PNR Watcher Release Notes

v3.0.27 - Released 27 Feb 2025

This release addresses an issue that may arise when using rules containing tables set to non persistent.  Also, the installer has been updated to handle when customers have renamed their PNR Watcher database file from the recommended PNRWatcher.mdb

v3.0.26 - Released 29 April 2024

This release includes an important update to ensure PNR Watcher remains compatible with some updates to our online infrastructure - it is recommended for all v3 users of PNR Watcher

v3.0.25 - Released 3 January 2024

This release includes the following updates,

• a small fix that now allows the system to detect the use of 'joined' entries (such as R.PAX+ER) to ensure any 'Stop Ending' rules are still triggered
• PNR Watcher will now alert users if there is a new version available by turning the Close button on the Alert Window RED and showing an updated hover tooltip showing them the new version number available

v3.0.24 - Released 4 December 2023

This release is recommended for all users and includes the following updates/enhancements

• Tables can now include longer text for entries and the system will automatically change the 'input prompts' for users to display a lot more text to the user
  • When creating a new table, Admins can now drag the window to display wider on screen using the 'grab' icon on the lower right of the window

• • These longer lines are now displayed on screen to the user when required, for example on the 'Prompt For Input' screen below

• When creating rules, a new option for 'Multi Line' has been added to allow admins to provide more than one line of text on the 'Prompt for Input' and 'Select From Table' screens - the above screen shot shows the result of the below input

which opens,

• A scrollbar has been added to some editing screens which were not rendering correctly when items went off the window
• PNR Watcher is no longer reliant on Internet Explorer when using the 'Open Web Page' action, it will now use the default browser set on the users computer
• A new 'Name Type' booking file field has been added that allows rule to check if a Name is an Infant.  NB: This can only be used with the 'Is Equal To' criteria check and a value of I (for Infant)
• The system now takes advantage of our new WebApi to access our online SOA infrastructure

v3.0.23 - Released 25 October 2021

This release is a small update that addresses an issue that could occur when using Tables as part of an Entry Trigger.  This is a mandatory update for anyone using this feature of PNR Watcher.

v3.0.22 - Released 30 June 2021

Included in this version we have:

• Ensured the 'table' list when creating a rule (both in Criteria and Entry Triggers) is now sorted into alphabetical order so tables are easier to locate
• The 'Actions' display tooltip showing rule names will now provide a list of all rules that resulted in any entry being aborted so Rule Admins can validate their rules are firing correctly
• Enhanced Entry Trigger validation is performed when saving a rule
• We have enhanced the trigger management logic to ensure 'mixed' Entry Triggers are now handled in a more efficient manner to address issues where some 'basic' triggers were being ignored

v3.0.21 - Released 28 November 2019

This version we have:

• Removed the dependency on the outdated Galileo Desktop components that are no longer updated.
• We have introduced an API into PNRWatcher to allow other solutions to programatically invoke and implement PNRWatcher alerts and actions.
• Fixed issue with users in multiple departments receiving duplicate rules and therefore alerts/actions
• Resolved bug from v3.0.20 when updating Tables where contents would be replaced with 'String[ ]'
• We have upgraded the solution to utilise the latest PNR Transaction (v49) from Travelport's API - which now allows users to write rules against Fare Account Code and Branding

v3.0.20 - Released 01 November 2019

This update was built against .net 4.6.2 to bring it into line with other solutions we have. If upgrading from a version 3.0.19 or earlier to 3.0.20 or later, the Admin Module must also be updated for any Rules Administrators.

v3.0.19 - Released 30 September 2019

This update addresses the following items

• PNR Watcher now validates if tables have been used as Entry Triggers or Select for Input actions before allowing delete of the table
• We are now able to handle & characters inside lists of items in a table
• Introduced a new RESETPNRWATCHERSCREEN that will reposition the PNR Watcher alert window back onto the main primary screen of the user

v3.0.18 - Released 30 July 2019

This is a small update that addresses the following

• Fixed an issue where the rule logic could become corrupted when switching between MakeEntry (to Screen) and other action types on the same argument screen
• Introduced a 'delay' variable that can be added to the config.xml file to slow down PNR Watcher on some older / slower machines or Citrix environments

v3.0.17 - Released 3 July 2019

This update introduces a few often asked for enhancements to the system.  This update does require an update to both the Agent Admin and Agent Desktop components to benefit from the new features

• PNR Watcher has been enhanced to allow administrators to mark a 'Make Entry' action to be performed 'On Screen' in Travelport Smartpoint.  Previously all entries made by PNR Watcher were sent directly to the Travelport GDS - with this new enhancement, the entries can instead be made within the Smartpoint screen so that the user is shown the results in Smartpoint.  This is handy if you are programming rules that make faring (i.e. FQBB) entries, or to trigger a Smartpoint QuickCommand (i.e. #NOTEPAD)

• The system now allows rules administrators to utilise entries in a Table as part of the Entry Tigger. For example, you may have a list of VIP BAR names, so you can now create a Table with all those BAR names and then create an Entry Tigger where if anyone makes a CMT entry with one of the BAR names from the list - an action is performed.  An example is provided below

• The 'Prompt for Input' action has been enhanced to allow the specification of a pattern the users input must match to be accepted, so if the Account Code being asked for must be 2 digits followed by 4 characters, rules administrators can now ensure this pattern is being adhered to by the user. As in other areas of PNR Watcher we use the power of Regular Expressions to perform the pattern matching,

• PNR Watcher now performs a quick validation on the Entry Triggers created for a rule to ensure the rules administrator hasn't accidentally used one of the 'Built In' triggers as a Regular Expression (i.e. /E/;/ET/;) - any incorrect entries found are automatically converted back to their build in trigger equivalent (i.e. E;ET)

v3.0.16 - Released 25 April 2019

This is a small update to the application that improves the following two items

• the system has been enhanced to handle non authorised PCC's in a more efficient manner. The system will now only alert the user once per session that the current PCC is not licensed, PNR Watcher will then deactivate automatically whilst that PCC is used.
• added a new Booking File search field for 'Current GDS' that allows user to test if they are on Apollo or Galileo in the rule logic (so rule should only apply for Apollo GDS etc)

• added a new Booking File search field for Hotel Alpha Numeric property code

• we have introduced logic that allows the one input item to be used in multiple entries or fields in the cryptic entry for the 'Prompt for Input' action. To re-use an entered field, administrators can simply replicate the fields 'number' in the string format, for example - the below is going to make an entry and use the inputted Employee Number {0} in two different areas of the DI line, after the EN and EP fields.  The user will still only be expected to enter two items, and their first answer will be used twice.

v3.0.15 - Released 26 March 2019

This is a small update to the application that introduces the following new functionality

Days Until

This new Search field is available on all Segment Dates and populates with how many days until the date from 'today'.  This allows users to write rules such as with logic such as 'if my flight departs in less than 7 day and ....'.  The new fields are provided under each segment in the 'Booking File Fields' list,

We have also provided this additional field on the Last Date To Ticket fields, so again a rule can be written as 'if my last date to ticket is less than 2 days from today, and no ticket exists, alert user'.

Hours To Previous Flight / Hours to Next Flight

We have introduced two new fields available on Air Segments where the system calculates the number of hours between flight arrival and flight departures. This allows user to now write rules with the follow logic example 'if my flight is less than 4 hrs to the previous flight, alert message' or 'if my flight is greater than 24hr to the next flight, prompt user to offer hotel'.  As above, these fields are available in the Booking File Fields list against Air segments,

When entering the value to check against, it must be entered as a decimal fraction, for example

• for 3hours only - this is just entered as a 3
• for 3hours and 15mins - that is 3 and ¼ hours, or 3.25
• for 3hours and 30mins - that is 3 and ½ hours, or 3.5
• for 3hours and 45mins - that is 3 and ¾ hours, or 3.7

Please note: This update requires an installation of the Rules Administration module for all rule builders, and the Agent Desktop module for all consultant machines

v3.0.14 - Released 15 March 2019

This is a small update to the application that has the following fixes,

• Improved handling of multiple department DB queries
• Fixed an issue where some rules referencing Table look up may always return a true response

v3.0.13 - Released 20 November  2018

This release contains the follow bug fixes

• Fixed an issue on Travelport Smartpoint where typing two or more entries in quick succession would cause a 'GDS Connection' error to appear
• Fixed an issue where 'statements.xml' cannot be read in
• Introduced validation on RuleName for special/restricted characters (<, >, ', ", &)
• Introduced a quick check on launching 'Rules Editing' mode for any rules where the rule name contains invalid characters
• Introduced filter key phrase 'Invalid Chars' to show any rules containing invalid characters
• Addressed issue where returning to filtered list, with no rules to display, would cause an error

v3.0.12 - Released 06 November  2018

This release contains the follow bug fix

• Addressed an issue where Galileo Desktop can sometimes be reopened when using PNR Watcher within a scripting environment with Galileo Desktop in 'hidden' mode

Note: if your agency does not run PNR Watcher in a scripted environment (the vast majority of customers), there is no requirement to update to this version of PNR Watcher

v3.0.11 - Released 31 October  2018

 This version contains the following bug fix

• Fixed an issue where editing brand new created Rules, Users, Departments, Tables could cause an exception

v3.0.10 - Released 22 October  2018

This version introduces the following bug fixes and new features

• Fixed an issue where rules duplicated themselves when editing details from a sorted list
• Fixed an issue that did not permit the entry of a SPACE into the SON details within a Rule Condition
• All 'Make Entry' cryptic commands are now sorted in memory to ensure any 'Ending' or 'Queuing' commands are processed last
• Rules can now be written to handle comparison of dates/time, for example you could write a rule that says 'If my air segment departs in the next 10 days, and there is no e-ticket present, display an alert'
• The PNR Watcher Alert/Actions box auto resets position on main screen for multi-monitor PC environments when required
• Fixed an issue where restarting system and perform 'Ignore' entry wouldn't clear correct Work Area in Statements.xml

Select From Table

PNR Watcher now has the ability to prompt the user to select an item from a list of options provided in a predefined Table. This new 'Select From Table' Action displays the below screen to configure the details,

The top box is to enter the Prompt to be displayed to the User, the second drop down list shows all the tables currently configured in PNR Watcher and the final box provides details on the Cryptic entry to be entered into the PNR following selection of an option from the specified table. In the above example the entry will be DI.FT-RC/{option selected}, so DI.FT-RC/A1 or DI.FT-RC/A2 etc

When creating the Table to be used in the action, there are two ways to configure the options for the user to choose from:

[Value]Text

In the above table definition, the Rules Administrator has the ability to provide TWO pieces of information, namely

• [A1]
• MEETING TIMES DICTATE JOURNEY

where the 'A1' provided in the square brackets denotes the actual VALUE to be used in the Cryptic Entry. The 'MEETING TIMES DICTATE JOURNEY' is the TEXT that will be shown to the end user in the PNR Watcher prompt. When using this type of table definition the prompt to the user will display as

so as can be seen, the list shows just the TEXT component of the Table options,

Making the selection in this instance will enter DI.FT-RC/A3 into the PNR as 'A3' is the VALUE specified for the 'OVERNIGHT STAY REQUIRED' in the table definition.

Text

In the above table definition, the Rules Administrator has just specified a list of simple options. When a user is prompted to select an option they are just shown the items as listed in the Table Definition screen,

The data is then inserted into the Cryptic entry, so in this instance a DI.FT-MAIB/ will be entered into the PNR.

The ACTIONS area on the PNR Watcher prompt, shows the results of the Select From Table action,

If the user has not made a selection, the Actions area reflects this decision,

Rule Creation and Modified Details

PNR Watcher will now start to log the Windows Login in use when a Rule was Created and Modified. In previous releases only the date of creation was being recorded in the database. The Creation and Modified dates/names is now displayed on the Details tab of the Rule Creation screen, on the below example we can see a rule was Created on 17Oct at 15:22 by user 'Paul'. The rule was last modified on 19Oct at 15:14 by user 'Paul'

Open Maximised

Rule administrators now have the option to override the default behaviour of opening WebPages, Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, Other Files or Applications in a minimised window, selecting 'Open Maximised' will force the system to open or launch the required item in their normal window state for the user

Filter on Start / Expiry Date

The main Rules List display has been updated to include each rules Start and Expiry Date on screen. Rules Administrators are now able to sort the list by these Dates to, for example, remove any expired rules, or see rules that are due to expire soon, please note that new or edited rules set to never expire will show with a date of 31/12/9999

v3.0.9

This version was an internal / customer specific release 

v3.0.8 - Released 05 June 2018

This version is a small release that fixes the following issues

• Fixed an issue where deleting Tables or Users would sometimes cause a failure
• Added Apollo ARNE (RNEX) entries to the recognised 'STOP ALL TICKETING' entries
• The system will now auto delete the Settings file when an exception has been encountered when reading in the settings saved in the previous session

v3.0.7 - Released 09 November 2017

This version is a small release that fixed an issue working with some Rules that had Date values set

v3.0.6 - Released 31 October 2017

This version is a small release that fixes the following issues

• Fixed an issue where Pattern matching logic wasn't working in all instances
• Added a lot more Booking File fields for Apollo T- options

v3.0.5 - Released 06 October 2017

This version is a small release that fixes the following issues

• You can now edit the first item in the Rules Condition screen with an error occurring
• Deleting rules on a filtered screen now works correctly
• Clearing the Search/Filter now also clears the text entered for the search

v3.0.3 - v3.0.4

These versions were internal / customer specific releases

v3.0.2 - Released 23 August 2017

PNR Watcher has been further stabilised with the following bug fixes following the initial release of our new 3.0.0 edition

• PNR Watcher will no longer cause an error when trying to interpret the 'NumberOf' booking fields
• The system will no longer duplicate rules when editing older rules to newer rules
• Renaming a table name will now go through and automatically update any reference to that table name in saved Rules
• Users will no longer be able to create tables using the same name twice
• After using a tablename in some rule logic, you will no longer be forced to use Expert mode to edit the rule
• Added link to our new Version 3.0 user guide documentation

v3.0.0 - Released July 2017

PNR Watcher is used on thousands of workstations by agencies wanting to achieve the highest Quality Control standards and ensure their agents are informed and empowered to perform their daily routines. This latest release introduces a whole range of improvements and new functionality as set out below:

Introducing TABLES

Tables will make it quicker and easier to maintain rules aimed at validating several values at once.  As an example take the recent announcement of refurbishment to Terminal 7 at JFK airport. This is going to create extra delays whilst clearing security, so your agency might want to write a rule that displays an alert if any of  the airlines that used that terminal or booked.

Previously this was achieved with long winded 'or' statements strung together, such as

With the new Tables feature, you can simply create a lookup table with all the values you wish to use

And then write a rule to compare the AirVendor to the values in the table (note you can also write logic that says if the value is NOT in the table as well)

The resulting logic is now simply displayed as 

If you ever need to add or remove airlines from the table you can do this without having to edit the rule logic at all.

Pattern Matching Logic

If you have ever needed to validate the format of a Cost Centre or DI line in a PNR, this wasn't possible - until now.  PNR Watcher 3.0 introduces the ability to validate any field in the PNR. To create the rule logic, simply select from the new "Matches Pattern" or "Does Not Match Pattern" criteria drop down

This pattern is looking for "Any alpha character exactly 3 times, followed by any digit exactly four times". This uses the Regular Expression format that users are familiar with when creating Rule Triggers and can get quite advanced to enable high levels of validation.  Navitas Solutions support is always on hand to help you build these patterns to ensure you are getting the most out of PNR Watcher 3.0

Rule Start/End Dates

Lots of our users want rules that only apply for a certain time period.  PNR Watcher 3.0 now allows you to set a start date and/or end date for the rule to apply.

This will allow managers to ensure rules are being applied when relevant and to 'pre load' rules and set a date for them to activate and become live.

Prompt for User Input

Until now, the actions that PNR Watcher could perform were static, however with PNR Watcher 3.0 we have introduced the ability to interact with the user and prompt them for information required to create specific entries being made in the PNR.  As an example, say your agency needs a DI line in the PNR that details the Cost Centre, Employee Number and Reason Code on one line.  You can now configure the new 'Prompt for Input' action to request the information be entered by the user

Here, we are asking the user to input the three fields (numbered 0,1 and 2) and then using that data to construct the required DI.FT- line. The prompt shown to the end user looks like the following:

Here the user has provided C3455 for the Cost Centre, PT1234 for the Emp Number and a Reason Code of 4.  This entry will be made in the PNR and the Action will be displayed in the normal PNR Watcher Actions and Alerts window

Secret Actions

Several users have wanted the ability to hide the outcome of an action from displaying in the Actions and Alerts window. With PNR Watcher 3.0 you now have the ability to mark an Action as a 'secret action'

If all the required actions undertaken are 'Secret' and there are no Alerts for PNR Watcher to display, then the Action and Alerts window will not even open for the user.

Rule Filtering

If you are like a lot of agencies, the power of PNR Watcher leads to lots of rules being created, and sometimes the rules can get lost in the list shown to the administrator.  PNR Watcher 3.0 introduces the ability to perform a search across the rules to help pinpoint relevant rules

By entering in a search term, the system will look through the rules and display any that have the search phrase in either

• Rule Name
• Rule Logic
• Action Text
• Entry Trigger

So now you can show all the rules you have written against 'account code 89TY' in your database, or rules against 'BA' or rules for Mr Smith.

Note: The rule filtering also works on Tables, Departments and Users as well.

Copy Rules

We have heard that many of our users need to create the same rule over and over again and until now have had to re-enter the rule logic repeatedly. In PNR Watcher 3.0, if the new Tables feature doesn't negate the need for some duplicated rules, then you are now able to click the entire rule logic with a single click.

Created Date

PNR Watcher will now keep track of when a rule was created and display this on screen (only for new rules created going forward).  This lets administrators know when a rule was introduced and track down emails or requests for 'why does this rule exist' type scenarios.

The creation date is also shown on the Rule Details tab 

New Booking File Fields

We have introduced a brand new field into the Booking File Fields available when writing rules, FiledFareTrueLastTktDate

This will allow administrators to write rules validating the actual Last Date To Ticket from the filed fare information as shown in the PNR.

We have also updated all Date fields to include a new 'Day' field which will hold the specific day of the week (Monday, Tuesday etc) for the date.  The allows you to write rules such as 'if last date to ticket is a Saturday, alert user to place on Q10 date earlier' etc.

Ability to Copy from the Actions/Alerts window

We have updated the Actions and Alerts window to allow end user to copy text displayed, incase they wish to paste it into other systems or indeed the PNR, for example

Non reliance on Galileo Desktop

With the ever increasing uptake to Smartpoint over Galileo Desktop, we have done a lot of work to remove reliance on some of the Galileo Desktop infrastructure and API's. PNR Watcher 3.0 is now more compatible with Smartpoint 7.x and above than ever.