Data Crow

I just realized that I hadn't yet gone over those 2 ticketing modules, so I took some time to review, answer, categorize and analyze the open tickets. At the same time I tweaked some of the Bug status names, so you will see more than just 'open'. I ... [More] have an 'open-confirmed' for when it is a proven (by me mostly) bug. But if others are also finding it, and putting comments to that effect on the bug, I will take those for cornfirmation as well . I also have 'open-analyzing' for when I am doing the ongoing work actively on the bug. Status 'open' will be used for when I have read the bug ticket, but not yet started anything for it. The default status for a Create Ticket is now 'unread', so that I can find the ones I haven't even looked at yet, more easily. The Bugs have all been reviewed and are either closed, being analyzed or confirmed. I also moved anything assigned to Robert to myself, obviously . I tweaked some of the statuses for Change Requests, as well. Just moved the 'accepted' and 'pending' to 'open-accepted' (for when it is for-sure assigned to a milestone) and 'open-pending' (for when it has been analyzed and is now being planned for a milestone/release). I added an 'open-analyzing' to show that time when I am seeing what is needed to get it done in the code and into planning and acceptance states. I also added an unplanned milestone to cover all unscheduled, as yet, requests. Change ticket requests have kept their existing statuses, for the most part. I haven't pushed (m)any into accepted or planning yet, in fact, I had to roll back some of them from Robert's planning, making them now unread;just till I can get to them. Sorry about that. I will have to come back to many of those Change Requests, once I get the next minor release out with fixes for the Amazon and IMDb searchers issues. That is still my priority, along with the ongoing admin stuff, like getting the Git repo up to spec with the correct branching and working files, and confirming the code build process is functional for then next minor drop. Stacey [Less]

PayPal policies seem to accept the use of donations under a business account, as long as they get their fee, and as long as there is no claim to non-profit status - even for Open Source. So, even an Open Source project, an artist or simple blogger ... [More] can receive "donations" but PayPal will treat them as a business transaction and deduct their fee. They will not treat Donations as gifts in these cases . And trying to use a personal PayPal account and send a monetary gift or friend-to-friend money transfer, is apparently not allowed because an Open Source project is not the same as the individual behind it. Stacey [Less]

Hi folks, Happy times! The Git repository for all of Robert's source code and releases since v3.0.0 in 2007, is labeled and complete up to 4.2.2's release base, and is ready for use. So, now I can finally finish up my code fixing for the broken ... [More] Amazon and IMDb online searchers and get out that planned 4.2.3 maintenance release soon. I know it's been slow for you to watch me get all this administrative stuff in place, and there was pain on my side, for me to do it , but I have a handle on most of the support for all 3 sites now. Site backups, admin and all that stuff. I have worked out most of the build tools and environment needed, as well, so here come the good times, heh heh heh. Stacey [Less]

In case anyone noticed its absence ... I was going to change the link from Robert's PayPal account to mine, but I was seeing the some problems with their acceptable use policies when you try to open a business account. And you need a business ... [More] account for the Donate button. It seems they have trouble with Open Source projects using their button, as we don't match any of their pre-defined business or non-profit models. Maybe the policy has changed over time, but there have been problems for other Open Source projects, so I wanted to avoid any issues. I am trying to get their departments to clarify and approve Data Crow to be eligible for the business account and the Donate button. Stacey [Less]

Hi, Quick status on the Git repository setup/import/conversion effort. In order to get my planned 4.2.3 release done - the one with the promised fixed Amazon/IMDb online searchers - I was hoping to get the codebase into the Git repository here at ... [More] SourceForge, so that I could start in an organized fashion. So, I spent some time over the last week, working out how to convert the old archived, read-only Data Crow repository, with all Robert's work, up until CVS was mothballed in 2017. And about how to get his later SVN controlled changes into the newly converted Git repo here, since he moved from CVS, and had his repository locally working on his own machines. Due to warnings about how long it could take to complete, and that the time-limited SSH session that SourceForge offers might not be enough, I tried their proposal to do it offline in my Lab. CVS to Git conversion didn't work so well on a CVS repo clone that I made locally, since I needed a CVS server running at the same time and CVSNT project is now a paid/trial affair. The CVSNT-legacy would have worked, but putting CVS server up, along with the cvs2git process to run, and all the other stuff I have on my laptop, was just too slow. I didn't have another free server to hand, to use for this effort. In the end, I did it all on SourceForge's servers, crossing my fingers that the SSH session they grant us would not timeout before the process finished. The conversion worked over a few hours time, but there were hiccups along the way. There were some minor corruptions in the CVS repo, because of files existing in both the ATTIC and the code branches, so I had to do some cleanup and make another CVS clone as well, to get it to be read-write, before the conversion would fully succeed. But, good news! Data Crow's code changes, at least up till v4.1.1, are now in the shiny new Git repository on this site. See the Code tab on the tool bar at the top of the page. The refreshing seems to have finished now, so it should all be working right. Please note: ... that I am still working on the last few code branches since 4.1.1, which includes later4.1.x and the 4.2.x changes. That is in an SVN repo, offsite, so I am going to try to convert and merge them into Git over the coming week. The existing Git repository is still in flux, is what I am trying to say, so little things may still not work yet. Thanks, Stacey [Less]

The transfer of the www.datacrow.net website and domain has completed successfully to my hoster. The FossHub and SourceForge project site admin roles have also been reassigned now. The work is still proceeding on my code stabilization for the broken ... [More] searchers and my proposed minor 4.2.3 release, to bring over all Robert's work and get my build environment configured. Finding room and hardware for my test beds (Windows 7 and Linux) is taking some time while I re-shuffle my lab around. So, I am still on track to get everything stabilized for new releases. You might notice that I tweaked the Data Crow website a bit, besides doing some cleanup, and introduced some new stuff, like the last revised timestamp, so you can tell at a glance if anything changed since the last time you visited, the About section for project history and the accordian handling of the long News section to help readability. I also brought back some old sections that might become useful again, such as the Custom Modules. I am looking to see what to do about making the video tutorials available again (thanks Robert for digging them up) and bringing the screenshots and so on, up to date for v4 code. Many still show v3 release levels. And finally, I am getting the source control set up, while I go through the old SVN and CVS repos and convert them to Git. Stacey [Less]

Robert is working with me to transfer the www.datacrow.net website and domain to my hoster so this here is a notice that the website may be unstable or unreachable for a period, while the DNS nameservers reconfig and I get my side working. It can ... [More] take up to 5 days for the registrars to transfer the domain so it is unclear exactly when it will be moved and alive on my side. We are also arranging for the FossHub site transfer but that should be less problematic and impacting to the community. More likely just admin stuff behind the scenes, I think. The SourceForge site is staying where it is and should provide a stable reference point during the other upheaval. It will get little facelifts here and there, to the tools tabs, but generally stay the same for now. The work is proceeding on my code stabilization for the broken searchers and my proposed minor 4.2.3 release, to bring over all Robert's work and get my build environment configured. I am also setting up some test beds (Windows 7 and Linux) for when I get the stabilized software built. So please bear with me while this all shakes out . [Less]

Just a note to say that I (and some others) have taken up the mantle from Robert. Work is being done to produce a 4.2.3 maintenance release that will fix the Amazon and IMDb searchers that are not functioning right now. There will be a transition ... [More] period while the existing code base is assimilated into our heads/blood and the development environments get up and running. Then bugs and the various web sites will be dusted off again. Please bear with us, as we all want to see this great tool that Robert built, keep going and maybe even grow . [Less]

This is where it ends, for my part in Data Crow. I have enjoyed creating the program, giving the support, receiving both praise and also criticism. However, as must have been noticable over the past few months and years, my attention is no longer ... [More] with this project. It has taken me a good few months to reach this decision as I have always cared for this product. The software will remain downloadable, including the source. If you have an interest in taking hold of the datacrow.net domain, for the purpose of continuing Data crow, drop me a line and I'll get it arranged. I want to express my gratitude to all of you who downloaded the product and gave it a good old try. Cheers to all! [Less]

This is a small maintenance release.