Version 10 has required a huge investment in time and resources to provide the most up to date technology and user interface improvements since its first release in 1993. There are 3 main changes to all versions of Preactor in 10.0; a new tabbed window sequencer UI, a new calendar editor and a new database for storage of data in SQL 2005.

The new sequencer UI has taken Preactor to a new level of excellence. Tool bars have been simplified but remain completely customisable. All views of data such as Order & Operation Editor, Gantt Chart, Order Trace Chart, Plots, Schedule Analysis and Hot Spot Grids can be placed in separate tabbed windows that can be made part of other window groups or displayed independently. The Trace Chart can also be customised to show any appropriate field in the schedule file as the vertical axis.

Also new in version 10.0 is the graphical calendar editor and this represents an impressive advance over previous versions. This Outlook Like UI allows the user to set up almost any complex shift pattern in a template and then assign the template for defined periods to both primary and secondary resources. In addition exceptions such as Overtime, Breakdowns and other unexpected events can be added to multiple resources interactively in the sequencer using the same easy to use interface.

Another significant change is the use of SQL 2005 as the data store. Both SQL 2005 Express and SQL 2005 Server can be used and data is automatically saved and retrieved from the database. We have retained the flexibility of configuring the data tables in Preactor using the existing prtdf files. The SQL 2005 database is automatically created/updated by Preactor using the field names, tables and classifications that has been such a strength of Preactor in previous versions. Add a field or table to your configuration in the Preactor prtdf file, and Preactor modifies the SQL database appropriately without losing data. There is also a migration tool to assist the migration of 9.x applications to version 10.0. Having data in a SQL 2005 database opens up a range of additional possibilities with regard to reports and analysis using standard tools.

This step change in technology however may not be the choice for everybody and so in fact the next release will offer two options, version 10.0, which will be the choice for all new users and most existing users and version 9.4 for those who are not yet able to embrace the latest Microsoft advances in SQL 2005 and/or the .NET Framework 2. Version 9.4 will mainly focus on bug fixes, speed improvements and so on while most of the new features will be confined to version 10.0.