ClayJar
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Posts posted by ClayJar
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Well, it's been an interesting week, but I've finally gotten around to slinging some more code. This time it's mostly a bug-fixing release, but with a few improvements, too. Watcher 0.1.20 has the following changes (among others I've forgotten):
Merges work correctly. (One missing "l" is all it takes to mess things up.)Window positions save correctly. (I.e. not while the window is minimized or maximized.)Cancel in filters window works now. (It no longer wipes out your filters.)Filters are persistent. (If you don't ever want to see locationless again, you only need to say that once.)New "clear all filters" button. (So if you decide you actually *do* love locationless, virts, and webcams, you can get it all back in one fell swoop.)Simple command line parsing. (You can specify one filename on the command line; it's not a complete feature or anything, but it works well enough for the time being.)And of course, you can get Watcher 0.1.20 (or the latest version) at the usual place.
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If you didn't get it zipped, switch to zipped files. Sometimes you get a corrupted file if it's not zipped. I've seen at least one GPX file corrupted when e-mailed unzipped (one of the "id=" attributes turned into "=d=", which is obviously an illegal attribute name).
If you *did* get it zipped and want to let me have a look at the characters, you can e-mail it to me, and I'll take a look and see what's up with it. (GPS@[MyName].com) Oh, and obviously, zip it before e-mailing it.
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Frankly, I think it's none of anyone's (but the admins') darn business what my IP is, or even my netblock.
If I'm taking a lunch at work, I don't want that plastered anywhere. If I'm making a quick post from the sound board before a Sunday service, I don't want that plastered anywhere. And if I happen to actually be at home, well, for the love of Peter, Paul, and Mary, don't I have enough people scanning my netblock (cable modem)?
So, let me reiterate. I am absolutely, positively, and in all other ways against even joking about this. (So is that a clear enough statement of opposition?)
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I don't have time to markwell this right now, so if somebody else could do it, I'd be grateful. Otherwise, I'll have to track down the threads this afternoon. (I can't remember what channel(s) we decided on.)
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Well, you can now hide the logs if you're planning on printing a cache page from Watcher, but far more useful is the lovely new pair of filters...
Watcher-0.1.19 is out and includes the ability to hide all the caches your GPX says you found, or even to only display the caches your GPX says you've found. (Hehe, symmetry... Zathras would be proud.)
Oh, and if you think the usual site has the download, you're right.
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Okay, so it's been a productive evening, thanks to Enterprise, Junkyard Wars, and the like. (You know what they say about a happy programmer being a productive programmer.) Anyway, another oft-requested feature is now available...
Watcher 0.1.18 can now export the list of caches from the main screen to a lovely fresh, filtered GPX file. So, combined with #17's new features, #18 will now let you merge all your GPX files, filter out the locationlesses, virts, webcams, and events, and save the resulting cache list as your very own filtered GPX file. Have fun!
Get it from the usual spot.
Incidentally... EasyGPS has a bug in it (up through the current 1.2.2 beta) that prevents it from displaying valid GPX files exported from Watcher. Until they release a fixed version, you can workaround this by opening the GPX in Wordpad and replacing all "/>" with " />" (note the space). Hopefully the TopoGrafix people will have that fixed shortly.
[This message was edited by ClayJar on January 08, 2003 at 08:17 PM.]
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Okay, the finishing (heh) touches have been added to the next release. Watcher 0.1.17 is out now and features the ability to merge additional GPX files into your displayed list. (And it automatically filters duplicates, too.)
Get it at the usual place.
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Okay, so I'm a bit slower with NFL playoffs and work, but I had to get something out, so here you are. You can't merge or export GPX files yet, but I added a few things to get something out.
New features of Watcher 0.1.16 include recognizing (and having icons for) "Archive (show)" and "Archive (no show)" log types, full-text searching (which can also find bugs), and a few little details.
(I've figured out how to do the merges and such, so I should be able to get 0.1.17 out soon, but in the meantime, I'm still alive, and have fun.)
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I managed to get in touch with Markwell when I was having more-than-standard difficulties with "Hard as PI", but that was just because it was my 100th cache, I was more than 1000 miles from home, and I had no Internet access, maps, or anything else that could help.
(I thought this thread was going to be about reading hints.
I do read hints when they become necessary, but I would never do any of the blatantly wrong suggestions listed at the top here.)Oh, and I strongly encourage anyone hunting my two most difficult hides to be sure to have my e-mail address *and* (home+cell) phone number, since it is quite acceptable to call for help on mine... The help won't make it shorter, but it will give you a hand reaching the cache, should you need it. I can see of no reason to take what is supposed to be a fun, enjoyable, and perhaps excruciating cache hunt and turn it into a let down. I know just how much I can give away to help get someone through the pain without taking away the sense of supreme accomplishment, and I will go precisely that far. (Don't think F.P. will be easy, of course.)
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Okay, just a few minutes ago I was told the final cache log type: "Archive (no show)". Thanks, Jeremy!
<gpx> <wpt> <Groundspeak:cache> <Groundspeak:logs> <Groundspeak:log> <Groundspeak:type>
"Didn't find it""Found it""Needs Archived""Other""Unknown" (no icon on the cache page, only the admins can do it)"Archive (show)" "Archive (no show)" -
I already asked for this in the "GPX is now live." thread, so of course, I agree.
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I use the actual ratings when I display them, and I noticed this earlier (but I forgot to look into it). It's (Diff/Diff) alright:
<name>GC21</name><desc>Lake Lanier by Jay Chamberlain, Traditional Cache (0/0)</desc><Groundspeak:cache id="33" ...> <Groundspeak:difficulty>0</Groundspeak:difficulty> <Groundspeak:terrain>1</Groundspeak:terrain>
Oh, and no, it's not the original ratings. I know a local cache that changed ratings after it was posted. (I asked them to, and they did.) It does not have the original rating, so it certainly seems to be (Diff/Diff). -
Yes: What do you use for your e-mail?
No: Ask for it zipped. Return to step 1.
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quote:
Since the new GPX-using applications make it far more useful to grab a whole state (since you can then search, filter, and browse locally), is there any chance that, say, the full state queries could be run once a night and be available to charter members (perhaps at the expense of a pocket query, or whatever)? It would seem that this might be a good idea. Why? Less duplication of effort. Instead of running virtually the same query numerous times, the full-state queries would only need to run once. Fewer queries overall. With the new applications, you can narrow the cache sets down locally*, so there's no need to request three separate queries. *The ability to export GPX files from Watcher is next on the TODO list. Fewer queries over time. If the state queries were available for direct download, many cachers would not feel it necessary to request a query sent every day. (Of course, you could just as easily make it e-mail it like a regular query, or you could even have a "download queue" to throttle the number of downloads in progress during peak times.)Anyway, it's just an idea that seems like it could help abate some of the load problems that extensive Pocket Query use can cause.
Originally posted by Elias:We purposely left it out since it doesn't make any sense. Since you're likely to get way too many results from such a search, you'd end up with a "random" list of caches that doesn't have much meaning. In many cases, this is true when doing a state search as well. We're trying to force you into making a more specific/relevant query.
If, perchance, this seems like an idea worth investigating, I urge you to consider it thoroughly. I'd even be willing to donate a few dollars to the time it takes to hash out some code to do it, if that would make it more palatable, and I know at least a few others who would be glad to as well. Anything that can help make the Pocket Queries even better than they already are. (And sure, I have a bit of a vested interest, since I *am* the code slinger behind Watcher.
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Okay, in the course of working on a new feature, I was processing yet more GPX files through Watcher, and what did I find but yet another log type! Go figure. Well, here are the updated lists:
<gpx> <wpt> <Groundspeak:cache> <Groundspeak:type>
"Event Cache""Letterbox Hybrid""Locationless (Reverse) Cache""Multi-Cache""Project APE Cache""Traditional Cache""Unknown Cache""Virtual Cache""Webcam Cache"<gpx> <wpt> <Groundspeak:cache> <Groundspeak:logs> <Groundspeak:log> <Groundspeak:type>
"Didn't find it""Found it""Needs Archived""Other""Unknown" (no icon on the cache page, only the admins can do it) "Archive (show)" "______________"After looking at the source on the "archive your cache" page, I can now say that there is an "archive (hide)" or similar log type. I don't have it in any of my GPX files, so we're going to have to track it down if we want to know what it is.[This message was edited by ClayJar on December 31, 2002 at 06:08 AM.]
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(The second best place to discuss it... The best is, of course, in the chat.)
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A couple people tell me they had a little trouble, but they're in here, so I guess it's working.
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(You're probably still using 1.1.9 or earlier, which will not load all the waypoints in a GPX file. 1.2.1 should load all the waypoints.)
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Well, I actually got a full night's sleep last night, and it seems to have done me some good...
Presenting Watcher 0.1.15, now with basic keyword searching! Watcher will now search the name, both descriptions, and even the hints to find the caches you're looking for. Oh, and among the cosmetic fixes and updates is a nice cache counter, so you'll always know how many are on your current list.
Get it at the usual spot.
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Yep, it's still being a Merry Christmas around here. I haven't gotten around to having lunch, so instead I've spent the time whipping in some lovely new features for Watcher, and now Watcher 0.1.14 is out!
New features in Watcher 0.1.14 include nice "tooltip" descriptions of the icons, a "(decrypt)" link by every encrypted hint or log, the ability to filter by distance from the center, and... (this is the fun one)... a "Sort cache list from these coordinates." link on every cache page, for your convenience.
Get it at the usual spot. (And by the way, I'm a feedback-powered device, so feel free to continue commenting so I don't get *too* bored.
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In the Pocket Query Generator the in the formats: drop-down lists "EasyGPS LOC Format" and "EasyGPS GPX Format". Since there are now several of us with several applications that properly parse and use GPX, is there any chance that can be changed to a more neutral choice?
I have nothing against EasyGPS, but I use Magellan's MapSend, GPSBabel, and Watcher with my GPX files. It just seems unfair to call it "EasyGPS GPX Format" when EasyGPS doesn't even use most of the information. (It's also a bit strange the "EasyGPS for Groundspeak" is still at version 1.1.9, which chokes on GPX files. Is that going to be updated soon?)
How about calling it "Groundspeak GPX Format"? That would make it rather more correct, anyway, and it would be a bit more diplomatic to those of us who have GPX utilities and applications.
Anyway, I'm not going to cry or make a fuss or anything, but when I was helping Planet get up and running with Watcher, it just felt a bit off to be telling her to set it to "EasyGPS GPX Format" and then having to explain that this has nothing at all to do with EasyGPS.
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Well, I forgot to turn the heat up last night, so I woke up shivering quite thoroughly this morning. Well, what better to do to keep warm than programming?
New features in Watcher 0.1.13 include showing the "(D/T)" ratings on the main page; the ability to sort by difficulty, terrain, or cache type; and the ability to filter the visible caches on difficulty and terrain (including half-stars and "??" values).
It's available at the usual location, and incidentally, this makes the screenshots out of date already.
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Well, my power went out right as I got home from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, but eventually it came back on and I got back to work.
Presenting Watcher 0.1.12, now with Travel Bug information... not to mention, you can filter on travel bugs, if you might want to only see those caches with bugs in them. I also tossed up a pair of quick screen shots to give the uninitiated a little idea what we've been doing.
Get it at the usual site. (The pics are there, too.)
Invalid character in GPX output file
in Website
Posted
Any high character should be properly translated into UTF-8 in the GPX, and so, nothing bad should happen due to such a character. If there is a character that is choking a parser, then we need to look into why it is.