From our Product Manager on Program Bugs:
"When we report program bugs and Passport has been able to duplicate the problem, when does the program get fixed?
Is it normally on the next release?" Here is the answer to that question.

Simply stated, we make efforts to fix every bug that we encounter before the next release. There are several exceptions:

1. We find that the issue is not a bug and there is nothing to fix. This would mean that it was not an actual bug (usually this means that someone did not read the manual) or it is really an enhancement request and not a bug at all.

2. The program is being changed anyway for other reasons and the fix is no longer applicable as the other changes will make the bug 'go away'.

3. The bug relates to year-end, but year-end is not the next release so we will not fix the bug until the year-end programs are being updated.

4. The bug involves a complete or near complete module re-write and we don't have time to fix it yet. This means we have to wait until it is appropriate to make the fix.

5. The fix involves extensive data file changes and the file is not being scheduled for a change on the next release. Extensive data file changes involve data conversions, changes to ODBC data dictionaries and often changes to multiple programs and sometimes multiple modules. We do not usually want to take on such a fix for a product release. Therefore, we schedule it for a time when we are doing other extensive changes.

6. If time is limited, we always choose to the fix the more 'serious' bugs over the lesser bugs. Extreme examples of these are: A serious bug involves extensive data integrity issues in A/P, A/R, G/L and PR and a lesser bug could be a misspelled word in a report header in Job Cost. I only mentioned Job Cost as there are not as many installations with J/C as compared the other modules.

7. The current technology will not allow us to fix a bug. If the technology does not allow a fix, then there is nothing we can do. (We do not encounter this very often).
   
   Similar to the last point but a bit different, sometimes users expect things exactly like they were in Version 8 or 9. However, because we are dealing in Windows and not DOS technology, then some changes will result because of this. It is not a bug but just differences in technology. With that said, we are emulating much of what was done in Version 8 and 9.
   
   Therefore, some bugs or 'issues' may hold over from one release to another.
    

Passport Business Solutions Tech Notes

Solutions to common problems, new work-arounds, addendum to PBS user and installation documentation, and other important information.