xPerT -- PervTalk plugin for Xlobby

[Marbles_00]

Hey P3rv,

I got this error when I resumed my music-server from sleep. I figured it has something to do with xPerT as it makes references to it, and the phrase "Tyhjantoimittaja" is Finnish for something.

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Tyhjantoimittaja just died
System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Length cannot be less than zero.
Parameter name: length
  at System.String.InternalSubStringWithChecks(Int32 startIndex, Int32 length, Boolean fAlwayCopy)
  at System.String.Substring(Int32 startIndex, Int32 length)
  at xlobby2.Winamp.GetWindowText()
  at xlobby2.AudioPlayer.GetWindowText()
  at xlobby2.Command.ReplaceVariables(String args, Control control)
  at xlobby2.PicButton.drawImage(Graphics g, Control c)
  at xlobby2.XHelper.ConvertVariables(String text)
  at xPerT.xPerT.hae(String moro, String caller)
  at xPerT.xPerT.toimittaja()

I was wondering if when the server went to sleep...at that moment xPerT was trying to communicate to its modules (P3rvhub and kXd) that could cause this error?

xPert.dll 1.0.0.0
both P3rvhub and kXd were the last beta's that I use with ZoneSkin3 (so released around the Feb. time frame).

Hope that helps.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Ohhh thats pretty interesting looking error there... does it happen commonly when u resume from sleep? BTW tyhjäntoimittaja means good-for-nothing and thats routine which does all the background stuff in xPerT. And here when it does query now playing from xlobby something goes wrong under the hood and explodes to poor sobs face. My impression is it looks like its not my error, but ofcourse i could catch the thrown exception and ensure that tyhjäntoimittja continues to live and prosper.

Now playing is queried only for needs of MSN live messenger now playing reporting, and my newest internal test version has finally the configuration dialog where u can disable whole function. Sadly it only disables reporting at moment and still queries it from XL, but theres nothing stopping me to disable query also, since data is only for MSN, so i could do that if this is nuisance.

Also configuration exposes couple timers for user to tweak, mayby just mayby, one of these could be useful for making the wait for PervTalk data less unpleasent , but dont get u hopes up just yet, its just theory and my own setup is not well enough condition to test so i thought i just release version for u to test. Anyway if that doesnt help, ill start looking some other possibilities to remedy that long standing issue.

EDIT: Actually i was wrong, my new version is not even querying now playing if MSN option is not checked in config. Also im only passing following constatnt literal to convert variables : "audioplayer>now>%artist% - %trackname%" * hands ball for Steven *

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Ok ive put new version out. Just use BHE link on previous page. Keep back-up copy of your old version just in case. Enter configuration and take MSN off, if that problem is still troubling u. Also try to tweak "memory range" parameter to see if it helps with slow update problem, instead of default value 30, put something rather high like 100000. Im little skeptical how helpfull that is but once we know i can start search other possibilities.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

with this version : http://91.153.71.208/experimental/xPerT.dll

i cant use :

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plugin>xPerT>forward>3>movies>title

Just wanted to make explicit that with newest version (BHE) it should work, u just need to replace word "plugin" with "variable".

Also u need to span your cat before use.

see "pushes to new gear" post for explanation of spanning cat.

[Marbles_00]

does it happen commonly when u resume from sleep?

Sorry P3rv it took this long to get back to you. This was the first time that this error occured, and remained on the screen so I could copy it out. Sometimes I would periodically get a flash of an error when I exited xlobby. All I could make out in that case was "Tyhjantoimittaja..." then the error window would close.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Has anybody used xPerT timestamps considerably?

What im asking here, would it be objected, if i would mend my earlier shortsightedness and change format of timestamp for more suitable for sorting as per this thread http://xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5418&hilit=stamp

If somebody has used this i can always allow several timestamp formats to co-exists, but if theres not considerable harm done to anyones setup, i would rather have just single timestamp format to keep things simple.

Ill keep waiting a day or two... if i dont hear objection... ill get mending the xPerT code.

[Marbles_00]

P3rv,

I've been meaning to ask you. I've had a few instances where I've woken my music server up, and found I did not have control of the KX DSP, only to find that pervhub had decided to crash. I've been meaning to look more at the error when it has occured, so I can't give you more info. What I was thinking was that something between xPert/Pervhub/kXd is trying to communicate just when the server goes into sleep. Upon waking, the "comm line" is distrupted causing this crash...maybe?

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

That is certainly possible, i never really had experiments with pervtalk slumber habits... if it comes after to its maker though... im not surprised about any waking up problems...

But thats is certainly something i need to take a look... im planning to have my carputer wake up from HORM (hibernate once, resume many) on each engine start to guarantee fast boot-up time and i certainly dont want computer to omit sounding warning sirens when wheel sensor detects low airpressure just because pervtalk is sleeping late.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Just wondering if somebody is managing to do branching with BHE version? (IF command in conjunction with CALL command) im not getting it to work myself now and im thinking there could be a bug...

EDIT:Nevermind... once again faulty component was the end user.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Well as i hinted all along... i havent reveal all the features of xPerT, thats because there was no need, until now that PCd is out. Some of u might have been wondering why on earth there are commands called yes and no within xPerT, today we will have an answer.

Sometimes there comes a time when some pervtalk device wants to pose a question to the user, so that the following dialog wouldnt be out of the context, i devised a way to make them easily skinnable. Thats because real XL screens are used for them.

Anybody who has xPerT installation done by the book should also have two screens called "questdialog" and "infodialog" within their screens for the skin. Whenever pervtalk infrastructure has a need to interact with the enduser it will show either one of these dialog screen as an overlay.

This pic will portray the dialog i made for Sharkskin as "questdialog" screen:

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

These dialog are rather simple to skin... on above on the place of "DOES NOT COMPUTE" there is text field with contents:

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plugin>xPerT>[quest]

Just make sure theres enough room in the text box to portray whatever question pervtalk feel compelled to ask. Dont worry if it says DNC while skinning it, this is normal behavior. When dialog is called with reason there will be real question within it. No i cant really remember why there are brackets [] around quest, im sure theres perfectly valid logic beyond this

Yes and No buttons both contain simple event in them both events contain two commands: first is

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plugin

xPerT

No / Yes


and second is normal xlobby command for closing overlay.

So simple. pervtalk forwards users input from there on to the curious device.

infodialog is similar but there variable for text box is, haha u already quessed:

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plugin>xPerT>[info]

And it only needs one button with close overlay command to make sure user acknowledges information sent to him.


Notice that Either one of thesefeatures are not built in original xPerT, but are included in version which followed pretty soon thereafter.