Neptune User's Manual
Info: Version Updating
New versions of Neptune are published with some regularity. These new versions generally include new features, improvements, and bug fixes. The jAlbum application will let you know when a new version is available, and users are encouraged to download and install the new version.
- It is best to install a new version of the skin with the jAlbum application closed, i.e., not running. Save the Neptune.jaskin file to your computer, close jAlbum, launch the Neptune.jaskin file to do the installation, then launch jAlbum again.
- If you have a project that was created with an older version of Neptune and you're happy with it, and don't intend to add any images to it or make any other changes to it, there's no reason to make the album again with the latest version of the skin. However, if you intend to change that project in any way, it should be reprocessed with the newest version.
- Before re-making an existing album with a new version of the skin, read the release notes, and create a small test album to see the effect of newly-introduced features. These new features are sometimes enabled by default in a new version, and will be applied to your existing project unless you choose to turn them off. The time to discover this is not after you've rebuilt an entire 10,000-image album.
- There is no need to invoke Force Remake in jAlbum. This forces jAlbum to reprocess all of the images, rather than just generating new HTML and CSS files. This is almost never required. Just click Make Album, and let jAlbum decide what needs to be updated.
- However, if your project contains folders (subdirectories), it is very important that all subdirectories be processed with the new version of the skin. All of the pages in an album share the same CSS files, and having a page of HTML generated with an older version of the skin using a CSS file created with the newest version could produce catastrophically bad results. Under Settings » Advanced » General, be sure to check Process subdirectories and Include subdirectories in index pages. Be sure not to check Process only updated subdirectories. An updated subdirectory is one that has had images added to it, or removed from it. Other settings changes, or the use of a new version of the skin, does not cause jAlbum to regard subdirectories as being "updated."
- For an active project, one that you make changes to periodically, it is recommended that you stay abreast of new skin versions. Generally, the process of updating an album by one or two skin versions is easy, and takes very little time. Trying to jump over many versions, however, could require considerable effort. Stay current to avoid problems.
- After you have opened an existing project with the new skin version, it's a good idea to save the project, even if jAlbum doesn't prompt you to do so. This saves newly-defined skin variables with the project, which makes subsequent project opening smoother and less prone to errors.
- After installing a new version of the skin, you should never make existing albums from the command line or the multi-maker. Skin updates often involve new or changed variables, and the skin makes needed corrections when the project is opened in the regular application. These corrections don't occur if the project is made from the command line or the multi-maker, which can result in undesirable results or even catastrophically bad results. At a minimum you should open each project in the application and save it. That will ensure that variable corrections are properly made. After doing that, it is once again safe to use the command line or the multi-maker.