weather update

[pgmnv]

Hello folks,

Its been a (very) long time since I last visited as I have been happily using TodayPlus with minor modifications to the OSX Complete and HandyPlus basic skins. However over the last few days I have been unable to retrieve any weather data so I thought I better look in and see if others were having the problem.

Anyway things seem to have moved on a bit since I was last here, reading the whole PHP thing the first thing I noticed was the absence of a radar.txt on my PDA. Can someone explain exactly what I need to do to get it working, do I need new exes, updated skins what exactly?

Thanks,

Morpheus

Hello Morpheus,

You can find Radar.exe and instructions here: http://forums.jhollin1138.com/index.php?topic=1827.0
If you need help instaling with the OSX, just let me know....

Cheers

Pedro Vicente

[GJCV]

Could it be the radar.txt file itself?
It's at http://www.xs4all.nl/~gjcv/GJ_Radar.txt
(I renamed it to prevent confusion).

I think it was the radar.txt, try this one and let me know...

Hi  pgmnv, The file you attached used a different format than the one I was using, which put me on the right track. The problem turned out to be in radar.exe.
I used a different radar.exe, which is why the format of radar.txt was different, and this one could apparently not handle the PHP link.
Changing to the newest radar.exe here on this forum solved the problem.

All of you thanks a lot!   
GJCV

[GJCV]

One thing I have not figured out yet.
Using the PHP link in Radar.txt (which now downloads the weather  ), how do you get TP to update weather information automatically

Right now I need to manually tap 'Update' in the Hammerskin.
When left by itself TP/Hammerskin will display empty data after some time because TP is still  trying to download the default weather data instead of using the PHP link. When I tap 'Update', Radar.exe is launched and the weather updates correctly. But then this again will be replaced by empty data by TP. Of course I could use TodayPlus Config.exe and remove the weahter links there, but then everything is shown in Fahrenheit instead of centigrade...
TPExeDelay.exe does not seem to be the solution for this (or I have not figured out to use it correctly).
Any help?
Thanks.

[Morpheus]

Thanks folks I have been a bit busy over the last few days but will try using radar.exe over the weekend.

[Broesel]

Hello and welcome GJCV,
I'll try to answer some of your questions.

One thing I have not figured out yet.
Using the PHP link in Radar.txt (which now downloads the weather  ), how do you get TP to update weather information automatically

Right now I need to manually tap 'Update' in the Hammerskin.

That is the way. You need two button-commands (one for weather-update and one for the application to start)
Maybe Zapme's idea could be a solution for your problem, I did'nt try that, because I allways manually update my weather and rss. You can find the thread here:
http://forums.jhollin1138.com/index.php?topic=1717.0

When left by itself TP/Hammerskin will display empty data after some time because TP is still  trying to download the default weather data instead of using the PHP link.

Yes, that is a problem of TodayPlus, because the url from msnbc.com is built in in the program. But as it only
remains the cityx.txt empty, the skin will not show data.

When I tap 'Update', Radar.exe is launched and the weather updates correctly. But then this again will be replaced by empty data by TP.

That is the problem, that the Tpdelay.exe solves. It looks for the update-process, and when it is finished, it starts the applications, that are stored in TpexeDelay.txt (that file has to be stored in the folder "My Documents").
So what I'm doing is : Click on the update-button --> normal weather and rss is downloading --> cityx.txt remains empty --> after the update-process, tpexedelay starts and launches radar.exe which downloads the weatherdata.

Hope, that helps,

regards Broesel

[Broesel]

Hey Tonya, long time not seen 

Well, great to see some actions here. If it is the server problem, is it possible at all that some changes can be made to the skin file so that it is linked to a new server?

Sorry, but that is not possible, because the url from msnbc.com is in the program file, not in the skin.
But as I replied before, it is possible to get the weather date via TpexeDelay and radar.exe.

I wonder where those TP veterans are these days. They could probably make things easier if they decide to chip in.

Well, here I am  , but as there is not much action here, I'm just looking sometimes here.

Have a good time
regards Broesel

[GJCV]

That is the problem, that the Tpdelay.exe solves. It looks for the update-process, and when it is finished, it starts the applications, that are stored in TpexeDelay.txt (that file has to be stored in the folder "My Documents").
So what I'm doing is : Click on the update-button --> normal weather and rss is downloading --> cityx.txt remains empty --> after the update-process, tpexedelay starts and launches radar.exe which downloads the weatherdata.

Hi Broesel,
Thanks a lot for chipping in.

Regarding TPexeDelay.exe:
According to UK_skinner's instructions (http://forums.jhollin1138.com/index.php?topic=1744.0 ) the exe can be anywhere, the txt should be in \My Documents\
I have done that, nothing happens (and why would it, it's not linked and not running). If I tap the TPexeDelay.exe to start it manually I get an error message (attached).
In the ZIP provided by UK_skinner there is a second exe (TpExeDelayS.exe). If I try to run that nothing happens.
How do you get it to run automatically after each time TP updates itself?

Thanks

[GJCV]

OK, found the answer to my own question  in http://forums.jhollin1138.com/index.php?topic=1744.0
Solution: Skin needs to be modified
Cheers, GJCV

[Broesel]

Solution: Skin needs to be modified

Yes, sorry that I didn't make that clear enough. You need as I said two button-commands. One for the refresh and another one with the same coordinates with the application (linked to tpexedelay.exe):

example:
imagebutton,4,50,Aktualisierungsbutton_main.png,,-1,7,-nohighlight,-1      This button does the refresh (update)
button,4,50,110,13,-1,0,%apps-6-1,-1                                                This button starts Tpexedelay.exe
                                                                                                    (and it is linked with apps-6-1)

What happens ?
If you tap on the button, the normal weather-update starts, at the same time Tpexedelay starts and looks for the update-process (if it's not running, you get the message "process not found") After the update-process is finished, Tpexedelay starts the applications, that are stored in Tpexedelay.txt. So it ist synchronizing the radar.exe after the update-processing and you won't get empty files.

Hope, that makes things clearer.

Regards Broesel

[mfigrs]

Well, I wonder how is this possible, that (manual) weather update works on my iPaq without the Delay.exe. Frequently TP finishes update way after the radar.exe and I still get weather information without any problems.  I use Hammerskin 1.05.6 QVGA - translated by UK_Skinner to English, and partly to Polish by myself.

However - I have two problems:
1. With sun/moon times. Even though there are correct times for sunrise and sunset in the city.txt, in the Hammerskin weather page I always see some strange numbers, like "Sunrise: 01:57". I live in the USA, but I sometimes check weather for Poland. When I change the city to Szczecin, Poland, the sun times remain the same. It sounds like a nonsense, but are these times hardcoded in the skin?

2. With special characters in the RSS page (I'm Polish). Is there a way to change special character coding and font? Any suggestions on how to do that?

[Broesel]

Well, I wonder how is this possible, that (manual) weather update works on my iPaq without the Delay.exe. Frequently TP finishes update way after the radar.exe and I still get weather information without any problems.

Yes, that is possible, but if the second button is linked to the radar.exe it can happen, that the weatherupdate-
process is finished after the radar.exe-download and replaces the cityx.txt with empty ones. If you are doing a
manually refresh with radar.exe it runs fine.

1. With sun/moon times. Even though there are correct times for sunrise and sunset in the city.txt, in the Hammerskin weather page I always see some strange numbers, like "Sunrise: 01:57". I live in the USA, but I sometimes check weather for Poland. When I change the city to Szczecin, Poland, the sun times remain the same. It sounds like a nonsense, but are these times hardcoded in the skin?

For the first you have to enter the coords of the second (and more) city manually in the registry.
(see the screenshot in this thread: http://forums.jhollin1138.com/index.php?topic=1660.msg10931#msg10931)
The sunrise you see, is generated by TodayPlus (with the coords you entered) and is alway shown in your local timezone.
The sunrise from the cityx.txt is not taken for that. If you want to use that time, you need another exe (please do a search in the developers corner).

2. With special characters in the RSS page (I'm Polish). Is there a way to change special character coding and font? Any suggestions on how to do that?

Don't know, if that is possible. But it is not possible in TodayPlus (maybe with another exe, that changes the rss-txt-files)

Regards Broesel

[Morpheus]

Ok,

I have read around a bit and setup radar.exe but I think I need a bit more help

I have added a button in the same location as the refresh on the HandyBasicPlus skin which starts TPExedelay

I have copied radar.exe and TPDelay.Exe into my TodayPlus directory on the SD Card:
\SD Card\TodayPlus

I have created a TPExeDelay.txt file in \My documents with the following entry:
\SD Card\TodayPlus\Radar.exe

I have created a Radar.txt file in the same directory as radar.exe which contains the following two lines:

SURL=http://72.9.224.178/~tpfansc/rss/weather.php?Citycode=UKXX0104&Language=EN
STOR=\SD Card\TodayPlus\Buffer\city1.txt
FORM=
SURL=http://72.9.224.178/~tpfansc/rss/weather.php?Citycode=UKXX0018&Language=EN
STOR=\SD Card\TodayPlus\Buffer\city2.txt
FORM=

The radar.log contains the following:
--------------------
02:54:44

Error Reading 'http://72.9.224.178/~tpfansc/rss/weather.php?Citycode=UKXX0104&Language=EN'
and writing it to '\SD Card\TodayPlus\Buffer\city1.txt'

Reason:

Could not find resource assembly
--------------------
--------------------
02:54:46

Error Reading 'http://72.9.224.178/~tpfansc/rss/weather.php?Citycode=UKXX0018&Language=EN'
and writing it to '\SD Card\TodayPlus\Buffer\city2.txt'

Reason:

Could not find resource assembly
--------------------

Does anyone have any idea as to what i am doing wrong?

Thanks,

Morpheus

P.S. I found two versions of Radar.exe in the linked thread and am currently using the 24k as opposed to 16k version from the first post is this correct?

[Morpheus]

Looks like it may be some bizarre activesybc problem as it works when i perform the update via GPRS.

BTW does anyone know why there are two versions of TPExedelay and TpRegistryWinDir one postfixed with an S?

[pgmnv]

Hello Morpheus,

That one is easy...
It's the Silent version, same thing, but without status window displaying.

Cheers!!!

[Broesel]

I have created a Radar.txt file in the same directory as radar.exe which contains the following two lines:

SURL=http://72.9.224.178/~tpfansc/rss/weather.php?Citycode=UKXX0104&Language=EN
STOR=\SD Card\TodayPlus\Buffer\city1.txt
FORM=
SURL=http://72.9.224.178/~tpfansc/rss/weather.php?Citycode=UKXX0018&Language=EN
STOR=\SD Card\TodayPlus\Buffer\city2.txt
FORM=

The radar.log contains the following:
--------------------
02:54:44

Error Reading 'http://72.9.224.178/~tpfansc/rss/weather.php?Citycode=UKXX0104&Language=EN'
and writing it to '\SD Card\TodayPlus\Buffer\city1.txt'

Reason:

Could not find resource assembly
--------------------
--------------------
02:54:46

Error Reading 'http://72.9.224.178/~tpfansc/rss/weather.php?Citycode=UKXX0018&Language=EN'
and writing it to '\SD Card\TodayPlus\Buffer\city2.txt'

Reason:

Could not find resource assembly
--------------------

Does anyone have any idea as to what i am doing wrong?

Thanks,

Morpheus

P.S. I found two versions of Radar.exe in the linked thread and am currently using the 24k as opposed to 16k version from the first post is this correct?

Hey Morpheus, just tested with your locations and it worked fine ?
The radar.exe I' m using, ist the one from this thread:
http://forums.jhollin1138.com/index.php?topic=1827.0

I'm attaching the radar.txt I used (maybe there is an error in your txt-file)

Regards Broesel