we're going to do by pushing on with our rewrite. Please be patient with us, we are confident we can provide a new system which will literally blow what you have now out of the water. We are also setting up a blog which you'll be able to access through Archrecords website, to keep you updated on every aspect of the development and allow you the opportunity to give further input into the new systems functionality.

Many apologies and kind regards

Andy and John Lewis

ArchRecords