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Release notes November 2026 (v2026.4.1)

BRAHMS version numbering has been updated to be the year + year quarter + revision. Hence 2026.4.1

Please also note that BRAHMS has been moved to our new server. The new URL is https://brahms.biology.ox.ac.uk

This revision includes the update from .NET 4.8.1 to .NET 10. This brings BRAHMS into line with the latest fully supported Microsoft technologies, providing speed, efficiency and security improvements across the system.

.NET 10 may need to be additionally installed on your PC. To check if you need to install .NET 10, you can run the Command Prompt "dotnet --info", it will inform you about .NET 10 status. If missing, .NET 10 is easily installed using from https://aka.ms/dotnet/10.0/windowsdesktop-runtime-win-x64.exe. Note that this link always downloads the latest .NET 10 servicing build.

If after upgrading and logging in you get a message that includes the text: "... The certificate chain was issued by an authority that is not trusted.)", please edit your existing data connection string by ensuring the data connection Additional Parameters include:
Encrypt=False;TrustServerCertificate=True;

Added Features

  • .NET 10: BRAHMS has been fully upgraded from the Framework version .NET 4.8.1 to .NET 10. Windows .NET 10 is a fundamental component of BRAHMS. It is the latest, fully supported version of .NET. delivering advantages with improved system efficiency, speed of operation and security. .NET 10 is a cross-platform, open-source implementation of .NET, designed to run on Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android - although BRAHMS for now remains a Windows application. It is optimized for building high-performance, scalable applications. Please check the installation requirements as noted above.
  • Entity Framework: BRAHMS has been fully upgraded to make use of EF Core. EF is a fundamental Windows feature used by BRAHMS to interact with your data. EF Core is significantly faster than the older Entity Framework 6 in most scenarios due to things like optimized queries, improved batching, and reduced memory allocations. Requires no additional installation.
  • BRAHMS log files: Your BRAHMS system log files folder can now be accessed by selecting System > Open Logs Folder. Log files record useful feedback and details of any system errors. When reporting an error, we usually suggest you send us the latest files in this folder with extensions .log and .err.
  • Undocking events: This revision adds code to prevent docked tables unexpectedly undocking. A document or tool window tab could tear itself off the dock when the mouse was moved over it with every button released, and would only settle again when the tab was clicked a second time. This generally was occurring when 2 or more tables were opened and one or more had a form or another tool window opened. The undocking was caused by a bug in a component of the third-party docking manager which we have now bypassed.
  • Image display speed: The overall display of individual images is considerably speeded up.
  • Image browser: A new feature that allows you to quickly view images per registered image folder has been added. Images are displayed as thumbs and you can zoom into the selected image. Select Images/Documents > Image Thumbs. This option also provides access to image metadata as stored in image file headers. For folders with large numbers of images, as the data displayed is virtualised, image thumb display is fast. The new browser also includes a carousel option activated by double-clicking on any image thumb.
  • Image rotation: Based on the image header details, if necessart, BRAHMS now attempts to rotate images to the correct viewing orientation when the image is opened.
  • Tag functions: Tagging functions throughout BRAHMS have been further streamlined to standardize and improve performance.
  • Multi-Search tool: The existing Multi-Search tool as available on the Data Tools toolbar, used to search a selected field for a list of values (e.g. barcodes, Plant IDs, Seed Accessions ...), now completes searches far more quickly than before.
  • Excel Match/Updates: The Excel Match/Updates tool now completes its record matching and potential transfer of data far more quickly than before.
  • RDE imports: The default on all RDE imports is now set to ‘Analyze only’. If the analysis report is satisfactory, the user can proceed to the import stage. The previous default was to analyze then directly proceed to import.
  • RDE calculations: Calculations are added to RDE tables (where relevant) for #DGMS (displays degrees minutes seconds in readable format) and Gazetteer Summary.
  • DNA module guide: A new manual section on using tegh DNA/Samples module has been added to the main BRAHMS guide.
  • DNA module samples form: A new option added to the DNA Sample Materials form makes it easy to list extracts, libraries and library measurements for the current sample. Form options also exist to quickly add or edit extracts/libraries and their measurements for the current sample.
  • DNA reporter: The reporter in the DNA sample materials table now includes access to data allowing you to create reports that refer to samples together with their extracts, libraries and associated measurements.
  • DNA module: A new button has been added to the Sample Materials form to make it easy to locate the relevant sample material source record, for example a living collection, a collection event, a seed accession, an address, or a species, depending on the known source of the DNA sample.
  • Report update: The internal BRAHMS reporter (based on Stimulsoft Reporting) has been upgraded to the latest release.
  • BRAHMS Webconnect: Interaction between BRAHMS and BRAHMS online has been overhauled providing greater control over features such as online column management. Data uploading has been revised to allow the uploading of larger databases. Help with web page design has been improved with a new HTML syntax checker. Syntax errors are now highlighted and solutions provided.
  • SQL Command help: The SQL command tab has been revised to simplify and provide optional help instructions. An example of help is how you can restrict command updates to tagged records.
  • SQL Command Select statements: You can now use select statements in the SQL command tab. Select statement command results are displayed in a separate window. Exsmples are : SELECT * FROM speciesgridview WHERE genusname = 'Musa'; SELECT collectors, collectornumber, countryname, collectionyear FROM collectioneventsgridview WHERE collectionyear = 1989
  • Sorting on header click: The function to sort on a data grid header click is now set on by default. This feature can still be controlled from your system options settings.
  • BRAHMS training videos: Updated BRAHMS training videos are now available from System > Short Video Guides.
  • Security additions: When uploading images from your personal gallery to the BRAHMS background screen, checks are now made on image file validity. This is to ensure no malicious files are uploaded. Also, any user who fails to use a valid password 5 times in a row when using BRAHMS Authentication is locked out for 5 minutes.
  • Field additions: New fields are added to the DNA Extracts table: Extracted by who; and to the DNA library table for: Proceed to Hybrid Sequencing?, Library location, Hybrid Sequencing Pass/Fail, Hybrid Sequencing Sample ID, Sent for Sequencing.

Bug Fixes

  • Genus tag transfers: A bug with transferring tags up or down from the genus table has been fixed.
  • Special table labels: A bug with the toolbar option to request labels directly from the species table where the toolbar was not enabling has been fixed.
  • Query tool: An error with the main query tool which occurred on some systems with certain categories of command has been fixed.
  • Duplicated barcodes: Improvements with the management of duplicated barcodes have been implemented. Duplicated barcodes (which can arise from e.g. imports from Excel and data migrations) were causing issues with certain tools such as Match/Update.
  • Import/Link images in RDE: A bug in this option has now been fixed.
  • Reading Excel sheets: The reading of Excel files now traps issues with header errors including header trailing spaces which caused issues.
  • DNA module: A few issues with the new DNA module have been fixed. This includes correctly disabling the species lookup in the extract file and ensuring the extract storage lookup button is enabled.
  • Tree Views: The Data Tools Tree View option to display data in user-defined hierarchical tree views now operates again and has been speeded up.
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