Want to know what has changed since a previous version? This page lists those changes. You can alter the range of release notes to display if you wish.

The latest release of Simon is version 5.1.1.

• Improved the notifications to avoid notifying again if the test is already failing; it used to notify again if the error was slightly different, but that's usually just annoying. You can turn off the "Only notify once for each failure" checkbox to get repeatedly notified until recovery.
• Improved the SSH service to avoid protocol identification warnings in the Console.
• Fixed an issue with the FTP service where it had the wrong default protocol, which caused the incorrect Edit Test view to be displayed.
• Improved the FTP service to work with the Security section of the Edit Test window, allowing checking secure FTP sites (without having to prepend the username and password to the URL).
• Fixed a bug with the Basic service plug-in where it would mistakenly look for cookies for FTP services, which while harmless most of the time, can cause crashes in some situations.
• Fixed a bug in the MySQL notifier plug-in where the Password field wasn't enabled correctly when using notifier-specific authentication.
• Fixed a minor typo in a couple of report templates.
• Fixed the tooltip for the "keep backup" checkbox in the Advanced preferences.
• Enhanced the URLs for the Help menu to better support localization.
• Updated the built-in Kagi purchasing tool to the latest version, which fixes some issues with Leopard.
• Updated the French localization.

• Fixed a bug with the optional status menu (on the right-hand-side of the menubar) where the item contents would be duplicated if it was toggled off and on.
• Fixed a build issue with the previous release that broke Mac OS X 10.3.9 compatibility.

• Changed the way the test scheduler works, so checks are started one second apart (actually at the check interval set in the Advanced preferences), instead of using the overlap prevention feature that was there, since that could cause difficulty when there are lots of tests (like more than 60).
• Improved the report feature to allow digits in test detail URLs, to avoid duplication when several test names differing only by numbers are used.
• Improved the Local Web report plug-in to include index files in URLs when saving to a file://-based location.
• Added a SummaryPath report variable, which is the same as BasePath unless a file:// protocol is used, in which case it has the index filename appended.
• Updated the default report templates to use SummaryPath on the bottom of the detail pages.
• Updated the Growl framework to the latest version.
• Fixed a cosmetic bug with disclosure triangles in the editor windows, where for example a test with multiple notifiers assigned would only show the first one if the disclosure triangle was in a collapsed state when the window was opened.
• Updated the German localization, to fix some missed resources and improve some translations.

• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevents the License or Setup Assistant windows from displaying.

• Rewrote the Port service plug-in to use a helper app to do the work, to avoid instability caused by multithreading and resource usage issues.
• Added support for the Preview function for the Port service plug-in. It displays the session script at the top, and the actual transcript of the check at the bottom.
• Changed editor windows to not reuse the window instances, to avoid issues with windows appears incorrectly in some circumstances.
• Added German localization, thanks to Manfred Brandstater.
• Updated French localization, thanks as always to Philippe Bonnaure.

• Added a Mount plug-in, that can be used both as a service and notifier. It can mount a local, AFP or SMB volume, and optionally dismount it again. Useful as a service to check that the volume is available, or as a notifier to mount or dismount it if required.
• Enhanced the Script plug-in to work as a notifier too. The Script plug-in is the most powerful one, allowing custom services and now notifiers to be created based on AppleScript, shell scripts, Perl, Python, etc. One sample notifier script is provided; if you have suggestions for notifier scripts, or want to submit your own creations, please let us know!
• Infrastructure changes to support unified Service/Notifier/Report plug-ins. If there are any Service plug-ins you'd like to see as Notifier ones, or vice versa, let us know!
• Added support for loading plug-ins from standard locations outside the application itself. Plug-ins can be placed in ~/Library/Application Support/Dejal/Simon/Plugins (which is created automatically when first running this version), or similar paths at the root and network directories. Such plug-ins will override ones bundled with the app.
• Simon plug-ins can now be installed in the data folder by double-clicking on them in the Finder. An alert will offer to copy them to the appropriate folder for you. (Note: plug-ins are not currently distributed separately, but this feature will make it easy to do so in the future.)
• Changed the Basic service to use authentication that persists for the session (i.e. until Simon quits) rather than no persistence, to make it work with a few sites that require that.
• Disconnecting from a Port service session is now done on a secondary thread, to avoid blocking if it has difficulty.
• Added the ability to set a timeout interval for individual tests: it's in the Options section of the Edit Test window.
• Increased the default timeout interval to 3 minutes.
• Added a test option to allow checking when you don't have an internet connection. By default, a test goes into an Offline state if there isn't a connection, but it may not matter for some tests, or you might want to be notified if your connection is down.
• Added the ability to set second-based checking intervals, by popular request. It is constrained to a minimum of 15 seconds currently. Also added month units, for completeness.
• Added a new TestStatusPhrase variable for services and notifiers that uses English words to describe the status of the test, e.g. "just failed", "just recovered", "recently recovered", "not changed", etc. Useful for use in email notifiers, scripts, etc.
• Also added new TestLastEventDate and TestLastEventTime variables, so the same notifier text can be used for changes, failures and recoveries, if desired.
• Updated the graphing framework to the latest version, and adjusted the drawing to work better for the checks chart.
• Previewing a test now synchronizes the current plug-in settings, fixing an issue when previewing after changing something would use the old values till the next check.
• Improved URL tidying to recognize "localhost", and not automatically add "www." and ".com" around it.
• Resetting the statistics, logs, etc for a test that is currently paused will now leave the status as paused; before, the status would be reset too, making it look un-paused while still being paused.
• Fixed a memory leak when stopping a Port-based check or report output.
• Fixed an issue with the license assistant when an Upgrade license is needed.
• Fixed an error that a few people experienced when checking for updates.
• Some optimizations in the Simon Assistant window.
• Now uses the Leopard-native window style when running under Leopard (10.5), or the custom one under previous OS versions. Plus other minor tweaks for Leopard compatibility.

• Updated the Specific DNS service plug-in to work with the version of the dig unix tool that ships with the latest Macs.
• Added a little more exception logging, to help with diagnosing any future issues.
• Worked around a known bug in the OS, where resources aren't freed properly if there are no user events (e.g. while Simon is working for a long time without human interaction).
• Fixed a possible cause of instability when closing the Preview window.

• Fixed an issue that affected some people, particularly those who use Apple Remote Desktop or similar remote control products, where Simon would erroneously display "offline", some icons would disappear, and sometimes other cosmetic issues. This was a tricky one to track down, managed with the kind help of a customer. If anyone still experiences these symptoms with this release, please let me know ASAP.
• Improved the reliability of the Script service plug-in, so it doesn't terminate the script before all output has been received.
• Changed the Web (HTTP) service's plug-in to not record session-only cookies, to avoid issues with servers that get confused with such cookies in a different check (session).
• Fixed an issue with the Growl notifier plug-in that prevented it from working properly under Mac OS X 10.3.9.
• Fixed an issue with the Specific DNS service plug-in, where it didn't report a failure for some machine configurations.
• Added test check overlap prevention. During automatic checking (i.e. not when manually starting a check), if a test is already being checked when another is due, the latter waits till the former is done. The upshot being that only one test will be checked at a time, providing more reliable check times, and avoiding using too many system resources.
• Added improved exception logging, to help with diagnosing any future issues.
• The Check Now menu items for the Source and non-web Preview windows are now correctly enabled.

Monitor window:

• Changed the Simon Monitor window to use a modern "flat metal" style instead of the less fashionable "brushed metal" style. Also got rid of excess margins around the controls, again in keeping with modern style conventions.
• Enhanced the splitters. You can now hold Option while dragging a splitter to resize the window at the same time as moving the splitter bar. Also added drag areas to help move the splitters, now that they are only one pixel wide.
• Changed the default sort order of the tests table to the Name column.
• The tests are now not checked until the Simon Monitor window first appears, to avoid confusion during the assistants.
• Changed the offline display in the Next Check column of the tests table to include the next check time.
• Offline checks are now included in the checks log.
• Now displays "none" in the optional Last Downtime column in the Simon Monitor window if the test has never failed.
• Now stops all Tests when you sleep the computer, and waits for 15 seconds after waking to allow time for networking to be re-established.
• The Tests table in the Monitor window is now not updated when the application is automatically hidden, to decrease processor usage.
• Removed the proxy fields from the New/Edit Test window, as they are no longer used — it now uses the proxy settings from the System Preferences.
• Can now drag a URL from a web browser or elsewhere to the Simon Monitor window, to quickly add a new test.

Script Service:

• Added new Script service plug-in. This is a very flexible tool, allowing you to create your own services very easily using AppleScript, a shell script (with any shell), Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, or any other scripting systems available via the Unix command line.
• The Edit Test window options for the new Script service includes a display of instructions and fields of custom variables for the script to use.
• The Edit Service window's options include a text area where the instructions can be written, tables of custom variables and result messages, menus of script types and variables to insert, the script source editor, and buttons to run, build, get more scripts, and load and save the script.
• A number of example service scripts are provided online on the Simon Extras page, and bundled with Simon for new users. Existing Simon users should download the ones they want. If you write a script that others might find useful, please share it! Save it and send it to Dejal.

Basic Service, used by Web (HTTP):

• Replaced the implementation of the Basic service plug-in to eliminate dependency on the old CURLHandle framework, which wasn't Universal.
• This service now supports checking secure https:// sites — a much-requested feature!
• It now also supports checking feed:// and file:// URLs.
• Added tables to display and allow editing URL parameters and cookies.
• Automatically remembers cookies and uses them for subsequent checks. Cookies that require user interaction (like logging on to a web page) can be set via the Preview window.
• Enhanced to support the POST method in addition to the default GET, to allow posting form data. You can try it via an Example Forms page if desired. It also now supports the more esoteric HEAD, OPTIONS, PUT and TRACE methods.
• Simon now allows checking sites with bad server certificates. These can occur when for secure sites that use their own certifying authority, or an expired one, but these issues aren't relevant for Simon, so shouldn't interfere with loading pages.

Other Services:

• Added a MySQL service plug-in, kindly written by Daniel Ellis. It allows connecting to a local or remote MySQL database and performing a query, to ensure it is working correctly. (You'll need to add the service first if you've previously used Simon.)
• Added a Specific DNS service plug-in, also written by Daniel Ellis. Unlike the older DNS plug-in, which simply uses a default DNS server, this new one allows using a specified DNS server to look up the domain name, and optionally matching against an expected IP address.
• The Port service now includes all service variables. For historical reasons, it accepts either TestUsername or Username, and TestPassword or Password, as equivalent.
• Improved the error handling in the Port service plug-in to log the specific error returned by the server even if no error handling command is specified.
• Changed the default Outgoing Mail (SMTP) service to include the TestURL variable after the helo command, to accommodate servers that require that.

Notifiers:

• Added a MySQL notifier plug-in, kindly written by Daniel Ellis. Like the new MySQL service, it allows connecting to a local or remote MySQL database and performing a query, e.g. to add an entry to a table.
• Added a Growl notifier plug-in, also written by Daniel Ellis. This allows using the popular Growl notification service to display floating alerts when a test changes, fails, or recovers.
• Updated the Pantomime third-party framework to the latest version, and rebuilt it as a Universal binary. The SSL option in the E-mail Notifier should now work properly (please let me know if it doesn't work for you).

Variables:

• Added TestStatusExact and TestStatusType service and notifier variables to give the current status of the test; the difference is that the Exact one indicates how long the status has been in that state.
• Also added TestLastRecoveryDate and TestLastRecoveryTime service and notifier variables, to compliment the existing TestLastFailureDate etc ones.
• Added CheckDateShort and CheckTimeShort variables, that output the date and time, respectively, in ISO order and without any separators, e.g. "20061016" and "172453". Useful in filenames etc in scripts (e.g. see the Screenshot script).
• Added TestChangeDifferenceWithHTML and TestChangeDifferenceWithoutHTML variables, that have just the text that is different, as used by the Smart Change Detection feature, with or without any HTML tags. These variables are also available for reports, along with DifferenceWithHTML and DifferenceWithoutHTML for the Change block of reports.
• Added TestLastError service and notifier variable.
• Added TestUsername and TestPassword as notifier variables.

Preferences:

• Added a Script preference page, to allow editing the default script types, script font, and foreground and background colors in the Script service. If there's another script type I should include by default, please let me know.
• Added a Logging preference to display change differences without HTML tags, like the above variables. Useful to see the page text without obscuring HTML. It is off by default to preserve the old behavior.
• Enhanced the preference to automatically start the app on login to remove any other copies of the app, in case you set it when the app was in a different location.
• Changed the default preference for double-clicking on a test to edit it instead of preview, since it is more general, particularly with tests that don't support previewing.
• Added a confirmation sheet for the Restore Defaults function in the Preferences window. The confirmation can be disabled or enabled via the General page.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a bug where new Tests sometimes weren't being saved.
• Fixed a bug preventing FTP Services from working.
• Fixed an exception with writing out tests in some timeout situations.
• Fixed a minor issue where the position and current page of the Preferences window might not be remembered if quitting with that window open.
• Fixed some obscure bugs that could lead to crashes when using the Preview window for some people.
• Fixed a minor cosmetic issue where the Dock icon could show the status after being reset while quitting.
• Fixed a bug where the date in the optional Last Recovery column in the Simon Monitor window was set for new tests.
• Fixed a bug with the View Options sheet where the absolute/relative option for the Next Check column wasn't working quite right.
• Fixed the Duplicate function; it was using the default Kind instead of the appropriate one.
• Fixed the E-mail notifier when using multiple addresses with the Automatic transport.
• Fixed a crasher when closing the Capture Session window of the Port notifier while still connected.
• Fixed a bug that affected only the Application and new MySQL service plug-ins, where an error from the first check after adding it would be ignored.
• Fixed a bug where editing a service made the selected service in the Edit Test window inappropriately jump to the first one.
• Fixed a bug where the Check Now toolbar button drew over the Stop Check state via thread-based service plug-ins like MySQL.

Other:

• Added a Setup Assistant window to allow importing URLs from browser bookmarks files or HTML files.
• Integrated the license agreement and options into the assistant.
• An integrated Kagi purchasing tool is now included, allowing purchasing without leaving the app.
• The "static" in the Dock icon now continues during the Setup Assistant window, just for fun.
• Enhanced the Check for Updates feature to include the release notes of new versions, among other improvements.
• Removed the superfluous initial frame and dissolve of the splash window, so Simon now starts faster.
• Now uses the more elegant unified title and toolbar look in all windows, other than Preferences (which sticks with the conventional page-switching style).
• Enhanced the Preview window so it works with the new Script service in a special transcript mode. It now also includes a status icon at the bottom, and improved progress indicators. Also renamed it from Preview Page to just Preview, since it is now used for more than web pages.
• Fixed an issue with the helper used by the Reports feature, where sometimes the last file uploaded could be incomplete.
• Removed the feedback and e-mail options from the Help menu, as the Dejal Forums is now the preferred support avenue.
• Changed the Feedback toolbar icons into Forums ones.
• Replaced the "As the Apple Turns" default test with Apple's Mac OS X downloads page, since the former is no longer being updated.
• The Dejal company logo has been redesigned by Emily Pfeifer, so all places it occurred have been updated.
• Updated the French localization.
• Updated the User Guide.
• Built as a Universal Binary for PowerPC and Intel architectures.