Version 0.89 has now been uploaded to the site. There are several fixes and enhancements to this release, including three important ones that need to be highlighted:

• BBCode can now be used in the text boxes on the detail screen. 
• File attachments can now be stored in the file system instead of just the database, allowing more flexibility for administrators. 
• Huru has changed to using Joomla! language files for translations. 

See below for more information about these new features.

As always, you can download the latest version of Huru Helpdesk by following the Download tab above, or going to http://www.huruhelpdesk.net/download.

This update can be installed over the top of older versions without any data loss.  (Always backup your Joomla site and Huru tables to be sure!)

Read more: Version 0.89 Released

I've had several questions about when, or if, Huru Helpdesk will be made Joomla! 1.6 compatible.  

Yes, we will definitely be moving towards Joomla! 1.6 compatibility.  Unfortunately, I don't have a timeframe for a 1.6-compatible release yet, but the work will begin after the final non-beta release of version 0.89, which should happen within the next month or so.

The goal for the migration will be for Huru Helpdesk to be compatible with both Joomla! 1.5 and 1.6, so we don't strand any users. Since there has been so much interest in this topic, I will try to post progress updates to the site on a regular basis.

Beta 2 of version 0.89 has been posted to the Download->Early Releases section.  This beta includes the features listed in my post of April 15th as well as a few additions and fixes list below.   Feel free to download this version and post comments to the forums.

v0.89beta1->0.89beta2

Fixed: Single quote in title of new case causes infinite loop preventing note creation and notification

Fixed: Detail form always requires selection of non-default category and rep regardless of general config setting

Fixed: Set DEBUGIMAP to false in imap importation script

Fixed: Removed backup files from imap folder

New: Users imported via Administration->Users->Sync Joomla Users are now automatically made users in system

New: Config check will now display warnings if there are no users, reps, or admins defined in system

New: Added beta version number to install XML and admin cpanel

This version will install over the top of previous versions (including v0.89beta1) without data loss. As always, please backup your installation before installing just to be sure.

For anyone that created language files for v0.89beta1,  this release doesn't add any strings to the front-end, but it does add a few to the admin-side language file.  

An early release of version 0.89 has been posted to the Download->Early Releases section.  The posted version is marked as 'beta 1' and, while quite stable, has not yet undergone full testing.  Version 0.89 includes the features listed in my post of April 15th.   Feel free to download this version and post comments to the forums.

Just a quick note to tell everyone that Huru Helpdesk version 0.89 will be released in the next couple of weeks. Anyone thinking of making extensive mods to the current version may want to wait until the new version is released.

Version 0.89 is feature complete and undergoing testing.

As with previous version updates, you will be able to install v0.89 over the top of older versions without any data loss.  However, any custom mods will have to be saved and reapplied.

Several new language strings have been added to v0.89, and language handling has been altered to use Joomla! language files.  See the new Language Configuration page for more info.  In the next couple of days, I will post the new language files early so that interested users will have more time to create custom translations before the new version is released (this is one advantage of using these translation files rather than the SQL database).

For those that are curious, the change list from the readme.txt file of the new version is below.  More information about the new features will be coming out as the release data approaches.

v0.88d->0.89

Fixed: SQL debug code displayed on the search results screen
Fixed: Notes entered with new problem may not be associated correctly with ID of created problem due to timing issues
Fixed: Fixed several HTML tag id/name conflicts causing Javascript issues in Internet Explorer
Fixed: Itemid not being passed from control panel links making IE redirect to site homepage instead of list screen in some cases
Fixed: Renamed some views/models to remove conflicts with other 3rd party components and modules
New: BBCode added to text fields on Detail view (optional)
New: Added file system storage of attachments
New: Added ability of Huru to import email messages into new or existing cases via IMAP/POP3
New: Migrated to using Joomla language files for translations. For backwards compatibility, translation function will check for existing strings in database first then, if no database entry found, check the language file. For new installs, installation process will no longer install language strings into database.  NOTE: If translation is done via language files, the global Joomla language setting of the user will be used to determine the language, *not* the language setting in the Huru user profile.
New: Email notifications now substitute URL for direct access to problem for [url] tag if anonymous access is turned on in General Configuration
New: Layout of Detail view now done with CSS instead of tables
New: Layout of List view modernized with CSS
New: Layout tabbed on General Configuration view
New: Added problem ID to columns displayed on List view
New: Added stats and charts on cpanel for reps and admins showing number and type of open cases (optional)
New: Added [repname] and [repemail] substitution for email notifications
New: Added configuration check on admin control panel to flag common config problems
New: Email address configured to be notified for all new support tickets can now be notified on all updates as well