ZapTools Updated

[UncleJohnsBand]

ZapTools has now been updated. You can download it here or from the wiki.

The wiki contains instructions for using ZapTools. The Enhanced Web Admin (EWA) for GBPVR will take advantage of the extended data offered in ZapTools for those users that use Zap2It for their EPG Source.

Note 1: The next release (build 55) of EWA will require this update if you are a zaptools user.

Note 2: Follow upgrade instructuins below or on the wiki.

ZapTools will provide the the following extended data via EWA for Zap2It users:

• Original Air Date for Programs
  
• Origianl Release Date for Movies
  
• Star Rating
  
• Repeat Indicator
  
• High-Def Indicator
  
• Cast Information - All Linked to IMDB:
  • Actors
    
  • Directors
    
  • Executive Producers
    
  • Producers
    
  • Writers
    
  • Guest Stars
    
  • Hosts
    
  • Narrators
    
  • Judges

Changes:

• ZapInterface Version 5.12 - 01/16/2007
  • Added support for the High-Def indicator.
    
  • Added support for new crew types of Narrator and Judge.
  
  
• ZapmImport Version 5.11 - 01/16/2007
  • Added support for the High-Def indicator.
    
  • Added support for new crew types of Narrator and Judge.

Upgrade Instructions: You must run ZapUpgrade_20070116 against your zapdb.db3 file for zapinterface 5.12 and zapimport 5.11 and higher.

• Unzip the zaptools.zip file to the directory where you run zapimport.
  
• Unzip the zapupgrade_20070116.zip file to the directory containing your zapdb.db3 file.
  
• Run the zapupgrade_20070116.bat file in the directory containing your zapdb.db3 file.
  • This batch file will create a backup of your existing file (zapdb.old) and add the new HD column to the DB.

[fla]

I'm trying to upgrade the XRecord plugin to the latest ZapInterface 5.12. Since the latest zapinterface requires a config file, I created a minimal sample config file by stripping down the zapimport config file. If the config file is missing, ZapInterface will now create one by copying the sample.

For example if Zap Tools is already installed by an EWA user, the sample config file would be present. If another utility or plugin uses ZapInterface, they would automatically get a config file from the sample instead of throwing an exception. The attached code implements this behavior. Note that getConfigFilePath() was returning the incorrect path different that the one used by AppSettingsReader. Was anyone using getConfigFilePath()?

Does this make sense?

2007-03-01: Removed the attachement since we went with a different solution found later in this thread.

[UncleJohnsBand]

I'm trying to upgrade the XRecord plugin to the latest ZapInterface 5.12. Since the latest zapinterface requires a config file, I created a minimal sample config file by stripping down the zapimport config file. If the config file is missing, ZapInterface will now create one by copying the sample.

For example if Zap Tools is already installed by an EWA user, the sample config file would be present. If another utility or plugin uses ZapInterface, they would automatically get a config file from the sample instead of throwing an exception. The attached code implements this behavior. Note that getConfigFilePath() was returning the incorrect path different that the one used by AppSettingsReader. Was anyone using getConfigFilePath()?

Does this make sense?

For now the zaptools library needs the config to pull in the desired gbpvr database (Access or SqlLite)....as soon as sub stops supporting Access then I will drop the config for the library and then the config will only be used by the loader program.

I will look into adding the code you supplied.....it would then be removed when SqlLite is the only GBPVR database supported.......which will hopefully be soon.

[fla]

I will look into adding the code you supplied.....it would then be removed when SqlLite is the only GBPVR database supported.......which will hopefully be soon.

I understand this is a temporary thing.

For now the zaptools library needs the config to pull in the desired gbpvr database (Access or SqlLite)....as soon as sub stops supporting Access then I will drop the config for the library and then the config will only be used by the loader program.

I'm a Zap Tools newbie so this may be a dumb question. Why does zapinterface provide an api to the gbpvr database at all? Shouldn't zapimport handle the gbpvr database access itself? If this were the case, since ZapInterface Version 5.6 has dropped support for zapdb.mdb, ZapInterface could immediatly get rid of the config file. ZapImport would need to keep it until sub dropped support for Access. ZapImport may still want to keep it for things like UseGBPVR_XML and EPG_Days_To_Download. Losing the config file for ZapInterface immediately would be great for XRecord!

[UncleJohnsBand]

I'm a Zap Tools newbie so this may be a dumb question. Why does zapinterface provide an api to the gbpvr database at all? Shouldn't zapimport handle the gbpvr database access itself? If this were the case, since ZapInterface Version 5.6 has dropped support for zapdb.mdb, ZapInterface could immediatly get rid of the config file. ZapImport would need to keep it until sub dropped support for Access. ZapImport may still want to keep it for things like UseGBPVR_XML and EPG_Days_To_Download. Losing the config file for ZapInterface immediately would be great for XRecord!

So that there was a seperation of command line application logic and straight Library functionality that could be used elsewhere if needed (i.e. xRecord). Doesn't make sense to carry around extra functionality and code if you are not going to use it.

[ww4397]

I'm not sure that this is the correct thread for this question. Please move it if it is not.

Is there any way to make Zapimport run in a "below normal" or "low" priority mode? The reason I ask is that my machine becomes a stuttering mess when Zapimport is running. Any application I use hangs for seconds at a time. When I look into Windows Task Manager, I see Zapimport is using 99% of the CPU.

Thanks.

[David]

I'm not sure that this is the correct thread for this question. Please move it if it is not.

Is there any way to make Zapimport run in a "below normal" or "low" priority mode? The reason I ask is that my machine becomes a stuttering mess when Zapimport is running. Any application I use hangs for seconds at a time. When I look into Windows Task Manager, I see Zapimport is using 99% of the CPU.

Thanks.

It shouldn't be too hard to kick off the zapimport process using the Windows start command in your batch file. You can set the priority that way.

[ww4397]

It shouldn't be too hard to kick off the zapimport process using the Windows start command in your batch file. You can set the priority that way.

Can you provide the syntax to do this? Right now I just have zapimport as a line in my PostUpdateEPG batch file. For someone like me, the more specific you can be, the better.

Thanks for the reply.

[fla]

Put this in front of the zapimport command "start /wait /low"

zapimport

becomes

start /wait /low zapimport

[David]

Can you provide the syntax to do this? Right now I just have zapimport as a line in my PostUpdateEPG batch file. For someone like me, the more specific you can be, the better.

Thanks for the reply.

I should have included the syntax, but I see fla did it. I figured that I should look at my postEPGUpdate.bat file before I got too specific. That would have to wait until I got home.