Data Additions To .loc Files

[+KYDucks]

Hello - I'm in the process of creating a program to consume the .loc files that the pocketqueries and individual cache pages generate to add the points into mappoint/streets & trips automatically for me. It would be really nice to have some additional information in the file for each waypoint. What I would like to see included is:

(hihest importance first)

 

1. If I have found the cache or not

2. Cache size/type (micro, traditional, multi, virtual, etc)

3. Cache Description

4. Encrypted hint

5. Date Last Found

6. Travel bugs in the cache

7. Date Hidden

8. Decrypted Hint

9. Number of times found

 

Of course, any information you can put in there would be great. My plan is to import the data into mappoint, and assign different icons, based on things like if I;ve found it or not, how many times it has been found, etc.. this way I can better decide which caches to fetch!

 

--Eric

[Keystone]

Get your pocket queries in GPX format and you'll find that this information is included (with the exception of the last item in your list, number of times found). The .loc files are far more limited. The GPX files can work with your mappoint/streets and trips using GPSBabel.

[Jeremy]

1. If I have found the cache or not

2. Cache size/type (micro, traditional, multi, virtual, etc)

3. Cache Description

4. Encrypted hint

5. Date Last Found

6. Travel bugs in the cache

7. Date Hidden

8. Decrypted Hint

9. Number of times found

All of this is already available in GPX format, available through pocket queries.

[Jeremy]

Oops. Keystone is right. Total find count is not listed, but it doesn't seem to be necessary for your request.

[+KYDucks]

Excellent, thanks!

[+ClayJar]

Jeremy, you are correct with the exception of one little detail: "Date Last Found" is not in the Pocket Query GPX files. As has been discussed, perhaps even to unnecessary lengths, as the GPX files only contain the last five logs, the GPX files do not necessarily contain the "Date Last Found".

 

While at first glance this distinction seems trite and excessively nit-picking, one could make the case that the distinction is actually quite significant. When the last five logs do not contain a "found" log, PQ GPX-using applications have no recourse but to assume the cache was never found. While this may be the case, another possibility is that the found logs have scrolled out of the PQ, as may be the case if the cache is both difficult and oft-visited.

 

Finally, since it is good to have at least some idea of how likely one is to find these particular circumstances, I loaded up a set of PQ GPX files in Watcher so I could get some idea as to how often this is likely to happen. The files covered 1953 caches in Louisiana, Georgia, and California. Of the 1953 caches, 14 had five logs but zero found logs. Four of the 14 caches are now archived; four are reported missing but not yet archived; three are reported as being there but have not been found; two have been found since the PQs; and one was a single-finder virtual that was eventually unarchived but only has notes since.

 

So, to summarize (including some information from my small, non-random sample):

1. "Date Last Found" is not in the PQs.
   
2. "Date Last Found" in the PQs would indeed provide information that may in some cases be lacking in the existing PQs.
   
3. The number of cases where "Date Last Found" would provide additional information is small.
   
4. In those cases where "Date Last Found" would provide additional information, there is less than a 50% chance the cache is intact.
   

There. That should be about as complete a response as is necessary, eh?

Edited January 13, 2004 by ClayJar

[+KYDucks]

Thanks Clay, this definitely made me realize something else -- one of the most important parts of data that I wanted was if I had found the cache or not -- I had thought I'd be able to get this from the logs, but since it only contains the last 5, the fact that I found the log would quickly dissapear.

 

could tis maybe be added to the Groundspeak namespace, or just change the query to always contain all of the logs of the user that created the pocketquery?

 

--Eric

[+ClayJar]

Actually, if you have found the cache, the waypoint will be marked as a found geocache. You may not have the date you found the cache, but if you have found it, you *will* have it marked as found.