WorldWeather plugin v1.10.0 for MediaPortal 1.3.0 and higher (1 Viewer)

[Micropolis]

Hi Lehmden,

... What about supporting Hyperlink Parameter? This feature is introduced with 1.2 Beta, so it's really a long time available. Also it's so useful only a few plugins make use of it. With hyperlink parameter we can start the plugin with different locations or to different pages right from basic home menu ...

since version 0.6.9 hyperlink parameters for different WorldWeather pages are supported (history on 1st post say "add skin related hyperlink parameter support (Condition, Image, GeoClock, Astronomy, Calendar"). Currently there is no support for different locations, but maybe this can be introduced with a future release.

Cheers, Micropolis

 

[Lehmden]

Hi.
Thanks, I didn't noticed that. I've read the recent pdf, but did not found anything...

 

[michael_t]

...The mapping file WorldWeatherIconMapping.xml contains the mapping of each provider (and separated by day and night) against the condition and the weather icon image number. The icon image number type you can find at the beginning of this configuration file.

Thank you for providing the sample mapping file. I tried to do my own icon mappings but got some strange results. Some examples (I disabled translation):

• Two different conditions for cloudiness (i think it was "cloudy" and "mostly cloudy") use the same icon though I mapped them to two different icons
• The string "snow flurries" is displayed, but the online page of wetter.com does not tell anything about "snow flurries" (only of "light snow").
• Though "snow flurries" is used as a display string, "snow_flurries" does not work in the mapping file for wetter.com (but it obviously works for other providers)

So I am a bit confused about how the weather conditions returned from the provider API calls are mapped to display strings ("snow flurries") and to icon mapping strings ("snow_flurries"). Do I misunderstand the logic of the mapping or is there a bug in this mapping for wetter.com?

Michael

PS: One improvement suggestion for the mapping file: It would be great if the file name in the mapping file could be a real string instead of only a number (e.g. "day_snow" would refer to the icon file "day_snow.png" like "14" now refers to the icon file "14.png"). This would be fully compatible with the old icon naming scheme but would allow speaking icon names.

 

[Holzi]

Hi Lehmden,

... What about supporting Hyperlink Parameter? This feature is introduced with 1.2 Beta, so it's really a long time available. Also it's so useful only a few plugins make use of it. With hyperlink parameter we can start the plugin with different locations or to different pages right from basic home menu ...

since version 0.6.9 hyperlink parameters for different WorldWeather pages are supported (history on 1st post say "add skin related hyperlink parameter support (Condition, Image, GeoClock, Astronomy, Calendar"). Currently there is no support for different locations, but maybe this can be introduced with a future release.

Cheers, Micropolis

Hello!
Maybe a stupid question but could you give an example of how to use these hyperlink parameters?

• <hyperlinkParameter>Condition</hyperlinkParameter> for example?

 

[Holzi]

And I got another question.
In the manual I saw that several weather provider supporting more than 5 day weather forecast (WU up to ten )
Is it possible to display them or is only 5 day forecast supported so far? In the manual forecast values go from 0 - 4.
Thanks!

 

[catavolt]

If you checked DefaultWide you´d have seen that there are more forecast days are supported for e.g. weather.com

 

[Micropolis]

Hi michael_t, Holzi,

... Two different conditions for cloudiness (i think it was "cloudy" and "mostly cloudy") use the same icon though I mapped them to two different icons ...

Could you show me the place of finding?

... The string "snow flurries" is displayed, but the online page of wetter.com does not tell anything about "snow flurries" (only of "light snow") ...

WorldWeather use the XML API interface only. Because of this, it's not a good procedure to compare the display results from the online page with the xml content. The results can be differ and depends on technical solutions, which the appropriate provider has implemented.

... Though "snow flurries" is used as a display string, "snow_flurries" does not work in the mapping file for wetter.com ...

I'm not able to find the condition in the mapping file. Therefore, I must assume that this condition isn't supported by the XML API.

... It would be great if the file name in the mapping file could be a real string instead of only a number (e.g. "day_snow" would refer to the icon file "day_snow.png" like "14" now refers to the icon file "14.png"). This would be fully compatible with the old icon naming scheme but would allow speaking icon names.

If this should be implemented, it's not longer possible to use the original weather icon directory, backdrops and other things. Maybe I misunderstood you, but this does not make sense on the basis of compatibility reasons.

... Maybe a stupid question but could you give an example of how to use these hyperlink parameters? ...

You can use the parameters "Condition", "Image", "GeoClock", "Astronomy" and "Calendar" as a hyperlink parameter (e.g. <hyperlinkParameter>Condition</hyperlinkParameter>). If the specific page is not enabled, WorldWeather opens the condition page automatically.

... In the manual I saw that several weather provider supporting more than 5 day weather forecast (WU up to ten). Is it possible to display them or is only 5 day forecast supported so far? In the manual forecast values go from 0 - 4 ...

Sure, the footnote in the manual is outdated and corrected now.

Cheers, Micropolis

 

[michael_t]

... Though "snow flurries" is used as a display string, "snow_flurries" does not work in the mapping file for wetter.com ...

I'm not able to find the condition in the mapping file. Therefore, I must assume that this condition isn't supported by the XML API.

But "snow flurries" was used in the display, so it must have been provided by the API or where else did it come from?
Is there a way for debugging / logging what weather condition is returned by the API, which string is assigned to it and which icon name / file is being mapped?

... It would be great if the file name in the mapping file could be a real string instead of only a number (e.g. "day_snow" would refer to the icon file "day_snow.png" like "14" now refers to the icon file "14.png"). This would be fully compatible with the old icon naming scheme but would allow speaking icon names.

If this should be implemented, it's not longer possible to use the original weather icon directory, backdrops and other things. Maybe I misunderstood you, but this does not make sense on the basis of compatibility reasons.

You are right, this would only work if the additional icons with the speaking names would be provided for all skins or there would be a WorldWeatherIconMapping file for each skin...

Michael

 

[Micropolis]

michael_t,

... But "snow flurries" was used in the display, so it must have been provided by the API or where else did it come from? Is there a way for debugging / logging what weather condition is returned by the API, which string is assigned to it and which icon name / file is being mapped? ...

You can use the provider specific request URLs to understand, which information the different xml files contains. Please take a look into the troubleshooting section of included manual. Debugging or logging functionalities are not implemented, because (and this is my personal view) it's not necessary for end users.
I think, this thread is not a good place to explain, how the different grabbers are working and/or evaluation algorithms are designed. It's too complex and leads to far.

Micropolis

 

[scorpie]

Hi,

hope someone can help me.

I have to pc with mediaportal

one with 1.3 beta (just for testing I would use this, but I don't know if there is a dynamic refresh rate bug or not)

and the other with 1.3 alpha

on both the weather plugin 1.0.3 is installed and configurated the same (using Micropolis icons)

with 1.3 alpha i'm getting the wrong icons (the sun instead of the moon) with 1.3 beta everything is fine. The clock is set right. I can't find any difference.

Thanks
scorpie