feature requests

Accessing MCP from your iPod (Comic Book Forums)

  • Accessing MCP from your iPod

Author Discussion
  • Posted: June 9, 2007 10:43:07 pm
  • * This is a follow up from my other post here: http://www.mycomicpile.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2767

    I've updated my "compressed format" report utility to generate files for iPod. You can save your whole collection as notes, and check out what you have while you're in the comic store - no more printing pages of notes, and carrying them around.

    I can give the jar file to anyone who wants it, and knows how to use Java (see the other post for details) - I'm open to feature requests as well.

    As a reminder, you need to be able to export your collection as TAB delimited. If necessary, you may need to send Doughboy money.. just do it, it's for a good cause. Smile

    To create iPod notes, pass "-ipod folder", where "folder" is the name of the folder where you want the files to go (you will get one per pile by default, with an overview). All the files will be created in the target folder. Copy them all to the "notes" folder on your ipod, and you're good to go (they show up under "Extras" on the iPod menu). If you have other notes on your iPod already, you may want to put them in a MCP folder.

    The first file, called overview.txt, is a good place to start browsing.

    the other options mostly work as well: -bypublisher will do a publisher centric view instead. Note that the program is not checking the 4K limit - if you have an exceptionally large pile, the notes may be too big. If this is a problem, I can add more checks later.

    You can email me at whicken (at) gmail (dot) com if you want a copy of the jar file.

    Wendell

    Last edited June 9, 2007 11:55:09 pm
  • Posted: June 9, 2007 10:54:22 pm
  • This is the single most useful utility ever written in the entire history of humankind. Thank you, whicken!

    -RwP42
  • Posted: June 9, 2007 11:57:20 pm
  • Tip: From the iPod settings, you can add a link to Notes to the top level menu of your iPod, for quicker access.
  • Posted: June 10, 2007 8:38:40 pm
  • Thanks to RwP for some spanking good feature requests, I've got a new version which works even better.

    Seriously, if you have an iPod, this is unbelievably useful. Check it out. (Is there a better place to post this than the "General Questions" forum, where it might get missed?)

    Wendell
  • Posted: June 11, 2007 9:07:02 am
  • Would be great .... if I had a Ipod .... would it work on a Samsung ?
  • Posted: June 11, 2007 9:44:39 am
  • It's just generating text files, so if your Samsung can view text files, that would work. But you wouldn't get some of the extra niceties of the menus or links between piles, you could just take the earlier version with the compressed output and store it as a single file on your player.
  • Posted: June 11, 2007 10:38:02 am
  • If you collect comics (and if you are reading this, odds are very high that you do), and you have an iPod, you MUST have this program. 'nuff said.

    -RwP42
  • Posted: June 11, 2007 11:17:58 am
  • I'm going to check if it works on my Samsung and get back to you.
  • Posted: June 15, 2007 8:01:34 am
  • Ok, I'm going to need the dummies version of how to use the program. I've downloaded the program, and exported my inventory to my desktop. I understand how to use the command line, but I have a few questions:

    Where do the program and my tab delimited file need to live?
    Do I need to have my iPod synced when I run the program?
    Where does the output file go when I run the program?
    Do I use the program to name the output file?

    I only know the most BASIC (Beginner's All Purpose...) things about programming and running stuff from the command line. I'm not sure what you mean by "Pass '-ipod folder'". Is that part of the "java -cp ComicUtil.jar ComicUtil [options] file.txt " command, or something you do separately?

    I'm really looking forward to using this. I think I just need a couple tips to understand how to use it.
    "1500 years ago, everybody knew the Earth was the center of the Universe. 500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat... and 15 minutes ago, you knew people were alone on this planet. Think about what you'll know tomorrow." - Agent K, Men in Black
    Find answers to CBR FAQs on my profile!
  • Posted: June 15, 2007 8:51:01 am
  • [quote:33a62e78b9="joshschr"]
    Where do the program and my tab delimited file need to live?
    Do I need to have my iPod synced when I run the program?
    Where does the output file go when I run the program?
    Do I use the program to name the output file?
    [/quote:33a62e78b9]

    The easiest way to run it is to make a new directory, let's call it c:\mcp. Copy the Jar file and your export file there. In the command prompt, make that the current directory like this:

    cd c:\mcp

    Then, you would run

    java -cp ComicUtil.jar ComicUtil -bypile -ipod=notes pile_export.txt

    This will create a folder called "notes" in the current directory. (So the path will be "c:\mcp\notes". You can copy all the files in this folder to the Notes directory on your iPod, and then they will be visible. In this case, your iPod does not need to be connected when you run ComicUtil.

    You can also put the files whereever you want if you use full paths. Here's an example of that:

    java -cp c:\thejarfilepath\ComicUtil.jar ComicUtil -bypile -ipod=f:\ipod_folder\notes c:\downloads\pile_export.txt

    Two other most likely options are are interested in currently:

    -bypublisher sorts by publisher instead of by pile
    -years adds year information to the series (it's hidden by default, just volume info appears so more fits on screen)

    Using the original example, sorting by publisher and showing years would look like this:

    java -cp ComicUtil.jar ComicUtil -years -bypublisher -ipod=notes pile_export.txt

    In my case, I use -expand -nohide... Also, you can run multiple views, and store them all on your iPod by creating a folder structure there. But those are advanced options - once you get the basics working, I can show how those work if you are interested.
24 posts • Page 1 of 3
World Community Grid Logo
ComicBookRealm.com: 72 years, 190 days, 18 hours of Run Time
Help projects like: Smash Childhood Cancer, OpenZika, Help Stop TB, FightAIDS@Home - Phase 2, Outsmart Ebola Together, Mapping Cancer Markers, FightAIDS@Home
Join World Community Grid today!
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
  • Newest
  • Band of Bards's Coins Of Judas: Same Old Song And Dance Issue # 1
  • Massive Publishing's Crashdown Issue # 2i
  • Ab3 12c Ent.'s The Nefarious Smyths Issue # 4b
  • Marvel Comics's Wolverine Issue # 46