HouseBot

Posted: **Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:42 pm**

Anyone else using the HB Weather.com theme? Since 3/16, my weather plug-in has ceased to update the various weather properties. I confirmed that my ID and key are still valid. Also, the satellite and radar JPEG files are updated. But things like temp and forecast data are not. I traced the VB script to where those properties are updated if LOADED'=TRUE. And 'LOADED' only will be true is the XMLURL is accepted by the server. In my case, LOADED is always FALSE, so the properties are not updated. I submitted a case to Meedio Support but they have not had anyone report a similar problem. Anyone else having this problem.

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:57 pm**

Others are having the same problem - See here. I'll submit a case to Meedio support, too, to let them know someone else is having the same problems and that this thread exists.

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:24 pm**

BTW, since the problem seems to be accessing weather.com over http under HoustBot only (MSXML works fine using http outside of HB, and weather.vbs works fine if the XML file is local), I did implement a very crude work-around for this problem:

First, create a script akin to this:

Code: Select all

DestFolder = "c:\Program Files\HouseBot\Config\Themes\Common\Weather\"
WeatherComPar = -YourPar-
WeatherComKey = -YourKey-
WeatherComZip = -YourZip-
Const adTypeBinary = 1 
Const adSaveCreateOverWrite = 2 

Set xml = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP") 
set oStream = createobject("Adodb.Stream") 
oStream.type = adTypeBinary

XMLURL = "http://xoap.weather.com/weather/local/" + WeatherComZip + "?cc=*&prod=xoap&par=" + WeatherComPar + "&key=" + WeatherComKey + "&dayf=5" 

xml.Open "GET", XMLURL, False 
xml.Send 

oStream.open 
oStream.write xml.responseBody 
oStream.savetofile "c:\weather.xml", adSaveCreateOverWrite 
oStream.close

...and schedule it to run via Win XP task scheduler however often you wish. This will access weather.com from outside of HB and create c:\weather.xml (or whatever file you want).

Then, modify the default weather.vbs script to reference the xml file that was just downloaded:

Code: Select all

:
Loaded = MSXML.Load("C:\weather.xml") 

If (Loaded) Then 
   SetPropertyValues 
:

It's not elegant, but it works until Meedio can fix it.

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:37 pm**

Thanks, I had already submitted a case to Meedio support last week. We've been going round and round on this. Here is their latest reply, which I havent tried yet:

I may have found an answer. What OS are you running? In any case, please edit your weather.vbs script, find the line that says:

MSXML.resolveExternals = False

and directly after that line add this line:

MSXML.setProperty "ServerHTTPRequest", true

Please let me know if that fixes your problem.

Regards,
Meedio Support

What I can't figure out is WHAT CHANGED? Nothing in my HB setup or OS. It just stopped, with the last download on 3/16.

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:45 pm**

I've been wrestling with the "what changed" issue, too, and am wondering if the timing of the breakage coorelates at all to the "evaluation period" expiring (even though they're licensed copies). Since I've been trying to fix it, I've lost track of when mine broke. Did you, perhaps, install your last version around 3/1? The eval period would have expired on 3/16 if you did....

Inquiring minds....

EDIT: I tried the fix they suggested to you, and it seemed to work. Doesn't answer the "what changed" question, though.

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:51 pm**

I'd have to research when I did register; that's a good question. Regardless, that patch I just sent you that Meedio Support suggested fixed the problem... at least here. I have no clue what it did, or why the thing stopped working (although I continued to get updated radar and Sat images).

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:58 am**

We believe the change is related to a Microsoft update. Please let us know if the fix quoted in Steve's post does not work for you.

Posted: **Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:07 pm**

Thats sorted the problem I've had from around the same date, but now the temperatures are delivered in farenheit rather than celsius as before.

Any ideas as to why, and how to change it back?

Cheers

James

HouseBot

Weather Theme

Weather Theme