REALLY got off from what I was planning on doing today. The split is complete, the web doesn’t use ANY DB stuff anymore (Wahoo!). Instead, there’s a new internal service that just the web uses, that can be used signup and validate a new user. It was kinda a pain, but it looks like it all works ok.
One other thing I’ve been aware I needed was some kind of logging. This is mostly to be able to track what’s going on, but also to be able to eventually be able to “roll back” actions. I’ve created a new logging class that can log to the DB (well, it logs to the DB ATM, in the future that could be a file, event log, whatever). Anyway, it shows the type of msg (location, login, logoff, etc.) and if it’s a log action, the type (add, delete, view, update, etc.). I’ve just added it into the “happy” paths, but it works pretty good. I will need to scale this up and down. If I’m not having a lot of trouble on and have more users, don’t really need to see every “CanAccess” and “view” action that happens.
Oh, and this is all inside of the Location Service, so both the web and external systems will be hitting it.
Sunday, January 26, 2003
Maint
I sat down to start work on “Lists” today, but ended up splitting the project up. It’s become a real pain to have to modify the service, because it’s in the same project. As is the DB stuff. All in one thing.
So, I’ve split it into three, the DB, Service, and Web. Which is how it’s been logically for some time now, it’s just nice to have it physically split. I’ve also moved the service to AEServiceLocation\Location.asmx instead of Service\Location.asxm, and updated everything to use that. Glad no one is writing against this stuff (will they ever? Hehehe).
Oh, I also got the forums up last night, both for AE and Ratajik Software. Once I get some people using the tech, it’ll be a place to talk about it.
Now that the project is split up, I’ve decided to remove the last piece of AE Web site that has DB in it, new user registration. So the web site will use a service to do this – but not the public one. I’m going to write a “Internal Admin” one or something like that. The only deal is, it really should only ever be used by the AE Web Site, so I need to figure out a way to deal with that. I may be able to look at the incoming IP for the request, or may do something stupid like just obfuscate it.
So, I’ve split it into three, the DB, Service, and Web. Which is how it’s been logically for some time now, it’s just nice to have it physically split. I’ve also moved the service to AEServiceLocation\Location.asmx instead of Service\Location.asxm, and updated everything to use that. Glad no one is writing against this stuff (will they ever? Hehehe).
Oh, I also got the forums up last night, both for AE and Ratajik Software. Once I get some people using the tech, it’ll be a place to talk about it.
Now that the project is split up, I’ve decided to remove the last piece of AE Web site that has DB in it, new user registration. So the web site will use a service to do this – but not the public one. I’m going to write a “Internal Admin” one or something like that. The only deal is, it really should only ever be used by the AE Web Site, so I need to figure out a way to deal with that. I may be able to look at the incoming IP for the request, or may do something stupid like just obfuscate it.
Sunday, January 19, 2003
ASP Sample
Well, kinda made a breakthrough today. Nothing really big if you know that the web site is already doing this in a much bigger way, but its nice to see something else using the tech
At http://www.ratajik.com/ae/nearme.asp, I’ve written a little ASP program that uses the Web Service to get a list of locs around a lat/lon and # of miles. While I’ve done this from MFC/WFC before, this is the first time it’s been done from ASP/VBScript. I’ve released the source, to show a simple example of how to use AE. It really IS simple, and easy to use, which is what I’m going for.
At http://www.ratajik.com/ae/nearme.asp, I’ve written a little ASP program that uses the Web Service to get a list of locs around a lat/lon and # of miles. While I’ve done this from MFC/WFC before, this is the first time it’s been done from ASP/VBScript. I’ve released the source, to show a simple example of how to use AE. It really IS simple, and easy to use, which is what I’m going for.
Thursday, January 16, 2003
Search
Let’s see – added “advanced” search, which ended up being semi-hacky. Also put removed the security stuff from the sp’s (Woot! That’s one I really wanted to do – all security is now in the Service layer, which is working really well). And did some general cleanup (fonts, size, column widths, etc).
Not much big stuff to do. I think the first client I’ll be doing is actually going to be a little VB ASP page. Do something like “Show me what’s near me” or something, just a couple of fields and a button, with a simple table list on return.
Oddly enough, I’m really doing a remote web site already. Most of the time, when I’m running from home, if I’m not doing anything with the DB or service, my local web site is actually using the annotatedearth.com domain to get the web service. Kinda cool, shows that the AE web site really IS the first client.
I also am ready to physically move the DB and Service to a separate project. Adding a param or function to the service is a pain enough, without it being in the sample compile.
Not much big stuff to do. I think the first client I’ll be doing is actually going to be a little VB ASP page. Do something like “Show me what’s near me” or something, just a couple of fields and a button, with a simple table list on return.
Oddly enough, I’m really doing a remote web site already. Most of the time, when I’m running from home, if I’m not doing anything with the DB or service, my local web site is actually using the annotatedearth.com domain to get the web service. Kinda cool, shows that the AE web site really IS the first client.
I also am ready to physically move the DB and Service to a separate project. Adding a param or function to the service is a pain enough, without it being in the sample compile.
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Photo
I finished up adding a photo to a location. Works pretty well, I think. May do some more (need to preview photo when adding, and have a way to delete it). It’s a really nice feature, makes the whole thing look a LOT nice (plus it’s very cool :P)
More thoughts on doing stuff with AE - I was wondering if there's be a way to post my last loc, and Ron and Paul could do the same - and if we came withing X feet of each other, it would do alert. Seems like there's a lot of stuff that could be done in that direction. Don't know how viable that would be with a lot of users - would need to filter in some way.
More thoughts on doing stuff with AE - I was wondering if there's be a way to post my last loc, and Ron and Paul could do the same - and if we came withing X feet of each other, it would do alert. Seems like there's a lot of stuff that could be done in that direction. Don't know how viable that would be with a lot of users - would need to filter in some way.
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
Voting
Well, finished version #1 of voting, after the gym tonight. Did the db, service, and web work. Went fairly well – it’s nice to see the infrastructure handling all this new stuff. I haven’t had to make any real design or architecture changes in a while (so it’s kinda jelling, I thing. Woot!) One thing that’s still there that needs to get pulled is a *little* bit of security in the sp’s. I’ve pulled all that up to the Service layer, but the findNearLoc call still checks that the user can access the loc (by group and such), which sucks and needs to be changed.
Got www.activehost.com (and they rock so much I can’t believe it) to make a dir writeable, and I’ve figured out how to upload images. I’m a bit beat tonight, so that will probably be done this weekend (so photo’s for locs will be done).
Anyway. It’s really starting to come together, at least for the web and service layer. I have a huge amount to do still, which is daunting, but it’s nice to have at least once piece nearing completing (LOL, one year later).
Got www.activehost.com (and they rock so much I can’t believe it) to make a dir writeable, and I’ve figured out how to upload images. I’m a bit beat tonight, so that will probably be done this weekend (so photo’s for locs will be done).
Anyway. It’s really starting to come together, at least for the web and service layer. I have a huge amount to do still, which is daunting, but it’s nice to have at least once piece nearing completing (LOL, one year later).
Site up
Well, www.annotatedearth.com is up and available. Kinda nice to have the real site up. I had some initial problems with the database, but it’s all working very nicely now. I’ve been in clean-up mode on the web. Adding mapping (Yahoo, TerraServer, Mapquest links), general screen cleanup, and adding some new functionality (put in the plumbing and web page to do “my locations”). Probably want to do a pop-up on findloc, listing that, Also need to put delete in on the view location page (hehehe, needing that lot right now, trying to get clean locs in). Also am now doing sortable columns on the data grid.
I also got the user registration (email-based verification) working, put in the about, intro, and dev text.
Two big ones I’d like soon are adding a picture of a location. Still thinking about it – might put in the DB, or upload to a file. Need to see what .NET facilitates best, as I don’t want to have to screw with it much. ‘Course that also means I really need to put user limits on # of locs and picture K or something.
So, it’s going pretty good. I still need to add a new “Find Loc” (one that will search around a city/state/etc., as it’s all loc based now). Yeah, I know, that’s the point of this system, but I’m leaning towards allowing the AE web site to also be a general repository of GPS coords and info.
I’m really hoping to be done with the web (this version, at least), really soon now. I need to “fix” the MFC app, then do a C# client and a VB client. THEN on to PocketPC (99% sure that’s my next target, as I don’t want to have to muck with learning how to program the pilot right now).
I also need to get some more locations in the DB. There’s a few public repositories of locations out there, I’d like to start gathering a list of some good ones and enter them. I’ll also start getting more Columbia locs as I can.
I also got the user registration (email-based verification) working, put in the about, intro, and dev text.
Two big ones I’d like soon are adding a picture of a location. Still thinking about it – might put in the DB, or upload to a file. Need to see what .NET facilitates best, as I don’t want to have to screw with it much. ‘Course that also means I really need to put user limits on # of locs and picture K or something.
So, it’s going pretty good. I still need to add a new “Find Loc” (one that will search around a city/state/etc., as it’s all loc based now). Yeah, I know, that’s the point of this system, but I’m leaning towards allowing the AE web site to also be a general repository of GPS coords and info.
I’m really hoping to be done with the web (this version, at least), really soon now. I need to “fix” the MFC app, then do a C# client and a VB client. THEN on to PocketPC (99% sure that’s my next target, as I don’t want to have to muck with learning how to program the pilot right now).
I also need to get some more locations in the DB. There’s a few public repositories of locations out there, I’d like to start gathering a list of some good ones and enter them. I’ll also start getting more Columbia locs as I can.
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