The Pika Software Blog

Pika Tips & Tricks

2011-12-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

The Challenge:

Search for a Pika CMS contact name when you only know the person's first name.

The Solution:

Pika CMS needs a wild card symbol (%) in order to search for a contact when the last name is not known. Name searches are expecting a LastName, FirstName format. For example, search for a contact whose first name is Carlos.

Use the Pika Search box
Type in: %,Carlos

All contacts whose first name is Carlos should display. Entering S%,Ashley will produce all contacts whose last name begins with S and whose first name is Ashley.

LSC GAR Update - Now in Patch Form

2011-10-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

The LSC GAR update for Pika CMS is now complete and was included in last week's release of Pika CMS 5.1. For programs that want to stick with their existing version, I've prepared a GAR software patch that's ready for general use. There's a full write up, including step-by-step installation instructions, on the Pika Docs web site at:

http://pikasoftware.com/docs/index.php/2011_LSC_GAR_Module

The patch is a free download for all current Pika CMS subscribers! Please give us a call if you need any assistance getting it set up, our help desk line is (888) 321-7452 x0.

Pika CMS 5.1.0 Released

2011-10-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings Pika Community,

I am writing to announce the immediate availability of Pika CMS 5.1.0 for general release.

Those of you with current Pika subscriptions can download the software from:

http://pikasoftware.com/files/releases/pika_cms-5.1.0.zip

If you would like to try out the new release it is now up and running at our demonstration site at the link below. Please contact us for a current username and password for the demonstration site if you have not yet been provided with one.

https://www.pikasoftware.com/demo

Here is an abbreviated list of the new features added for this release. A comprehensive listing of features and bug fixes is available in the file (changelog.txt) included in the release.

Added the ability for users to e-mail case links
Added password expiration feature to user accounts.
Updated the layout of the System Users Screen
Installed random password generator to assist users in setting strong passwords
Updated display icons for Pika Mobile
Upgraded case transfers to be password protected
Added the ability to use Word 2007 & 2010 documents (.docx) in Document Assembly
Updated the system settings screen layout
Added the ability to automatically redirect users to HTTPS (SSL encrypted) site via system settings
Added 2011 LSC GAR updates

In order to ensure that Pika 5.1.0 operates properly please verify that your server meets the following minimum requirements:

PHP version 5.2 or newer
MySQL version 4.1.2 or newer
Apache version 2.0.54 or newer

As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions at support@pikasoftware.com.

These updates were funded by the subscription dues paid by Pika clients. Thank you for your continued support!

We Want to Hear from YOU !

2011-09-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you for being a valued Pika Software customer. We appreciate your candid feedback regarding your experience using Pika CMS as your legal case management tool. Please take a few moments to complete this questionnaire to help us better evaluate and improve our services.

Click Here to Begin Survey

New LSC Reporting Rules

2011-09-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Good news! The programming for the latest LSC reporting changes is complete. I've installed the new code on our online demo so everyone can take a look at it and kick the tires.

https://pikasoftware.com/demo/

It's not too late to make changes so let me know if something needs to be tweaked.

Pika Tips and Tricks

2011-07-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Challenge:

Keep your web-based applications such as Pika Software CMS always a mouse click away within your Firefox browser without relying upon bookmarks and eliminating the accidental closing of browser tabs.

The Solution:

The newest release of the Firefox v5 browser offers a feature called App Tabs which allows a web-based application such as Pika Software CMS to reside in a browser tab automatically when the browser is opened. App Tabs are small and show only the application's icon so that your tab space is not cluttered.

Make sure you are using Firefox v5. About screen will offer upgrade instructions

Windows workstations check by selecting pull-down menu Help, select About Firefox
Mac workstations check by selecting pull-down menu Firefox, select About Firefox

Open a browser session and open your Pika Software CMS
Right Mouse Click on top of the browser tab containing Pika and select "Pin as App Tab"

To Use:

Simply mouse click on Pika tab to login and begin your legal case management activities. Each time the browser loads Pika is within easy reach.

Right mouse click on tab to access App Tab options.

Pika CMS 5.0.1 is Released

2011-03-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

Greetings Pika Community,

I am writing to announce the immediate availability of Pika CMS 5.0.1 for general release. Those of you with Pika subscriptions can download the software from:

http://pikasoftware.com/files/releases/pika_cms-5.0.1.zip

This release of Pika addresses several bugs for users of Pika CMS version 5.0.0 Below is the list of issues addressed.

Fixed issue with cookies preventing multi-site login
Fixed bug with activity interval rounding
Fixed issue with templating quoted tags in pikaTempLib
Updated case filler script and corrected to work with MySQL 5.1+
Corrected issue with the MegaReport not sending to spreadsheet
Updated iCal subscription page (ssl enabled for iCal/Sunbird)

Also, I'd like to announce a change that we are making to the way we number releases.

Starting with this release (Pika CMS 5.0.1) we will begin numbering our releases with 3 digits. The numbers (in order from left to right) refer to the major version, minor version, and patch number. This methodology should appear familiar as it is used in a variety of software packages (PHP and MySQL, for example).

In prior versions of Pika CMS we have numbered a release with both a major and minor version number in order to differentiate newer versions from previous versions. We have also released modules, reports, and patches to Pika that required or were geared towards one or more of these specific versions. As a result of this, and the growing number of installations of Pika, it has become apparent that we need to append more information onto our version numbers in order to indicate specifically the version and the patches that have been applied to individual installs.

As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions at support@pikasoftware.com.

Pika CMS 5.0 is Now Released

2011-02-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

If you're subscribed to the Pika CMS mailing list, then you've already heard that our new version, Pika CMS 5.0, is now out. Here's the download link for subscribers:

http://www.pikasoftware.com/files/releases/pika_cms-500.zip

This release represents a big leap forward in the development of the Pika CMS software. Some of the new features introduced in version 5.0 are not available in any other competing product - only in Pika CMS! Here’s an executive summary of the changes in this release:

* We’ve added a Volunteer Access Module, a separate web site for volunteer attorneys that allows them to submit their case notes and time keeping directly to your Pika system.

* We’ve set up a mobile-enhanced version of Pika CMS that’s optimized for your iPhone or Android smartphone. It gives you fast access to your cases and more while on the go.

* We’ve retired the old, HTTP-based login system and have implemented a brand new login system. The new authentication scheme that adds a ton of new functionality that the old HTTP authentication wasn’t capable of providing.

* We’ve added a new suite of password tools, including visual feedback on the strength of your password, and the ability to require users to use strong passwords.

All this work was directly guided by ideas and requests from our clients. So keep that feedback coming in, it let’s us know where to focus our efforts!

Thanks everyone,
Aaron

See You at TIG 2011

2010-12-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Hi all, just a quick note that I will be attending the LSC TIG Conference next month in Albuquerque, NM. I'll be there for the first two days. Please drop me a note if you're going to be there, I'd love to meet and chat!

Aaron

Pika Tips and Tricks

2010-12-17T06:06:00.000-08:00

The Challenge:

How to remember the correct code number when creating an ad hoc report using Mega Reports. Customizable menus and special tables allow flexibility within Pika, however, remembering the code number that corresponds to a specific LSC Problem is not convenient.

Pika versions prior to v4.0 do not contain the Form Letter Manager within SiteMap.

The Solution:

Pika CMS v4.0 and older, copy the menus and special tables into a Word document and store the document within Pika CMS for ready access. The Pika Administrator completes the following steps:

Launch MS Word and open a blank document
Open a specific Pika Menu from Menus and Special Tables within Site Map. For example, problem_2008.
Select Switch to Classic Mode.
Copy the entire menu list using your mouse to select all or use the Edit pull-down menu to Select All. Then right mouse click and select to Copy or use the Edit pull-down menu to select Copy.
Paste into MS Word by placing cursor in open blank document, right mouse click and select Paste or use the Edit pull-down menu to select Paste.
Select to save the MS Word document.
Login to Pika CMS and create a folder named “Menus” using Form Letter Manager under System Screens within the Site Map.
Select the newly created folder and click on Choose File button under Upload a Form. Locate the newly saved MS Word document, add a description of file, click on Add File Button.

To Use:

Prior to starting a Mega Report open any case, select Documents tab, select Menus from Document Assembly.
Click on the appropriate document and click Make New Doc button.
Download and open the MS word document.
Proceed to Mega Report and complete ad hoc reporting using the open MS word document as a visual cheat sheet.

Pika Tips and Tricks

2010-12-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

Challenge:

How to get your favorite Pika Report(s) into a spreadsheet format when that is not an output option.

Pika versions prior to v3.06 did not typically include spreadsheet as a output option. No matter what version of Pika currently in use, a work around solution is available.

Solution:

Select HTML as the output option.
Copy the report results using your mouse to select all or use the Edit pull-down menu to Select All. Then right mouse click and select to Copy or use the Edit pull-down menu to select Copy.
Paste into MS Excel by placing cursor in upper left corner, right mouse click and select Paste or use the Edit pull-down menu to select Paste.

Pika CMS 5.0

2010-11-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Pika CMS 4.12 Released

2010-07-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings Pika Community,

I am writing to announce the immediate availability of Pika CMS 4.12 for general release. Those of you with Pika subscriptions can download the software from:

http://www.pikasoftware.com/files/releases/pika_cms-412.zip

This release of Pika addresses several reported bugs for users of Pika CMS version 4.10 and later. Below is the list of issues addressed.

Fixed issue with pb_attorneys.php - Attorney Name not displaying properly on case list header when editing attorney.

Fixed issue with assign_pba.php - Last Case field not being updated when user assigns PBA to a case record.

As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions at support@pikasoftware.com.

Pika CMS 4.11 Released

2010-06-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings Pika Community,

I am pleased to announce the immediate availability of Pika CMS 4.11 for general release. Those of you with Pika subscriptions can download the software from: http://www.pikasoftware.com/files/releases/pika_cms-411.zip If you would like to try out the new release it is now up and running at our demonstration site at the link below. http://www.pikasoftware.com/demo Here is an abbreviated list of the new features added for this release (a more complete listing is available in changelog.txt included in the release).

Fixed bug in activity.php - new activity records would not accept blank funding code if case funding code set.
Added Edit Alias screen linked from contact page.
Updated Calendar Advanced Tab fixing bug that prevented PBA selection.
Fixed bug in pikaCase.php - case close_date validation preventing cases from being re-opened
Added legacy tag converter to pikaTempLib to handle alternate tag format (%[field menu source=menu_name]%)
Fixed bug in pika410.sql - case tabs import not copying .php extension - doesn't highlight tabs.
Fixed bug in zipcode and funding ajax lookups - blank return value broke script.
Added Inactive Case & Flagged Case Reports.
Fixed bug in MegaReport save_report.js - now only saves changed checkbox & hidden fields
(preventing script timeout errors for tables with large numbers of columns).
Added pagination to search screen for case notes.
Fixed issue in Case Number search - results not displaying client name.
Added calendar_tabs plugin - Draws calendar tabs (equivalent of case_tabs).
Added checkbox_list plugin w/ selection functions.
Updated user_list.php - Added ability to filter out disabled users implements checkbox list.
Added pba_list.php plugin - PBA equivalent of user_list.
Added input_date_selector plugin w/ dropdown calendar.
Fixed issue with LSC close code and problem menus - displaying incorrect menu on cases opened during transition period 1/1/2008-3/31/2008
Updated the Menus and Special Tables manager.

These updates were funded by the subscription dues paid by Pika clients. Thank you for your continued support!

Pika CMS User Policy - Who's Got One?

2010-05-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

Recently a program inquired about sample user policy documents. Do any readers have one they'd be willing to share?

Re-inventing the wheel does not seem to be a good use of anyone's time which brings me to wonder if there is an opportunity for Pika Software customers to collaborate and share their thoughts regarding User Policies.

I would imagine such a User Policy would have common attributes such as Who is allowed access, security considerations for off-site access, the importance of confidentiality regarding the contents of case files, what can be printed and/or should not be printed, etc.

If your organization has a User Policy for your Pika Software system and you would like to share with other Pika Software customers, please reply and post your User Policy.

NYT: Doctor Visits Lead to Legal Help With Day-to-Day Problems

2010-03-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati for being featured in a recent NY Times article!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/us/24legal.html

St. Patrick's Day Server

2010-03-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from the data center downtown, where I installed a new backups server for our hosted programs. We now have 1.5 terabytes of backup space, plenty of room for the new hosted Pika programs coming on line recently. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

CMS Reviews at LSNTAP

2010-03-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

LSNTAP.org now has a Case Managment System Review and Ratings website at http://cms.lsntap.org. The site is designed to help programs in the market for a new CMS to make an informed decision. They have a feature checklist for each of the most popular systems on the market, as well as user-submitted reviews and ratings. It's pretty cool!

Pika currently has only 6 user reviews. If you have a moment, please fill out a review and mention it to your coworkers. It's only 13 questions long, and it'd help out other programs thinking about adopting Pika CMS to hear your experiences. Thank you!

LSNTAP's CMS Review tutorial:

Pika CMS 4.10 Released

2010-03-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

Greetings Pika Community,

I am pleased to announce the immediate availability of Pika CMS 4.10 for general release. Those of you with Pika subscriptions can download the software from:

http://www.pikasoftware.com/files/releases/pika_cms-410.zip

Here is a brief list of the new features added for this release (a more complete listing is available in changelog.txt included in the release).

Added Report Security by Report by Group Security
Added new Error Reporting system and restored and updated trigger error screen.
Added Case Tab Manager and upgrade scripts.
Added System Maintenance screen (Update Metaphones and Client Age).
Added RSS Feed manager which allows RSS feeds to be displayed on the Pika Home screen.
Reviewed and updated all template plugins.
Updated setFunding lookup for activity records - now based off ajax case-lookup service.
Pika Megareport can now be saved.
Updated Pro Bono Attorney Screens and fixed issues with search and sorting.
Added parameters section to report template to specify the parameters that the report is running.
Updated Search Notes section with sorting and paging.
Updated User Account management screen - added filtering, sorting, searching.

These updates were funded by the subscription dues paid by Pika clients. Thank you for your continued support!

System Maintenance on Feb 11

2010-02-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

I will be installing a new SSL certificate for programs hosted at the Pika datacenter next week on Feb 11th (a Thursday.) This will eliminate the warnings that some Internet Explorer users see when using the site.

I've scheduled the maintenance for 7 PM Pacific/8 PM Mountain/9 PM Central/10 PM Eastern on the 11th. The web sites will be unavailable during the upgrade, but it should only take approximately five minutes.

I tested the new certificate in my IE8, IE6, Firefox, Safari and Chrome test environments, and it worked fine with all browsers. It should be a seamless upgrade.

Please give me a ring if you have any questions or concerns! My number is (888) 321-7452 x1.

Cindy Wiley Joins Pika Software

2010-01-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

Hello - my name is Cindy Wiley and I'm very pleased to join Pika Software as a software developer.

I have over 20 years experience within the Information Technology field with strong analytical and problem solving abilities linking software solutions to end-user needs. One of my most recent experiences was with Progressive Insurance (17 years) providing enterprise-wide IT solutions for the internal legal teams supporting insureds.

I am thrilled to be working with Pika Software and look forward to getting to know everyone !!

Pika CMS 4.02 Released

2009-12-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings Pika Community,

I am pleased to announce the immediate availability of Pika CMS 4.02 for general release. Those of you with Pika subscriptions can download the software from:

http://www.pikasoftware.com/files/releases/pika_cms-402.zip

Here is a brief list of the new features added for this release (a more complete listing is available in changelog.txt included in the release).

LSC Eligibility Update (Income Likely to Change)
Updated Megareport to correct IE8 compatibility issues

These updates were funded by the subscription dues paid by Pika clients. Thank you for your continued support!

New Program: East Bay Community Law Center

2009-06-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

I'd like to send a quick "congrats" to the fine folks at the East Bay Community Law Center, who are now running a shiny new Pika CMS after a successful migration from their old system. It has been great to work with the EBCLC folks, and I'm glad to have them onboard.

Free Stuff 2009 Promotion

2009-06-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Who wants some free stuff? I'm excited to announce our "Free Stuff 2009" promotion. Between June 3rd, 2009 and September 30th, 2009, the Pika Software team will perform one free customization for each program with an active support subscription with us. The customization has to be one of the following options:

Add/remove/rearrange up to three fields on any screen
Add or modify a one-table report
Replace the top-left logo with a custom logo
Add a banner graphic to the top of the Home Page screen

We've never done a promotion like this before, and I thought it'd be something fun for Summer this year. I will be coordinating the submissions, so to sign up for this amazing promotion, please send me an email explaining the programming or graphics work you'd like us to do. I'll put you on the waiting list and let you know when we're ready to get started. First come, first served!

Conflict Checking Improvements

2009-05-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

OK, here is my post about conflict checks. Things have been very busy here with Pika installs so Iʼm getting this posting out later than I wanted to.

Weʼre going to add Alien ID number to the conflict check. This will be pretty straightforward, itʼll work like the Social Security Number. Also, weʼre writing a new name searching algorithm to better handle individuals whose last name contains both a paternal and maternal family name.

Take the following (contrived) example. In 2007, your program successfully represented a client, Jane Williams, in her landlord-tenant case with her landlord, Brazilian oil magnate José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo. Now letʼs say Mr. Gabrielli calls up your program in 2009, looking for legal assistance. If provides his full name, José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo, to your intake screen, the software will view this as a potential conflict of interest. However, if he simply identifies himself as “José Gabrielli”, the phonetic name search will not catch him because, to the computer, “Gabrielli” is not the same as “Gabrielli de Azevedo”. If you use the “Browse Names” feature on the intake screen, he will still show up, but ideally he really needs to show up using either method.

So weʼve narrowed our options with the change to two. The first option would be to give the staff person the option to enter an alias during data entry. So with the previous example, José would be entered into the system with a last name of “Gabrielli de Azevedo”, and would have one alias with a last name of “Gabrielli”. That way heʼd show up no matter which form of his last name was used as the search term. We would find a way to streamline the process somehow, maybe a box labeled maternal surname or maiden name that can be filled out, and would trigger the creation of an alias record in the background.

The other option weʼre looking at would be to give you a single Name Search box where you can enter any number of first and last names. If you search for “José Gabrielli”, or for “José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo”, it will bring up any José Gabriellis and any José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedos on one list. This method might bring up more false positives that the current method (“Arthur Scott” would come up as a possible match for “Scott Arthur”,) but Iʼm not sure how much this would be an issue in day-to-day use.

Please let me know if you have any comments or ideas on this topic.

I'm Back!

2009-05-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, I am now back from paternity leave and already getting back into the swing of things. Later this week I'll be posting about some conflict check additions we have in the works. In the meantime here's a photo of Thomas Worley, born February 19th, for those of you who enjoy baby pics.

Thoughts on Google Chrome

2009-01-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

I have been using the Google Chrome web browser beta for a couple months now. It's still in beta so I wouldn't recommend it for widespread rollout. But it seems to be fast, stable, and has some features that might be of interest to the Pika CMS community.

One nifty thing is its ability to set up Start Menu, Desktop, and Quick Launch shortcuts for a web application. It's a quick and simple, and I've written up a walkthrough over at Pika Docs. Another nice feature is it runs every open page in it's own "sandbox", so in theory if a video (for example) crashes the browser, your Pika CMS session in the other tab will not be affected.

Does anyone else have thoughts on Chrome?

How to Reset Your Case Numbering for 2009

2008-12-31T09:05:00.000-08:00

Some programs reset their case numbering counter every year, so that the first new case of the year will be numbered XXXX00001. If you're one of those programs, here's a reminder on how to do the reset.

* Log into your preferred database administration software (often this is phpMyAdmin.)

* Select your Pika database from the menu of
databases on the server.

* Click on the tab labeled "SQL".

* Paste the following SQL code into the form:

UPDATE counters SET count='0' WHERE id='case_number'
LIMIT 1;

* Click the "Go" button.

That's it! Give us a call if you run into any problems, (888) 321-7452 x0. Happy New Year!

Pika CMS 4.0 Demo Site is Online

2008-12-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

The demo site for 4.0 is online at pikasoftware.com/demo. Let me know if you need the password. Enjoy!

Pika CMS 4.00 Released

2008-12-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

Greetings Pika Community,

I am pleased to announce the immediate availability of Pika CMS 4.00 for general release. Those of you with Pika subscriptions can download the software from:

http://www.pikasoftware.com/files/releases/pika_cms-400.zip

Here is a brief list of the new features added for this release (a more complete listing is available in changelog.txt included in the release).

New customizable HTML Template libraries for developers
Case Documents are now stored in the database
Document Storage now supports folders
Form Letters can now be managed from System Settings
RSS feeds for your Case Lists and Calendar appointments
Form validation on Case Tabs to prevent data loss
Red Flags can now be managed from System Settings
Time entry screens and Activity screens have been re-written
amworley account has been renamed to pikasupport

For a more complete list of changes please refer to the changelog.txt included in the release.

These updates were funded by the subscription dues paid by Pika clients. Thank you for your continued support!

Please give us a call if there's something you'd like to see in the next version. We're already working on several new projects. They include:

Batch Form Letter report
Saveable reports
Helpdoc Manager
Survey Module
Menu and Special Table Editor
Calendar updates

Comments Are Now Enabled

2008-12-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have enabled comments on blog entries, per a reader suggestion. We'll see how it goes - please play nice. Comment away!

Pika 4.0 Sighting

2008-12-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Pika 4.0 will be out by next week. Matt is working on some new sample form letters, and I am touching up the new graphics. We also have one more round of quality assurance testing to run, and then it'll be ready to roll. Here's list of some of the exciting changes it will introduce:

New form letters listing
Ability to upload form letters from Pika
Document storage folders
Documents now stored in database, making db replication possible
Red flag editor
Save confirmation popup
New graphics

More information to follow... stay tuned!

Amazing Pika Redesign

2008-11-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

From Webdogs.org and the LSNTAP Pika mailing list: The Legal Services of Northern California folks have put together another impressive redesign of their Pika CMS site. They have an image gallery that shows off all the layout improvements they've made. A lot of talent and work went into these customizations! Definitely worth checking out.

Make Your Outlook Calendar Play Nice with Pika

2008-11-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can sync your Pika CMS calendar with Outlook 2007? With calendar syncing, any calendar entries you enter via Pika will show up in your Outlook calendar automatically, no double entry required.

We've written up an article explaining how to set this up, it's on the Pika Docs site.

It works with Mozilla Sunbird and Apple iCal, too! Keep in mind you do need to have version 3.07 of Pika CMS installed for this to work.

Let me know what you think.

Liftoff

2008-11-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Pika Software News Blog!

I'll be using this web site to share news and tips regarding everyone's favorite case management system. My hope is this blog will make it easier for everyone to keep informed of the latest developments from Pika Software and from the Pika CMS community.

Drop me a line if you have a project you'd like me to mention on the blog.

Thanks!
Aaron