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hidden on date


LizzyRN

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Let me be more specific. I left out some important information.  I'm looking for caches bidding on February 29 of any year. 

 

So far, I have done a PQ year by year, then I combined into a list.  I'm wondering if there is a better way. 

Edited by LizzyRN
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In GSAK it can be done if you know a bit of SQLite.

 

If you load a PQ from the region you're looking into GSAK, clear the Search filters, then on the "Where" tab add the text strftime('%m%d',PlacedDate)='0229' - that will filter for caches in the current database that are placed on Feb 29, any year.

 

If you're not using GSAK, it's going to take a lot more effort :P I'm not sure PGC has a function to search for and list matching caches that way.

 

If you don't use GSAK, you could load the PQ GPX file as plaintext into an editor like Notepad++ (it can handle large files much better than windows Notepad, assuming you're on windows), and search for the hidden date until you find matches. But that'll be a lot more tedious. (but it can be made easier if you know some RegEx syntax, but now we're getting way advanced, heh)

Edited by thebruce0
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Actually, there is a very easy was to do it using GSAK.  There's a macro that will do that, called "findBirthdayCaches".  Run a PQ of unfound caches (assuming you want a new find), then run the macro for that date.  I've been doing that to fill in the "birthday finds" grid.  Shows all the caches hidden on that date for all years.  Works like a charm.  Where I currently am, there is only 1 for 2/29.  Hope it's still there and easy to find--won't be happy if I have to wait 4 years for the next one........

Edited by GrateBear
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1 hour ago, HHL said:

Yes, thebruce0 described it two posts before yours. :P

Really?  What I read that was posted was:  

"if you know a bit of SQLite.

If you load a PQ from the region you're looking into GSAK, clear the Search filters, then on the "Where" tab add the text strftime('%m%d',PlacedDate)='0229' -"

That seems a bit more complicated than using the macro.

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8 hours ago, GrateBear said:

complicated

Copy and Paste may be complicated for you. An average user will handle that without an issue.

Your advice is way more complicated as the user has to

- download macro

- install the macro

- read the macro's releasethread to understand what the macro will do

- run the macro

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9 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

1. Load a PQ into GSAK.

2. Search Filters - 'Where' tab - paste strftime('%m%d',PlacedDate)='0229'

Boom done. ;)

(change 0229 to whatever MMDD month/day you wish)

 

Think the where clause is over complicated, this will achieve the same:

 

PlacedDate like "%-02-29"

unless strftime is doing something else clever.

 

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16 hours ago, HHL said:

Copy and Paste may be complicated for you. An average user will handle that without an issue.

Your advice is way more complicated as the user has to

- download macro

- install the macro

- read the macro's releasethread to understand what the macro will do

- run the macro

So, it seems that you have to go through your little solution each time, as opposed to just running the macro once it's installed.  And, there is absolutely no reason to read the release thread if you understand what "find Birthday caches" means.  I guess that could confuse some people.  We can't all be as blessed as you!  

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6 hours ago, GrateBear said:

So, it seems that you have to go through your little solution each time, as opposed to just running the macro once it's installed.

 

In actual fact there's very little difference in the effort required for either solution (though I would say the effort required for step 1 is greater for the macro option) :-

  1. install macro once
  2. run macro every time
  3. select the date in the macro
  4. see list of chosen caches

vs

  1. create a saved search filter as described above once
  2. open search every time
  3. change the dates in the "where tab"
  4. see list of chosen caches.

 

There's a British saying "there's more than one way to skin a cat", and while achieving this task is so simple and obvious to me (using method 2) that I would never consider looking for or using a macro, I get it that the macro option is better for others, and that's the reason why a lot of macros were created by the community - to help people do things which they might otherwise find complicated or difficult.

 

So I think we should accept that two very good and equally acceptable solutions have been offered here and not try to "big up" one over the other as they are both equally effective.

 

BTW I would also apply the cat analogy to the use of ' vs " in SQL statements :lol:

Edited by MartyBartfast
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On 2/1/2020 at 6:38 AM, MartyBartfast said:

Think the where clause is over complicated, this will achieve the same:


PlacedDate like "%-02-29"

unless strftime is doing something else clever.

 

That's one thing I haven't checked though - does PlacedDate appear different with localized date formats? Your solution assumes SQLite will always treat the PlacedDate field as a "YYYY-MM-DD" string as a default. The strftime function ensures the string output will always be the same format via %m%d.

But if it is always the same format regardless of localized date,  then yep yours would work and is less 'technical' to read :)

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3 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

 

That's one thing I haven't checked though - does PlacedDate appear different with localized date formats? Your solution assumes SQLite will always treat the PlacedDate field as a "YYYY-MM-DD" string as a default. The strftime function ensures the string output will always be the same format via %m%d.

But if it is always the same format regardless of localized date,  then yep yours would work and is less 'technical' to read :)

I believe the date is stored in a set manner, display of the date is dependent on local format.

 

As to which is easier, SQL and the Where tab are pretty recent additions to GSAK.  I haven't checked the date the macro was written, but it could easily predate the SQL/Where option.  Non-technical users of GASK may find the entering a date to a macro is easier than understanding the SQL and changing that.

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11 minutes ago, The Jester said:

As to which is easier, SQL and the Where tab are pretty recent additions to GSAK.  I haven't checked the date the macro was written, but it could easily predate the SQL/Where option.  Non-technical users of GASK may find the entering a date to a macro is easier than understanding the SQL and changing that.

 

That's why I suggested the where tab option - because in this case, it's cut and paste and the only thing you need to change, if you want, is the month and date value (0229). No worrying about syntax or localization, and it's incorporated into the existing basic filter workflow without needing to load another macro  :) But yes, people find different things easy.  But it's a technically simple option to very quickly filter and view your database for a specific month/day match - one of a few entirely reasonable options.

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