Change Log

From February 2013 WebbIE is moving to separate installers for each program, so this page will no longer reflect changes across the whole of the WebbIE program range. See individual program pages for information on updates, or subscribe to the RSS feed.

This page logs changes to WebbIE and the Accessible programs so you can see what changed when. WebbIE 1.1 was released in 2002 - this covers only the last year or so!

3.118
RSS News Reader 2.6.1: Fixes RSS hanging if feed is broken.
Installer: now uninstalls previous versions before installing new versions, so should give a smoother (though slower) upgrade process.
3.117 18 June 2012.
RSS News Reader 2.6.0: Lets you delete all the RSS news feeds in the program in one go.
BBC iPlayer Radio 7.0.1: Fixes the BBC's changes to their media streams.
3.116 16 August 2011
Podcatcher 1.13: Lets you open a particular item in Windows Media Player, or copy the URL so you can paste it into another program.
3.115 11 August 2011
WebbIE 3.16.1. Fixes WebbIE speaking in Thunder.
3.114 9 August 2011
WebbIE 3.16.0. Fixes missing input text areas, Google search, the MSAA "blank line" bug, and WebbIE being made too small to use.
3.113 28 May 2011
Disk Explorer 1.1.0 - Can now scale font size in list, added and fixed navigation keys so it's more like Explorer, and now has an icon showing folders, files and drives. Redid how startup is controlled.
WebbIE 3.15.0 - Can now choose to download a file from a link, not open it - new entry in Links menu. Can load Favourites as the Home Page so you can set it up to just need the cursor keys when you start it to get places.
PDF 2.3.0 - Supports more PDF files opening (before you'd get a "needs password" message and no text) using pdftotext.exe.
Changed shortcuts so that it is easier for Windows 7 users to find the WebbIE applications
3.112, 13 March 2011
Podcast Downloader 1.5.4 - fixes not downloading some podcasts because their addresses have ? marks in them.
WebbIE 3.12.5 - Fix Organize Bookmarks not working and some bookmarks not appearing if they have "." full stops in the name. Fixed labels getting truncated at fifty characters (now 512).
RSS News Reader 2.5.2 - fix catalogue, improve "search page for link" performance.
BBC iPlayer TV 6.3.2 - fixes some BBC programmes not playing, though they'll not be "controllable" when they start.
3.111 12 January 2011
WebbIE 3.12.3 - Fix of Google search in WebbIE.
3.110 12 December 2010
BBC iPlayer TV 6.3.1 - fixes BBC programmes needing age verification.
WebbIE 3.12.2 - fixes lots of odd speech as you cursor around and long strings of garbage sometimes showing up with Flash objects.
Web Directory 1.4.4 - fixes nothing being found.
3.109 21 September 2010
BBC iPlayer TV 6.3.0 - fixes the BBC TV Flash player not working. Now loads settings from online so I can change them without rebuilding.
3.108 10 September 2010
BBC iPlayer Radio 7 - now uses the BBC's WMA streams for audio, so you get lots more control and it works much, much better than before!
RSS News Reader 2.5.1 - WebbIE can now add (subscribe) to RSS News Feeds correctly.
3.107 30 August 2010
WebbIE 3.14: New frame-handling mechanism means more advanced pages will work more often. Fixed Czech bug with toolbar characters, updated help files, fixed shortcut keys, added some new shortcut keys.
Added autorun.inf back into program folder, so you can just copy it to a USB stick wholesale and it'll work.
Calendar 2.2.0: Fixed Calendar not saving changes if you log out while it is minimized into the System Tray. Added the ability to export your calendar to RTF text file. American English users will see their US date format.
Clock 1.2.0: Can now show seconds and switch from 24-hour to AM/PM displays.
BBC iPlayer TV and Radio 6.2.0: Fixed adult programmes not starting, fixed jump to position not working, fixed keys stopping working after a time.
Gutenberg Library 3.1.0: Now reads headings correctly in the user interface.
3.106, 31 May 2010
RSS News Reader 2.5.0: Improved the site search function so more RSS feeds are found more reliably. Added support for another RSS format from Korea.
BBC iPlayer Radio 5.1.0: Added local BBC Radio stations to the list.
BBC iPlayer TV 6.1.0: Fixed the control keys operating even when the program does not have the focus.
Google RSS and Podcast Search: fixed installer so it works.
Calendar 2.1.1: Fixed invalid characters making appointments disappear.
WebbIE 3.13.0: Made it possible to keep WebbIE in webpage view - uncheck "Always start in text view" in the Options menu. Magnification is carried on to every page and shortcuts F11 and F12 added. Fixed bookmarks, WebbIE accidentally ending up too small to read.
Removed "Make USB pendrive" since it keeps breaking and its now simple to make a USB stick - just copy the program folder and remove installed.ini.
3.105 18 March 2010
WebbIE 3.12.2: Popup windows work again, though only by opening Internet Explorer windows. Favourites bugfixed.
BBC iPlayer Radio 5.0.1: Radio is back, using the same mechanism as BBC iPlayer TV. That means you need Flash installed, not RealPlayer.
3.104 27 February 2010
RSS News Reader 2.4.1: Set focus to latest item if automatically refreshing.
WebbIE 3.12.1: Fixed a nasty bug making WebbIE slow to start up and crash if run on Vista with UAC on. All well now.
3.103 31 January 2010
WebbIE 3.12.0: Fixed speaking whole document/window whenever you skip links or jump to an internal link. Fixed nasty bug crashing WebbIE on Yahoo! mail. You can now press Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+6 to jump to any headings on the page with that level (or just use Ctrl+H for the next one). Improved rendering of BLOCKQUOTE and TABLE elements.
Podcatcher 1.12.3: F2 now renames podcasts, and the currently-playing item is shown in the window title bar.
RSS News Reader 2.4.0: Can now import the RSS Reader storage format used in Korea.
3.102 16 December 2009
WebbIE 3.11.4: Given up on tabbing introduced in 3.11.0. Fixed Favourites not showing up.
PDF 2.2.0: Many new features. Added ability to provide a password to open secure PDF files, added page number count (e.g. "1 of 3") and ability to go to next or previous page and hide page numbers, added ability to re-wrap paragraphs within a document (on by default), added Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down shortcut keys like in WordPad or Word.
Podcast Downloader 1.5.3: Fixed not starting up on some machines.
3.101 12 November 2009
WebbIE 3.11.3: Fixed more bugs with WebbIE and tabbing.
3.100 5 November 2009
WebbIE 3.11.2: Really did fix Alt and D going to address bar. Fixed Table mode not working.
3.99 30 October 2009
WebbIE 3.11.1: tried to fix Alt and D going to address bar.
3.98 29 October 2009
Added a shortcut to Check for Updates to the Tools folder in the Start menu.
Calendar 2.1.0: Added a Find feature so you can search your appointments, and added an alert if the user enters more than one appointment on one day. And can alt-tab to appointments. Should no longer cause alerts from programs watching for programs trying to monitor the Startup folder.
RSS News Reader 2.3.0: Fixed bug with importing OPML files. Added sending of new RSS feeds to WebbIE site (anonymous, of course). Added better default RSS list. New catalogue function like Podcatcher.
BBC iPlayer Radio 3.5.6: Removed debug code.
Podcatcher 1.12.2: Fixed Export option showing Open on button, not Save. Made prompt for URL come before Name so can provide good default when adding podcasts.
Added TeamViewerQS support tool to installer.
WebbIE 3.11.0: Fixes lots of links again and added the ability to follow link addresses, not just click, by pressing Control and Enter. Changed navigation to correctly catch scripts. And suppress Javascript error messages again. Tab now goes from link to link (or similar) like in I.E. or Firefox. Control and H now goes from each header to each header like with JAWS, and headers are marked up with the level.
BBC Live Radio 2.0.1: Removed debug code.
Internet Radio Tuner 1.6.4: Removed debug code.
Lots more translations in Korean.
3.97 9 October 2009
WebbIE 3.10.3: Fixed a bug that caused some links to not work in WebbIE.
BBC iPlayer TV 5.0.1: Fixed programmes starting and adult authentication being checked.
3.96 8 October 2009
WebbIE 3.10.2: Fixed a bug that caused WebbIE to complain about broken RSS feeds on some pages.
3.95 06 October 2009
BBC Live Radio 2.0: Move from (now defunct) Real Audio to Windows Media streams - better quality and work better.
RSS News Reader 2.2.2: Fixed copying bug.
Podcatcher 1.12.0: Fixed buffering bug with .MOV files.
WebbIE 3.10.1: Made sure the "dong" sound plays when navigation completes. Speeded up WebbIE navigation and stability some more.
3.94 22 September 2009
BBC iPlayer TV 5.0.0: You can now control TV programmes directly (pause, play, skip to sections) and you can get lists of the Audio Described programmes.
Gutenberg 3.0.0: Changed inaccessible treeview into accessible lists. Reinstated removal of copyright section. Added Export to allow files to be saved outside the program. Fixed opening on some systems.
WebbIE 3.10.0: huge improvements in performance and memory usage over the last version. Pressing Escape does (1) stop (2) set focus to first line, web page title (3) URL/address bar. So Escape works like other WebbIE application. Bug with WebbIE hanging on some PHP pages fixed.
Podcatcher 1.11.0: provides podcasts from the online directory, handles Apple MOV, AIFF and AAC files by spawning media player (probably iTunes).
Calendar 2.0.0: you can now edit appointments, and doesn't use Startup folder any more so shouldn't cause problems with multiple users.
BBC iPlayer Radio 3.5.5: Had to remove local BBC radio stations and the World Service since the BBC has pulled the Real Audio streams. I'll replace these when Windows Media Player streams appear.
3.93 5 August 2009
BBC iPlayer Radio 3.5.3: Fixes lots of programmes not showing up in listings.
3.92 19 July 2009
Fixes to installer so PDF Reader and Check for Updates both work properly.
3.91 28 June 2009
RSS News Reader 2.2.0 - Edit and delete RSS news feeds more easily, like in Podcatcher. Open in WebbIE fixed.
BBC Live Radio 1.4.0 - Fixed Radio 5 and made station list online, so I won't have to recompile it.
3.90 16 June 2009
Gutenbert 2.0.9 - Fixes books being downloaded but not given names, and opening books not setting focus to book.
Podcatcher 1.10.0 - Submits new podcasts to a central WebbIE database (completely anonymously, I hasten to add).
3.89 12 June 2009
All programs - fixed a bug that may have stopped applications opening on some systems.
Podcast Downloader 1.5.1 - more accessible download folder selection panel.
RSS News Reader 2.1.1 - Importing RSS news feeds from an OPML file no longer produces duplicates.
Google RSS and Podcast Search 1.3.1 - can now use Alt F4 to close application, and Alt and key to access menus, and opens on all machines.
Help Editor 1.1.2 - fixed bug with not opening.
3.88 - 9 June 2009
Podcatcher 1.9.6 - shows description for podcast feeds.
Gutenberg 2.0.7 - fixes crash when using JAWS or Narrator to cursor around book catalogue.
RSS News Reader 2.1.0 - allows you to rename feeds in your feed list.
WebbIE 3.9.1 - IFRAMEs work better, for example on Google Mail.
3.8.7, 26 May 2009
Fixed installer bug - Start menu shortcuts to Help files did not work.
3.8.6, 25 May 2009.
Make USB 1.2.0 - Works with new WebbIE folder structure. Allows user to tab around the Make dialogue.
WebbIE 3.8.6 - Turned table mode on!
RSS News Reader 2.0.3 - fixed being able to get lost by pressing tab.
3.8.5 18 May 2009
Update of version so I know where I'm up to.
3.8.4 Not released yet.
(3.8.3 went out as the Beta in March 2009, 3.8.4 is the final 3.8 public release, I hope.)
WebbIE 3.8.4 Fixed major and old bug with pages not displaying any links when loaded.
Radio Tuner 1.6.1. Added Internationalisation.
RSS 2.0.2 - Fixed not opening due to XP-style manifest error.
3.8.3 Not released yet.
Podcatcher 1.9.5 - Fixed hanging on finding podcasts in page where a link is a mailto: ref.
RSS 2.0.1 - Normal help system replaces odd text view.
WebbIE 3.8.3 - Added F8 Link information shortcut key. Stopped it opening minimized.
Gutenberg 2.0.5 - Fixed hanging on some Vista machines.
BBC Live Radio 2.2.0 - Added BBC Hindi, ability to hide to system tray, ability to add/remove radio stations.
Google RSS and Podcast Search - now finds Atom feeds, and works with invalid XML feeds, and has progress sound.
Calendar 1.0.3 - Allows hide to system tray.
3.8.2, 19 March 2009
BBC iPlayer TV 4.0.1 - Fixed not opening stations.
Podcast Downloader 1.4.2 - Fixed not downloading long podcasts.
WebbIE 3.8.1 - Fixed labels not working when duplicate labels on page.
3.8.1
Google RSS and Podcast Search 1.2.1 - Fixed the "blank blank" bug.
BBC Live Radio 1.2.3 - Fixed BBC Sports Extra link.
Fixes from 3.7.10
3.8.0 February 2009
Improved link processing: if there is no text at all for a link, WebbIE will fetch the target, extract the page title and use that. The page will be refreshed and a sound will play when all the targets are fetched. The pages are cached, but only for this session.
Podcatcher shows video. 1.8.0
Accessible Calendar.
Accessible RSS UI improvements, like will suggest feed name from feed url. 22 Dec 2008
Accessible RSS now shows RSS found in HEAD element using the normal RSS.
Added a new table feature so no-one can view tables.
Added error handling code to clicking links so that if the link is suddenly returning a 70 Permission Denied error then the manual "use the href" approach is used instead.
Improved crop function so it leaves form contents in, useful on discussion pages.
No longer shows numbers on links and tables and suchlike.
New form command, shows only forms.
RSS laid out to be like Podcatcher.
All installs as Reg-Free COM variant so can just copy to USB stick.

WebbIE 3.7 - August 2008

New in this major version of WebbIE:

3.7.12 Not released yet.
Podcatcher 1.9.5 - Fixed hanging on finding podcasts in page where a link is a mailto: ref.
3.7.11 11 March 2009
Podcatcher 1.9.4 - Fixes deleting individual items from Items list.
3.7.10 25 February 2009
Google Podcast and RSS Search 1.2.1 - Fixes the "blank blank" bug when you cannot go up and down the list of results.
Radio 1.2.3 - Fixes BBC Five station links.
Podcatcher 1.9.3 - Fixes Pause button, tab order.
3.7.9 5 February 2009
Fixed update mechanism triggering Vista UAC prompt every time WebbIE or any Accessible program is run.
3.7.8 January 2009
Fixed pages throwing Permission Denied error and crashing WebbIE, for example MetaFilter.
9 Jan 2009 Applied bugfixes from 3.8.0 back to 3.7.x.
Fixed major problem with screenreader users finding that some pages would result in WebbIE saying "blank blank blank" as they tried to cursor around. Added txtDummyBox to fix. See txtDummyBox_GotFocus.
Fixed Next 10 Links in Google search by new less fragile mechanism.
9 Jan 2009 Made a start at support right-to-left languages (i.e. Arabic and Hebrew) by setting form RightToLeft in modI18N.
3.7.6 17 December 2008
Put in video in Podcatcher, but announce it in 3.8.0.
Added back in Google RSS/Podcatcher search program now I've fixed it up.
3.7.5 December 2008
Fixed download hang in Gutenberg Library 2.0.4 (8 Oct 2008)
Radio Tuner now shows error messages and lets you move up and down the list with Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down. 1.5.0
Podcatcher fixed bug so remembers user-selected download directory. 1.7.8
Reset buttons with no value but an innerText are rendered. (Daily Mail site)
Minor finesse of link clicking to handle Daily-Mail-like links with "<a href="#" blah>" links.
Fixed I18N of buttons (e.g. toolbar) in modI18N by doing font before charset. 23 Oct 2008.
OTHER: Support for Arabic internationalisation.
OTHER: Fixed BBC iPlayer Listen Again working in non-English countries. 24 Oct 2008
Fixed Google websearch, changed again.
Fixed BBC iPlayer station list, including lots of local stations and BBC Alba.
Fixed Live Radio link to Five Live.
Removed live radio from BBC iPlayer program.
3.7.4 2 September 2008
Improved link processing: (1) if ends with .shtml or similar, takes that out: (2) correctly parses IMG and text content of links, so you don't just get the text in a link: (3) if the link has no non-whitespace text content but it has a title attribute (or alt attribute) then this is rendered (e.g. http://www.unco.edu/, but they've fixed it now!)
RSS feed links have & and   replaced by & and " " correctly.
Replace Empty with "" now I know the difference.
Gutenberg Library lets you delete books when sorted in order of author.
If the page hits the link count maximum, or any other item maximum, it stops processing. This is to handle when the user hits one of those rare pages where the whole thing gets stuck in a loop and creates an infinitely big DOM tree (e.g. www.epoznan.pl in August 2008)
Fixed (or changed) refreshing and reloading web pages when permission is refused.
Stopped display:none not being displayed.
Fixed bug when body has an onclick attribute (or other elements have onclicks but they should be handled by the normal processing process.
RSS News Reader automatic update now works.
WebbIE turns off script display for current user while running and restores the script display settings when it quits.
I've changed DocumentComplete, like, again, to include a check that .Document.readyState is "complete". I'm hoping this will reduce the occurrence of pages not triggering loading. This can happen - in previous code - when a page navigation is triggered by script. The mWebBrowser completes navigation, no frames, but .Document.readyState isn't finished. So don't parse until it is. Have to test out with gmail.
Table Caption marked up as "Table Caption:"
New Czech and Serbian translations for WebbIE and RSS.
3.7.3 24 August 2008
Turned off debugging flag.
Removed shortcut key because it conflicts with WindowEyes.
3.7.2 23 August 2008
Fixed Google search properly.
Object text removes whitespace.
Installer turns off script error display.
3.7.1 23 August 2008
IE Appearance Editor now does XP Style correctly.
BBC iPlayer program no longer saves .xml files into local program folder.
Installer correctly uninstalls previous versions.
3.7.0 22 August 2008
Support for HTML (IMG, A and text) in content of OBJECT and APPLET elements.
RSS News Reader now parses HTML in RSS feeds correctly.
New BBC iPlayer support.
Correctly opens urls in Open dialogue (e.g. File > Open > www.asda.org.uk)
Fixed Google search and added back in ability to go to next page of results.

WebbIE 3.6 - April 2008

WebbIE 3.5 - October 2007

WebbIE 3.4 - September 2007

WebbIE 3.4 fixes some bugs and makes the programs easier and simpler to use. Pages load faster and more reliably, more podcasts and RSS news feeds work, the crop function has been improved and there are now navigation sounds so you know the programs are working. Download it now!

WebbIE 3.3 - February 2007

WebbIE 3.3.2 fixes some bugs and makes some small changes to 3.3.1:

WebbIE 3.3.2 fixes some bugs with 3.3.0:

WebbIE 3.3.0 makes the following updates and improvements:

WebbIE 3.2 - December 2006