GC Waypoint Naming

[+mrcpu]

Would you like to be able to create your own GC waypoint names instead of GC1234 ?

 

The way if figure it, what would happen is that when you posted the cache you would be able to request a unique name (like vanity license plates). If the name is taken then you would be offered an autogenerated name or the opportunity to try again for another name.

 

This would solve the namespace problems we are going to face soon in a way that provides a more readily recognizable waypoint name in your GPS.

 

For example my cache "Primrose Bruce" is waypoint GC33F7 but PRMBRU would be alot easier read in my GPS!

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+Markwell]

Problem is that databases use UNIQUE names for identifying relational tables. This applies to the logs, owner uploaded folders, watchers and everything else. This number is a derivative of that number.

 

If I had a cache Primitive Brother of Utah, I might use PRMBRU as well, and the GPS and possibly the Geocaching database would have problems.

 

Markwell

My Geocaching Page

[+Hawk-eye]

Exactly ... it would sort of put the brakes on the data base.

 

[+mrcpu]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

Problem is that databases use UNIQUE names for identifying relational tables. This applies to the logs, owner uploaded folders, watchers and everything else. This number is a derivative of that number.

 

If I had a cache Primitive Brother of Utah, I might use PRMBRU as well, and the GPS and possibly the Geocaching database would have problems.

 

Markwell

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/marklent60544/myhomepage/Geocaching/markwellcachemain.htm

 

Sure, but before commiting the new cache to the database a query would search for the cache by name. If no records are returned then you get your "vanity waypoint". If a record is returned then you get asked to either accept an autogenerated name or try a different vanity name.

 

This is them same thing that hotmail and every other ISP does when you sign up. You ask for "mrcpu@hotmail.com" and you get "sorry, how about mrcpu456?". You say sure or how bout "themrcpu" and so on...

 

I'm curious if another hidden record ID is being used in the database of if the GC number is a key. If it is a key then perhaps another easier method would be to add a "waypoint" field. This would be seperate from the GC number and would be the waypoint name that gets downloaded with EasyGPS.

 

In an Ideal world I would like to have the ability to enter some custom settings on my preference page, Number of chars in a waypoint name, displayed coordinate system (Dec Deg, Deg Dec Min, Deg Min Sec, or my preference UTM!).

 

This is all of course WAY out there on the list of things that I'm sure J. Is working on! Probably on the list right after "Climb Mount Everest"

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+mrcpu]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

Problem is that databases use UNIQUE names for identifying relational tables. This applies to the logs, owner uploaded folders, watchers and everything else. This number is a derivative of that number.

 

If I had a cache Primitive Brother of Utah, I might use PRMBRU as well, and the GPS and possibly the Geocaching database would have problems.

 

Markwell

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/marklent60544/myhomepage/Geocaching/markwellcachemain.htm

 

Sure, but before commiting the new cache to the database a query would search for the cache by name. If no records are returned then you get your "vanity waypoint". If a record is returned then you get asked to either accept an autogenerated name or try a different vanity name.

 

This is them same thing that hotmail and every other ISP does when you sign up. You ask for "mrcpu@hotmail.com" and you get "sorry, how about mrcpu456?". You say sure or how bout "themrcpu" and so on...

 

I'm curious if another hidden record ID is being used in the database of if the GC number is a key. If it is a key then perhaps another easier method would be to add a "waypoint" field. This would be seperate from the GC number and would be the waypoint name that gets downloaded with EasyGPS.

 

In an Ideal world I would like to have the ability to enter some custom settings on my preference page, Number of chars in a waypoint name, displayed coordinate system (Dec Deg, Deg Dec Min, Deg Min Sec, or my preference UTM!).

 

This is all of course WAY out there on the list of things that I'm sure J. Is working on! Probably on the list right after "Climb Mount Everest"

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+Prime Suspect]

No thanks. That would screw up a LOT of coding that others (including me) have done. I've set up a private web page for use by my wireless palm. It's a simple, stripped-down page that loads really fast, and lets me key in only the waypoint ID, and it takes me to either the cache's description page, or the log entry page. It has a few options for specifying decryption and amount of logs displayed. It only works because I can calculate the cache page ID from the waypoint.

 

The benefits (what would those be anyway?) certainly don't outweigh the problems this would cause. Remember, a lot of GPSs still in use can't handle waypoints longer than 6 characters. You're

very quickly going to run out of "meaningful" waypoints, and be left with meaningless jumbles of characters.

 

The "namespace problem" is simply solved by simply incrementing the prefix. GD... GE... GF... This would still make it possible to calculate the cache ID.

 

[+mrcpu]

I believe what Jeremy is planning to do is to move from Base 16 to Base 26. (Our current cache id's go from GC0000 to GCFFFF. The simplest idea would be to go from GC0000 to GCZZZZ.)

 

There are 2 "problems" with this. The first is that newer caches would no longer be sequential which means Jeremy would have an extra step (that he may already do) to verify a name isn't used before creating the cache.

 

The second problem is for all you scripters out there. I believe that almost every program on the face of the earth has a hex2dec function but a "base26 to dec" function would need to be hand rolled.

 

There is a simple solution for Jeremy and us. He needs to change the following URL:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=12345

 

so that the cache_details.asp program takes in the GCABCD instead of a decimal value. I'm not sure why he added the this extra complexity in the first place. I would have used the GC value as my key (without the GC part of course) in Hex and written my program to use that hex value for my query without converting it.

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+Glenn]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mrcpu:

I believe what Jeremy is planning to do is to move from Base 16 to Base 26. (Our current cache id's go from GC0000 to GCFFFF. The simplest idea would be to go from GC0000 to GCZZZZ.)

 

There are 2 "problems" with this. The first is that newer caches would no longer be sequential which means Jeremy would have an extra step (that he may already do) to verify a name isn't used before creating the cache.

 

The second problem is for all you scripters out there. I believe that almost every program on the face of the earth has a hex2dec function but a "base26 to dec" function would need to be hand rolled.

 

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/4525_1300.gif

---

 

And dont forget that 4 letter words will show up as cache names if checking for this is not done. I know if I ever got a cache ID of GCF?CK or GCSH-T I would archive it and start again, but I know some wouldn't and that would take some of the family friendliness away from the site.

 

- Lone Rangers

[+Glenn]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mrcpu:

I believe what Jeremy is planning to do is to move from Base 16 to Base 26. (Our current cache id's go from GC0000 to GCFFFF. The simplest idea would be to go from GC0000 to GCZZZZ.)

 

There are 2 "problems" with this. The first is that newer caches would no longer be sequential which means Jeremy would have an extra step (that he may already do) to verify a name isn't used before creating the cache.

 

The second problem is for all you scripters out there. I believe that almost every program on the face of the earth has a hex2dec function but a "base26 to dec" function would need to be hand rolled.

 

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/4525_1300.gif

---

 

And dont forget that 4 letter words will show up as cache names if checking for this is not done. I know if I ever got a cache ID of GCF?CK or GCSH-T I would archive it and start again, but I know some wouldn't and that would take some of the family friendliness away from the site.

 

- Lone Rangers

[+mrcpu]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lone Rangers:

And dont forget that 4 letter words will show up as cache names if checking for this is not done. I know if I ever got a cache ID of GCF?CK or GCSH-T I would archive it and start again, but I know some wouldn't and that would take some of the family friendliness away from the site.

 

- Lone Rangers

---

 

ROFLMAO

 

 

I never thought about that! That's great! I'll have to look for GCROBS for myself and GCWILL for my son! GCMOM1 GCDAD2... this is great!

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+mrcpu]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lone Rangers:

And dont forget that 4 letter words will show up as cache names if checking for this is not done. I know if I ever got a cache ID of GCF?CK or GCSH-T I would archive it and start again, but I know some wouldn't and that would take some of the family friendliness away from the site.

 

- Lone Rangers

---

 

ROFLMAO

 

 

I never thought about that! That's great! I'll have to look for GCROBS for myself and GCWILL for my son! GCMOM1 GCDAD2... this is great!

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+Allen_L]

Jeremy said he was going to base 36 not base 26,

http://opentopic.Groundspeak.com/0/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=1750973553&f=3000900883&m=5180963204&r=5480943404#5480943404

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mrcpu:

I believe what Jeremy is planning to do is to move from Base 16 to Base 26. (Our current cache id's go from GC0000 to GCFFFF. The simplest idea would be to go from GC0000 to GCZZZZ.)

---

 

This was suggested quite a while back by several people, myself included. However, I think you meant base 36 (not 26), and that's a bad idea. It should be base 33, if you really want to go that way. You don't want to use the letters I, O, or L. The upper case I and O look too much like 1 and 0. And the lower case L (l) looks way too much like the number 1, especially in san-serif fonts.

 

Of course, you would still get more bang for the buck by just incrementing the first two characters, and keeping the hex format for the rest.

 

GC0000 to GCZZZZ (base 33) gives you 1,185,921 combinations. However, GC0000 to GZFFFF gives you 1,572,864 combinations, almost a third more.