Expanding Ease of Use with New Features (v1.15)

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October 6, 2021

You might be in a state of shock that we are three quarters of the way through 2021 – don't worry, we are too!  

While you too scratch your head and wonder ‘where has the time gone?!’, let’s quickly recap and get you up to speed:  

  • This week marks the fourth (4th) release of Kurve this calendar year (it began with the release of v1.12 in January!)

  • 18 reporting features and enhancements (including this newest version) have been added to make reporting on your TRIRIGA data more efficient and compelling, including:

               • Plot Lines and Accessibility Overhaul (v1.12)  

               • And/Or, Multi-Level, Dynamic Date Filtering (v1.13)

               • Donut Charts, Table Resizing, Plot Bands (v1.14)

With that, Version 1.15 is here to help wrap up the year! Naturally your next question is likely, ‘what can we expect in this release?!’  

Click on a feature below to jump right to and learn more, or continue to scroll and read on:

  1. Word Wrapping: Avoid missed data + other benefits you didn’t think of  
  1. Accessibility: Fully keyboard and screen reader accessible  
  1. Plot Line and Band Enhancements: Edit existing ones and change opacity levels
  1. User Interface Updates: Icon library and Query Filter Enhancements  

1. Word Wrapping

You may know it as line breaking, line wrapping, or word wrapping, but they all mean the same thing:  

Fitting text into an available width of space.

Why is word wrapping used in software?  

To prevent text from being cut off or missed by the reader!

So instead of your cell of data in a Kurve report about Lease Contracts looking something like this:  

"10 year, Partial Build..."

You can word wrap the column and display it like this:  

"10 year, Partial Building, Operating,

2-5 yr Options, Option 1 Likely term "

As you can see, there was some important information in this cell of data about the status of the building and its lease options that would have been missed had you not word wrapped.  

What are the benefits of word wrapping in data visualization?

  1. Not missing important data that would be cut off otherwise
  2. Improved readability and focus on important content  
  3. Fitting more viewable columns in a report (especially for those who display reports in TRIRIGA Portal Sections)
  4. A more polished look to your visualizations

How do I use word wrapping in a Kurve Report?  

  • Open your Kurve Report  
  • Navigate to the column you would like to word wrap  
  • Click the hamburger menu drop-down
  • Select ‘Enable Word Wrapping’  
  • Adjust the margins by clicking your mouse between the headers, and dragging and dropping to size  

Word wrapping is a quick enhancement that makes a big impact in your report!  

2. Accessibility: Phase 2 (Mission Complete)

Back in January of this year, we announced our commitment to ensure that everyone has the ability to use our software. Web Accessibility is a hot topic, and rightfully so! We want those with visual, auditory, physical, speech, and/or other disabilities to be able to use Kurve and take advantage of better reporting in TRIRIGA.  

Using the W3 and their Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, it started with Version 1.12 where we began a “code reno” to expand keyboard functionality and improve screen reader compatibility.  

While most of the work was done behind the scenes, other fixes you may have noticed throughout the releases this year included:  

  • Color Contrast Fixes  
  • Focus indicators for navigating with a keyboard  
  • Resizing text  
  • Keyboard shortcuts  

Well, we are very happy to announce that as of this release, v1.15, the overhaul for Accessibility has been officially completed.

The entire app is now fully keyboard and screen reader accessible!

What is a screen reader and which one should I use?  

A screen reader is a software that reads text on a computer screen out loud, using speech synthesizers, to those with visual impairments or blindness.  

Depending on which computer and operating system you use, there’s a variety of screen readers at your disposal. Some are free, while others may come with a price tag.  

Coinciding with TRIRIGA, the preferred screen reader for Kurve is JAWS.  

For those who use Apple laptops and computers, you have the ability to activate VoiceOver, a free service, by using Command + F5 on your keyboard.  

What's next with Accessibility?  

Technology is constantly evolving and as we learn more about Web Accessibility, its updated guidelines, and the needs of our users, we stand committed to keeping Accessibility a forethought in maintaining our existing software and in the design of new features and app development.  

Do you have thoughts or suggestions on Accessibility? We’d love to hear from you!  

3. Plot Line and Band Enhancements  

Plot lines and bands are features to help tell a more compelling story with your data, whether it be marking a threshold or highlighting a specific range on a graph. With this release, users can now:  

  1. Edit existing plot lines and bands: While in a graph, make your way to Plot Settings, and click on the edit icon to modify the plot label, value, color, etc.  

  1. Change the opacity: Use the slider to change how opaque or translucent you want your plot line or band to appear on the graph

Why is changing the opacity level on a graph important?  

Changing the opacity level of a line or band is important when:

  • Having multiple plot bands that overlap in values.  

Without being able to change the opacity, you wouldn’t be able to see where the bands intersect.

  • Needing the right color contrast for optimum readability and visual appeal of a graph.  

Dark blue and red bands behind these grey gradient stacks makes the graph difficult to read and is offensive to the eye:  

A quick change to the opacity level makes it easier for the reader to understand the story you are trying to tell with your data:  

4. Kurve User Interface (UI) Updates  

Beauty is in the details! You’ll notice a few changes when it comes to Kurve’s UI in this release.

The icon library throughout the app has been updated to better reflect Kurve’s transition to the Carbon Framework and to make their purpose clearer to you!  

For example, Kurve’s old report icon vs. the new report icon:

Another subtle, but helpful update includes a purple checkbox next to active query filters.  

As a user, you want to be able to quickly note which query filters are being actively applied to a visualization, especially when there are more than one available to you on a graph or report.

These UI changes mean a more clear, consistent, and compelling reporting experience for you!

Year end = leftover budget to spend!  

This year has brought an even better TRIRIGA reporting experience for Kurve users with the help of new features and enhancements!  

Has Kurve been on your wish list? A friendly reminder that this might be the time to see if you have left over budget for 2021 that could be spent on better, user-friendly reporting for years to come.  

Contact us or schedule some time with us to see the tool in action, chat budget, and see how we can help you with your reporting strategy for TRIRIGA.

Wishing you all a safe and happy rest of 2021!  

Till next time!  

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