itms-backup-beta-testing Mailing List for iTmsBackup
Status: Beta
Brought to you by:
mariox19
Menu
▾
▴
itms-backup-beta-testing — Discussion among beta testers.
You can subscribe to this list here.
| 2004 |
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
(5) |
Jul
(10) |
Aug
(17) |
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
|---|
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-18 21:15:54
|
Gentlemen,
This is a little "off topic."
I sent out a resume a couple of months ago for an entry-level QA
position. I had just about forgotten about it. Wouldn't you know that I
got call today asking me to come in for an interview tomorrow!
Anyway, does anybody have any insight into quality assurance:
specifically, what they might be looking for in a candidate? I have a
decent idea of what it's all about, but any tips would be greatly
appreciated, seeing as many of you work in IT and I don't.
The company mainly writes Point-of-Sale software for retail systems:
http://www.crsretail.com/
The interview is 10 AM tomorrow, New York time.
Thank you :-)
Mario
=======================================================
Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428
50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989
Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma...
=======================================================
Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X
=======================================================
|
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-10 12:41:20
|
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Bruce Gerson <bru...@ma...>
> Date: Mon Aug 9, 2004 9:08:21 PM America/New_York
> To: Mario Diana <mar...@ma...>
> Subject: Re: Link
>
> On Aug 9, 2004, at 5:35 PM, Mario Diana wrote:
>
>> Let me know what you think about the implementation of your
>> suggestions.
>
> Looks like everything is just right except for the delay on the first
> backup only and the progress bar's location in the window but now I'm
> just being a PITA.
I forgot that the progress bar does not line up with the box element in
Panther. I'm going to take care of that in the next version (most
likely 0.9). I'm going to use the default look and feel for Panther in
Jaguar. They should then line up for both.
Just so I don't forget, I've submitted bug #1006547:
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/
index.php?func=detail&aid=1006547&group_id=112271&atid=661825
Little things like that annoy me, too.
Anyway, I think the delay on the first backup (for a small percentage
of "unlucky" users) is going to remain.
Mario
=======================================================
Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428
50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989
Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma...
=======================================================
Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X
=======================================================
|
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-09 23:57:02
|
Gentlemen, I've released version 0.8.3 minutes ago. Please see the change list for details. I think this is the best version yet. Hopefully, there are no major bugs. If this is the case, this will be the last 0.8 release. Thanks! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Bruce G. <bru...@ma...> - 2004-08-09 02:42:57
|
On Aug 8, 2004, at 6:47 PM, Mario Diana wrote: > I hope I'm not straining your patience (all of you) by releasing > version after version in so short a time frame. I just can't stand the > thought of leaving these bugs out there. Hopefully, this is the last > version of the 0.8 series. If this is stable, I'm going to continue > working on the automatic backup scheduling feature (version 0.9). Personally, I don't think that a developer should ever apologize for the number of betas in a cycle. If you aren't constantly squashing bugs and releasing updated versions, what's the point of a beta test? Thank you, Bruce -- Bruce Gerson iChat/AIM: bgerson |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-09 01:48:38
|
Hi,
Presently there is one open bug and three open feature requests: I
posted these, but they are suggestions from Bruce. I did not think I
would have time this weekend to work on them, but as it turned out I
did.
I have fixed the bug and implemented the three requested features. You
can review the bug and features here:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=661825&group_id=112271&func=browse
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=661828&group_id=112271&func=browse
I have tested the new work today, but I would like a chance to test it
again tomorrow. I expect to release beta 0.8.3 Monday night or Tuesday
morning. After the release, I will close the open bug report and
feature requests.
I hope I'm not straining your patience (all of you) by releasing
version after version in so short a time frame. I just can't stand the
thought of leaving these bugs out there. Hopefully, this is the last
version of the 0.8 series. If this is stable, I'm going to continue
working on the automatic backup scheduling feature (version 0.9).
Thanks again for all of the work you all are doing!
Mario
=======================================================
Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428
50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989
Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma...
=======================================================
Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X
=======================================================
|
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-07 14:10:11
|
Gentlemen, I have released beta 0.8.2 just now. Happy testing! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-07 12:21:02
|
Hello, I released Beta 0.8.2 to Bruce to see if it fixed the issue he was having. It did, but there is more fun to be had. (See below!) Begin forwarded message: > From: Bruce Gerson > > [...] > > OK. The first time I launched it, it took 17 seconds from the time I > clicked Backup Purchases until it indicated that it was Building the > database. On subsequent launches, backup began almost immediately. I still don't understand the delay, since I didn't get one when I moved my iTunes folder to a USB Zip Disk. Nevertheless, it apparently shows up under some configurations. I hope my fix is satisfactory. > Still needs fixing: > > 1. The location of the previous backup should be stored and displayed > so that the user doesn't have to select it each time. The backup location will be stored for the automatic backups, of course. I suppose it is a good idea to store the last backup location for manual backups, too. I'll take care of that. > 2. Click the red widget to close the window. Now, you're stuck! You > can't create a new window [...] Well, you can create a new window by clicking the icon in the Dock. I suppose if the window is closed, there should be a menu item to open a new one. I'll see about including that. > [A]nd making any of the menu selections with the window closed results > in some weird behavior (no error messages or crashes, though). I > especially like Choose Backup location... Okay, this is very weird! Good job finding this. It's one of those non-obvious things that happen to be right in front of your face. I don't know how I didn't think of this. You're right, something has to be done about this. Do you want to file these bug reports, or shall I? > I hope this helps. Sure does! :-) Okay, I'm satisfied that 0.8.2 can be released to MacUpdate.com. First, of course, I'll upload it to Sourceforge. I'll take care of that by this afternoon. Happy beta testing, everyone! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-05 02:14:30
|
On Monday, August 2, 2004, at 02:28 PM, Mario Diana wrote: > If anyone can reproduce Bruce's problem, please let me know. I have thought up a neat little fix for the issue Bruce found. I have been very busy the past few days, and I'm busy tomorrow, too. I expect that I'll have a fix by Friday. I'll release it to Bruce first, and if it works for him, I'll then post it to Sourceforge. That will be beta 0.8.2. If there's no issue with 0.8.2, I'll then release that to MacUpdate.com. (I have not released the 0.8 series there yet.) Just wanted to keep you all posted. If you get a chance, Bruce, post the issue as a bug. It's not critical that you do so, so don't worry if you don't. Thanks! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-02 18:29:01
|
I tried to duplicate Bruce's problem: a 10-15 second hang until the scroll bar starts scrolling. I didn't have much luck. I took my iTunes folder (residing in my Music folder) and moved it to a Zip Disk USB drive. I then removed the the original (on my hard drive) to another location, replacing it with an Alias to the folder on the Zip drive. Zip Disk drives and USB both are not known for speed. When I press "Backup Purchases," however, the GUI updates immediately: the scroll bar scrolls, the buttons are disabled, and the "Building database..." label appears. There is no perceptible hang. If anyone can reproduce Bruce's problem, please let me know. Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-02 15:45:49
|
On Monday, August 2, 2004, at 11:22 AM, Bruce Gerson wrote: > After about 10-15 seconds (I'll time it later today), I eventually see > "Building database..." and the barbershop pole in the progress bar. > > [...] > > The Purchased Music list is only 78 songs totalling 297MB. The iTunes > Music Librayr.xml file is 15.4MB currently. Possibly, the delay is > due to the iTunes folder residing on an external drive (which is > fast). Oh boy! That's awfully strange! The scrolling should begin almost immediately. Is anybody else having this problem? Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-02 15:08:51
|
On Monday, August 2, 2004, at 10:27 AM, Bruce Gerson wrote: > It's not reading it that quickly. I am running on a 1.25GHz PowerBook > with 768MB of RAM. What is I see is a long pause (10-15 seconds) > immediately after click the Backup Purchases button. I see the drive > which has the iTunes folder being accessed during this time. Then, > the progress bar fills up as iTmsBackup indicates the action. During that long pause, you do see the words "Building database..." and the progress bar scrolling like a barbershop poll though, don't you? By the way, about how big is your "Purchased Music" playlist. Mine is small: 57 songs at 215.2 MB. I expect that parsing the XML file will take much longer with more music. Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-02 13:16:24
|
Gentlemen, I have made the bug fix for the bug Bruce found and uploaded the new version to Sourceforge. I have changed nothing else for version 0.8.1. I should have found this bug myself during testing, and I'm sorry I did not. I keep forgetting that Cocoa does not really have support for old-style Macintosh Alias files. Fortunately, I had discovered this a while back and had written some code to handle Aliases. I've incorporated the code (MDAliasWrapper) into the application. There should be no problem now. Bruce made couple of suggestions, which I've included below: > 1. Have some indication that iTmsBackup is reading the XML file. > Basically, it appears as if nothing is happening. > > 2. Align the left side of the progress bar with the left side of the > Backup Location well. I'm wondering, does the application read the XML file so quickly now that those of you with fast machines aren't seeing the progress bar scroll and the "Building database..." label? I still see it on my machine (iMac 800 MHz), but it's dropped from about 6 seconds duration to 1 or 2. Also, the progress bar and the Backup Location well align on my machine. However, the NSBox that I am using appears different on Jaguar than it does on Panther. I think what I'll end up doing is changing the NSBox to the inset appearance (the default on Panther) and lining it up. That way it will appear consistent from Jaguar to Panther. Happy testing! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-01 17:22:37
|
On Sunday, August 1, 2004, at 01:04 PM, Bruce Gerson wrote: > My iTunes folder in Music is an alias to the actual folder residing on > a different volume. ITmsBackup should follow the alias but it's > apparently not doing so. Shit! I'll take a look at that and have a fix by tomorrow. Then I'll release 0.8.1. Thanks! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Bruce G. <br...@bs...> - 2004-08-01 17:04:55
|
I believe that we had a discussion about this issue prior to 0.7 but it's an issue again. My iTunes folder in Music is an alias to the actual folder residing on a different volume. ITmsBackup should follow the alias but it's apparently not doing so. Bruce -- Bruce Gerson (818) 994-8686 BSG Solutions iChat/AIM: bgerson Certified Member, Apple Consultants Network |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-01 17:00:59
|
Begin forwarded message: I forgot to CC this to the list, so I'm forwarding it now. > On Sunday, August 1, 2004, at 12:32 PM, Bruce Gerson wrote: > >> Can the window be made to size smaller than it currently is? If the >> path is too long for a window, one can scroll through it and the >> progress bar doesn't need to be so long. I just want as little >> screen real estate being used as possible. > > Fair enough. I'll incorporate that into the next version. > > Mario > > ======================================================= > Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 > 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 > Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... > ======================================================= > Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X > ======================================================= > |
|
From: Bruce G. <br...@bs...> - 2004-08-01 16:32:25
|
Can the window be made to size smaller than it currently is? If the path is too long for a window, one can scroll through it and the progress bar doesn't need to be so long. I just want as little screen real estate being used as possible. Bruce -- Bruce Gerson (818) 994-8686 BSG Solutions iChat/AIM: bgerson Certified Member, Apple Consultants Network |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-08-01 14:51:01
|
Greetings,
I have released 0.8 this morning. The full release notes are here:
http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=257396
Most important for us is the change in the GUI. The application now
finds the "iTunes Music Library.xml" file automatically.
That XML file must be in the same directory as the "iTunes 4 Music
Library" file (which is what iTunes actually uses). Both of these files
are generated anew each time iTunes quits.
If the XML file is not found, the application prompts you to create a
new one by launching and quitting iTunes, incorporating an AppleScript
to do just that. Hide the file and see!
Most of you should notice that the application builds its database much
more quickly. I have replaced the Java code that used to perform the
parsing with Objective-C code. (It turned out to be much simpler in
Objective-C!)
The previous release attracted over 900 downloads! Undoubtedly this is
due to my posting the release on MacUpdate.com. I plan to post this
release there by Wednesday, after we have had a chance to test this
release ourselves.
Also, we picked up two additional beta testers, both of whom are from
Germany. The one, Joachim ("Achim"), was instrumental in helping me
track down a bug that left non-English localizations unable to parse
the XML file correctly. That bug has been fixed for this version.
Have fun testing, and please let me know what you think (good and bad).
I'm going to be working on the code to implement automatic scheduling
of backups, which will be incorporated into release 0.9.
Mario
=======================================================
Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428
50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989
Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma...
=======================================================
Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X
=======================================================
|
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-07-22 14:25:17
|
Hi, I just posted a link to the project at MacUpdate.com: http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15476 In the first hour there were 39 downloads, and by the second hour there were 71! I just wanted to share the good news about the interest in the project. I have rewritten the parsing code in Objective-C. The increase in performance (building the database) is very noticeable. It will be included in the next release. This removes all Java code, including the Apache libraries. I'm leaning towards redesigning the interface and getting the iTunes Music Library.xml file automatically, prompting the user to locate it only if the application can't. If there are any reservations concerning this idea, let me know. I am also warming up to the idea of implementing scheduling for automatic backups in time for the 1.0 release. I'm going to begin working on that today to see if I can accomplish this in a timely manner. Keep up the good work, guys! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-07-21 14:13:41
|
Greetings,
(Note: What follows is long and perhaps mildly tedious, so you may want
to flag this e-mail to read later! Basically, I'm thinking about
simplifying the GUI for the reasons that follow and asking for
feedback.)
I was wondering some days back about the "iTunes Music Library.xml"
file, and whether it will always be at the same location. If it is, I'm
not sure it's a good idea to ask the user to set the location. Anyway,
I think I've gotten to the bottom of this. Understanding the
explanation requires understanding the distinction between a Macintosh
Alias and a Unix soft-link.
It seems that the XML file is dependent on the file named "iTunes 4
Music Library" (which I will hereafter refer to as the "DB" file).
iTunes looks for the DB file at "~/Music/iTunes/" at startup. The DB
file must be located there, or alternately a soft-link to the file must
be at that location. If neither is there, iTunes will open with no
songs, just like when it launches for the first time on a new
installation. When iTunes quits, it will write a DB file and and XML
file.
Here comes the important part: The XML file will be written to the same
folder as the DB file. If the DB file at "~/Music/iTunes/" is a
soft-link, the original DB file will be updated and the XML file will
be written to the same location as the original DB file.
The DB file in "~/Music/iTunes/" cannot be an Alias. (Try it and see!)
Just for the record, if the DB file is a hard-link, iTunes treats it as
an original (which is understandable).
I think it will be only in very unusual setups where the DB file in
"~/Music/iTunes/" will be a soft-link and not simply the original.
Therefore, I think the application should be redesigned to find the XML
file automatically. Here is my reasoning for how this will work.
The XML file will almost always be in "~/Music/iTunes/". If a soft-link
to the DB file is present (and the XML file is not), the application
can follow the soft-link and look for the XML file in that folder. If
either the DB is not present, or is present as a soft-link, but the XML
file is not present in the same folder as the original DB, the
application can alert the user, prompting him or her to launch and quit
iTunes, which will then create an XML file. (I may be able to cycle
iTunes from within the application via AppleScript.)
(My apologies if this is more technical than anyone is interested in
reading!)
The new GUI could be simplified. I've posted a draft of it here:
http://itms-backup.sourceforge.net/iTmsBackup-GUI-revised.jpg
My understanding is the Human Interface Guidelines supports reducing
superfluous actions for the user. I don't think the new interface is
more confusing than the old, but if any of you think so or have some
other comments, I would be happy to hear them.
Mario
=======================================================
Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428
50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989
Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma...
=======================================================
Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X
=======================================================
|
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-07-21 01:00:33
|
On Tuesday, July 20, 2004, at 08:38 PM, Keith Cappello wrote: > Panther 10.3.4 - Dual 2 GHz 1GB RAM 160GB SATA drive Wow! Santa came to somebody's house this year -- show off! ;-) > I also had an apple script that takes what song I am listening to and > makes it my iChat status. > http://www.malcolmadams.com/itunes/ > Just after I started up the iTMSBackup my whole machine locked up. > Did not even get the crash screen saying I needed to reboot. Just > had to power down and start over again. Okay, now in all seriousness, is the crash repeatable? I have had an intermittent crash (very infrequent though, and not repeatable) when running the app via ProjectBuilder, mainly when I push the GUI's buttons as fast as I can, without waiting for the app. I've never had it happen with the deployed application. If your crash isn't repeatable, we are not going to be able to worry about it. > One question I have is, is there a problem if an apple script like > that is working where it makes calls to iTunes, will it interfere with > the app? I don't think so. The application doesn't interact with iTunes directly; it only uses the XML file iTunes generates. I believe the only time iTunes touches the XML file is when it's quitting, and perhaps only if iTunes' database has changed. > I have purchased new songs since then, and as far as i could tell by > the speed of the backup it only did an incremental backup of my new > songs. Right! It performs incremental backups. > Is there anything I can do to cause any errors? I wrote a document "Guide to beta testers" that can be accessed from the project page's "Docs" link. There are several tests in there that will generate errors. > On the icon. Looks cool. One suggestion if any would be to add the > same like little lock symbol on it, just like the one that appears on > the m4p files only a little bigger. I think that's a great idea, but one of the guys on the list has offered to tweak the icon, and I'm willing to leave any improvements in his capable hands. Thanks, Keith! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Keith C. <drd...@ma...> - 2004-07-21 00:39:04
|
Hello Everyone, Just got the new build and I had the following up and running at the time of starting it up: Panther 10.3.4 - Dual 2 GHz 1GB RAM 160GB SATA drive X11, Activity Monitor, Web Server, Safari, Mail, iChat, Address Book, Folding@Home, DVD Player(Matrix:revolutions), Word 2004, MP3 Alarm Clock 2.2, gnump3d, and of course iTunes. I also had an apple script that takes what song I am listening to and makes it my iChat status. http://www.malcolmadams.com/itunes/ Just after I started up the iTMSBackup my whole machine locked up. Did not even get the crash screen saying I needed to reboot. Just had to power down and start over again. One question I have is, is there a problem if an apple script like that is working where it makes calls to iTunes, will it interfere with the app? After rebooting I did a backup to the directory where I had performed pervious backups with older versions. I have purchased new songs since then, and as far as i could tell by the speed of the backup it only did an incremental backup of my new songs. A whole 5 seconds. So that worked perfectly. Deleted that directory and started again. Once again it ran just perfectly. I would have to say that this version is much better. Did not receive any errors. Is there anything I can do to cause any errors? I lost my firewire drive last week, so I cant do a backup to it. I could use my iPod, but would rather not as it has taken me a long ass time to get my playlists in order and out of 30GB there is only 100 or so Mb left on it. Wish I got a crash report when my machine died on me the first run threw. On the icon. Looks cool. One suggestion if any would be to add the same like little lock symbol on it, just like the one that appears on the m4p files only a little bigger. Looks like it could fit into the space to the left of the musical note. Not sure what else to say on this round. If anyone has any questions, I am almost always on iChat as drdidg24. Ciao and Peace out! -Dr.Didg "The problem with life is that there is no background music!" ;-) |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-07-20 16:51:32
|
Gentlemen, I've released beta version 0.7 just a few minutes ago. I've been running all the tests that I've included in the "Guide to beta testing" document, and I encourage you to test the application when you have the chance. Aside from testing, I'm looking for feedback on the icon, and more importantly the error messages. As you can read in the release notes, I've begun to add support for localization. At some point (when the application gets close to its final release), I'll advertise for translators. Perhaps version 1.0 will only be in English, but I will add foreign language support when I can. (I did a search on Google for "iTmsBackup" and found sites in Danish, German, and one or two other languages that referred to it. Basically, I think they just mirror releases posted on Sourceforge and Freshmeat. I can't be sure if non-native speakers of English are using the application, but I'm willing to localize it if I get native speakers willing to write translations.) Thursday, I am thinking of submitting news of the release to MacUpdate.com. This is what I meant when I said I was looking to promote the application to a wider audience. Hopefully we can garner feedback from a wider audience and maybe pick up an additional beta tester or two. It's important that if you get the chance to take a look at the application before Thursday that you do so and report any issues back to the list, before I throw it into a bigger pond than it has been in up to now ;-) Thanks! Mario ======================================================= Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428 50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989 Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma... ======================================================= Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X ======================================================= |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-07-19 18:19:18
|
On Monday, July 19, 2004, at 01:56 PM, Bruce Gerson wrote:
> Are you saying that having an alias doesn't matter and it's still
> written to ~/Music/iTunes or that it will follow the alias?
I just tested this by moving my folder at ~/Music/iTunes to another
location, replacing it with an alias. (The "iTunes" file at ~/Music is
now an alias.) This is something like how yours is set up, no?
If I delete the XML file, it is created after I quit iTunes. iTunes
creates it at ~/Music/iTunes. (That's what I mean it doesn't matter: it
follows the alias.)
Now, my normal setup is actually a little different than yours. A
standard setup has the music library folder here:
~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music
I've moved my music library folder -- telling iTunes in its Preferences
-- to another volume. It is located here on my machine:
/Aer/iTunes Users/mariox19/iTunes
As long as I tell iTunes in its Preferences, I don't need an alias
located at "~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music" pointing to this location.
iTunes finds it on its own.
Now, if I put the iTunes database file on the other volume -- at the
same level as "/Aer/iTunes Users/mariox19/iTunes" -- iTunes won't find
it. It seems the database must exist in the folder:
~/Music/iTunes/
Mac OS will find it, though, even if any part of that path is an alias
-- as long as the file itself is not an alias. (Try it!)
In any case, the XML file will be created if necessary at the path:
~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music Library.xml
Either the "Music" or the "iTunes" folder could be aliases.
So, I'm thinking, maybe it's a good idea to have iTmsBackup assume the
XML file exists, prompting the user to launch and quit iTunes in the
rare instance that it doesn't.
It's a departure from the application as it is now, so I want to think
this over carefully.
Mario
=======================================================
Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428
50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989
Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma...
=======================================================
Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X
=======================================================
|
|
From: Bruce G. <bru...@ma...> - 2004-07-19 16:53:14
|
On Jul 19, 2004, at 9:44 AM, Mario Diana wrote: > I'm working on release 0.7. I have a question I want you all to double > check. In iTmsBackup's GUI I have the user choose the "iTunes Music > Library.xml" file. Now I'm thinking that that file, including its > location, is hard-wired into iTunes. I don't believe that it's hard-wired into iTunes but iTunes knows to look for it at the same level as the "iTunes Music" folder. For instance, on my setup, in ~/Music is an alias to the iTunes folder which resides on another drive. The ENTIRE iTunes folder with the iTunes Music Library (database), iTunes Music Library.xml and the iTunes Music folder. Bruce -- Bruce Gerson iChat/AIM: bgerson |
|
From: Mario D. <mar...@ma...> - 2004-07-19 16:44:58
|
Hi,
I'm working on release 0.7. I have a question I want you all to double
check. In iTmsBackup's GUI I have the user choose the "iTunes Music
Library.xml" file. Now I'm thinking that that file, including its
location, is hard-wired into iTunes.
I believe that that file must be at the following location:
~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music Library.xml
I don't see any way in iTunes to change the location of that file
(though you can change the location of the "Music Folder" under the
Advanced tab of Preferences).
If that's the case, then the GUI should omit that choice.
Please, everybody, take a look to see if I'm correct and chime in with
your verdict.
On another note, I ended up designing an icon for the application. You
can find it here:
http://itms-backup.sourceforge.net/icon.png
Let me know if it sucks!
The new release will use the icon, and have updated error messages
conforming to the Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines. I may end up
redoing the interface depending on the consensus to my above question.
Thanks again!
Mario
=======================================================
Mario Diana Mobile: 845-380-8428
50 Forest Drive Home: 845-221-3989
Poughquag, NY 12570 Email: ma...@ma...
=======================================================
Programmer - Web development, Java, XML, LAMP, Mac OS X
=======================================================
|
