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[+Dekaner]

Is there anyway to search for caches that have not been found within x days/months? I'd like to hunt down some of our less active caches.

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+Logscaler and Red]

The only way I know of is to look at the Nearest caches page and read the dates tagged on. Right next to the State name it says last found and gives a date.

[+Dekaner]

Yeah, that's what I've been doing, but it's a very tedious process and prone to human error.

 

Jeremy, anyway to add this to the pocket query?

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+ClayJar]

Yet another chance to extol the virtues of GPX!

 

Seriously, though, the GPX files you can now request in your Pocket Queries have the latest few logs, just like the cache pages. So, all you need now is a small utility to scour your GPX files and look for caches that don't have a listed find within the last N days.

 

(Unfortunately, nobody has written this yet, however, if nobody else steps up, I'll write it myself. Do you need it for Windows?)

[+Dekaner]

Now if I only knew how to use it.

 

Thanks ClayJar. Yes, I'd be looking for a Windows variant. In searching for less active caches, I found that a number of them had been abandoned, in disrepair, or missing.

 

I've been contacting the cache owners directly and have a feeling a few will end up getting archived and the others adopted by another 'cacher.

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+ClayJar]

Okay, last night I whipped into MSXML (the Microsoft built-into-IE 5+ XML library). I got a very rudimentary one-off program running, and it works well. Now I just need to go in and rewrite it well (and give it a user interface slightly better than breakpoints and debug statements.

 

Anyway, I just figured I'd let you know it wasn't just idle words; I'm really making the program.

[+Dekaner]

I would like it to be known that ClayJar is my new hero.

 

That is all. You may now return to your reguarily scheduled Geocaching.

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+ClayJar]

Okay, I've worked the afternoon and evening away, but here's a little prototype for you to play with. It doesn't have sorting or file output or anything special yet, but it should at least give you a little something to begin commenting on.

 

(You can't sort yet, and nothing's linked, and the logs aren't right there, but it's just the first prototype.)

 

http://clayjar.com/gc/temp/Watcher-0.1.2.exe (updated to 0.1.2 so it shows all five last logs, instead of only four... oops )

 

[This message was edited by ClayJar on December 11, 2002 at 10:15 PM.]

[+trippy1976]

Yeah, I want this too GPX rules and ClayJar rules for writing this app and licensing that sweet IRC client at http://gcchat.clayjar.com

 

Thanks for both!

 

--------

trippy1976 - Team KKF2A

Saving geocaches - one golf ball at a time.

[+Dekaner]

I get an error code while I try to run it. Check your email ClayJar - sent details there.

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+ClayJar]

(By the way, I'm out of town until Monday, and someone else also got an error. I should be able to get back to working on it Monday afternoon before the Official Weekly Geocaching Chat.

[+Dekaner]

Grin, thanks. Nice plug btw.

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+ClayJar]

Um, so I kinda left a bit of debugging code in and broke the program. I pulled that out now.

 

You can now go grab the latest version from http://clayjar.com/gc/temp/, and it should even work now. (Still haven't added any useful features, but you can now see what it is so far. )

[+Dekaner]

This is great, just the type of tool I was looking for. Am I allowed to ask some questions and make some suggestions for future versions?

 

I'm guessing that the icon on the far left indicates the status of the cache, current/temp-disabled/archived?

 

Is there anyway to link the GC number such that I could click on it and have it open a new window with that cache?

 

Can it be sorted from last find date so I can see the oldest first? (These are usually the ones in trouble.)

 

Are the log icons most recent left to right or right to left? (This was a neat idea!!)

 

Overall I am very impressed and can't wait to see what's next! Thanks again!

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+Markwell]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dekaner of Team KKF2A:

I'm guessing that the icon on the far left indicates the status of the cache, current/temp-disabled/archived?

---

 

I'll make a different guess.

 

Of the last 5 logs, discounting notes, if less than 75% of the logs are "found," the far left icon is a frowny face.

 

Of the last 5 logs, discounting notes, if 100% of the logs are "found", it gets a "Cool smily face".

 

Between 76% and 99% are "found" you get that "straight face."

 

No logs, it's "veiled" - or has a sheet over its head and looks like a pac-man ghosty.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[+parkrrrr]

green : all non-note logs are "found it!" logs.

yellow "blank expression": the most recent non-note log is a "found it!" log, but it's been logged as "not found" within the past 5 logs.

gray "blank expression": the last 5 logs were all notes.

red : the most recent non-note log is a "not found."

gray ghost: no logs.

 

[+Markwell]

I like yours better.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[+ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dekaner of Team KKF2A:

This is great, just the type of tool I was looking for. Am I allowed to ask some questions and make some suggestions for future versions?

---

I'm glad I got the gist of it right, and suggestions are always welcome. (Perhaps not replied to immediately, but always welcome.)

quote:

---

I'm guessing that the icon on the far left indicates the status of the cache, current/temp-disabled/archived?

---

Fuzzy got it basically right, but he missed one... the purple "dead-face" smiley (with x's for eyes and its tongue sticking out). That's for ones with "Needs Archived" as the latest log type.

quote:

---

Is there anyway to link the GC number such that I could click on it and have it open a new window with that cache?

---

Actually, what I'm wanting to do is make the GC number link to the actual current cache page (in a new window). The name will theoretically link to the cache page as it is in the GPX file. The logs will probably link to the logs. The status icons might link to a "status legend", but whatever.

quote:

---

Can it be sorted from last find date so I can see the oldest first? (These are usually the ones in trouble.)

---

I intend to make it sortable by any of a number of possibilities. I just wanted to get the first demo out right away, so I haven't started that part yet.

quote:

---

Are the log icons most recent left to right or right to left? (This was a neat idea!!)

---

Most recent to least recent, left to right. (So the first one as you read the line would be the first one as you scroll the cache page.)

quote:

---

Overall I am very impressed and can't wait to see what's next! Thanks again!

---

Well, I hope to get to adding the useful features soon. Got to go to a Christmas party tonight, so it may be a little while, but as you can see, it's not total vaporware.

[+Camping Hoosiers]

That I am technically challanged but now that I have downloaded this... I don't know how to make it work.

 

Can someone clue me in on how to view a gpx file with this utility?

 

thanx,jeff'

 

Camping Hoosiers

Memphis, Indiana. USA

[+Dekaner]

Download, install, double click on program icon, open GPX file.

 

GPX files may be obtained if you are a charter member through the personal queries.

 

Any particular spot you're getting stuck?

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+Camping Hoosiers]

I have installed Watcher... When I click on the Watcher icon, I get a box that says Watcher on the top and a white screen with a little pacman looking icon in there. I do not see how to open a GPX file. If I double click a GPX file it opens into EasyGPS. I do not see another way to open the file? Suggestions?

 

thanx, jeff'

 

Camping Hoosiers

Memphis, Indiana. USA

[+ClayJar]

It should automatically pop up a "File Open" dialog for you to select the file. Did you use the install or just the -exeonly version? The install version adds one system file, but other than that, they're the same. If you didn't use the install, use the new one there now, otherwise, just use the new -exeonly version. Which leads me to a nice little segue...

 

Watcher-0.1.5 is now available! Get it now at the usual place. You can now *sort* the caches! (And the lines are alternated white/grey for easy reading.)

[+trippy1976]

For me it does it automatically. I open it and POP a little open file dialog comes up. I don't know what to tell you if this isn't happening for you. Maybe it's a bug? Might help if you posted details about your operating system and what version of the Internet Explorer browser is installed on your computer.

 

--------

trippy1976 - Team KKF2A

Saving geocaches - one golf ball at a time.

[teamwsmf]

Very cool app. I love the fact that you are secure enough in your self to release it rev by rev and to take User INput.

 

More folks who think like you and geocaching will be a much cooler place.

 

Thanks for all the work on this

 

-teamwsmf

 

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

 

 

TeamWSMF@wsmf.org

[+trippy1976]

Trippy sez: "I heart this app."

 

Just to get my earlier voiced wish in this thread, I'd like to see a way to put in your home coordinates and see how far away a cache is.

 

It's not that big of a deal as there are other ways to skin that cat but after trying the EXTRA COOL sorting version today, I really thought that it would be useful to see how far away the unvisited caches are.

 

-Mike

 

--------

trippy1976 - Team KKF2A

Saving geocaches - one golf ball at a time.

[+ClayJar]

Okay, the next version is now out. Included is the ability to click the GCID to go to the real Geocaching.com cache page. Not only that, but you can click the *name* of the cache to pull up the basic cache page as saved in the GPX file. (Oh, and I updated the sort algorithm so that status and date sorts will sub-sort by ID, rather than leaving it random.)

 

I still need to clean up the GPX-using basic "cache page" (especially handling HTML vs. non-HTML), but it's there to play around with for the time being. Also, I think I'll toss in the "Distance from X" column (and a place for the coordinates) as soon as I find the time.

[+The Hornet]

What a cracking good little tool this is. Well done so far! All I need now is to get my GPX downloads to work properly and I'll be all set.

 

Peter

 

p.s. Just a thought - how difficult would it be to produce a similar application for a Palm device (or even a Pocket PC)?

 

_________________________________________________________

 

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

[+ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Hornet:

p.s. Just a thought - how difficult would it be to produce a similar application for a Palm device (or even a Pocket PC)?

---

If I had a PocketPC device, I'd definitely want to get right on making a somewhat similar application. Unfortunately, I only have an old Handspring Visor Deluxe, and I haven't found any similar development environments for that. Anyway, I suppose I'll just keep going here for a while, and I'll let the Palmists work on their projects.

 

(The next things on the list are working on the HTML handling, adding distance-from-coords, and polishing off the user interface with a little open file button.)

[+ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Camping Hoosiers:

I have installed Watcher... When I click on the Watcher icon, I get a box that says Watcher on the top and a white screen with a little pacman looking icon in there. I do not see how to open a GPX file. If I double click a GPX file it opens into EasyGPS. I do not see another way to open the file? Suggestions?

---

Okay, I finally managed to get to a computer that would do the same thing. Turns out it is because of a too-old Internet Explorer. If you update your Internet Explorer, it will work fine.

 

(Incidentally, if you run Watcher as "watcher.exe DEBUG", it will open an extra small window for debugging messages. You don't need to know that, but if you wanted to, now you do.)

[+alexm]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ClayJar:

If I had a PocketPC device, I'd definitely want to get right on making a somewhat similar application.

---

 

You share source at all? I know a guy just up the road from you who's been DYING to dabble in developing a PPC app. Geocaching PPC apps a plus.

 

That, and by the way, watcher is pretty darn cool. Kudos.

 

...

alex

[+ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by alexm:

You share source at all? I know a guy just up the road from you who's been DYING to dabble in developing a PPC app. Geocaching PPC apps a plus.

---

At this point, the source is really messy and uncommented, but I'd be willing to clean it up and comment it enough to zip and send to someone on request, if I thought it might do some good. (Once it's just a little stable, I'll probably stick it up for the general public, but right now I'm just hacking away on it without worrying about packaging it, just to get it rolling faster.)

[+Dekaner]

For the record, I think it's always neat to port things to my ppc (iPAQ To be specific), though I'm not sure how practical it would be. I say do it just for the coolness factor.

 

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

[+ClayJar]

After a busy morning, I can say that Watcher 0.1.7 came and went and 0.1.8 is now out.

 

Included are some HTML/non-HTML fixes, mentioning it if you need a better IE, closing completely (oops), being able to open a new GPX from inside Watcher, and remembering the window positions (unless you pass "--forget-window-positions" on the command line).

 

Get it at the usual place.

[+ClayJar]

After a busy morning, I can say that Watcher 0.1.9 came and went and 0.1.10 is now out. (Yep, another two-fer. You should check more often. )

 

Included are brand new cache type icons (thanks to brdad for hand-redrawing the small ones for me). Also included is the ability to filter the list by cache type. Have fun.

 

Get it at the usual place.

[+Lil Devil]

But I want to take it with me. How about a way to save the output to local html files so I can suck them up with Plucker

 

Lil Devil

[+ClayJar]

Okay, Watcher 0.1.11 is now out, and you can now enter and sort by coordinates. (Oh, and brdad's donated stars are on the cached cache pages, too. Thanks, brdad.)

 

Next stop: travel bugs.

 

Get Watcher-0.1.11 at the usual place.

[+The Leprechauns]

OK, I finally broke down and installed Watcher, but I can't get it to open. Reading this thread, I next went and updated to Internet Explorer 6. Still no dice. When I click on the Watcher icon, I get a message that says "A required .DLL file, MSVBVM60.DLL, was not found." What do I do next?

 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Next time, instead of getting married, I think I'll just find a woman I don't like and buy her a house.

[+ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Leprechauns:

OK, I finally broke down and installed Watcher, but I can't get it to open. Reading this thread, I next went and updated to Internet Explorer 6. Still no dice. When I click on the Watcher icon, I get a message that says "A required .DLL file, MSVBVM60.DLL, was not found." What do I do next?

---

That would be because you don't have the runtime files. (Um, where have you been the last few years? ) It just so happens that I have the runtime in the very same directory already, but apparently nobody pointed you to it, so...

 

VB6 runtime setup.

 

Just install that and you'll have made it to the late '90s at last. (Only have to do this once, of course.)

[+ClayJar]

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.)

[+ClayJar]

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.

[+The Leprechauns]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ClayJar:

That would be because you don't have the runtime files. (Um, where have you been the last few years? ) (snip) Just install that and you'll have made it to the late '90s at last.

---

 

Thanks, CJ, for advancing me to the late '90s. Can you also help me by giving your expert advice on whether I should keep my AOL version 6.0, or upgrade to AOL 8.0 ("so different, it's not just a new version, it's a new experience")? And is there anything better than Windows 98?

 

Seriously.... for all you non-programmer types out there, like me: DOWNLOAD WATCHER NOW. ORDER GPX POCKET QUERIES NOW. STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING, AND GIVE YOURSELF A CHRISTMAS PRESENT. This will change the way that you plan a cache hunt. Helpful, easy to use, and fast.

 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Next time, instead of getting married, I think I'll just find a woman I don't like and buy her a house.

[+ClayJar]

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. )

[+The Hornet]

Hey Clayjar, I have to admire your hard work over Christmas. What a great way to spend the day - programming. Sure as hell beats eating too much, drinking too much, sleeping too much and in between managing not to find a 5 star cache (are you listening D&P).

 

Anyway, Watcher is a great little tool and continues to get better almost by the hour.

 

Enjoy what is left of Christmas and keep those revisions coming. Many thanks, Peter

 

_________________________________________________________

 

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

[+ClayJar]

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.

[+Markwell]

Ever think of adding an "export" feature?

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[Ben Pid]

quote:

---

Oringally posted by the Hornet:

Hey Clayjar, I have to admire your hard work over Christmas. What a great way to spend the day - programming. Sure as hell beats eating too much, drinking too much, sleeping too much and in between managing not to find a 5 star cache (are you listening D&P).

---

 

I say nothing other than Egg on your face young man!

 

This tool is splendid...

 

Now all I need is a data cable

 

Ben Piddington http://www.buckscaching.co.uk

[+Jamie Z]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ClayJar:

keyword searching!

---

Wow.. I can see some useful er... uses for that! Does it search the logs too?

 

On that note, I've heard that GPS only sends the last five logs.. is that true? Any way to change that to no logs or all logs?

 

Jamie

[+Stunod]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

Ever think of adding an "export" feature?

---

 

I would like to be able to select/deselect items on the list manually, not just with the filters/searches. And, of course, I would like to save the modified GPX.

 

Thanks for your nice work on this, though!

 

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."

[+Quetzalteco]

I am interested in seeing something like this for the PPC. Any chance of that?

 

/cw

[+brdad]

Now that the holidays are over, I'd like to revive this thread with my thoughts. I think I allready mentioned some (all probably!) of this stuff to CJ, but maybe this will give the rest of you some ideas and promote some support for a few of these features.

 

1. An ignore list, for caches you wish to ignore, and a filter to show them should the user want to. The ignore list would be saved so that no matter what GPX you opened, it would not show.

 

2. Directional filter, seems like there could be 2 ways (or both):

A. Caches within a range of compass directions (N-NE-E-SE-S-SW-W-NW). This would make a triangle originating from the currently loaded coords and result in an area about 40 miles wide at 100 miles of distance from those coords for each direction selected.

B. Caches within a rectangle of NSEW limits.

 

3. Show date cache was listed, or a sortable age of cache column.

 

4. Ability to export a filtered GPX to a custom GPX.

 

5. Ability to load and/or merge two or more GPX files simultaneously.

 

6. A "flagging" option, where certian caches will still show, but have a check box next to them and/or be highlighted. Might be nice if these could be saved as well. kind of like a "reverse ignore list", a list of caches you definitely want to do in the near future possibly.

 

7. Somewhere show version info.

 

8. Ability to show a log-less cache page for printing.

 

9. Option to search logs as well as cache description.

 

10. Sort by cache hider seperately.

 

11. Sort by cache size.

 

Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.