* Research Planner Technical Nuts & Bolts

[Valkrider]

Unfortunately still no prize.

It comes up with an error of being unable to download the help file. I manually downloaded it and put it in place. Even restarting FH causes the Failed to download error to pop up on running the plugin.

When I continue and run it and select an individual I don't have any templates shown even though I have downloaded and installed them.

[tatewise]

Colin, it should not matter, but is your location in Spain a factor?
Is your Internet connection unusual in anyway, i.e. uses a VPN, etc?
Do my Plugins such as Change Any Fact Tag and Map Life Facts run OK and Help and Advice button works OK?
Like others they access the FH website to check for new versions and the Help and Advice pages come from FHUG website, plus Map Life Facts loads CSS and JS files from Google and Leaflet websites.

Unless I've missed something, there are no Plugin Templates to download so the Manage task templates tab is blank initially.
The only downloads are the Fact Set, Plugin, Help File, Queries and a Report.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Colin, Mike is right -- there are no Templates until you create them. If the plugin displays, you have all the pre-requisites in place.

Can you post a screenshot of the error message please?

[Valkrider]

Spain is not a factor I have an excellent internet connection and do not use a VPN.

These are two examples from the Map Life Facts plugin that show it is working correctly.

error-task3.JPG (17.75 KiB) Viewed 9451 times

error-task4.JPG (151.37 KiB) Viewed 9451 times

This is the error message that I get even though I have manually installed the help file

error-task1.JPG (25.5 KiB) Viewed 9451 times

I did not create a template and I suspect I should have read the KB article more fully. However, from a UI perspective I would have expected the create template to be on the first tab that opens rather than having to go to the second tab to create it. What was concerning was that all the options other than Cancel on the first tab were greyed out.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Does the Help button work, Colin? can you check that the help file is named "Research Planner" not "research_planner"

[ColeValleyGirl]

Re the opening tab. most of the time people will want to create tasks rather than templates but I'll look at changing the focus if there are no templates (which is why the buttons on the first tab are inactive).

[Valkrider]

Helen

The naming was as you suspected. I removed the underscore and added the Capital and the button is no longer greyed out.

However, there is still a problem with the help file, only The contents are showing no detail. See below

error-task5.JPG (40.57 KiB) Viewed 9461 times

[tatewise]

Helen, try replacing your fetch version:

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gcstrDownloadLocation = "https://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=how_to:research_planner"

gcstrFactSetLocation = gcstrDownloadLocation..":research_planner.fhf" 
gcstrHelpFileDownloadLocation = gcstrDownloadLocation..":research_planner.chm"

with the following pushfile version:

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gcstrDownloadLocation = "https://www.fhug.org.uk/pushfile.php?ns=/how_to/research_planner/&filename="

gcstrFactSetLocation = gcstrDownloadLocation.."research_planner.fhf" 
gcstrHelpFileDownloadLocation = gcstrDownloadLocation.."research_planner.chm"

Make Tasks
A little testing revealed that a number of Messagebox(...) calls have their 1st parameter missing and crash Plugin.
It was a bit annoying that some simple mistakes raised an error and then closed the Plugin.
e.g. Click Make Tasks when no templates chosen.
Ideally the Make Tasks button should be greyed out until templates chosen, as when no Individual chosen.
BTW: Should the error message say No templates chosen for tasks to be created

Edit Template
If a template Title, Status, Priority, etc, are changed should all Task facts created from old template be changed to the new template settings in any way? Perhaps only for each setting that matches old setting.
Or at least raise a warning that such Tasks had been created and will NOT adopt the new settings.

Narrative Sentence
Should each narrative sentence have a new line <br> for each Task?

[ColeValleyGirl]

Colin, re your help file, can you try the fix detailed here?

https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/ ... g-up-blank

When you installed the help file did you download it from the FHUG wiki (which should have handled the name transformation for you) or did you use the quick and dirty link I sent earlier (which wouldn't as it was just intended to test that you can could access the file?)

[Valkrider]

Helen

Thanks for that link it resolved it.

I did download it from the link you sent rather than from the KB so that was the problem there.

Thanks now to play with the plugin.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Colin,

Note Mike Tate has found a couple of bugs -- I'll be releasing a minor new version in an hour or so.

[ColeValleyGirl]

OK, there's a new version in the wiki that addresses:

• The 2 instances where the Messagebox function was being called with the wrong number of parameters (apologies -- I made a late change to the messagebox mechanism so that the boxes show up in the middle of the plugin not randomly elsewhere on the screen, and also are less likely to hide the plugin behind FH)

• When Make Tasks is invoked when no templates are selected, the plugin does not exit (the effort involved in disabling the Make Tasks button when no templates are selected is substantial for very little gain beyond this approach)

• If no templates exist when the plugin is opened, the focus is on the second (Make Templates) tab

Mike, re:

Edit Template
If a template Title, Status, Priority, etc, are changed should all Task facts created from old template be changed to the new template settings in any way? Perhaps only for each setting that matches old setting.
Or at least raise a warning that such Tasks had been created and will NOT adopt the new settings.

It would be impossible to track the tasks created from a template -- especially across several projects when the templates are shared; or to determine whether the state a task is in is the same as when it was originally created, or the results of a sequence of edits that coincidentally put (some) elements back to where they may have started. Once a Task is created, it must be left up to the user to make any changes to it.

Narrative Sentence
Should each narrative sentence have a new line <br> for each Task?

Sorry, can you explain this a bit more please?

[Valkrider]

Helen

I downloaded the latest version. Deleted the old version and then imported the new one. I ran the plugin, created a task and then when the plugin switched back to FH I got this error:

error-task6.JPG (21.63 KiB) Viewed 9394 times

[ColeValleyGirl]

OK, I've rolled back one of the changes I made -- so it's still the case that if you try to create tasks without any templates being selected, the plugin will exit. But at least that error won't occur...

[tatewise]

Helen, the problem was the iup.Close() about line 845 that should be iup.CLOSE but is not allowed there.
Instead put return true there and in function MakeButton(...) replace
funcAction() with if funcAction() == true then return iup.CLOSE end
which works because all other cases return nil.

What I meant about Narrative Sentence is to start the Sentence Template with:
<br>{label}: <{value}> ...
so in the Narrative reports each Task is listed on a new line one under the other instead of all run together on one line.

It is easy to condition the Make Tasks button on the templates list.
In function MakeMultiList() add action = function(self) TaskSetStatus() end,
Change function TaskSetStatus() to

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function TaskSetStatus()
    listUseTemplate.ACTIVE = "NO"
    btnMakeTasks.ACTIVE = "NO"
    if txtIndividualNumber.value ~= "0" and gbooTemplatesExist == true then
        listUseTemplate.ACTIVE = "YES"
        if listUseTemplate.value:match("%+") then
            btnMakeTasks.ACTIVE = "YES"
        end
    end
end

BTW: It does not matter what case you use for attributes such as ACTIVE and VALUE.
active and value and Active and Value all work the same.
Note that btnMakeTasks.ACTIVE = "YES" is same as iup.SetAttribute(btnMakeTasks,"ACTIVE","YES")
because controls such as buttons & lists are simply tables with attributes as named values.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Mike, thanks.

Out of interest, what do you use for editing your Lua? I'm using Zerobrane (line numbering, syntax highlighting and a little bit of linting, plus code folding -- which for me is a must have to let me see the wood for the trees.). Can't find a good way to integrate it with Github (except manually which is a pain) but of all the solutions I've evaluated (the editor built into FH, PSPad, NotePad++, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Editor, UltraEdit -- many of which I already have on hand for other purposes) it has the most pluses and least minuses when it comes to Lua. Apart from the Github limitation I mentioned, I can't be associated with any extensions, so it doesn't recognise fh_lua as lua so theres a copy/rename involved before releasing each version... I may look around again when I feel like vaccuming cats (writing slang for displacement activity).

Still need to think about the buttons -- the neatnik in me wants to keep 'CloseButtons' and 'Buttons' distinct, so it's obvious which ones are trapdoors.... but there may not be any better way. I may reverse the logic and make 'Closebuttons' conditional.

I still can't think of an efficient way to keep track of what templates (if any are selected) -- I can maybe track the clicks and unclicks in the multilist, but that doesn't account for items being removed via the Templates tab. Does it make sense to parse the list every time something changes to work out of a single button should be enabled?

I don't use Narrative reports, so I'll take your word on that suggestion and implement it. I'd like to get the vertical spacing between Tasks better on the Tasks- Individual reportbut the <br> won't help with that.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Just seen your code for conditioning the button -- neat. Thanks.

I'll still make the Close buttons conditional -- it's one of my 'library functions' so good to have the technique to hand.

[Valkrider]

Helen

Last week I tried this one on my Mac they do a PC version. https://studio.zerobrane.com/

[ColeValleyGirl]

Colin, that's the one I'm currently using.

[tatewise]

I just use the Plugin debug editor built into FH.
It is not sophisticated, but it is where I do a lot of testing.

To be consistent the Make Tasks button need never Close the Plugin.
If a user wants to add Tasks to several Individuals then it is convenient if Plugin stays open.

Just choose any Individual with Tasks and use Publish > Narrative Reports > Individual Narrative.
Try that with and without <br> in the Sentence Template to see what I mean. (Users can adjust it anyway.)

Tasks- Individual Report
Did you intend to leave Report Options > Contents tab Main Section Items for Name Suffix and Nickname to Show?
I'll have a look at possible formatting options.

[ColeValleyGirl]

MY preference is never to close a Plugin until the user does it actively, but others will disagree.

[tatewise]

I agree ~ Almost all my Plugins only terminate with a Close Plugin button.
So I would be happy for Make Tasks button to NOT close Plugin.

Regarding reports I guess by vertical spacing you'd prefer Status, Priority & Objective all on one line?
The solution to that is the Narrative Report you dislike so much

Start with the Individual Narrative and customise its Options much the same as for Tasks- Individual.
Untick all options on left and empty both Events/Attributes ~ Lists Only except for Individual Task Attribute.
Set Pictures tab Max Pics to 0 and adjust Format tab and Page Layout tab as required.

Now what is listed is whatever is defined by the Task definition Sentence Template such as:
<para>{label}: <{value}> {=CombineText( "[Status: ", GetLabelledText( %FACT.NOTE2%, "Status: " ), "]", "" )} {=CombineText( "[Priority: ", GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%, "Priority: " ), "]", "" )} {=CombineText( "[Objective: ", GetLabelledText( %FACT.NOTE2%, "Objective: " ), "]", "" )}{note}
e.g.

Code: Select all

Task: Plugin Tests [Status: Started] [Priority: 1] [Objective: Review the Research Planner features]
	Notes: 
	Found some bugs. 

But for that to work the Task must have privatised Note text for all but the Notes: and they are best indented with a tab character, e.g.

Code: Select all

[[
Status: Started
Priority: 1
====================
Objective: Review the Research Planner features
====================
]]
	Notes: 
	Found some bugs

This is another example where the various types of report would benefit from options that currently only apply to one type.
i.e. Allow Sentence Templates to be applied to any type of report, or an Advanced Override Template to be applied.

[Valkrider]

My preference would be to have the close optional in a preferences option if possible. If not then I agree it should not close automatically. Nothing more frustrating than to keep re-opening an app to repeat a job.

[tatewise]

Colin, the latest Plugin has changed its download mechanism from fetch to pushfile, so could you see if it works any better downloading the Help file, etc.
The easiest technique is to change the .dat folder name from
C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\Research Planner.dat
to include a hyphen and hide it from Plugin
C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\Research-Planner.dat

Then run the Plugin to see if the Help downloads and installs correctly in a new \Research Planner.dat folder.
If it does, then delete the redundant \Research-Planner.dat folder.
If it fails, then delete the new failed \Research Planner.dat folder, and rename \Research-Planner.dat back.

[ColeValleyGirl]

OK -b**gering off for a Pacemaker adjustment tomorrow-- I will return (fingers crossed) so keep reporting problems for me to fix when I return.