* Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

For users to report plugin bugs and request plugin enhancements; and for authors to test new/new versions of plugins, and to discuss plugin development (in the Programming Technicalities sub-forum). If you want advice on choosing or using a plugin, please ask in General Usage or an appropriate sub-forum.
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

I have version 2 of the how_to:research_planner|> Research Planner Version 2 plugin available for beta testing. It is more than a cosmetic upgrade...

Updated: The plugin is now in the Plugin Store!

I have tested everything I can think of, but every software developer knows that the interval between releasing a test version and it breaking is vanishingly small! And I will naturally hide my head and wail when obvious errors appear ( probably pointed out by Mike Tate -- which should not prevent him from reporting them!)

I propose to leave beta testing open for 3 weeks before publishing to the Plugin store.

See how_to:research_planner#what_s_new_in_version_2|> What's New in Version 2? for details of the changes but...

===== What's New in Version 2? =====

There are a number of new features in Research Planner Version 2:

- You can choose between using Fact (a custom Attribute) or Note records to store your tasks.
- You can configure the plugin to choose which task fields to use and/or what to call them.
- You can configure the plugin to include Due, Updated and/or Fact Dates.
- You can mark tasks with Tags and use Groups to organise them.
- You can customise the contents of a Task before creating it (based on a Template if you wish), as well as create standard template-based tasks in bulk.
- The plugin installs a very flexible query , and also provides a tool to find all tagged items.

=================================================================

KNOWN PROBLEMS:
  • Help not working --fix identified and applied and working
  • Options dialog layout corrupt for at least one user on a laptop screen with a small scaling factor -- more testing needed -- possible workaround in latest version
  • Help file download fails on a Mac -- may need to change protocol from https to http and/or download filename -- fix identified and applied and working
  • Accessing Help causes multiple instances of the help window to be opened and left open after the plugin closes. Alternate browser-based solution implemented for testing. Tested and working.
  • Ongoing issues for some users downloading/extracting Help file. As per how_to:research_planner#installing_the_plugin|> Installing the Plugin if you have problems installing the Help file you can download and extract it manually.
  • Typos in the help file -- now fixed
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by tatewise »

Is it intentional that for beta testing the Plugin name is research_planner ?

The Help button in both the initial dialogue and the main dialogue results in Help window saying:
Can’t reach this page
Make sure the web address //ieframe.dll/dnserrordiagoff.htm# is correct


Clicking on any of the Contents tab entries displays the help text correctly.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Re plugin name, not intentional but I can't find a way to download it from a temporary location with " " and not _. It should work anyway ... and will be fixed when I put it into the store.

Can you explain what you mean by "The Help button in both the initial dialogue and the main dialogue results in Help window saying: Can’t reach this page
Make sure the web address //ieframe.dll/dnserrordiagoff.htm# is correct".

Screenshot of where you're starting from? IS this within the plugin or somewhere else?
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by tatewise »

Usually I attach Plugins to Forum postings and then any filename can be used.

When first run research_planner opens the Options window as there is no C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\research_planner.dat folder.
BTW: The C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\Research Planner.dat folder is ignored, so none of the Version 1 options are imported.

In screenshot below if either Help button (highlighted in yellow) is clicked then the Manual window is shown.

BTW: The bug is that "creating_and_editing_tasks" should be "creating_and_updating_a_task" on line 3531.

research_planner help.png
research_planner help.png (73.51 KiB) Viewed 11791 times
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Somehow the wrong help file is being downloaded -- will look at that.

Have attached the plugin to the original post.
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Mike, could you delete the research_planner plugin and both associated dat folders and try with the version attached to the original post. I believe I've fixed the Help file problem.
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by tatewise »

Yes, that fixes the Help file problems, and V2.0 recognises the Templates created by V1.3.
I have not gone any further yet.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by Valkrider »

Helen

Just started having a play with the plugin. I did have 1.2 installed. It installed fine but on first running I got the below:
rp1.JPG
rp1.JPG (26.25 KiB) Viewed 11700 times
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Colin, are you able to download it manually? I vaguely remember there was a similar issue with the previous version... Crossover related? Will go looking for the history.
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Colin,

Yes, you had exactly this problem in the previous versions.

Can you edit the plugin line 1505 to change https to http and report back?
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by tatewise »

Colin, it appears you are running the faulty research_planner Plugin that Helen posted originally.
That is why the error message is referring to ...research_planner_2.0.chm which does not exist.
You need to delete that and download the revised Research Planner Plugin from Helen's first posting.
Please read through the thread, which explains the Help file problem and its resolution.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by Valkrider »

Mike I did and deleted the dat files and the plugin and still get the error message.

Helen I have changed the https to http and am still getting the same error message. That is after deleting again as above.
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by tatewise »

Colin, what platform are you running on?
Is it a Mac with a virtual machine or an emulator of some sort?
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by Valkrider »

Mike, I am running on my usual Mac running the normal VM (Virtual Box latest version) with Windows 7 Ultimate.
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Colin does the manual download work?

Plus, I know you'll take this in the spirit intended: Mac? Pah.

No seriously, I will try to get it working for you.

The author of another programme I use recently ran a fundraiser to buy herself a Mac so she could compile her program (64-bit) for Mac users.

You'll be amazed to know I'm not going that route! Although if somebody wants to give me the latest Mac.. wheee!

Comes down to earth....
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by tatewise »

Yes, that was the problem before, that was also experienced by other Mac users.
I recall that the solution was to provide a download in the Knowledge Base somewhere, I think.
So that the pl library, Help file, etc, could be manually downloaded before running the Plugin.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

The protocol is an issue which I can fix, but there was also a naming problem -- Colin, what files are showing in the equivalent of

C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\Research Planner.dat
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by Valkrider »

Helen unfortunately it doesn't. I downloaded it fine and copied it to C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\Research Planner.dat I do not have a research_planner.dat folder. Is that the issue?
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by Valkrider »

Helen

See below
rp2.JPG
rp2.JPG (17.8 KiB) Viewed 11676 times
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by Valkrider »

Helen

I have sorted it it is the difference in file name it needs to be renamed without the underscores.
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

I was about to post that having reviewed the last thread on the subject.

Bingo.

Mike, should we include something in the wiki?
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by tatewise »

The original error message Colin posted referred to C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\research_planner.dat which should not exist. Is that a mistake in the error message, or something else?

Yes Helen, it seems that Mac users will need a download in the Knowledge Base.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Mike, the download in the Knowledge Base had the same problem last time around. I was thinking about a warning in the wiki section on Crossover instead when downloading from the wiki. (I think I have a solution that won't need this, but a warning in the Crossover section will help others when downloading from the wiki -- we already have a warning abput e.g.pl download.).

Colin,

I'm about to make a file available for download that *may* not need renaming -- could you check it please?

Code: Select all

https://www.fhug.org.uk/colevalleygirl/Research Planner 2.0.chm
or maybe

Code: Select all

http://www.fhug.org.uk/colevalleygirl/Research Planner 2.0.chm
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by Valkrider »

Helen

That works fine.

Please note this is NOT a Crossover install this is a Virtual Machine install so is a full version of Windows. I have yet to try it on Crossover / PlayOnMac and will update you once I have.
User avatar
ColeValleyGirl
Megastar
Posts: 5465
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 22:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Colin, a request for clarification -- https or http? Will update and republish the plugin accordingly (have tested both in Windows without issues).
Dreading the Crossover results... :(
Post Reply