Newbie guide?

[CaptainVideo]

Getting in to GB-PVR sure has put me in my place. I thought I was pretty well-versed in all things computer related, but I get a huge headache when I try to dive in to the nitty-gritty of some of the plugins.

Would it be possible for someone to write a guide or glossary for us newbies who think "xml" is simply a way Microsoft found to make "ini" files MORE confusing?

What's a schema? "Schematics" are supposed to take something complex and make it understandable by portraying it graphically. If the "Priority Recordings" schema was "simplified" my hats off to you!!

Also, how can we make heads or tails of all the plugins that seem to do the same thing, or at least have overlapping functions: PriorityRecordings, external recording manager, rectracker, deleterecordings, guide2j, CDKScheduler, and XRecord. Not only are they overlapping, but some seem to depend on others. But I'm not sure. I haven't found one place that really explains it all. The manual tries, but leaves too many questions unanswered.

Also, am I the only one who doesn't see quotes in this forum? It makes people's config files pretty hard to read. "TEST"

Thanks!

[Pioneer4x4]

I understand and appreciate your confusion and frustration. Actually it is part of what I enjoy about GBPVR. I like putzing with things, and GBPVR definately neds putzing with. Well I guess it only 'needs' it if you want the extra features of the plugins. I think a Newbie wouild be hard since everything is constantly changing, the WIKI doesn't seem to have much info on it, and searching the forums, is kind of hit or miss. But all of the info is out there, somewhere.

It would be great if you just went to the config.exe and put checks in boxes for enabling all of the 3rd party addons and plugins.

I saw your quotes fine, but I have noticed that since the new forums, a ton of quotesomethingquote stuff!

here is a test "test"

[Tulex]

I would like a guide that gets updated because:

1. When trying to find answers to problems, so much is cross referenced. I can't tell at times what is a bug, what issues have become obsolete with upgrades.

2. I'm not sure that what I am achiving is what I should expect with some of the plugins or even GB, or what I'm not getting out of them by missing something.

3. I don't seem to be able to find definitive answers on basic components. So much seems to be hit and miss per setup, but probably isn't, just being asked different ways and times.

I'm kinda picturing a page that is yellow, with that guy on front, something about dummies on it.

[KingArgyle]

What's a schema? "Schematics" are supposed to take something complex and make it understandable by portraying it graphically. If the "Priority Recordings" schema was "simplified" my hats off to you!!

A Schema for XML is a set of rules specifying the elements and attributes and what order they must come in. It also specifies the valid values and the data types for these elements and attributes. Basically it simplifies from a programming aspect the validation of the XML file. It allows the programmer to know that the XML file is coming in as they expect before they start to parse it in their application. You can get a graphical view of the schema if you download and view the Schema documentation that is included in the CDK Scheduler section of the wiki.

Also, how can we make heads or tails of all the plugins that seem to do the same thing, or at least have overlapping functions: PriorityRecordings, external recording manager, rectracker, deleterecordings, guide2j, CDKScheduler, and XRecord. Not only are they overlapping, but some seem to depend on others. But I'm not sure. I haven't found one place that really explains it all. The manual tries, but leaves too many questions unanswered.

Okay, here is a brief summary:

External Recording Manger - Pre Beta version of CDK Scheduler.
PriorityRecordings also refers to CDK Scheduler people tend to call them the one in the same because the XML file used by CDK Scheduler is PriorityRecordings.xml.

The only plugins that tend to pull functions from other plugins are: Xrecord, Guide2J, and CDK Scheduler to some extent as XRecord and Guide2J require one of it's DLLs.

There is an effort that sorta has stalled for the time being to make updating and installing all the necessary files that a Plugin may have simplier.

[CaptainVideo]

Excellent! Thanks for the overview. It makes more sense now.

Another item that would be nice is a step-by-step description of what GB-PVR does when it operates.

I recently posted a problem I've been having with the TVGuide and thought I saw a cause, or at least another symptom, in the gbpvr.mdb database. But, since I didn't know what GBPVR DID with that database I didn't know what I saw was normal.

But, this forum is very responsive and helpful. So thanks for being here!