Match! version 4.2 Build 324 has been released

June 4, 2025

A new Match! version 4.2 Build 324 has become available today. The new version is much easier to use, especially for beginners, due to the new "guided operations" option. In addition, the Windows version now also supports ICDD PDF Server Licenses (i.e. floating licenses), in addition to the well-known fixed (local) licenses. Finally, several other improvements have been implemented as well as all currently known bugs have been fixed.

Here is the full list of improvements in the new version:

• Match! has become much more user-friendly, especially for beginners:
• Main tasks like phase analysis, degree of crystallinity calculation or crystallite size estimation are now available as dedicated buttons in the central area of the toolbar (yellow/orange background). Pressing one of these buttons runs the corresponding analysis task as automatically as possible.
• "Guided operations" have been introduced: If Match! cannot perform a certain task automatically (like the selection of restraints or matching phases), the user is given detailed instructions in a new window, and is then asked to manually accomplish the task. The user finally indicates the completion of the task by pressing a corresponding "Confirm" button.
  This option is by default active in the "Beginner" user level. In the remaining user levels (e.g. "Expert") it must be activated manually e.g. on the "General" page of the "Options" window.
• In the default "Beginner" mode, Match! will now automatically run a qualitative and (semi-)quantitative analysis when it is opened.
• Match! now also supports floating ICDD PDF server licenses.
• For automatic operations, Match! can now select the search-match method (peak-based or profile fitting search-match) on its own, depending on the number of entries in the current reference database (or answer set) and the number of available CPU cores. You can activate this option at the top of the "Search-Match" page of the "Options" window.
• The "Degree of Crystallinity" (DOC) submenu has been simplified (compressed to a single command in the "Quantify" menu).
• The "Search-Match method" option has been moved from the "Batch" ("Automatic") tab to the "Search-Match" tab of the "Options" window.
• The "Search-Match" tab in the "Options" window has been reorganized for more clarity.
• The "Batch" tab in the "Options" windows has been renamed to "Automatic" to avoid confusion regarding "batch scripting".
• The "Refine" tab on the right-hand side has been renamed to "Rietveld".
• The menu command "Search / Add database entry to match list directly" (<Ctrl/Cmd+E>) has been renamed to "Search / Select phase/entry directly".
• When using "Search / Select phase/entry directly", you can now give multiple names or entry numbers separated by semicolon (';') as search criterion.
• There is a new option on the "peak list" page of the "Options" window using which 2theta values in the peak list as well as the status bar can be displayed with higher precision (4 decimal places instead of 2).
• A new command "Export peak data" has been added to the context menu (right mouse button) of the peak list. The usage of this command is fully equivalent to the main menu command "File / Export / Peak data".
• Match! can now import Stoe RAW data files that contain multiple diffraction patterns.
• A new batch script command "define_allowed_elements(El1, El2,...)" has been added that can be used to define the chemical elements (element symbols) that may be present in your sample. Elements not mentioned in the list will be excluded.
• The buttons "Add peak" and "Delete incomplete entries" (remove entries without complete crystal structure) have been removed from the main toolbar for clarity. The corresponding commands are still available in the "Peaks" and the "Entries" menu.
• If you run Match! for the first time after installation, the user level "Beginner" will now be used automatically, instead of the former window where you could select between "Beginner" and "Expert".
• An issue causing Match! to crash when opening document files (*.mtd) in certain circumstances has been resolved.
• Due to a bug, the default value of the "full width at half maximum" for the peaks ("Default FWHM") that can be adjusted on the "Raw data" page of the "Options" window was not permanently stored, even if the "Save as defaults" checkbox was marked before pressing "OK".
• A minor bug affecting the CIF import of certain files containing the keyword "_atom_site_anharm_..." has been fixed.

Match! users should check their update permission time (e.g. in "Help / About Match!") and then download and install the new version from here.

Match! Demo Version and Information

If you are new to Match! and would like to learn more about it, please visit the Match! web page. where you can also download a full-featured (time-limited) demonstration version free-of-charge.