SoftMeter (Product analytics) v1.4

We have released v1.4 of our product analytics library, "SoftMeter"*, with important new features.

1. Google Analytics' custom dimensions

Ability to use Google Analytics' custom dimensions.

You have to setup the custom dimension(s) first at your GA property before you can start sending data from within your software.

Then, to send a custom dimension you will need to call a new function of the SoftMeter API,

bool setCustomDimension(const int dimensionIndex, const TCHAR* dimensionValue);

The custom dimensions do not appear in the real-time reports.

2. End-user's hardware information (CPU, RAM memory)

New automatically collected information:

• Number of CPU cores
• CPU model (e.g. Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz)
• Total RAM memory
• Free RAM memory (The numbers are rounded so that they appear in the reporting in aggregated groups)

This information is not enabled by default because you might not need it. You can enable the parts of the information you need by calling the existing function

setOptions("ExtraInfo=31")

Where the value (31) is a bitmask of extra pieces of information:

• 2 = Total RAM memory
• 4 = Free RAM memory
• 8 = Number of CPU cores
• 16 = CPU model

The data are sent via pageview hits (when bit 0 is OFF) or screenview hits (when bit 0 is ON).

To view the hardware information via the standard Google Analytics reports, go to Behavior -> Site content -> All pages, Select to see the Page title, Filter by "System info" and sort the results by Page title.

If you are using screenView hits to send the hardware information, do the above filtering by switching first to yout App Reporting View and go to the ScreenViews submenu.

Here is a sample hardware information report:

These new hardware data complement the other hardware and operating system data that SoftMeter was already collecting automatically:

• Screen resolution,
• Monitor count,
• OS version,
• Preferred user language.

Backwards compatibility

The API functions of v1.4 are backwards compatible with v1.3. Only a new function setCustomDimension() was added. You can simply replace your SoftMeter library file with the updated version of the file.

Save a copy of the new library file in your project files so you have it ready when you release the next version of your software.

More information

Read more in the changelog.

*What is "SoftMeter"?

SoftMeter is a cross-platform software product analytics tool for Windows, MacOS desktop software and IOS apps.

It is simple to integrate into your software and provides a view of how your customers use your program. Download your free copy to get started.