Henchman Beta tester Feedback (Build: 1.5)
 

This thread is for the people that are testing EQ2 Companion to report bugs and feedback.

Testers are invite only ATM. Hopefully it will be ready for open testing soon.

Install eq2c.xml file documentation
 

Here is the documentation on the henchman.xml (setup) file for UI authors if they chose to use it.

Types of nodes and descriptions:

<option> nodes can only have <file> nodes as children.
<file> nodes can only have <include> nodes as children.
<include> nodes can only have <include> nodes as children.
<core> node can only have <file> nodes as children.

Global variables

• %customui% : Use this in the uipath property. EQ2 Henchman will substitute this variable with the users UI directory.

uipath property paths. These are just an example to give you and idea how this property works

• "": Empty string tell EQ2 Henchman to put the file into the users EverQuest II directory
• "ui\": Tell EQ2 Henchman to put the file in the EverQuest II\UI\ directory
• "ui\%customui%\": Tells EQ2 Henchman to put the file in EverQuest II\UI\CustomUI\ directory
• "ui\%customui%\images\" Tells EQ2 Henchman to put the file in EverQuest II\UI\CustomUI\images\ directory
• "ui\fonts\": Tells EQ2 Henchman to put the file in EverQuest II\UI\fonts\ directory

There is no need to worry about the language folder, EQ2 Henchman Takes it into account.

Option node perimeters:
Property description.

• filename: Is the filename used in the UI.
• mandatory: tells the app that a file has to be include in the option set. It also disallows the user from unchecking this option.
• description: is a description of the file

File node perimeters:
Property description.

• filename: the path\filename of the file in the zip. The filename will be the finename used by the UI if not a child of a option node.
• uipath: Tells the app where you want the file to be installed in relation to the EverQuest2 directory.
• default: Only used when it is a child of a option node. It tells the app that this is the option you want to use a default if the user does not select one.
• description: is a description of the file

Include node perimeters:
Property description.

• filename: the path\filename of the file in the zip. The filename will be the finename used by the UI.
• uipath: Tells EQ2 Henchman where you want the file to be installed in relation to the EverQuest2 directory.

Core node parameters:
Core is just a container node nothing more. The user will never have access to these files and they will always be installed.

Sample
You can see a working Henchman.xml file eXtremeUI for EQ2 Henchman.

New beta build ready for you guys to test out. I'll start putting it here as I am to lazy to post it in 3 places lol.. Check your PM inbox for the PW.

Ok, I moved EQ2 Companion out of it's dev directory into its own and I started seeing a strang file called iphist.dat. After doing some searching, I found out that its caused by some managed code I used to detect if a connection to the Internet is present. It is a INDY control TidIPWatch and if you don't' set the property keephistory to False it creates this file. This new build has that property set to false so you shouldn't be getting that file any longer. If you do let me know.

Small typo on eq2interface login prompt, nothing major...
"Usernam" should be Username: (see picture)

How to I close the browser that opens when I choose to "Add" and interface? What if I change my mind and choose not to add something, looks like the window only goes away if you download something? *Also how do you feel and others feel if maybe the UI installer was based off your favorites list? This way you just mark interfaces as favorites on the site and the patcher will keep them up to date instead of popping open a browser.

looking good though!

I think the favorites list could be downlaoded on first start to let the user mark those that should be kept up to date. But, say someone has several complete UI's as favorites but is only using one at a time, you should not update both and make a terrible mix out of them, so it could not be automatic. :)

Keep em commen in:)

There is a cancel button on the bottom of the add window.. *points Dolby in the direction of a optometrist* Ok ok, it is a small button I'll give you that:)

About the users favorites list; check you PM inbox.

I was thinking about the click to cure file EQ2 Companion generates today. Would it be better for it to generate the actual page it self with the buttons and all and let the user mod the side and etc. or just leave it like it is and let them load the script via the OnHoverIn event? If left like it is, the mod author can only place his button in a particular place. If I generate the page with buttons and all with the script already programmed into the OnPress of the buttons, the mod author is free to place this file any where he so desires.

I’m leaning toward and like the idea of given the mod author freedom to place the buttons any where he wants and generating the <page><button>.. .. ..</page file.

I’ll yield to you guys on this. What do you think?

I want to get this nailed down before I go ahead and code the raid click to cast class.

In my opinion just provide the spell name and nothing else (your spell1=""), then the mod author, if he wants to use your feature, can use his/her own code.

In that case the user can't create their own script.

The way it is now, they can add tell to any channel, cast one spell and put one in que, with out having to worry about if they formatted it correctly, used the correct commands, etc. EQ2 Companion does all that for them through script variables.

I suppose I could add a drop down with the 3 options and the mod author could specify what option to use..

Ok here is a rebuild where the UI's a user maintains is determined by the UI's they have added to their favorite UI's.

There is two ways you can add UI's to be maintained. Adding a UI to your favorites list or by using the Add button as normal in EQ2 Companion. Once you select yes to add the UI, it will add that UI to your favorites list here on this site..

edit:
Updated this build to include instructions how to perminantly remove the UI being deleted from being listed by EQ2 Companion.

Oh well, I guess I should stop talking then before I took a look at the current version of your program. :o

Ill try'ed to move around my chat channels when this happends.
If i press ok, the program resumes.

Seems to happends every time , 2 moves.
---------------------------

Sorry , one more :)

Happends when i start.
As you can se EQ2i page is loaded so it have access to the net.

I'll take a look at it. I did changed the controls used to display the channels. So it is very likely I missed some coding trying to access a control that is no longer used.

Do you have a firewall of some sort running? The web page you see is displayed by TWebBrowser control witch is basically a mini IE so, most firewalls will let it pass data. All other files are handled in house by tcp connections so the could be being blocked.

Ill have, only let port 80 through, thought you use HTTP :p

Ill change the setting and try again :)

It should only be using port 80. I'm glad you got that error though :P I see I need to make the error more detailed as to why the error happend.

Hi peeps,

Sorry I have made zero input here so far :o .. Been very busy elsewhere on the net trying to earn a few bucks... anyway this is what I have found...

When you load the companion the banner add loads up in a browser window "http://ads.eq2interface.com/ad-728-global.html" that was the last one I got .. (I know this has been stated before, but it didnt read like they said it was just the banner add that loaded in and nothing else)

Also you have a few typos..

EQ2 Companion settings

Check boxes 3 & 4 should read

Browser Bookmarks
Quick Character Switch

Also one major gripe...

You either need to make the height smaller or make it resizeable, as I am missing whatever is at the very bottom of the window if I have my menu bar in view in XP I am running 1440X900 @ 60 refresh and have a dpi of 120

I figure my 120 dpi is probably causing the problem..
So rather than make it detect dpi.. just set scroll bars if needed on the main container or make the whole lot resizeable .. as a suggestion..

Looking good though, nice work :)

No prob laffs. No one can blame you for making a buck:)

I'm up to like 10 add sites so far to allow. I have it set now when it tried to navigate to any where it opens up the URL in the users default browser except for adds. I've added excludes for adds but I can't keep up. I left this in so the site could still get add clicks. But I can't keep up with all the adds they are adding, so I'll prob disable it. This means there will be a blank white box where the add should be. /shrug.

Oh boy you just don't know! lol I wish there was a spell checker that wouldn't hang on the code. lol

Fixed :)


Could you post a SS so I can see what isn't scaling correctly. It should be scaling but hey we all know how should works lol..

edit:
Just set my desktop to 120DPI, and OMG.. My desktop is set to 1680x1050 and every thing is SUPER LARGE!! The only thing I see not scaling good is buttons that have more then on word in them. I'll make the autosize so the next will fit in them. But I do see what you are talking about, I'll make it so it can be resize.

Also added any url that matches the filter 'ads' will be allowed

Oh it isn't on your end.. Just got home and looked at it.. It's not getting the filelist for some reason.. Looking into it now.

New build 1.008

• Fixed EQ2MAP where it would download the filelist.
• It is now sizable to a degree.
• Fixed some scaling issues, still have some work to do on the C2C window for the bottom variable List.
• Added Raid C2C. The xml paths are incorrect as I didn't have a copy of the raid window when I coded it. But the file is correct so I'll I have to do is add the correct xml path back to the members.
• Added GroupMember0 to the Group C2C for them mods that include the Player in the group window

Found the bug whit the chat channel sorter.
When you move a channel it unselects the hilighted channel. ;)

At the EQ2MAP tab, the spelling of "Manully Update" ;)

Settings tab, "Conection settings"

Build 0.09
 

New Build 0.09

• Fixed several chat channel bugs including the ones Jnils found.
• Fixed the two spelling errors Jnils found

Here we go again :p

When i have entered the login information for Interface's this came up.
If i close and restart it reappers.

The message at the bottom get stuck.

Somehow the program managed to uncheck all the default non update files in EQ2MAP update.

Only skinnable_windowelements remained checkt :(

As you can see 13 files were unchecked.

Broke my UI :(

Back to fix my UI :)

Edit: Now i remember i got a error message before this happend , cant remeber the message, but somthing about XMLparser

Yes from some reason the XML parser does not like the name I have for eXtreme.. The irony huh? Realy you shouldn't be ever getting eXtreme in your maintained UI list because it isn't in .zip format.

What happen prop is; You got an parser error on the eq2map_listfile somewhere in the middle of it and it only created excludes for some of the files needing to be excluded. Or so I think that's what happened.

The strange thing then is that the list is still empty, i have not added anything yet :confused:

So why i get a error for extreme i don't know :(

You favorites list here at this site is empty or the UI list on EQ2 Companion is empty?

If the later; the reason is because when it loads the interface module it gets it's list of UI's from the UI's you have in your favorites here at this site. So when the build process failed to build eXtreme it removed it from EQ2 Companion's internal list. To truly remove a UI from being maintain by EQ2 Companion you have to remove it from your favorites list here at this site, from this site. EQ2 Companion can't remove files from your favorites list at this site.

Does that make any since? I think I confused myself with that lol.

If the former let me know and we'll take it from there.

Here i have EQ2MAP Poi finder and ExtremeUI in my Favorites list.
But i can't remember adding EXtremeUI to my favorites. :confused:

That explain the error.

But the Companion list is empty.

Beta Build 0.10
 

Build 0.10 Change Log:

• Beefed up the handling of EQ2MAP's filelist file. It must exists and validate with out error before it will attempt to update EQ2MAP. You can still click on the manual update button but all that will do is retry for a valid filelist file. Once it gets a filelist file that will validate successfully it will then allow you to update EQ2MAP.
• When you save Group C2C it now also create/updates a eq2ui_eq2c_C2CPlayer.xml file that can be used in the player window.
• Added blank buttons to the player and group files that authors can use if they choose. If they do choose to use them, they will have to size, add all needed properties to them.
• Changed the Node that holds the script to a Data node. Also added a NameSpaceURI to the data nodes so I can pick them out no matter what order the nodes are in. So you can not change the xmlns attribute.
• Completed the Raid C2C class.

The text don't fit :(
------------------------------------

A old one :P
I checked the EQ2MAP updater today, marked the skinnable* and plugin* files works great , tryed to abort still ok, untill i restarted the program, all files where unmarked again :(
By some reason when it has downloaded the 14 unchecked files and you press "Manually Update" it downloads the 14 files again , and again .......

Thats it for now :D
I hope im not to picky ;)

Nope, not at all jnils. Just pick away, the more you pick the more stable the software will be.

Dang it and I thought I was done with the EQ2MAP class lol.. But Your correct, its unchecking all but that one file.

What ver of Wind are you using? The way it is coded the TreeView should only take up no more the 50% of it's container. And then there is your progressbar, looks like it's anchor properties are being ignored...

Here is the way mine looks. Looks pretty much the same on My XP box also.

XP Home Edition 5.1.2600

This works for every new UI i add, but when i restart they end up like the picture.

Hi Landiin,

gave it a quick rundown, haven't test all or anything in much detail yet (lucky you :p).

That spell database is wicked!

Other comments/bugs in order of how I found them:

• Looks just like for jnils on a box with W2K3R2, but already when first starting up for those UI's on your favorites. Just like jnils said, when first adding a new UI, it looks ok. And the panels cannot be resized.
• make the window fit the eq2interface page, it is too small
• if removing an UI from the list, you get a box with a type "permintly" and it tells you something about needing to remove the UI also from the favorites at eq2interface.com. First: That UI was not on my favorites to begin with, you should check that. Second: Don't make people remove UIs from their favorites only because they do not want to use them with your program. Just save an exclude list and ignore those on the list when updating favorites.
• also include UIs not in .zip format or otherwise broken in that list. I don't want a reminder about eq2map updater not being in .zip format each time I start the program
• Conflict checking: There should be a warning to the user if there is a conflict. Right now the program downloads and installs everything and tries to do some merging. However. the user never gets told that he is just overwriting a file from another mod.
• some typos: "Legond" instead of "Legend", "inclose" instead of "enclose", "UseAbilitie" instead of "UseAbility", "additional command" instead of "additional commands", "fist" instead of "first"
• typo on Raid C2C page: button must be named "Save Raid C2C"
• Quick Char Switch does not appear to allow to add more than one char?
• Bookmarks does not appear to allow to add more than one bookmark?
• Usability: the separation of udpate and install buttons might be confusing. Maybe rename update to download, and/or ask the user whether the UI that was just updated/downloaded should be installed
• All UI tabs should get a heading like the eq2map tab, i.e. "check the files you do not want updated"
• "Add New UI" on the "Paths" tab is disabled, how do I add an alternate UI?
• If you delete a UI from the disk several things can happen:
  - if there is more than one UI folder, it will properly select the first available one.
  - of there is only one available UI folder, it will set the UI Path to the one in eq2.ini, and the dropdown to the one available folder. Those may not be consistent, and it throws and error when you try to save.
• Tabs cut the Interface names off, either make them auto-resize or show the full UI name in a tooltip
• eq2.ini files in UIs (e.g. mine) are ignored and not installed, even though they are listed and checked in the file list.
• installing ProfitUI into a folder not named ProfitUI breaks some things. Doing that with your program renames all files in the eq2 root folder beginning with ProfitUI* to [thefolderyouinstalledinto]*, breaking even more functionality!

Build 0.11
 

This was built before gm9's post it does address some of his issues already..

• If the UI isn't in zip format, you can have EQ2 Companion ignore adding it.
• EQ2MAP really save the exclude list now. So EQ2MAP should be fully functional.. *knocks on wood* You will need to delete the config file..
• Umm I forgot what else lol

Beta build 0.12
 

Build 0.12 change log:

• Changed Save Group C2C to Save Raid C2C in the raid tab.
• Added a Add and Delete button to Quick Char Switch. This functionality was already there just in *blush* undocumented keyboard short-cuts.
• Added a Add and Delete Button to Bookmarks. Again this functionality was already there but umm see above.
• Fixed and issue where if a none EQ2 Companion configured UI was replacing all occurrences of the zipped custom UI directory name with the users custom UI folder.
• Disabled being able to select a eq2.ini file to be installed.

Looking into this now, I can't reproduce this under Vista. Going to have to kick the kids off their XP box's to really give it a good test under XP OS. EQ2 Companion uses CommCtls32.dll v6 witch was v6 made available under XP. I am pretty sure W2K uses it also, I'll have to do some checking.

If the opening size is any bigger it be to big to fit on the desktop of people who play in the smallest resolution settings. You can resize or maximize it so the news page fits evenly into it.

Added in the last build. I need to add a way to remove UI's from the ignore list though..

See above

This is by design, It only merges the module files ei eq2ui_mainhud.xml. I don't plan on adding warnings on this as there is no other way, they either have to be merged or they can't use two UI's with these files in them.

There is no way to tell if the UI being installed will conflict with files already on the users hard drive. I assume they they already know they have a hot-key mod installed and if they install another one I assume they are smart enough to know the one on the hard drive will be over written.

If install is clicked from the UI List it will install every UI that has a tab. It will do module merging and check for conflicts between these UI and if it sees any will inform the user, not install any of the UIs and makes available a list of conflicts with each UI.

Windows does not provide tool-tips for TTabSheets and making the tab auto-size so the name will fit isn't a good idea as some tabs will be longer then then window will expand. I'll look into making custom tool-tip but it is low priority ATM.

This is by design, and it is for any UI that has the file eq2.ini in it. The user can enter client settings to eq2.ini in the EverQuest II tab. Merging these files can lead to belligerent eq2.ini files. So it is best to just let the user add there there then trying to programicly settle conflicts between commands.

Total Controle
 

To have total control over where your files get installed and what gets installed you need to include a file name eq2c.xml in the root of the zip file.

Here is some information on the format of the eq2c.xml file. You can see a working example in my test UI here

<option> nodes can only have <file> nodes as children.
<file> nodes can only have <include> nodes as children.
<include> nodes can only have <include> nodes as children.
<core> node can only have <file> nodes as children.

Option node perimeters:
Property description.

• filename: Is the filename used in the UI.
• mandatory: tells the app that a file has to be include in the option set. It also disallows the user from unchecking this option.
• description: is a description of the file

File node perimeters:
Property description.

• filename: the path\filename of the file in the zip. The filename will be the finename used by the UI if not a child of a option node.
• uipath: Tells the app where you want the file to be installed in relation to the EverQuest2 directory.
• default: Only used when it is a child of a option node. It tells the app that this is the option you want to use a default if the user does not select one.
• description: is a description of the file

Include node perimeters:
Property description.

• filename: the path\filename of the file in the zip. The filename will be the finename used by the UI.
• uipath: Tells the app where you want the file to be installed in relation to the EverQuest2 directory.

Core node parameters:
Core is just a container node nothing more. The user will never have access to these files and they will always be installed.

Sample

That should not be the problem. My Windows Side-by-Side repository holds the following versions:

5.82.3790.1830 / 6.0.3790.1830
5.82.3790.2778 / 6.0.3790.2778
5.82.3790.3959 / 6.0.3790.3959

gm9 did you say you was getting the same results as jnils, with the object being out of place on the UI tabs?

Beta Build 0.13
 

Build 0.13 Change Log

• Fixed a bug that would install UI files into eq2\UICustomUI\%customui%\ when the zip is meant to be unzipped into the custom UI directory. This bug was introduced when I fixed a bug with it overwriteing parts of a filenames with the users customUI directory name.