LCDInfo.com

I have a few questions about version 0.6:

1) Why does it take about 60 seconds before the lcd starts "working"?

2) When can we expects to download the source code?

3) Is there anybody busy working on a screen editor for version 6.0?

Notes about my setup:

1) I am running windows xp

2) Using a KS0108 lcd (128x64)

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Rudi Grobler

ok the lag on startup is a solved bug,
its computer dependent: on mine it was 60secs
on henris computer: none
but now its solved...

i don't think the source code will be available, but it don't depend on me :p

i was thinking about making a screen editor, but like Henri is planning to incorporate it inside LCD Info, this screen editor code need to be compatible with lcdinfo language (so no VB)

i don't know if it's actually quicker to use a lcd editor or to edit manually xml files
i will try word 2k3 xml editor function, maybe it will work fine

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Shadows move where light should be

As DarkElf wrote the startup delay should be fixed in the next build.

About the source code, it might be available but I don't really want it to go public yet as the 0.6 LCDInfo itself isn't public yet. After LCDInfo 0.6 public release the whole sourcecode is planned to be available.
If someone would like to help in the development you can email me and maybe you can get the source. For plugin development you don't need the whole source, only the SDK.

The screen editor interface is one thing I'd like to do before releasing sources but if someone is really interested in working on screen editor then it might be beneficial to see the whole source and how everything works.

VB can be used, since you're generating XML. integration into LCDinfo, however, would require C++.

hell, I'd bet you could generate the whole screen file using a perl/TCL script, since the file has a well defined layout. How do you think the Linux kernel makefile is generated, if you make xconfig, the program compiles and runs a TCL/TK script on your X terminal. if I remember properly, Perl can be both interpreted and compiled, so you could distribute a simple screen editor and not have to worry about deps.

graphically, you could use a VB program to make draggable, drawable area "windows" for the text, solving both plugindata and textdata scrolling. it'd be an ugly hackaround, and I, personally, really don't see the need.

If you're competent enough to wire up your LCD (and most of us are) you're probably competent enough to follow some rules to make an XML screen file.

by the way, henri, the issue on 98 is somewhere in the zoomplayer dll.

I couldn't ctrl+alt+Delete so I hit shutdown, and lo and behold, I get: zoom player dll (or whatever it's called) is not responding, do you want to <wait> <end task> <cancel>

wait does nothing, end task wedges the system, and cancel puts you back on the desktop.

This is true, I just thought that something like borland c++ builder 6.0 might be good. It has strong xml support, easy defineable screens with not to difficult drag & drop stuff... You can with a little trail and error also access the plugin dll's and enumerate there variables... this will make a dynamic screen editor with a very flexiable base!!![/b]

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Rudi Grobler

no need to access the plugins dll's just read the log.txt file it easier

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Shadows move where light should be

Yesterday I did some more work on binary compatible interface for the plugins and it now looks like c++ builder could be used too. Using c++ builder 5.0 I created a data plugin that worked with lcdinfo like plugins created with visual c++. I can't promise 100% compatibility yet but it's looking good.
So looks like borland c++ 6.0 could be used to create a screen editor that is closely integrated with lcdinfo. I'm also adding interface to enumerate plugin variables and other functionality needed for a screen editor.

Parsing variables from a file like log.txt is also one possibility but some closer interaction with lcdinfo would be preferred I think.

I also tried compiling a plugin with Dev-C++ but lcdinfo gave ESP check error at start. If the error was ignored the plugin seemed to work just fine.

I haven't yet tested the free borland compiler package but it's using the same compiler as c++ builder 5.0 if I remember correctly.

you are the boss, you do like you want, but i was thinking that using the log file would be a quick way to dev an editor when you DON'T HAVE LCDInfo source code

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Shadows move where light should be

True, it would be quicker but it will force you to run the app first and create the log file. This might not be a problem but will make a screen editor that may look not to user friendly and "unstable" to novice!! But a novice will probably not be brave enough to try and use a lcd in the first place

PS. Thanks for the borland work... I like the compiler and it is quick and easy to use

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Rudi Grobler

i know two noob who are currently trying it
of course you would have to run it once... And you have too: how would you configure lcdinfo without running it once? i mean, lcd size

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Shadows move where light should be

If someone has any use for it it's no problem outputting all variables to some other file than log.txt for easy parsing.