This article applies to:
E-Prime 2.0
Detail
E-Prime 2.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2) is now available. This service pack introduces improved stability in E-Studio by decreasing the occurrences of crashes and reducing HASP driver issues. It also provides several fixes to minor E-Studio bugs that have been found in prior versions of E-Prime. SP2 is compatible with SP1, and therefore users are encouraged to upgrade from SP1 to SP2 as soon as possible.
The compatibility of SP2 and SP1 is in contrast to some prior releases, which often either introduced a file format change and/or included changes that might significantly impact timing. With these prior releases, PST recommended that users in the midst of data collection or longitudinal studies wait until the current study is completed prior to upgrade. We are able to maintain compatibility between SP1 and SP2 due to the nature of the bug fixes, which are concentrated on minor issues in the E-Studio application, and therefore users can update while in the midst of data collection, if desired.
E-Studio Compatibility
The SP2 update does not introduce an experiment specification file format change from E-Prime 2.0 SP1. Therefore, .es2 files created in SP1 can be loaded, edited, and run from within E-Studio SP2. Further, since SP2 is backwards compatible with SP1, .es2 files created with E-Studio SP2 can be loaded, edited, and run from the SP1 version of the E-Studio application. There are two minor exceptions whereby upgrading to SP2 may require an additional step to maintain full compatibility with the E-Studio file. These exceptions will be encountered rarely, and are detailed at the end of this article.
Runtime Compatibility
The SP2 update includes limited modifications that impact the runtime application (E-Run). However, these fixes do not impact timing.
NOTE: An .ebs2 file generated from E-Studio 2.0 SP1 requires E-Run 2.0 SP1. An SP1 version .ebs2 file cannot be run with E-Run 2.0 SP2. This is not an issue when an SP1-version .es2 file is fully upgraded to SP2 by loading it into E-Studio 2.0 SP2, regenerating, and then running. However, it is an issue when SP2 has been installed, which removes the SP1 installation, and a researcher only has an .ebs2 file generated from SP1. There are several options to address this issue:
- The E-Prime 2.0 SP2 installation CD includes prior E-Run versions, including E-Run 2.0 SP1. You may install the runtime only version of SP1 alongside a full E-Prime 2.0 SP2 installation. See INSTALL: E-Prime detects other installations on machine (multiple Subject Station versions allowed) [19364].
- The E-Run 2.0 SP1 application is available for download for users who have registered their SP1 or SP2 system. First, log into the support web site. Next, navigate to the Downloads section of the site. Click on the E-Prime option from the Download Area page to view a list of the available downloads.
- Request that anyone who wants to share their E-Prime 2.0 SP2 experiment with you provide you with the .es2 file rather than providing only the .ebs2 file; this allows you to load the .es2 file into your E-Studio 2.0. SP2 release, re-generate, and then run.
Lastly, note that an .ebs2 file generated with E-Studio 2.0 SP2 can be run with E-Run 2.0 SP1. The E-Run Resolver application enable you to select the appropriate versions.
If you load an experiment specification file that was created in E-Prime 2.0 SP2 with E-Prime 2.0 SP1, you will get a warning that lets you know that it was created with a newer version of E-Prime. The only reason for this warning is to let the user know that a different version of E-Prime 2.0 was used to create the file. This does not mean that any errors will occur when running the file and does not meant that any timing issues will occur.
For a complete list of all of the fixes that have been made in this service pack, please see the following article: RELEASE INFO: E-Prime 2.0 Change History (2.0.10.353 to 2.0.10.356) [19581].
How can I get SP2?
E-Prime SP2 can be downloaded via the PST Product Service and Support site by logging into your account at support.pstnet.com. Professional and/or Standard editions will be available according to the serial number(s) registered with your account. If you have not yet created an account, you can create one using the valid serial number associated with your PST product (INFO: How to Register for Support and Access Downloads [27523]).
When do I have to take additional steps after upgrading to maintain compatibility between SP1 and SP2?
As was mentioned above, there are two situations in which users will have to make an edit in E-Studio after upgrading their experiment from SP1 to SP2:
- Due to a correction in the Keyboard Device's Auto Response functioning, this option does not remain selected if it is checked in an E-Prime 2.0 SP1 experiment and then the experiment is loaded into SP2. Recheck this checkbox from E-Studio 2.0 SP2 to re-enable this feature. Auto Response applies only when running the experiment in test mode (see E-STUDIO: E-Run Test Mode [22737]).
- In E-Prime 2.0 SP2, the number of characters that can be entered into the Task Event fields has increased. Therefore, if an experiment created with E-Prime 2.0 SP2 utilizes these longer character limits, the relevant Task Event fields will not be editable when the experiment is loaded into E-Studio SP1 until the number of characters is reduced to the SP1-supported size.
Is E-Prime 2.0 SP2 compatible with all E-Prime Extensions?
E-Prime 2.0 SP2 is compatible with most E-Prime Extensions that are currently in production*. For more information about E-Prime's version compatibility with our Extensions products, please see the following Knowledge Base article: RELEASE INFO: Which version of E-Prime should I use with E-Prime Extensions? [19376].
NOTE: E-Prime Extensions for IFIS users should continue to use E-Prime 1.1 SP3.
Do I have to upgrade from SP1 to SP2 at this time?
While this article describes the compatibility between these two versions and recommends that labs update as soon as possible, there is no requirement to do so at this time. Researchers in the midst of data collection can wait until their study is completed prior to upgrading; however, they will not have access to the enhanced stability that E-Prime 2.0 SP2 offers.
What if I'm not running SP1 right now? Can I upgrade from an earlier version to SP2?
The same cautions that applied when SP1 was initially introduced apply to anyone who is running E-Prime 2.0.10.242 or earlier who want to update to SP2. If you are in this situation, then do not update to E-Prime 2.0 SP2 if you:
- Are scheduled to collect additional subject data for a continuing study
- Plan to analyze subject data in comparison to previous sessions
Please see the E-Prime Welcome Screen for more information.
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