Newbie Question: Plugins / ID

S

Soloist

New member
Hi everyone,

I just bought a 634 LCD, it's great! I'm now starting to work with the cc2 (20050724) plugins and try to get them working.

I tried to search thru the forum and website but can't find a "newbie guide" on plugins.

As far as my guess goes, cc2-config\screens are definition of how a plugin shows the content/data on the LCD, and the ini and dll files in cc2-service are the actual plugin and config files.

However, I'm not able to get a deeper understanding after going thru the plugin_info. I've been struggling with this for a couple of days and can't get a clue, so I'm asking these newbie questions hopefully someone can show me the way.

Q: I think the ID (id_group0x) are supposed to be generated by a random # generator, but what is their use? Where do they reference to? What's the significance?

Q: I'm trying to work with the basic plugin (textfile), what are the differences between cc2_textfile and cc2_textfile2, I see both dll in the cc2-service folder.

Q: What are those:
id_group00=3895042009
id_group01=646141004
id_group02=1853751063
id_group03=3946721351
supposed to mean?

Q: I'm trying to get the textfile plugin to read form a local file c:\\lcd.txt, but no matter what the LCD just display [E01] which is the error code.

Here's my ccw_textfile2.ini modified from the original file:
[regex00]
id_group00=1082350102
update_time=1000
file_name="c:\\lcd.txt"
line_num=1
match_num=0
regex=".*"

[regex01]
id_group00=682728023
id_group01=2559330917
id_group02=2059939252
id_group03=1737235862
id_group04=1699563048
line_num=0
match_num=0
regex="(?is)(.*?)\\n(.*?)\\n(.*?)\\n(.*?)$\124\\n"



And here's a part of the log:
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE log_start: Logging started
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE timer_calibrate: timer ticks/sec: 3579545.0000
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section found: regex00
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_key: key found: regex00->id_group00
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex00->id_group00 = 1082350102
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group01
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group02
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group03
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group04
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group05
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group06
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group07
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group08
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group09
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group10
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group11
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group12
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group13
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group14
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group15
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group16
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group17
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group18
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group19
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group20
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group21
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group22
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group23
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex00->id_group24
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_string: value found: regex00->file_name = "c:\lcd.txt"
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex00->update_time = 1000
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex00->line_num = 1
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_string: value found: regex00->regex = ".*"
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex00->match_num = 0
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section found: regex01
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_key: key found: regex01->id_group00
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex01->id_group00 = 682728023
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_key: key found: regex01->id_group01
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex01->id_group01 = 2559330917
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_key: key found: regex01->id_group02
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex01->id_group02 = 2059939252
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_key: key found: regex01->id_group03
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex01->id_group03 = 1737235862
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_key: key found: regex01->id_group04
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_dword: value found: regex01->id_group04 = 1699563048
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group05
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group06
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group07
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group08
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group09
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group10
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group11
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group12
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group13
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group14
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group15
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group16
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group17
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group18
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group19
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group20
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group21
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group22
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group23
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section/key not found: regex01->id_group24
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_string: value not found: regex01->file_name
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_read_string: value not found: regex01->url
Thu 8 10:16:17 ERROR load_settings: invalid file-name or url for section "regex01", ignoring section
Thu 8 10:16:17 NOTICE ini_check_section: section not found: regex02


-----

What am I doing wrong? I keep adding new sections like [regex02], [regex03]...., [regex10], but the log file shows that the plugin keep asking for the next number.

I'm lost, could someone please help?

Also, if there is some documentation or guide explaining on the plugin and how a normal one is supposed to be contructed, that'll be great. I'm not a programmer and my attempt to understand the SDK doesn't really help.

Thanks in advance, and very sorry for the long post.

Sol.
Crystalfontz LCD Blog
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S

Soloist

New member
Thanks, downloaded it.

Copied jc_text_file-txt2.2004 in C:\Program Files\CrystalControl2\cc2-service

Copied the sample txt file to c:\gifs

Configured CC2 accordingly.

Now on the LCD I got 4 lines instead, centered, with [E01] on each line.

My cc2_textfile2.ini file is the same as the original one. What should I put in there?

Sorry, I'm very lost. Getting frustrated. How do I learn and understand more about these? Anything I can read up on?

Thanks again.
 
J

jc634

Administrator
Soloist said:
Thanks, downloaded it.

Copied jc_text_file-txt2.2004 in C:\Program Files\CrystalControl2\cc2-service

Copied the sample txt file to c:\gifs

Configured CC2 accordingly.

Now on the LCD I got 4 lines instead, centered, with [E01] on each line.

My cc2_textfile2.ini file is the same as the original one. What should I put in there?

Sorry, I'm very lost. Getting frustrated. How do I learn and understand more about these? Anything I can read up on?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
I understand your frustration. Once you get the hang of it, most of it is actually quite simple. The GUI config is in the works, which will take away the rest of your frustration.

One question I have is you state that the cc2_textfile2.ini file is the same. After you add the screen and restart CC2, CC2 shoud have modified this file.

Anyway...

1st, you never (*almost* never) have to deal with the .ini files. CC2 handles these files. So...

#1: Open the CC2 Configuration Screen and delete my sample screen.
#2: Restart CC2.
#3: Run a program in the cc2_service directory called ini-cleaner.exe. This removes any *junk* from your .ini files.
#4: Add my sample screen back.
#5: Restart CC2 again.

Hopefully, at this point, the screen should work. If not, zip and upload these files here and I will look at them:

cc2_textfile2.ini
cc2_service.ini
cc2_service.log

From these files, I will be able to see what errors are occuring.

About the only thing else I have to say is: Hang in there. CC2 can be very frustrating at first, but once you get the hang of adding and modifying screens, you will find out how very powerful this program is. Look thru the User Screens forum, and ask lots of questions. I, or someone else, will be able to help.

By the time you understand how to edit screen files, the GUI will probably in place, and your frustrations will be behind you.

Jim
 
S

Soloist

New member
Thanks a lot, Jim. By following your instruction it is working now!

Knowing not having to touch the ini files really help, as I thought that is the config file so I have to fiddle with it.

When I said the same ini file, I made a copy of the original ini file, and keep copying when I want to start fresh (which is totally wrong after understanding it).

Thanks again Jim! This is much better now!
 
S

Soloist

New member
One more question, how can I modify the screen files so that the texts are left aligned instead of centered?

Thanks again.
 
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