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GPX is now live.


iryshe

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GPX is now live on the site. I have noticed that ExpertGPS will eat the information if you try to save it after you edit it, so be forewarned. Also, ExpertGPS does not display all of my waypoints, probably due to using a custom parser. My suggestion would be that until some applications like ExpertGPS are modified to fully support this format, don't use it unless you are a developer.

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location™

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You can currently only receive GPX files through Pocket Queries as a premium subscriber.

 

There are no current plans to access the full Groundspeak:cache namespace on the search results pages in the near future. However, a leaner version of the namespace will be generated to provide GPX instead of loc. Loc will be retired.

 

When free applications become available I will also provide links to them in the links area when I know about them.

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location™

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There is still a problem with encoding of 8-bit characters. I recommend that the output files are encoded in ansi/iso-8859-1. EasyGPS and mobipocket reader for PocketPC cannot interpret utf-8. When .loc files are generated from the search pages the ansi encoding is used so I believe it could be fixed in the gpx context also.

 

/Åke S (from Sweden where the language is full of little dots and rings)

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quote:
Originally posted by Ake S:

There is still a problem with encoding of 8-bit characters. I recommend that the output files are encoded in ansi/iso-8859-1.


 

XML can be UTF-8. If your application doesn't support it, it's a bug in your application.

 

[edit: changed "should" to "can" and removed some emphasis.]

 

warm.gif

 

[This message was edited by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy on December 09, 2002 at 01:37 PM.]

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Ansi and utf-8 encoding is mixed in these sites. Look at my address in the previous post. It should display as Saltsjö-Duvnäs. I still suggest that ansi is used at least in the files for pocket reader. I also suggest that one encoding scheme is used in the search pages and on the pocket query pages.

I have no personal problem with utf-8 - but all common applications seem to have problems.

/Åke S

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quote:
Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy:

Well, personally I suggest that MobiPocket just be dumped entirely. But that might be seen by some as an extreme position.


 

You'd be right.

 

Ake S - I'll look into it.

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location™

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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy (Admin):

quote:
Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy:

Well, personally I suggest that MobiPocket just be dumped entirely. But that might be seen by some as an extreme position.


 

You'd be right.


 

I owe you an apology, Jeremy. My post about MobiPocket was intended to be humorous, and it fell flat.

 

Keep in mind that changing the GPX results from geocaching.com to the optional 8-bit encoding for ISO Latin1 will cause problems in the future - and maybe in the present - for people whose alphabets don't fit in ISO Latin1, including most of Eastern Europe and Asia. This really is a bug that should be fixed in {Easy|Expert}GPS.

 

MobiPocket is another problem, unrelated to GPX, but the fact is that MobiPocket documents really should be ISO Latin1, since that's the default encoding on all non-Japanese PalmOS handhelds. In fact, I have intended to eventually do the conversion from UTF-8 to ISO Latin1 in my Mobi-to-PalmDoc conversion script, but I've never gotten around to it.

 

warm.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy (Admin):

There are no current plans to access the full Groundspeak:cache namespace on the search results pages in the near future. However, a leaner version of the namespace will be generated to provide GPX instead of loc. Loc will be retired.


 

Retired? How soon?

 

I just got my first GPX version in a non-essential pocket query. While EasyGPS opened it with no problem (and indicated which caches I had found vs not, etc.), Geobuddy could not open the file.

 

I'm only an ad hoc programmer, so I may be missing something. If someone can direct me to how this phenomenal enhancement can be resaved back into a delimited file, please let me know.

 

But before there's any talk of retiring icon_eek.gif the loc files, let's make sure that there's enough functionality out there to cover the bases - like getting the data into a format usable by the masses.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy (Admin):

When free applications become available I will also provide links to them in the links area when I know about them.


 

I'd like to throw GPSBabel's hat into the ring. I just pulled a pocket query as GPX (yay!) and gpsbabel munched all 500 waypoints. Yes, it's supreme overkill to pull a 2.5MB file with descriptions and logs just to use only a slight superser of what's in the .LOC's, but it does work.

 

GPSBabel, when squirting geocaches data from GPX into certain Magellans, it does know a few cute tricks. A virtual cache gets icons that are binoculars, for example. It's also one of the few games in town that runs identically on Mac/OS, Windows, Linux, UnixWare, OpenServer, and several other OSes. I expect to release a new version (1.1.0) within a few days.

 

http://gpsbabel.sourceforge.net

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XML parsers break many rules that are valid in XML. Since GPX hasn't gotten a really good run for its money yet, I expect many applications using the Groundspeak:cache namespace will be buggy for some time.

 

We'll make the transition from LOC to GPX once the bugs get worked out. However, a real basic GPX file will not have the problems that the current applications are having with GPX. It will only have slightly more information in the GPX format.

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location™

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quote:
I tried out GPSBabel on my GPX file. I tried exporting to a comma delimited file, and to a loc file (just for fun).

 

Each cache that had a comma in the title was duly "messed up."


 

Markwell,

 

You probably need a more recent version. The comma separated values & friends got a swift kick in the butt since version 1.0 and does a better job of sanitizing data and handling things like delimiters within delimiters. (that is, aside from the run-on sentence problem icon_cool.gif)

 

I know that robertlipe's going to roll a newer release in the very near future, and hopefully a new win32 binary. If you need a recent win32 executable, you (or anyone else) can drop me an e-mail.

 

It's probably best to wait for the release, though.. There's no telling what sort of treats robert may toss in at the last minute after glazing over the final GPX for a few hours...

 

...

alex

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Is ther esome waypoint limitation for EasyGPS when using GPX files? I made a query for 500 caches within 100 mile radius and it is only showing 57 of them. I had done the same search with only 100 caches and it came up with 56.

 

Now, the odd thing is the huge difference in file size between the two. The one with the 100 cache limit is only 768K and the one with the 500 cache limit is 2M. So, there is definitley a huge difference, but EasyGPS is only showing a limited amount. I know there are defintely more than 50-something with 100 miles by just doing a normal search and being on cache 75 with only 20 miles distance in between.

 

So, why isn't it showing all the wayponts?

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quote:
Originally posted by alexm:

 

I know that robertlipe's going to roll a newer release in the very near future, and hopefully a new win32 binary. If you need a recent win32 executable, you (or anyone else) can drop me an e-mail.

 

It's probably best to wait for the release, though.. There's no telling what sort of treats robert may toss in at the last minute after glazing over the final GPX for a few hours...

 

alex


 

I received the sample input and output from markwell, recognized it as a problem fixed two months ago, verified that it handled every GPX file I could lay my hands on, and finally pushed the buttons to release 1.1.0 of gpsbabel that, among other things, fixes the input corruption on lengthy GPX or LOC input.

 

As for last minute treats, I can't think of anything that wasn't discussed in the gpsbabel-misc lists. But I do have twinkles in my eyes for futures! icon_wink.gif

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Nevermind on my issue. While I thought I had the latest version of Easy GPS, there was a newer one and it works fine, though I definitely shouldn't do 500 waypoints anymore because now that I think about it I think my Garmin GPS V can only hold 500 and I really don't need to fill it. But, at least I can get all of the 100 I had requested instead of just 50-something.

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Um, first question: What is an "Unknown" log type?

        <Groundspeak:log id="808227">          <Groundspeak:date>2002-12-09T08:00:00</Groundspeak:date>          <Groundspeak:type>Unknown</Groundspeak:type>          <Groundspeak:finder id="2">iryshe</Groundspeak:finder>          <Groundspeak:text encoded="False">Owner indicated this cache has been refurbished,          and is ready to find. - Admin</Groundspeak:text>        </Groundspeak:log>

Second question: What is the of "Cache needs to be archived"?

(I need to handle that, too, and I don't seem to have any in my files.)

 

[Edited to break the inadvertant long line.]

 

[This message was edited by ClayJar on December 12, 2002 at 09:15 AM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by ClayJar:

Um, first question: What is an "Unknown" log type?

        <Groundspeak:log id="808227">          <Groundspeak:date>2002-12-09T08:00:00</Groundspeak:date>          <Groundspeak:type>Unknown</Groundspeak:type>          <Groundspeak:finder id="2">iryshe</Groundspeak:finder>          <Groundspeak:text encoded="False">Owner indicated this cache has been refurbished, and is ready to find. - Admin</Groundspeak:text>        </Groundspeak:log>


 

Does the bottom of this page answer your question?

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quote:
Originally posted by Ake S:

I have noticed that when the "&"-character is used in the tag it is displayed as "&". I think the problem is in the gpx-file. Or is EasyGPS doing a mistake when reading the file?


 

I've corrected what you said so it should read a little less like a zen koan; let me know if that's not what you meant to say.

 

I'd say this is an EasyGPS problem. The XML specification requires that all "&" characters be encoded as "&" because & is a special character in XML.

 

warm.gif

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So, I now have a GPX that has all *five* log types. No more need to help me, but for those others who are wondering, the five types are:

"Found it" (a smiley find)

"Didn't find it" (a frowny non-find)

"Other" (a note)

"Needs Archived" (engrish for 'archive it' icon_wink.gif)

"Unknown" (the gods must be crazy icon_biggrin.gif)
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy (Admin):

quote:
Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy:

Well, personally I suggest that MobiPocket just be dumped entirely. But that might be seen by some as an extreme position.


 

You'd be right.


 

Using Mobi pocket is an extereme position, extermely bad.

 

MobiPocket, just say "No thankyou"

 

----------------------------

 

 

TeamWSMF@wsmf.org

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Okay, currently, the GPX-level description is simply:

Geocache file generated by Groundspeak

 

Watcher (the GPX utility I am developing, as referenced in the Custom Search thread) currently displays the filename of the GPX file being viewed. I would much rather have Watcher display the name the cacher chooses in the "Name this Search:" box when setting up the Pocket Query.

 

Is it possible to change the GPX-level text to be the name of the Pocket Query? That would seem to describe the GPX far better than the generic text that currently exists, and the creator, author, and e-mail attributes and elements would still say where it comes from. I could then put the name and time of the Pocket Query in the window title, which would be much, much nicer than the filename.

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I'm still having problems with EasyGPS failing to display more than a fraction of the waypoints in a GPX file.

 

At first I thought it was a problem with the Pocket Query generator but I've eliminated this as the cause. Using Clayjar's great Watcher utility I can see that they are all there in the file. As a further test I downloaded his Louisiana.gpx text file and EasyGPS only displayed 8 (yes eight!) waypoints.

 

I've downloaded the latest version 1.2.1 from EasyGPS and still the same. As an aside I noticed that the Help->About in EasyGPS still says it is version 1.1.9

 

Any ideas?

 

_________________________________________________________

 

It is better to regret something you did, rather than to regret something you didn't do.

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Humm I should come out from hidding more often! I just had an oportunity to check out the GPX file that is created in the pocket query - looks like Jeremy covered all I could ever want in an html file. So, I will start work on a gpx2html converter for use with handheld devices and such. Should be pretty handy. Originally I was just going to tack it onto gpsbabel but I don't think it meets with their criteria for the format to be both an input and an output.

 

Anyway - should have a beta by next weekend if anyone is interested, the only issue is that it will be OSX native, but written in ANSI C (should make it very portable - especially since all it is is a data parser using expate).

 

OK - you may now all return to your regularly scheduled programs... I will post when I have a binary to download though (for the 5 people here using OSX that are comfortable with the terminal window, and typing on the command line).

 

icon_smile.gif

 

Laurie

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I am using ExpertGPS (ver 1.2) and am also only able to view a fraction of the .gpx file. My Saturday query (.loc format) came with 345 caches and was only 622 kb. Switched it to .gpx this morning and only have 47 caches when I open the file, even though file size is now 1.43 mb.

 

Greg

N 39 54.705'

W 77 33.137'

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quote:
Originally posted by gnbrotz:

I am using ExpertGPS (ver 1.2) and am also only able to view a fraction of the .gpx file. My Saturday query (.loc format) came with 345 caches and was only 622 kb. Switched it to .gpx this morning and only have 47 caches when I open the file, even though file size is now 1.43 mb.


This is a known problem with versions of ExpertGPS before 1.2 and versions of EasyGPS before 1.2.1. If you're having this problem, you need to download the latest version (which still might have the mishandled characters bug, but will definitely load all the waypoints and everything correctly).

 

Latest version of ExpertGPS

Latest version of EasyGPS

 

(Note that the Groundspeak version of EasyGPS has not yet been updated past 1.1.9, so it will exhibit the missing waypoints problem.)

 

Incidentally, if you haven't taken a peek at Watcher, you really ought to (if I *do* say so myself icon_wink.gif).

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Okay, the nice thing about GPX is that you can do all sorts of lovely things. The downside is that you need to know what's there so you can do stuff with it. Well, I will now remedy that situation, at least with regards to the cache type and log type strings.

 

<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)

 

(Now all you GPX application creators know all the type strings, which I imagine you might find as handy as I.)

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Originally posted by ClayJar:

This is a known problem with versions of ExpertGPS before 1.2 and versions of EasyGPS before 1.2.1. If you're having this problem, you need to download the latest version (which still might have the mishandled characters bug, but will definitely load all the waypoints and everything correctly).

 

http://www.expertgps.com/latest.asp

http://www.easygps.com/latest.asp

QUOTE]

 

Ok, I was already using the latest version, but just for the sake of argument, I downloaded it again. Still the same flawed results, so ExpertGPS 1.2 is not the fix to this problem. icon_confused.gif

 

Greg

N 39 54.705'

W 77 33.137'

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quote:
Originally posted by gnbrotz:

Ok, I was already using the latest version, but just for the sake of argument, I downloaded it again. Still the same flawed results, so ExpertGPS 1.2 is not the fix to this problem. icon_confused.gif


 

If you e-mail me the GPX file, I'll gladly take a look at it. I don't know if I can figure out what's wrong with it, but I can definitely try.

 

Send it to: geo_alexm at cox-internet.com

 

You can also make absolutely sure you're using Expertgps 1.2 by going to "Help -> About" from the main ExpertGPS window. It should say:

 

---Program Information---

ExpertGPS 1.2

Copyright 2002 TopoGrafix

 

If that doesn't work... (this is a WAG) What version of Windows / Internet Exploder are you using?

 

...

alex

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Had the same problem which persisted even after I downloaded EasyGPS 1.2.1 to replace my existing 1.1.9.

 

Only after I completely deleted my previous version and the re-downloaded 1.2.1 did it start working.

 

Don't know why but it worked!

 

_________________________________________________________

 

It is better to regret something you did, rather than to regret something you didn't do.

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Are you saying the name is blank in the GPX file?

 

With the name showing as simply 'Geocache', why do I suspect that the name field is actually blank in the database? If so, perhaps the system is filling in a default name in most places, but not in this field in the GPX file.

 

Lil Devil lildevil.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by The Diver:

GCAE5 - Geocache by Pezman and Jitters

 

FYI...In the GPX, the Groundspeak:name comes out like this:

 


That cache has no name in the database. Geocaching.com uses "Geocache" as the default name when no name exists. (Any GPX-using program may decide to do the same, but that's up to the programmer.)
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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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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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Okay, just a few minutes ago I was told the final cache log type: "Archive (no show)". Thanks, Jeremy! icon_biggrin.gif

<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)"
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Anybody is in need of options for the Groundspeak:container in GPX files this is what I have come across so far:

 

Virtual

Regular

Micro

Large

Not Listed

Other

 

Is there any one place where all of this sort of information and explanation can be found? The one thing I am trying to figure out is how the available and archived attributes of the Groundspeak:cache element are used. Does a pocket query returned archived caches? So would this ever be anything other than false? What would be the use of the available attribute? When would that be set to false?

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quote:
Originally posted by GrizzlyJohn:

Is there any one place where all of this sort of information and explanation can be found?


Not yet, but I'm working on getting it all down in one spot. (Oh, and thanks for updating the containers with the correct complete list... I kinda forgot to post that.)
quote:
The one thing I am trying to figure out is how the available and archived attributes of the Groundspeak:cache element are used. Does a pocket query returned archived caches? So would this ever be anything other than false? What would be the use of the available attribute? When would that be set to false?
Currently, PQs don't return archived or temporarily disabled caches. If Jeremy makes PQs with disabled or archived caches, then those attributes would be where you'd see that.

 

Archived is, obviously, archived, and available is false if the cache is temporarily disabled by the owner.

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