[DVP] Bad news

[MBH]

Game2 and Game3 were much better (IMHO) especially when Bunnylump started linking the YouTube pointers into Game3

I've just posted a thread for the Admin guys to see if we can download any large lumps of data. I know that I'd like my PMs - don't know if anyone else needs anything before the database is wiped??

[Bunnylump]

Ah, now I can't take credit for that. I think it was BassBloke who started doing the links and then one of you (in fact I believe it was my favourite twin metal ox) showed me how to do url links. I would quite like some chunks from DVP before it disappears, just for old time's sake. I was re reading the "Austrian Smoked" thread again and it made me laugh all over again.

[SparkOut]

Before the forum vanishes........

Is there any way of triggering a Data Export (flat text, or ideally CSV) from Threads, or more particularly Private Messaging? Another forum I use was this as a standare PM facility.

Amongst the random chat (of which there is a great deal) there are a number of things that would be useful to me - some of which I've probably forgotten (so can't even search for them).

A CSV from the Inbox and Sent would be ideal, as they could be pulled into Excel and merged (or kept seperate) as the owner wanted.

For those who are asking "What's a CSV file" - if DVP can't create it, then in doesn't matter

There may be a few favourite threads that some members might want to preserve as well

I don't think it would be a good idea to post over there, because it might be taken the wrong way (not that there is anything wrong with what I'm looking at doing) but for part of this afternoon I was geeky stuff, nothing to see here, move along please at DVP, and I would propose that if people want their PMs saved, this is possible, and I could write something that copies all the pages in your PM list to a folder on your computer that you tell it. You could use the Inbox and Sent Box lists to view them, just the same as you do online. This wouldn't be the same as exporting to CSV, but will probably be more simple and what you're used to. Anyone else who wants to do something to convert the html files to collect them into a csv listing is welcome! Work in Progress at the moment. Anyone interested?

[Bunnylump]

Well I might be if I understood what you just said.

[Looby]

If I have understood correctly what you said - then yes please. It must be quicker than cutting and pasting each one individually!!

[LAT]

Me too please. I know a lot are gibberish but some defintely contain stuff I would like to keep and at least I could sort them at leisure.

[MBH]

Sounds interesting (obviously) - PM me if you want to avoid confusing the girls , but are you using a well known tool or something sneaky? [Remember - the 'internet' is NEW technology as far as I'm concerned - but if you have a way into the raw data of a forum I'd love to know how]

[SparkOut]

The DVP PM dowloader has been tested a few times, and should be usable by all PC users.

To use it:

1. Make a new folder in your "My Documents" (or "Documents") folder called DVP (or something suitable that you can remember, if you already have a DVP folder there).
2. Click this link http://www.maroonraccoon.com/clips/DVPdownloaderSE.exe and save the file to your machine, storing it in the DVP folder you just made.
3. Use "My Computer" or "Windows Explorer" etc to browse your machine to find the DVP folder you made.
4. Double-click the DVPdownloaderSE.exe file and answer yes to any prompts about whether you want to run it.
5. This will extract the application files inside - it should automatically put the current folder as the destination - please specify the DVP folder you made as the location to which to extract the files if it is not already shown.
6. Inside the DVP folder you should now see another two icons - a folder called "Externals" (which you can ignore) and a file called DVPdownloader.exe which should have an icon looking like the DVP rose.
7. Double-click the DVPdownloader.exe file and say yes to any prompts about whether you want it to run.
8. When it is open, you should see a space with a button next to it, asking for the destination.
9. Click the "Browse" button and select the DVP folder you made as the destination.
10. Enter your DVP username and password in the boxes below.
11. Press the "Import PMs" button.
12. The application will make a new set of folders inside the DVP folder you made (starting with JForum-2.1.6 and then several other folders and files inside that one) which hold all the little images and files which make the web pages work, so that your offline PMs will look pretty much normal when you view them.
13. The application will do its merry stuff chuntering away on the web and downloading the PMs. This could take quite a while - depending on how much you have in the PM folders. It took my computer several minutes for 1250 messages.
14. Once it has finished, close the application.
15. Browse using "My Computer" or "Windows Explorer" etc inside the DVP folder to JForum-2.1.6. Inside that folder you will see a "pm" folder. Go inside the PM folder and you will see the inbox and sentbox list pages. Double click either of those, and you will see a page that looks pretty much like the list you would get if you were logged into to DVP online. You can then click a link in the list to open any of the PMs (which are stored in the "Read" directory inside the PM folder) or use the Inbox or Sentbox links at the top of the page to switch, just like normal. (Since you're viewing the "web pages" on your machine rather than a web server, you may get a security warning asking whether you want to allow the scripts and active content to run. Say yes.)

If you wanted to, you could add the inbox.htm page to your favourites or bookmarks list, or using "My Computer" (etc) right click and send to desktop (create shortcut). That's up to you. If it can connect and download all the PM messages in one go, you should only ever need to run this application once. Once it has run, all the PMs should be available on your computer for posterity.

There are still "most" of the links and buttons on the pages, but they obviously don't work (no deleting or going to other links like user profiles is possible).
Also there are a million "smilies" with obnoxious url strings that can't be imported automatically, so any smilies in the messages will just show an empty image placeholder box instead, I'm afraid.

Let me know how you get on! Feel free to be pleased, but don't beat me up too badly if it doesn't work.

[MBH]

Very VERY impressive - well done.

Worked perfectly, and with the standard Windows 'Search' or 'Find Files' facilities you can look for messages with words you know are in them.

Reading through your PM to me, I know fine well there is nothing magical in here - but because of the way I've 'learned' over the years (Hands on - project based - seeing it done then doing it myself) I can't get a handle on it. I'm having a word with my mate on the Martial Arts website to see if I can go down and look over his shoulder as he makes some changes... that will give me the groundwork for something like the LiveHeaders display to make sense to me.

You've promped me into a number of wiki-based investigations (starting with RAD tool) and I've found that I'm permenantly embedded in 'Waterfall Based' development The thing is - when you do all the parts yourself it works!!!

Thanks again - you've given me lots to think about.

[giraffe]

What a good job I delete my pms! (Takes to long to get into them if there are lots) Not very much of that made sense to me. ( The problem being with my brain rather than your program)

[Scurra]

I have to admit that I imposed a storage restriction for PMs on here, because I knew that otherwise they'd mostly just pile up in people's boxes and take up space.

Not that some people haven't already found ways around that restriction

[SparkOut]

How could anyone find a way round the restriction?

[giraffe]

How do you find a way round it? I've lost some that I would have rather kept.

[kingsley]

I haven't had enough to get round the storage problem. I've never deleted any and it's about half full. Although it's not until very recently that I've been offering help. Recently I've had at least 1 new message evry time I log on.

[Cenwulf]

Have done as instructed. So far I have saved all the 'Rotas' PMs. But I deleted all the ones just for Bonus Puzzles (Rotas Bonus Puzzle, Rotas Codebreaker Plus, Clean Cup) beforehand. But that still left a lot of messages.
I don't think that the other five will have much relevant stuff.'query' will mainly be the 'President' game, 'MKC Admin' will just be the Quiz answers, 'Xeno' and 'yogi' didn't PM very much, and ')c6wj' didn't send any PMs at all.

I've been copying a lot of stuff that I want to keep into Word: New Meanings for Old Words, New Words, The Rotas Chronicle, Vidican Island, E Unus Pluribum, Cover Codes, Bottom Line Puzzles, Bash the Bestseller and a lot more. For some of these I've just copied relevant bits of the thread, e.g. in E Unus Pluribum I didn't bother with stufarq's comments which turned into a talk about alien implants.
I sill hae some stuff I haven't yet copied. I want to get the clues and songs form Name That Tune, the clues and answers from Triplets, and the Christmassy Puzzles - particularly SS's big mess-up of the Quads.

[fernando]

Although it's not until very recently that I've been offering help.

MEANIE

I however am like kingsley but I hardly have any messages in my inbox because I do the puzzles a bit slowly to help many people.

[strep98]

I've only just seen this as I have been away. Thank goodness most of my friend have made it over here. I will let williamshks know where we are as she may have a bit more time now little Isaac is a bit older.

[Bunnylump]

SparkOut
I just downloaded the oojamdoobery (and yes, I did really really really really really etc. want to) It didn't like my username and password to start with but then relented and let me do it. My computer still appears to be functioning (well, so far so good!!). Thank you so much for taking the time to make this. You're secretly another one of those clever sods, aren't you? You do such a good job of hiding that fact normally....

Seriously though, good job, and thank you again.

[LAT]

I've just done this too.

Very clever, thanks so much Sparkout.

[Bunnylump]

I just tried to get on to DVP and it said "site closed". However, following the link http://217.174.252.57/JForum-2.1.6/forums/list.page (Kindly supplied by Pebbles - thanks) I did still get in!