Mad Props!

Ok - I know there are a few of you following my recent work on a new online database.

If you want to try a version of Comicster that uses this database, you can get it here:

Comicster Beta

This is version 1.0.3.2 (ie. the next version up from the current "real" Comicster). It will overwrite your existing Comicster shortcuts, but you can always go back to 1.0.3.1 by using the "Add or Remove Programs" icon to revert to the previous version.

Because this is a beta test version, I'd ask that you back up your .cmx files before playing with 'em. I don't foresee any problems, because the only major changes in this are to do with searching online, but you never know.

Leave any feedback here or in the Comicster Online forum. I might end up putting out a few versions in beta and then eventually we'll "go live" with the new database. It'd be great if you guys could hit the new database pretty hard over the weekend to see if there are any errors with searching, uploading or downloading.

Things to look for in this version:

1. You don't have to match a title before matching issues. Try it!

2. You can match trades!!!!! Note that downloading a trade will always add the issues in that trade to your collection, even if the local copy of the trade already has them. Down the track I will look at doing a smart merge instead.

3. Don't worry too much about playing with the online data. It's a copy of the live database and I've been screwing with it, so not everything will look right. Add stuff, change stuff - it doesn't matter. When we finally go live with it we can decide what to do with the data.

Anyhow - have fun!!!

One more thing - if you find duplicates in the data, post about it in the Comicster Online forum so I can test out my new Online Moderation program to fix 'em!

Like I said - we'll probably trash this test database anyway, but it'll be a good test of my new program.

Just for my FYI, are there any changes to the skin structure?

 
Chung 

BTW, this new version is pretty damn fast! :)

None. All the changes are behind the scenes with the database.

ps. The beta is 1.0.3.3 now - I found a bug straight after publishing.

Dream_Knight:

BTW, this new version is pretty damn fast!

Awesome! That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure what you guys on the other side of the planet would think!

I'll keep tabs on what gets updated over the weekend. Again, if you find something you want changed then let me know, so I can test my new moderation tool. Once I'm happy with it I'll make it available to a few users.

mabster:

Dream_Knight:

BTW, this new version is pretty damn fast!

Awesome! That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure what you guys on the other side of the planet would think!

I'll keep tabs on what gets updated over the weekend. Again, if you find something you want changed then let me know, so I can test my new moderation tool. Once I'm happy with it I'll make it available to a few users.

 

Well most is backend stuff or very little stuff so nothing much I'd have in request.  Maybe one but it's kinda a doozy.  I think I mentioned this before but being about to tell comicster where I store my issues.  For instance being able to say my Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man covers are stored at d:\comic database\covers\friendly_neighborhood_spiderman.

 But I don't think that's what you mean by finding something I want changed. lol

 
Chung
 

lol yeah - I actually mean erroneous or duplicated data in the online db.

mabster:

lol yeah - I actually mean erroneous or duplicated data in the online db.

I haven't used comister in a while now so I'm not sure if I can tell what's errorneous data or not. lol  I got to get back into the grove. :)  But if I do, I'll let ya know! :)

 
Chung
 

Wow it is alot faster. I also think it looks alot cleaner. But that could be just the default skin. One thing I noticed and liked is when you pull up an issue to find online, you can still look at the propeties of your original. That might not even be new. But a good find none the less.

Yeah, the ability to work with an item while you're viewing the online version has always been there. It makes it easy to make last-second adjustments before you upload.

That's more great feedback about it being faster though!

Definitely faster! Way to go Mabs!

Here's a suggestion I made a while back that I can't find the discussion for, so here goes. How about some kind of "back" button, similar to internet browsing. My biggest gripe (and it's a small one), is having to move my mouse around just to get back where I was. For example, when I'm viewing my ultimate x-men issues, I see all the thumbs on the right (80 of them or so). I click on issue 70 and now see that on the right, while I see just the tree portion on the left because it is scrolled down to issue 70. If I want to see other issues, I now have to move my cursor over to the tree, scroll up, and click on the title again to see the thumbs. A back button may be difficult to do (you might have mentioned it before) but make navigation easier.

I don't want to take away from the changes you have already done and are continuing to do, because they're fantastic! The online aspect may take up all of your time, but I thought since you're working on improving Comicster this also might help us out a little (if even possible).

 

 

I must admit that even I go hunting to the Back button sometimes.

It is something that I need to do, but it isn't a trivial thing to implement so I've been putting it off (a bit like folders for characters and creators). Once the online stuff settles down and we're out of beta I will look at all this other stuff.

I'm publishing version 1.0.3.4 now for beta users. It fixes a little oversight that John pointed out (if we use the Universe field instead of adding that info to the character's name, how do we tell two characters apart when adding them to the cast list?).

There are some other minor fixes in there too, but probably nothing anyone'll notice. I've reduced some code duplication, so the exe itself is about 20k smaller.

That's works great, but is there any way to keep that universe tag for the characters when looking at the character list (still see 2 spider-man) and when looking at characters for a title? You sill can't tell what universe they're from unless you edit the character and see the universe in parenthesis. Just a thought.