ASM Community

Was just wondering if you like the program or had any thoughts? I'm almost ready to make it read the full site and produce a chm based on it.

Actually, that would always be the better solution. But, if we want the file to be current, or have the ability be updated, it's better this way. If the database schema changes or if for some reason I don't recieve the new one, then how does it get updated? This way, as I have it working now -- almost complete it just scans the web site. At best, we can create the chm like this and distribute it. That way, it doesn't depend on the layout of a database which may change. Even tho, the format of a web page can and does change also. It's minimal work to change the regular expressions to identify everything in a web site. No programming. A database difference, requires programming and maintenance. The program is scriptable and in an object model now.

Application
 +- 
 |    +- Forum
 |        +- 
 |             +- Message
 |
 +-  (Regular Expressions)
 |    +- Expression
 |
 +- Archive

That's just the core engine. Then there's an interface on top of it, which doesn't have to be used. Any VBScript program can use the library. Each knows how to update itself, and view itself either online or off depending on a flag being set true or false. Each also will only update what's new and not anything else. Only the first time it will get them all. The dates reflected are the dates of last post. It's real purpose, is to archive the message for offline viewing if necessary. As such, have the ability to archive to CHM upon request, or not. It's also easier to scan links and formatting tags in HTML than in the database. Anyway, it's almost ready... perhaps later today or tomarrow it'll be usable. _Shawn

the best solution would be this IMO: the messageboard consists of topics and messages, the program can call an asp page giving it the highest topicID and the highest messageid it has. The asp page then just returns data the offline archiver doesn't have yet. can be in XML maybe?

That works... could we do this: where it says http://www.hiroshimator.com/asmcommunity/messageboard/stream.asp?show=false ... after /stream.asp?... could we specify a date, like .../stream.asp?show=true&date=3_17_2001_4_31_pm or something that allows you to specify the date and time of the last time you updated then it only returns info new than that (er, starting with that, incase something else was posted in that same minute). Then, when they download it, we could potentially provide them with the messages that are here already so they all won't have to download them all on the first try. Just update as they see fit. That would work. Since that's XML, this will work much more nicely than the regular expressions I was using. This sound good? Thanks, Shawn

Shawn. Thanks for your efforts but I coded an offline browser that updates via the site now. Given that I know the database structure and the way it's all internally implmented, it seemed like the fastest solution. I'll place it here probably tonight. I'm still interested in your .CHM thing. Mainly for myself :)