Pan Status

Hey, it's my last post of the year :) Recent changes to Pan:

• added default values to most of fields in the group table.
• added newsrc import/export. Importing may not be as functional as it used to be. Try importing after loading new headers.
• added parent & child members & related functions to Article object.
• added unread & new children members & functions
• Article loading now threads during load based on db.
• minor changes to rules, filters, scores, dialogs. Nothing fully updated yet.
  

The main TODO item is threading, this is the last item needed for base to compile. I should be able to finish that this weekend. Either way I intend to post a new snapshot by monday.

Pan Update

2 updates in one day. I've done some work in filters, rules, base getting more files to compile. I've also updated from CVS again, apparently a lot of file changes didn't make it through last time. Here is the new snapshot.

Rough TODO list:

• base/newsrc-port
• base/articlethread
• rules
• filters
• networking
• UI

That's a lot of work.

Pan Update

Time for a new snapshot. This is mostly to fix a bunch of typos in my code. I also added some documentation to some of the files.

Pan Update

Here's another snapshot. This time the snapshot includes pre-generated code from the gob files since my updates to gob2 haven't gone public yet.

• removed more thread related code I missed before.
• added 2 tables - headers, article_header.
• added error checking to the DB access code.
• fixed another SQL borkage.

Pan Update

Just a small update this time. I'm assuming that the patch I sent in for GOB will be accpted.

• added DB writing to article and group
• made some varibles bitfields again
• added GObjects n_prealloc to article and group

GOB2

GOB2 is a program that generates object for the GObject type system. I've been using it in my attempt to add DB backend to Pan. I've just sent a patch to the GOB list that fixes support for bitfield variables. It also adds a new keyword to specify the n_preallocs field of the generated GType.

Pan Update

As anyone the pan lists is aware, Charles is back and has put some new code in CVS. It's nice to see official Pan development continuing. Anywho, here is the latest snapshot of my code. And the changes are... , in no particlular order:

• merge CVS changes in
• remove thread related stuff from my code
• made most DB fields NOT NULL
• message-identifier updated

Thats it for now.

Pan update

Here is a new snapshot.

• article compiles
• group compiles
• server compiles
• grouplist mostly compiles

TODO:

• remove some unused files
• fix message-identifier
• lots of other stuff

Pan Status

I just completed round 1 of using the compiler to find bugs in my code. I've gotten article, group, and pan-signals to compile. Once I get server to compile I'll post a new snapshot.

Pan Update

Here is the latest:

• make sure article and group objects remove their ids from the hashes when unrefed
• split author into a seperate table
• fixed some sql borkage (bad UPDATE bad ;) )
  

I just posted a new snapshot ~3MB.

Pan

This is just to inform you that I have posted a snapshot of my source tree here.

Pan status update

Heyyy, I finally got some time on the net. Here are the latest updates:

• The grouplist UI is mostly done.
• Cleaned up some code.
• Delayed DB update of groups and articles almost done. All it needs is the actual DB update.
• Added a global shutdown signal for cleanup purposes.

At least I've managed to make some progress.

Pan

Pan is a GTK+ based usenet news reader for Linux and Windows. Development has been kinda slow for the past year or so. There was so talk of converting the back end to use a DB for storing the article overviews, but nothing made it into cvs. I decided a few months ago to try to do the conversion myself. Since I'm about to do some traveling I've decided to post any progress updates here.

Most of the back-end work is already done, at least I think it is. I still have UI, threading, and networking code to do. Those will probably require some changes to the code I've already written.

P.S.
The version of GTK+ that I'm using on windows can be found here.

CableCard

CableCard is a spec/device that allows third party devices such as TVs and DVRs to access the digital content served by the cable companies without using a set-top box. Sounds good right? Or is it, a new 2-way CableCard spec is on the way that is physically incompatible with with current CableCards.

The orignal CableCard which is in use only supports accessing and decoding digtal content. It does not support 2-way services such as PPV, interactive program guides, season pass sports, or interactive/enhanced TV services (games, interactive news, etc.). This is were the new 2-way CableCard comes in. While it will support these features don't expect to see such devices until 2006.

To buy or not to buy that is the question. The advantage of third party over a provided set-top box is quality. The third party devices can have better decoders and image scalers to produce better pictures. The only thing I would miss is the program guide. A CacleCard DVR would probably use either the Tivo or Replay service so they would not need the 2-way version. It's the high cost of the new TVs, CableCard or not, that's keeping me from buying right now.

Zodiac

I've had my Zodiac1 pda for a couple of weeks. It's a PalmOS device with some nice gaming enhancments. The only game I've actually bought for it so far is Legacy, an old school D&D type game. I just added an SD card yesterday and moved my games and apps to it. Legacy was even able to use the two expansion packs I put on the card. This is usefull since the few games I have used up most of the Zs RAM, now I'm back to 15MB free. The other games are freejong, acid solitaire, stuntcar extreme, and demos of breakout and paintball.

Waiting for delivery

We've been happy DishNetwork customers for, hmmm, I guess it's been 3 or 4 years now. I just decided to get a Dish DVR. After reading some of the forums like AVS and DBSTalk I decided to go with a dvr508 receiver since it does not have the extra $5 a month charge. Wish I had known that before they were discontinued. Some can still be found online though, so now I'm waiting for it to arrive before I go away for thanksgiving.

Testing testing 1, 2, 3. Is this thing posting again?

Hey, I can post again. Granted I haven't tried in over a year. It's probably just as well that I haven't had anyting to say. I really need to see what changes have been made to blogger.com.