Trixology
WeatherCat => WeatherCat Integration => Topic started by: elagache on February 28, 2012, 09:46:20 PM
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Hi MacWeather AppleScript fans,
This is a "carbon copy" of a thread I started on MacWeather.net: http://www.macweather.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=528 (http://www.macweather.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=528). You'all should probably decide to respond to one thread or the other but not both!
Nathan Parker (Mr. WeatherBug) just sent me a private message reminding me of an unfortunate "issue" in my LWC Web Data Uploader script. It isn't submitting monthly rainfall to WeatherBug.
The trouble is - there ain't no easy way to do this! :( The AppleScript interface LWC (and even WeatherCat so far) has no access to more than instantaneous weather data provided by the station hardware itself. When I saw this I was a little insulted, because every other weather upload site doesn't require the continuous submission of statistics like monthly rainfall. Normally, the servers compute statistics like total rainfall from the data submitted. Alas, it isn't the sort of argument that will make me any friends at WeatherBug.
As I see it, there are 3 possible solutions:
- The LWC Web Data Uploader can be modified to try to keep track of monthly rainfall. However, the only way to do this is to keep track of rainfall as the month progresses. This can be done with a small external file. However, what happens if someone starts the script in the middle of the month? There is some ugly calendar math that the script would have to cope with as well, but AppleScript isn't a horrible environment for that. However, it will be awkward and clumsy for me and for you to make sure your monthly rainfall valve doesn't get screwed up.
- We all could beg Stu to add a hack to WeatherCat that would give this value. However, I'm sure that only shifts the clumsiness over onto his plate. What is really needed is an AppleScript interface to the web tag STATS. Stu just commented on this and it is going to take some significant additional development for this to happen: http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?topic=80.msg795;topicseen#msg795 (http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?topic=80.msg795;topicseen#msg795).
- We could punt and admit we don't have an easy way to do this. However, WeatherBug could legitimately ask us to stop submitting data because we aren't meeting their upload specifications.
What is the feeling among the data upload junkies? How much hassle are you willing to go through to submit to WeatherBug? How important is it for you to be submitting to WeatherBug? Could you all live with a few months WeatherBug submission hiatus until Stu implements the AppleScript STATS tag?
Time to make your voices heard!!
Cheers, Edouard [cheers1]
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Not a problem Edouard, I'll add a discrete accessor to the AS interface to return the monthly rainfall in the next build (probably this weekend). It'll look a bit out of place once the query interface goes in, but it's better to be pragmatic about these things I feel.
Unconverted is it?
Cheers,
Stu.
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Howdy Stu and WeatherCat AppleScript fans,
;) No, no Stu . . . you don't understand my strategy here. I wasn't really working on this problem. I'm working on WC Twitter Uploader. So I just wrote that reply quickly so I could get back to what . . . . I thought . . . I . . was . . . working . . . on ? ? ? ???
[lol2]
Best laid plans of mice and men - huh?
Not a problem Edouard, I'll add a discrete accessor to the AS interface to return the monthly rainfall in the next build (probably this weekend). It'll look a bit out of place once the query interface goes in, but it's better to be pragmatic about these things I feel.
Well, back on MacWeather, Tony was complaining about the fact that WeatherBug was so annoying that he had already given up on submitting to them. I've also shut down uploading to them from time to time because their service was so bad. I have a feeling that WeatherBug is living up to their name at least among the LWC and WeatherCat faithful. (http://www.canebas.org/Weather/LWC_forum/Custom_emoticons/angry_spider.gif) So if it is just to please your current customers . . . they maybe glad to give up on WeatherBug instead!!
However, one important reason to fix WeatherBug submissions to keep up with the WeatherSnoops. Since WeatherSnoop does support WeatherBug, is it enough of a selling point to you that you want also to have WeatherCat able to submit to WeatherBug as well?
Unconverted is it?
I could live with either, but yes unconverted is more convenient if you decide it is worth the hassle.
What I like about situations like this - is that it is . . . . . . S-s-s-s-simple!! :o
Thanks for your help Stu either way!! [tup]
Cheers, Edouard [cheers1]
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I don't particularly care either way. WeathrBug breaks every now and then and gives a flurry of error, but then it works OK for long periods of time. I don't know if is the case any more, but WeatherBug for iPhone was long the most popular weather app.
Over on the WXforum, Nathan has been outlining upgrades they are making, and trying to answer people's complaints. I'll stick with them for a while to see what the results are. I'll keep feeding them data until they don't want it any more. But I don't want to make a bunch of work for either Edouard or Stu, either.
Color me ambivalent.
Steve
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Howdy Stu and WeatherCat data upload junkies,
Uh, it sure is a good think that I finished up the revision to WC Twitter Uploader yesterday afternoon . . . Cuz something else keeps insisting upon intruding. Nathan sent me another private message and apparently he has been cruising around on MacWeather so he has read all my laments . .
The WeatherBug CTO believes that I can implement this all in AppleScript . . . I'm going to send the fellow an email, but he must be some wizard if he understands the innards of WeatherCat AppleScripting. Given my reasonable doubts . . . .
Not a problem Edouard, I'll add a discrete accessor to the AS interface to return the monthly rainfall in the next build (probably this weekend). It'll look a bit out of place once the query interface goes in, but it's better to be pragmatic about these things I feel.
Unconverted is it?
Uh, if indeed it isn't too much work could you perhaps add a temporary accessor to the AppleScript? It occurred to me that it could be deprecated before it is even implemented. So even if it is in the AppleScript dictionary, it is understood by all WeatherCat scripters as temporary. As long as the word is out, it should bother anybody to have it removed later on when the general purpose interface is completed.
Would that work for your Stu?
Sorry for the hassles.
Cheers, Edouard [cheers1]
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Yep, I'll get it into the next release.
Cheers,
Stu.
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Howdy Stu and WeatherCat fans,
Yep, I'll get it into the next release.
Thanks Stu! You Rock!! [rockon]
Cheers, Edouard [cheers1]