Quick update for PingGraph

I just put an update up for download, version 3.0.0.1.

I needed to fix date parsing on the message of the day for Eropean customers which use day/month/year instead of month/day/year. It broke the message of the day parsing code.

Also, I added several more error messages in case things go wrong. It should give you a reason why if it stops working. Thanks for your patience as I work through these issues as they pop up.

User survey

I have put together a survey for current and potential users of PingGraph to identify a few things about how they do their job how to reach people who can make good use of PingGraph. Please stop by and take the survey.

Double Release Day

Both PingGraph (version 3.0.0.0) and GPSMonitor (version 1.0.0.5) have been updated and are available for download.

PingGraph has a whole new design. New graphs, new data storage and logging capabilities, and much faster rendering of easily scalable graphs.

GPSMonitor now allows you to save a copy of the raw NMEA data to a text file.

In honor of the new release, PingGraph is on sale for 25% off until September 15th, 2010. When ordering, just enter the coupon code "3.0 Intro" to get the discount. Please pass the coupon code around to everyone you know!

If you have purchased PingGraph in the past, your registration code is still valid for this update. In fact, if you were running version 2.0.1.15, it should automatically pull your old registration code from the previous install and use it. If you have any problems at all, the registration code for the older version is stored here (assuming windows XP):

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Infix Technologies\PingGraph\2.0.1.15\key.dat


As always, GPSMonitor is completely free. No coupon, no discount, just free.

Please let me know if you run into any problems with either program and I will do what I can to help.

C# Version Numer Tip

Have you ever tried to store data in the application properties in C#? It has some really slick abilities to store settings for you. I use it for window sizes and things like that. All you do is add data to your settings (usually found in Properties/Settings.settings in your project), then reference them. You start off by getting your application set up to use settings with this "using" statement:

using System.Configuration;

You read and write them like this:

internalValue = Properties.Settings.Default.MyNamedSetting;
// modify your internal value.

Properties.Settings.Default.MyNamedSetting = internalValue;

The tricky part is that every time you update your application version number, these settings are left behind and it creates a new set for you. How do you get around such a problem? By using a couple of the more obscure features of Properties.Settings.Default.

First, you need a way to detect when it's a new version. You can do that by creating a boolean settings entry named something like FirstRun with a default value of true. You can tell if it's your very first time to run the application at a particular version number because it will have the default value of true. Then you can set the value of FirstRun to false. By using the special built-in Upgrade() function, and saving the results, you can import your previous data just like this:

if(Properties.Settings.Default.FirstRun)
{
    Properties.Settings.Default.Upgrade();
    Properties.Settings.Default.FirstRun = false;
    Properties.Settings.Default.Save();
}

There. Now you have a system that automatically detects version bumps, and saves all your special settings from one version to the next.

GPSMonitor version 1.0.0.4

I've gathered all my recent updates, got everything working, and have published the new version. New features:

• Scans just the actual com ports available on the system. No more wondering if going up to com25 is far enough. This should make it connect a lot faster.
• Override on the baud rate is possible on a new "Overrides" tab. Let me know if you can think of anything else to override.
• Average location over time is available, for those who want to get the most accurate fix possible for their location. Doesn't work so hot if you're moving. ;)

Download it and have fun! Let me know what you think.

GPS Number Formatting

Oh, you tricksy Europeans. I forgot to take into consideration that you might use something besides my localized US English numeric representation for latitude and longitude. GPSMonitor is expecting something like this, which is the default location if you have no GPS hooked up:

latitude = 40.522
longitude = -111.958

And some of the GPS systems out there have been trying to feed this format to my poor mapping page:

latitude = 6750,167
longitude =5261,067

It looks like I need to update things so my US-based web page is only fed numbers that use periods for their decimal point. Google's maps don't know what to do with commas. Sorry about all those maps where it looks like you're a couple thousand miles north of the North Pole. Yes, it actually showed me one like that. Not wrapping around to the south, but north of the pole.

So, does anyone know off hand what the units are on those numbers? If I had to guess, I'd assume it was something like 6750 minutes, or 67 degrees and 50 minutes, or 67 and a half degrees, but those would all be guesses. Time to break out the web search engine...

GPSMonitor responses

I've received a request to increase the range of COM ports that GPSMonitor scans, so the next update will include scanning up to COM15. Yeah, someone has their GPS at a double digit com port. While I'm at it, I may also allow it to be set to something besides the default 4800 baud. If you have a request, drop me an email.

Based on my web logs, a bunch of you are testing out the application with no GPS attached. When you do that, you will get no graphs, but the map will work. The map shows you a default location a couple miles from my house, in the middle of a busy intersection. Of course when you show the map with a GPS attached, it's likely to never request the same exact map, so I'll get a huge pile of virtual single page hits, so I will have a hard time summing up the traffic. Any ideas on how to do that with Google Analytics, to ignore form-based parameters sent to a web page when counting page hits? I may have to just rely on the hit and visitor summaries.