AHA! I didn't enter a size or ring guage in the first dialog box. So when I tried to click "Finish" in the 2nd dialog box I got the Invalid Number error.

I'm a retired computer programmer and former Manager of Software Quality Assurance so my impression is that the database should allow null entries in just about all columns. If I don't know the ring guage of a cigar I shouldn't be disallowed from entering a cigar. Also, the next button of the first dialog box should validate all the data in that box. If I didn't enter required data then I should be told as I hit the next button, not when I hit the Finish button in the next dialog box. Also, a more appropriate error message would be helpful.

I bet that the reason for the non-null database restraint is to allow more accurate searching. If I asked to see all my 7" cigars and I didn't enter a size for some of them then those cigars wouldn't show up. But I think that's ok to allow that to happen. I think it's more important to be able to search by brand, name, nationality of the wrapper, etc.

Also, I don't see a style attribute. It might be nice to be able to search for all my "Maduro" cigars. Or perhaps a size attribute that allows me to search for all my "Churchill" cigars.

Still, it's a decent piece of software that looks like it can be very useful. And since it's free we can't really complain about usability issues.

Since it's free software would you consider opening up the code as open source software? Then you could have other programmers helping out with this little issues.

But overall it's a great piece of software.

Now, just between us software guys. Did you just plug in a bunch of parameters into a .NET demo program to create this software? It kind of looks like the kind of program that application framework marketing folks like to show off as "Look at this, we just defined a bunch of parameters and build a template for our data display and the application framework built this cool app for us in no time!" I mean, there's a lot more work here than you typical demo program. But it does have a bit of that generic demo program look and feel to it.

But even if that's what the software is it doesn't mean that it's not usefull. Once I start collecting cigars in full force I'll probably use it.

Greg