Events Booking version 2.1.0 released

Dear customers

Today, I am happy to announce the next release of Events Booking, version 2.1.0. In this new version :

1. We added support for QR code feature and check in registrants automatically using the generated QR code:

- You can use [QRCODE] tag in the thank you message, email message and the invoice to insert the QR code corresponding to the registration record into these messages. Actually, the QR code is generated based on the URL for checking in registrants.

- Registrnats can print one of these messages and use it as a ticket to attend the event (it can be thank you messages, confirmation email or event the invoice PDF)

- When registrants come to attend the event, they will bring that ticket (which including the generated QR code). The user who process checking registrant can:

+ Login to the frontend of your site using a mobile device which can scan QR code (such as Iphone). We test it using Iphone and use this APP itunes.apple.com/us/app/qr-code-reader-by-scan/id698925807?mt=8 for scanning QR code
+ He needs to login using an account which has frontend registrants management permission
+ He will use the mobile device to scan QR code. If the QR code is valid, the registration record will be checked in (checked in status changed to Yes)
+ He can filter registrants based on checked in status (Checked in or not checked in)
+ If QR code not found or invalid, there will be error messages display so that the checkin person will know that the ticket is invalid...

This feature has been asking by customers and finally, I have it implemented. If you use it, and need improvements, please suggest and I will be happy to implement it. It might not be perfect at this time but it is really a good start / good feature to help you check in registrants.

2. Improve coupon code feature :
- You can now import / export coupons code from / to a csv file.
- You can use batch coupon feature to generate multiple coupons code follow the rules you want.

3. Improve group registration feature
- In case your event has a fixed number members (for example 4 members by settings maximum and minimum number registrants to 4), we will hide the Number Members step (reduce one step for your registrants, thus saving their time)

4. Added an useful config option called "Hide past events from events dropdown". Set this config option to Yes will hide the completed events (where event end date is a past date) from events dropdown in many views from backend Registrants Management, Coupons management, Custom Fields Management..... and make it easier for you to find and select the events you want (in case you have many events in the system)

5. Added some useful tools which will be used in some special case:

- Purge Urls : In case you want to reset the URLs in the system (for example, when you create test events to test registration... and now want to reset the URLs to start from scratch, using this tool). It will also help removing cached urls of the deleted events as well. You only use it when there is something with the urls/routing in the system
- Fix Database Schema : If when you update the extension and there is error happens for example, when there is timeout), the database schema might not be updated properly to latest version and might causes some errors in the extension. Using this tools will help making sure the database is up to date to latest version
- Share translation : Allows you to share the language files (if your site is none English language) back to Events Booking community and help saving times for other users use the same language with your site. If you are confident that your translation is good, please use this feature to share it back to us.

6. Some minor bugs fixed:
- Issue with Weekly calendar view
- Blank page issue on individual registration when captcha code is invalid or validation is invalid for some reasons.
- Blank page issue when upgrading from old version to 2.0.4 - 2.0.5
- [EVENT_TITLE] tag doesn't work for reminder email in multilingual websites

IMPORTANT changes, Please read

1. After version 2.1.0, we won't add new features for Joomla 2.5.x anymore (Joomla 2.5 has reached it end of life from 31st December last year, so you should consider upgrading to Joomla 3.x ASAP). We will continue maintain Events Booking for Joomla 2.5 for one more year (only provide bug fixes and support, no new features will be added for Joomla 2.5 version). So If you are using Joomla 2.5, you can only use 2.1.x version and not future versions (from 2.2.x).

2. As Joomla 3.4.4 and older has critical security issues, please update your site to Joomla 3.4.5 to make sure your site is secure

3. From now on, Events Booking will follow semver.org for new version releases with the following rules:

1. MAJOR version when you make incompatible API changes (for example, next MAJOR release will be 3.0.0)
2. MINOR version when you add functionality in a backwards-compatible manner (for example, next MINOR release will be 2.2.0)
3. PATCH version when you make backwards-compatible bug fixes. (For example, next PATCH release will be 2.1.1)

If you want to use these nice improvements, please login to your account, download latest version and upgrade it to your site. Thanks for continue using our products and support our development. I will continue working hard to improve the extension, so please keep an eye on our website to get new version when it is released

Regards,

Tuan

Hi Tuan,

Ref: Purge Urls tool. Could you provide some symptoms of needing to use it, please?

It my explain some oddities I thought were related to my memus and SEF I felt should work.

Thank you,
Roger D

Hey,
Neither I nor Chrome can find the QRCODE tag under the available tags in "Emails & Configuration".

Thought to mention it

Is it possible that you can use the QR code in the Thank you message that you customize per event (Events>"XXX">Advanced Settings). It somehow did not work for me right now...

Once I get it to work I will say AWESOME JOB!

With the QR Code check-in feature, do you get an alert saying that the user has already checked in if the ticket is scanned again? If not, this needs to be implemented in order to prevent tickets from being used multiple times

Yes James. There will be error messages if :

1. The ticket is already checked in

2. The ticket is invalid (the QR code is not related to any registration record)

Regards

Tuan

Tuan Pham Ngoc wrote: Yes James. There will be error messages if :
1. The ticket is already checked in
2. The ticket is invalid (the QR code is not related to any registration record)

Figured you'd have covered that angle -- thanks for confirming! Need to renew my subscription before I can test out the newest version

Don't renew. You have been so helpful and I would like to give you free upgrade. I will renew your subscription for one more year this afternoon

Tuan

Sorry but i don't understand

"He needs to login using an account which has frontend registrants management permission"

For example:
At the event i have an hostess with an iphone to check the qrcode... after she has checked the thicket she need to login on website?

Luca Brusamolino wrote: For example:
At the event i have an hostess with an iphone to check the qrcode... after she has checked the thicket she need to login on website?

Checking-in a registrant can only be done by a logged-in user with high enough account permissions, allowing them to manage registrants.
This is how I understand it would work:
The hostess would first log-in to the front end of EB on her iPhone, using a user account that has permission to manage registerants (either by going to your website and logging-in manually, or scanning a EB QR code). She would then remain logged-in until the log-in expires, which should hopefully be long enough that she doesn't need to log-in again during the registration/check-in window for your event.
She can then scan QR codes, and as long as she is still logged in, the registrants will be checked-in. If she closes the browser down or log-in expires, then she will have to log-in again in order to process QR codes.