3 Problems with An 5

[rbrumpton]

Thoughts so far:

I am unable to assign an icon to all my todo categories. They last one just won't appear in the list - At the bottom of the list is a blank line

I have the datebook button set to "Cycle views" on 1 and 7. I would expect that whne I press the button to launch AN it would go to either the 1 or 7 day view - It doesn't - It goes to the last view - VERY ANNOYING

The following problem happens regardless of the setting for "two line display" it can be either on or off...

Create new call, type a long description (Something like: Intranet related meeting at main office", assign a contact - now look in split agenda view - contact name is overwritten and wont display

Comments from Iambic please!
R

[trevor]

"Create new call, type a long description (Something like: Intranet related meeting at main office", assign a contact - now look in split agenda view - contact name is overwritten and wont display"

I need steps to reproduce this, your Contact name, Name Format, Storage Format, and what you put in the description field.

[trevor]

"I have the datebook button set to "Cycle views" on 1 and 7. I would expect that whne I press the button to launch AN it would go to either the 1 or 7 day view - It doesn't - It goes to the last view - VERY ANNOYING"

Since this is very annoying, maybe you can help. I need a way to consistantly catch the key down of an app launch. KeyCurrentState() doesn't always catch the hard key down on a sysAppLaunchCmdNormalLaunch call. This is the only way I can tell which key is pressed (if any) on launch.

As you can guess this is why we can't launch to a predefined view, but we can control the key presses once we are in the app (it's as simple as catching the keyDown events).

Can you help?

[rbrumpton]

Originally posted by trevor
"I have the datebook button set to "Cycle views" on 1 and 7. I would expect that whne I press the button to launch AN it would go to either the 1 or 7 day view - It doesn't - It goes to the last view - VERY ANNOYING"

Since this is very annoying, maybe you can help. I need a way to consistantly catch the key down of an app launch. KeyCurrentState() doesn't always catch the hard key down on a sysAppLaunchCmdNormalLaunch call. This is the only way I can tell which key is pressed (if any) on launch.

As you can guess this is why we can't launch to a predefined view, but we can control the key presses once we are in the app (it's as simple as catching the keyDown events).

Can you help?

Obviously this is more than a simple problem to fix!

At the moment with 4.61, I use some third party proxy things AN_Contact and AN_Datebk (I think). I suppose that I could just continue to use these with AN 5. The only problem I have with these proxy's is that I loose the ability to hold down the contact button to beam a business card.

Maybe it would be easier for you to code two small apps, that read the AN settings and launch datebook/contacts according to the AN settings...These 2 apps are then assigned to the hard buttons instead of AN itself.

Richard

[rbrumpton]

Originally posted by trevor
"Create new call, type a long description (Something like: Intranet related meeting at main office", assign a contact - now look in split agenda view - contact name is overwritten and wont display"

I need steps to reproduce this, your Contact name, Name Format, Storage Format, and what you put in the description field.

Okay. Pref Display Format is Smith, Bob
Storage is Action Names

Contact name is
Firstname: Caroline Surname: Brumpton

Description field: This is a test appointment to see if it overlaps

When you look at the call in split agenda view or 7 day view (Grid1), is no contact name visable. If you shorten the description to just This is a test, you can then see some of the contact name.

A suggestion to fix this, and make it alot easier to see calls (and todos/meetings) would be to make the contact name appear on the first line and the description on the second/subsequent lines.

If you need any more details to reproduce this please let me know

Richard

[bmetzger]

Originally posted by trevor
"I have the datebook button set to "Cycle views" on 1 and 7. I would expect that whne I press the button to launch AN it would go to either the 1 or 7 day view - It doesn't - It goes to the last view - VERY ANNOYING"

Since this is very annoying, maybe you can help. I need a way to consistantly catch the key down of an app launch. KeyCurrentState() doesn't always catch the hard key down on a sysAppLaunchCmdNormalLaunch call. This is the only way I can tell which key is pressed (if any) on launch.

As you can guess this is why we can't launch to a predefined view, but we can control the key presses once we are in the app (it's as simple as catching the keyDown events).

Can you help?

I don't know how it is done, but Launcher III has an option that when it is launched, it will always start in the same tab and subsequent taps will switch between tabs. Maybe you could use the same method to always start on the Agenda view and then switch between the views as set up in the preferences.

[trevor]

"I don't know how it is done, but Launcher III has an option that when it is launched, it will always start in the same tab and subsequent taps will switch between tabs. Maybe you could use the same method to always start on the Agenda view and then switch between the views as set up in the preferences."

Well, this is easy enough to do IF you only assign one button to go to one thing. the problem arises when you have multiple buttons assinged to different views. In this case you HAVE to know which button was pressed to go to the correct view.
And as far as we understand on some OSs/Devices this can work sometimes. It doesn't work all times.

[trevor]

"A suggestion to fix this, and make it alot easier to see calls (and todos/meetings) would be to make the contact name appear on the first line and the description on the second/subsequent lines."

I'll think about adding this as a pref. Some people here in the office this it is a good idea too.
Tell you what. If I get 20 posts here saying they want this pref. I will add it.

[walkerl]

I like it! Add it as a pref please.

Lloyd

[rbrumpton]

Please add the full contact name feature!

[Petit Frère]

I vote too!

[trevor]

I just got this from Palm:

Your code relies on the user holding down the button long enough for KeyCurrentState to scan it. Since the user may tap the button quickly, causing the button to be released before your code begins execution, you are not able to reliably detect the state of the keys.

There's really no easy way to do what you want upon launch without patching traps and/or interrupt handlers <insert cautious please-don't-do-thats here>. However, once your app is launched, you have full control over the keys.

Regards,

Jim Schram
Palm Incorporated
Partner Engineering

so I think that we are SOL on the launching to a view thing.

[bmetzger]

[i]Originally posted by trevor

Well, this is easy enough to do IF you only assign one button to go to one thing. the problem arises when you have multiple buttons assinged to different views. In this case you HAVE to know which button was pressed to go to the correct view.
And as far as we understand on some OSs/Devices this can work sometimes. It doesn't work all times. [/B]

So why can you not use an app like the AN Contact app that launches directly to the contact list and then since you have control of the buttons when after the app is running, cycle between the views as needed? Likewise, the datebook button could be assigned like the AN Datebook app and then once the app is launched, it could cycle between views. Maybe I'm missing something.

[toddbecker]

Originally posted by trevor
Tell you what. If I get 20 posts here saying they want this pref. I will add it.

:up: Count me in!

As a temporary workaround, this can be achieved in Todos and Calls by making the first line of the description blank.

Todd

BTW, can't a poll be created for this?

[mgenzel]

Originally posted by trevor
I'll think about adding this as a pref. Some people here in the office this it is a good idea too.
Tell you what. If I get 20 posts here saying they want this pref. I will add it.

I like it too.! Add it as a pref, please !

Thanks,

Marko

[Peter Kelley]

quote:

Originally posted by trevor
Tell you what. If I get 20 posts here saying
they want this pref. I will add it.


Sounds good to me:up:

[jvarior]

I'd love the 2 line segregation too, as an option to compress timebars! I'd also luv if we could assign a custom field instead of only FLC (or variations of this). Another option is for Multi-Contact for meetings. Lot of projects involve tracking these, and I believe it would help lay users as well (eg. assign nicknames for contacts).

[BeeZahGee]

Originally posted by trevor - from an original post by rbrumpton

"A suggestion to fix this, and make it alot easier to see calls (and todos/meetings) would be to make the contact name appear on the first line and the description on the second/subsequent lines."

I'll think about adding this as a pref. Some people here in the office this it is a good idea too.
Tell you what. If I get 20 posts here saying they want this pref. I will add it.


Count me in on this as well - good call Richard :up:

[skipbremer]

I like this as an option too. Count me as part of the 20. Thanks.

BTW, perhaps a small hack could fix your problem of trying to know what button was pressed to get Action names up and running. The author of EZLaunch, for example, must know how to do that. His program does all that so well. Perhaps he could throw you the hint you need? It seems to me that there must ne some OS function that tells this, and if anyone would know it, he or someone like him would.

Looking at the X-Master list of active hacks on my machine, some of these functions are shown which sound like possile players (keep in mind that I am a programmer--but not on te Palm, so I am only guessing here)...

EvtProcessSoftKeyStroke
GrfProcessStroke

[bmetzger]

Count me in as part of the 20. The more preferences the better.

[PocketGoddess]

I'll jump on the bandwagon and ask that that PREF be added as well

[trevor]

It is done. :)
On the All Views Preference View there is now a checkbox "Contact Only on 1st Line."
(and I must admit it looks pretty sweet.)

trv

[skipbremer]

Hey Trevor, your'e great. And with this option, we (the users) can also feel some pride as we sort of did it together. That definitely works for me. Thanks.

[trevor]

"BTW, perhaps a small hack could fix your problem of trying to know what button was pressed to get Action..."

Actually, you are correct, I could get this info with by catching a system trap, but Hacks are a BIG nono, and we can't insure that they will always be supported in future versions.
If I can't do it with the current Palm APIs then unfortunately it is a no go. (for now.) ;_;

[Chuck Bogorad]

Originally posted by trevor
"BTW, perhaps a small hack could fix your problem of trying to know what button was pressed to get Action..."

Actually, you are correct, I could get this info with by catching a system trap, but Hacks are a BIG nono, and we can't insure that they will always be supported in future versions.
If I can't do it with the current Palm APIs then unfortunately it is a no go. (for now.) ;_;

I think there's an easier way - when a user decides to assign a button to launch AN, you could just ‘create’ a small prc in RAM (if needed), and make the specified button launch this small prc which in turn would launch AN with certain options.

[rbrumpton]

Originally posted by trevor
"BTW, perhaps a small hack could fix your problem of trying to know what button was pressed to get Action..."

Actually, you are correct, I could get this info with by catching a system trap, but Hacks are a BIG nono, and we can't insure that they will always be supported in future versions.
If I can't do it with the current Palm APIs then unfortunately it is a no go. (for now.) ;_;

I am using the AN proxy files to load AN in either contact or datebook mode.

I don't know if the source for theses is available, but if Iambic could develop 2 small PRC's like this, one to fire AN into Contact mode and one into Datebook mode, it would solve the problem.

You can use the currently available proxy's however, there is a problem, in that if you CANT have them mapped to the buttons and press/hold to beam a business card. I don't actually beam my business card very often (twice in 6 months!) so I can live with the current ones...

Using these, or developing your own small proxys would probably solve all the problems with the buttons, without using hacks etc.

Richard

PS. Thanks Trevor for the name on first line feature!

[skipbremer]

Trevor, I think I have the answer for this problem.

The AN Proxy programs are great (I use them always) because they insure the view I am going to get when I open AN with them from a hardware button. (Whether you write fdifferent programs or keep these probably doesn't matter.) The problem is that we all want to be able to switch views with the hardware buttons while we are already _in_ AN. Well, that's easy. Simply allow AN to take over control of the hardware buttons when it is running and then it can intercept the button presses and go to the appropriate view.

So...

When AN is not running, we will get the correct view because of the hardwired AN Proxy programs which are mapped to the hard buttons by the OS.

When AN _is_ already it takes control of the hardware buttons and intercepts them and goes to the correct view.

This will make everyone happy.

This must be fairly easy (intercepting the buttons) as lots of programs already do it when they are running--most doc readers, QuickSheet, and yes, even DB4.

Yes. :D

[ranbarton]

DiddleBug and AvantGo also intercept buttons, FWIW.

[mclayton]

Originally posted by trevor
"A suggestion to fix this, and make it alot easier to see calls (and todos/meetings) would be to make the contact name appear on the first line and the description on the second/subsequent lines."

I'll think about adding this as a pref. Some people here in the office this it is a good idea too.
Tell you what. If I get 20 posts here saying they want this pref. I will add it.

[Scott Wells]

I'll think about adding this as a pref. Some people here in the office this it is a good idea too.
Tell you what. If I get 20 posts here saying they want this pref. I will add it.


Count me as one of your required 20.

scott