What's New

List of changes made in updates to RevMan 5

To download the latest updates of RevMan 5, go to the Updates page.
To have a look at the major differences between RevMan 4 and RevMan 5, go to the From RevMan 4 To RevMan 5 page.
Changes implemented on Beta and Release Candidate versions are shown on this page.

Fixed in update 5.0.22 (15 October 2009)

Declaration of Interest form included

Link to Style Guide updated

Review type displayed in check out list

Bugs fixed:

Links inserted with 'track changes' disappear after saving
Missing error handler for unsupported import file format
Error closing Symbol dialog using the X
StateInvariantError when deleting text with Track Changes enabled
Incorrect weight calculation in subgroups when using random effects and subtotals only
Some symbols in Insert Symbol window are not shown
Calculator tool for DTA reviews is not working on Mac OS 10.6
It should not be possible to add more than 99 outcomes or subgroups
Deleting 'Illustrative comparative risks' columns in summary of findings table corrupts table

Fixed in update 5.0.21 (24 July 2009)

Closing New Event Wizard without entering a description makes cursor disappear

Workaround: Press F5 to refresh.

Notes are removed when review parts, e.g. references, are moved from one section to another

E.g. when an 'Additional reference' is moved to 'Other published versions of this review'.

Application starts working very slowly when changing Study IDs

Problem occurs when you have many studies and you use the Edit Study tab to rename studies. Workaround: Right-click study in content pane and choose Rename Study.

Cannot add line breaks to notes of imported references

Error generating Licence for Publication form when Declarations of interest section contains dollar sign

Workaround: replace dollar sign with text.

No validation error is given if title is longer that 256 characters

The Ordered List function resets the order to 00 after reaching 99

This is a display issue only - numbers > 99 are actually saved. Workaround: Create list manually instead of using the Ordered List function.

Correction dictionary for spell checker should not take precedence over user added entries

Reference notes containing line breaks are only partially imported

This case does not address the problem with empty lines. See case 88789.

Fixed in update 5.0.20 (6 May 2009)

Typing not possible after closing wizard

After closing a wizard (Check-In, Study, Reference) using the X (rather than the Cancel button) you may no longer be able to type in the text. Workaround: Save the file, close it, and open it again. Use Cancel to close wizards.

Fixed in update 5.0.19 (4 May 2009)

The Save button is now only enabled once changes have been made

Context menu for moving references in overviews of reviews contains wrong options

The menu should include the 'Included reviews' and 'Excluded reviews' options rather than the current options that are inherited from the other review types. Workaround: Use 'drag and drop' or 'cut and paste' to move references.

Date may be off by one day when review is saved and re-opened if date is edited manually

Workaround: use the calendar to select the date.

Program freezes when deleting list at the end of text using Delete key

Error message pasting cells from Excel into data table

Error occurs if there are more cells on the clipboard than would fit (vertically) within the table that you paste into.

Extra bullet point is inserted when pressing Enter in a list at the end of the text

Handbook in Outline Pane does not open the right section for 'Studies and references' and 'References to studies'

Handbook link from SoF Wizard does nothing

Help button is not linked to a topic in most wizards

It is possible to create studies and references with empty IDs, and to check in versions with empty descriptions

No alert that incorrect unique ID was not saved

You are not informed that the new ID you input was incorrect and therefore not saved.

Pasting into protected fields

Using Ctrl-V, you can paste into protected fields, e.g. on review properties.

Print quality is low when using the image printing option on Mac OS X

Problem inserting column in table

Inserting a column to the left of a column with vertically merged cells corrupts the table.

Update SoF template and fix spelling mistake

Updater installer cannot launch RevMan on Mac OS

Fixed in update 5.0.18 (16 February 2009)

Additional empty lines inserted when pasting text from Word

Proxy password is corrupted after being saved

RevMan may hang when Check Spelling as you Type is activated and you right click the last misspelled word in a note

Deselecting studies does not change subject totals

Error when deleting the last word in a note using the spell checker

Find and mark links should not look for very short identifiers (e.g. one letter)

Licence for publication form for full int/met reviews is missing 'Author Declaration of Interest and' in title

Fixed in update 5.0.17 (1 December 2008)

New features in 5.0.17 - see here.

Disappearing text

After using 'Find and Mark Links' on the whole text, and then saving the review file opening it again, text may have disappeared from sections where links were marked.

Error dismantling subgroups when figure based on outcome is open

Import text of review doesn't work well with documents edited in Word

Extra paragraphs in imported text

Blank paragraphs are inserted in between paragraphs in the imported text. But removed once the review is saved.

Printing fails on Mac OS

Reviews are printed in large font on Mac OS X

StackOverflowError undoing date change from empty date

Subsections to the main text sections are not included in word count

Undoing text edit after text section has been changed by external event may corrupt text

E.g. undoing change to figure caption in main text after captions has been changed on Edit Figure form.

Changing to log scale sets effect sizes to 1

For IV outcomes when you click Properties > Analysis Details > Entered data are on log scale. All studies except the first have their effect sizes set to 1.

ConcurrentModificationException dismantling subgroups with validation on

Data tables for IV outcomes should only show participants if these have been entered

Error message appears while undoing changes to the figure caption

Extra line break is inserted when pasting into beginning of paragraph with line breaks

Files opened with validation on are reported as changed

Find and mark links fails for hyphenated study ID if another study ID is a prefix

Forest plot columns are sometimes wider than contents justify

Problem is specific to effect size and SE columns for the IV data type.

Merging of some table cells in advanced tables corrupts them

E.g. some cells in the Summary of Findings table template cannot be merged.

Misaligned highlighting of search terms in Intervention Handbook

Overlapping text in forest plot figures when disabling columns

Possible to create a blank name for a Source of Support (and other sections)

Missing Java color profile for some images

Error message: Figure x is invalid. Can't load standard profile: PYCC.pf. Workaround: convert image to PNG.

Name of Effect measure entered in Russian turns into question marks

Plot window should not inherit window size from outcome properties

Dichotomous outcomes using Peto method are created with Odds Ratio - not Peto Odds Ratio - as effect measure

Fixed in update 5.0.16 (18 September 2008)

Text in tables is sometimes bisected by page breaks when printing

Error opening permission for publication when RevMan 4 reviews are first opened in RevMan 5

Workaround: Save as RevMan 5 review and re-open.

Renaming studies and references should ignore Track Changes

Empty author should not be created when converting RevMan 4 review with empty byline

Fixed in update 5.0.15 (6 August 2008)

Highlighting cell in Risk of Bias Table resets selected Judgement

Links to additional references disappear from overviews of reviews when saved

Overviews of reviews are incorrectly rendered

Workaround: Use View > Refresh.

Closing dialog box should always be identical to Cancel

Problem present in dialogs where user is asked to check out or download. Closing is here identical to check out.

Data and analyses table does not automatically refresh when deleting study

Fixed in update 5.0.14 (2 July 2008)

All comparison names should not be printed when printing one forest plot

Cannot insert bulleted lists into What's New

Cannot open specific review that uses risk difference

Conversion problem for plain language summary with multiple paragraphs and no line between title and body

Only first paragraph of PLS is converted.

Delete key may corrupt table structure when used at the end of list

Error converting 'Topical treatments for chronic plaque psoriasis'

Error message when pasting times out after 10 seconds

Error when undoing pasting into review title

Lists with all list items empty are uneditable after saving and opening

Memory leak when reviews are edited

Not possible to format text with links as list

Possible to make a bulleted heading by applying heading style to bulleted list

Causes program to hang on save.

Problem converting mixed selection into bulleted list if selection begins with list

Title notes in notes view not updated when notes are edited in other window

Fixed in update 5.0.13 (19 June 2008)

Cannot open rm4 file with links at the beginning of bullet points

Cannot print specific review 'Virtual reality training for surgical trainees in laparoscopic surgery'

Find and replace: leading spaces are stripped from replacement text

Finish button in New Summary of Findings Table Wizard invisible for long file name

Workaround: Resize wizard window

'judgment' should be spelled 'judgement' in UK English interface

Outcome properties - data type can be changed by clicking outside radio button

Pasting of plain text lists generates extra paragraphs around each line

Track changes should not stay on in the Find and Replace dialog

Unmatched tags in exported HTML

Fixed in update 5.0.12 (6 June 2008)

Cancelling the Save As dialog on close does not stop file from being closed

Feedback item not validated when added

Pasting into one line text boxes doesn't work

Problem copying inverse variance study data between outcomes on different scales (log to lin, lin to log)

Workaround: Make sure outcomes are set to the same scale (log or linear).

SE=0 should not trigger validation error for generic inverse variance data

Statistical calculcations not performed for newly created review

If you create a review in RevMan, the statistical calculations are not done until you save the file and open it again.

Validation is not checking abstract for empty sections

Fixed in update 5.0.11 (26 May 2008)

Text editing and cursor movement slows down every time you switch between RevMan and other programs

This is most noticeable in tables. Workaround: Save, close and open file again.

Analysis links are not updated when moving comparison up/down

Cells can be selected in more than one table

Content from a single table cell should not be copied to the clipboard as a table

Cursor moves to end of table after pasting cells

This makes it difficult to keep track of where you pasted the cells.

Cursor should move to new row when creating table row with tab

Files are sometimes saved with two tables in one additional table

This generates invalid files that cannot be checked in.

Internal links (e.g. reference links) pasted from Word turn into 'internet' links

Modification time for text sections does not bubble up to parent text section

For example, if you modify 'Types of studies' this should be recorded in 'Criteria for considering studies for this review'.

Mouse clicks in content pane not always registered

Happens if mouse is dragged just a little bit before releasing the button.

Problem reading *.rm4 file with bulleted list

Some decimal numbers do not use locale specific decimal point

Tables containing headings can be pasted into the text

Since tables are not allowed to contains headings, this generates invalid files that cannot be checked in.

Word count should work on selected table cells

Fixed in update 5.0.10 (16 May 2008)

Deleted text in front of activated subheading keeps reappearing

This happens if you delete an empty paragraph just before the activated subheading: 1 with backspace; or 2 by standing at the end of a heading line on the line before and pressing delete. When you save and open again the parent heading will contain the combined text of heading and subheading. Workaround: Delete the text but keep the empty paragraph.

Fixed in update 5.0.9 (15 May 2008)

Text in bullets may disappear on converting from RevMan 4

Only for sections containing nothing but a bulleted list. The first bullet item turns into a paragraph, the rest disappear.

Files sometimes reported modified right after they have been opened

This incorrectly brings up the 'Do you want to save your changes?' message.

Pasting table content from Excel may result in table that cannot be saved

This problem has to with non-breaking spaces in the table cells in Excel, and is probably rare.

Deleting last paragraph in table cell with multiple paragraphs using backspace corrupts table

Workaround: Undo if you see this happening.

Special symbols pasted from Word turn into question marks or other symbols

Will be fixed for symbols from the Symbol font.

Table cell selection very slow for large tables

For very large tables, cell selection is almost impossible to use.

Words cannot be selected by double clicking in abstract, tables etc.

This only works in the main body text.

Edit Study Characteristics is not expanding collapsed table

As a result, the cursor will end up in the wrong field.

Fixed in update 5.0.8 (8 May 2008)

Edits are no longer registered after cancelling closing a review

This is problem that has existed since the beta versions of RevMan 5. Because of the severity, a new update was released as soon as it was discovered.

Fixed in update 5.0.7 (8 May 2008)

Missing Licence for Publication Form

The temporary version has been included.

Improved loading speed for large reviews

Conversion from RevMan 4 does not create 'Characteristics of studies awaiting classification' table

Enter number of participants setting for IV outcomes is ignored by conversion from RevMan 4

The setting was always set to 'no' after a review had been converted.

Program may hang when attempting to paste text

Improved editing of bulleted and numbered lists

Error in spell checker dialog

After the spell checker reports 'Spell check completed', if you then click one of the buttons, e.g. 'Ignore', an error message is displayed. The spell checker should close after reporting 'Spell check completed'.

Undoing deactivation of Risk of bias item should restore data

Line breaks disappear when pasting plain text

Problem copying long heading into New Appendix Wizard title box

Find and mark links should work on selected table cells

Pasting search strategy from CLIB into appendix results in centered paragraphs

Don't create substantive amendment event for protocols on conversion

Bulleted lists and links in bulleted lists disappear when converting rm4 file

Easy access to backup files

Added backup file to Recent Files menu as long as the review is open (when review is closed it will be deleted).

Changes to backup interval are only effective after restart

Find and mark links should find longest links

E.g. if text is 'Figure 10' this could end up as a link to Figure 1 with a trailing 0. After bug fix 'Find and mark links' no longer marks text as a link if the character after the text is a letter or a digit.

Special message when trying to open empty file

Handbook link for figures is not working

Show/hide raw data columns on forest plot figure not working except for dichotomous data

Validation check should not report error if O-E and V study data has V=0

Fixed in update 5.0.6 (5 May 2008)

This update was not released to the public, but was only used in Archie.

Fixed in update 5.0.5 (23 April 2008)

Only numbers can be written in the Units field for continuous outcomes

The idea is to be able to write a short string, e.g. 'kg'.

URL for internet links changes to lower case when review is opened

This is a problem if the link is case sensitive.

Content pane not immediately updated when deleting studies or outcomes with associated figures

Workaround: collapse and expand the 'parent folder'.

Contact persons are given RevMan user's middle initials if they don't have their own

The user's initials are those entered under Tools > Preferences.

Note on severity: Any contact details with false initials are checked in to Archie as part of the review draft version, but they are are not transferred from the review to the person's record in Archie. Also, when the review is marked for publication in Archie and the contact details are updated, the false initials will disappear.

Workaround: It is recommended to remove your initials from RevMan until the next update has been released.

Program slows down and memory consumption grows as your type

At least one reason for this has been verified and will be fixed in the next update.

Fixed in update 5.0.4 (11 April 2008)

Study data that are not in subgroups are not loaded.

This bug is not present in earlier versions. Warning: Do not use RevMan 5.0.3 but upgrade immediately to 5.0.4. See here for more information.

Fixed in update 5.0.3 (11 April 2008)

95% CI lines option for funnel plot on Figure Properties should be disabled when not available

Error when deleting rows or columns in table at the end of the appendices

Limits on number of test and analyses for diagnostic reviews

The limits will be raised from 99 to 999 in the next update.

Reviews using MH Risk Difference may (under rare circumstances) fail to convert to Revman 5

Program error: java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: Array index out of range: 0
org.cochrane.revman5.document.review.reviewsection.analysis.intmet.outcome.NumericOutcome.calculateMantelHaenszel
(NumericOutcome.java:822)

Plain language summary title not always separated out when converting from rm4 file

Some tables cannot be pasted from Word

New Zealand addresses are displayed using continental European address style

Maximum length of items in the Recent Files menu should be limited

Fixed in update 5.0.2 (2 April 2008)

Find and Mark Links is unreliable

We suggest to save before using this function, and only using it on short sections of text until the next update has been released.

Error after moving study with reference expanded

The tree collapses after the move. When trying to expand it again, the following error is displayed:

Program error: java.lang.NullPointerException
org.cochrane.revman5.Main$1.dispatchEvent(Main.java:33)

Workaround: Ignore the error, then press F5 (Refresh view)

Opening RevMan by double clicking rm5 file fails (Mac OS X)

Workaround: Open RevMan first, then open the file.

References reported as unlinked

Validation may falsely report that references with some charaters in the ID (such as ü) as unlinked. Saving, and reopening the review will correct this.

Error cutting with track changes turned on

The error only appears sometimes, depending on the cursor position.

Text section may open as collapsed even though 'Allow test sections to be collapsed/expanded' is switched off

If, for instance, you have more than 10 additional tables.

Cut, Copy and Paste buttons for data tables are only updated when selected row changes (not column)

Cannot delete table cell text with Delete when selecting text from start to end

Cannot delete table cell text with Backspace when selecting text from end to start

Full stop at the end of imported reference titles should be removed

Program hangs after importing many references if destination outline section is expanded

If, for instance, you inport into Classification Pending and that section is expanded in the tree.

Fixed in update 5.0.1 (26 March 2008)

Version numbers from RM4 files are not imported - 55263

If a RevMan 4 review is converted by opening the file with RevMan 5, the version gets the version number '0.0'. If a user who is not a Super User in the CRG then tries to check in the review, they get a version error.

Recommended resolution: do not convert reviews this way. It should be done by having the latest version in Archie, and then converting the review on Archie by the CRG, or by checking it out using RevMan 5.

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