Wow, some serious progress tonight ...

Despite the fact I had practically NO time to work today, I still managed to get a LOT done.

The Deploy Center is rocking and rolling. All the work I've put in on the side has paid off. It was CAKE to integrate my "secret" code along with my rom trimmer right into CycloEdit Pro.

Trimming is now working along with the unzipping (and the secret code works too). Left? Text file reformatting and actual copying to the microSD card. Oh, and of course, ASSLOADS of unit testing, then a beta goes out.

Once the deploy center goes through beta, and we get a little cleanup work done, it's time for 1.0, and from there, we're ready to move forward with new and requested features.

I'm very excited ... this 1.0 release has taken seemingly forever. I want to put the final strokes on the canvas and move on.

Tonight's progress ...

I began the primary code for the Deployment Center tonight.

The Deployment Center has 4 parts;

a) Unzipping all roms
b) Trimming Roms
c) Reformatting text files
d) Copying files to the microSD

Tonight, unzipping was done. Seems to work properly. I have my own code done for trimming roms and reformatting the text files, so that shouldn't be too hard to integrate.

Until the deploy center works, there will only be basic bug fix betas.

Another update ....

Just a small fix to address an issue that creeped in with RUMBLE SETTINGS.

Get it using the updater tab.

V0.86b -> V0.87b
* Somthing was wrong with rumble Settings. This should be repaired.

Small update

Those of you using SELECTIVE BACKUP vice FULL BACKUP might be experiencing errors. This is because of filename collisions (how many README.TXT files do you have on that microSD anyway?). Today's quick build will stop that by adding a random number to the end of the colliding file.

V0.85b -> V0.86b
* Added code to prevent filename collisions (and hence, crashes) when doing SELECTIVE BACKUPS. This isn't final, but it does the trick.

For those of you with issues with the updater (it's working fine here - so I dunno what the issue is), you can get the latest build here:

http://www.monroeworld.com/cycloeditpro/update.zip

Unzip, rename, overwrite existing. But I'd appreciate any help with tracking down why your updater isn't working.

New Beta Build!

Alright, a new beta is out! Just use the updater in your existing copy to get the latest! I've been busy. Here is the changelog ...

V0.8b -> V0.85b
* Fixed a bug where the microSD profiler counters didn't reset making the values accumulate each pass.
* The update center didn't reset after the update finished. Now, it does.
* Skins had a lot of issues. Delete didn't work if the skin was currently displayed. Double clicking RANDOM did crappy stuff. Added some error checking to avoid crashing out of the program.
* The Alternative Save checkbox now works.
* Rumble settings had a minor issue. Fixed.
+ Added threaded calls to file copying - app no longer hangs and offers an indicator during the copy process.
+ Along with the alt save checkbox comes file selectors for SAVE, TEXT and GBA SAVE locations! WHOO HOOO!

Once again STAY OUT OF THE DEPLOYMENT TAB ... nothing works, it's going to cause errors. Just DON'T DO IT. :)

End of night ...

Okay, got a little more done - found several issues with the XML parsing that was keeping Alt Save Locations from staying checked. Found an issue with Rumble settings too. Interesting.

All I have left to do is replicate the threading across all the file copy operations and we're ready for another beta. Whoo hoo!

Tonight's work so far ...

Squashing bugs ... Here is what we got so far ...

- Double clicking RANDOM on the skins no longer produces an error.
- Fixed the DELETE SKINS issues reported on the TC forms. This required a lot of little crap. Glad it's over. I've never been a big skins fan, but I had to get it working :)
- MicroSD profiler values reset between uses now.
- Fixed some verbage and messages.

Probably get more done tonight ...

Some work has been done ...

Thanks to my good buddy Brien King, I have been able to successfully move the file copy operations to a threaded environment. Now, you actually GET UPDATES on what files are being copied, and the damn application doesn't lock up totally until it's done. This should allow me to offer up a CANCEL as well as provide you guys a MUCH richer experience.

So far, this is only working on ONE instance of the file copy routine - several to replace - but that's trivial at this point.

My next step is to insert some notes into my code (thank god for // TODO: ) outlining fixes for the issues already submitted to me via the Team Cyclops forum thread. They are pretty trivial as well.

Once I get those hammered out, and put the threading code into the other file copy routines - I'll release another public beta. At that point, the deployment center becomes my next goal (threaded deployment center) - and there will be another beta after that (at least one). Once we get some feedback, and remediation happens from that beta, I think we're ready for 1.0 and I can start adding some of the cool features I've been working on in stand alone code in my tiny glimpses of free time lately.

Damn, I'm excited now!!

I've been sick ...

Well, I've been sitting on the edge of death (alright, that's a bit dramatic) the last few days, so I haven't done SQUAT on the code. I'm gonna go hit the doctor today and maybe get a phatty Z-Pak :)

Hopefully I'll be spanking on the code later on this weekend.

Let's try a beta!

Alright gang ... I feel pretty comfortable with a short public beta on this.

Get the Beta here:  http://monroeworld.com/cycloeditpro/cycloeditprov08b.zip

This is NOT a prime time product.  I really recommend you wait at least ONE MORE beta build if you are at all squeamish about early betas.

Here is what I KNOW already is wrong:

• PLEASE do not play in the Deployment Center.  I didn't disable anything or lock it out, and while I don't think anything BAD can happen in there, as Scatman Crothers said in The Shining, "You ain't got no business in there anyway .. so STAY OUT .. you hear?"
• If you select a drive from the drive drop down, and it isn't a CycloDS Evolution card (like a hard drive) - it will make a CYCLODS folder on it.  Sorry about that.  THAT will be fixed next build.
• Don't double click RANDOM in the Skin Manager :)
• There is no code to trap invalid XML in skin definitions.
• Alternative SAVE and TEXT locations do not work as they should.  I'd say out of that for now as well.

Otherwise, I think we're ok.  I'm not officially set up to handle bug tracking yet.  However, you can post stuff at the Team Cyclops forum for now, or reply to this entry here.

Thanks gang!

Side Tracked with features ...

You ever have this problem?  You copy a rom image over to your microSD and you don't rename it ... you just leave it the same goofy name your dumper called it?  Like N____NUSA.NDS?  Then you realize when you go to clean your card up, you have NO idea what the hell that game was?  Sure, you see it right in the menu of your CycloDS Evo, but now you have to start guessing what the game really is?

The feature for CycloEdit Pro I'm drafting up will actually handle this for you soon ... :)

As for the beta, we're getting pretty close to being comfortable with it.  I need to verify the application updater works properly, but I believe it does - then you can have the latest builds downloaded directly to you.  I really want to be sure at LEAST this works before the beta heads out the door.

Weekend Update

I'm afraid the weekend beta just isn't going to make it.  I had my lead beta tester hit the app and it's in very good shape for a first pass - but I have a couple of loose ends still I must wrap up.

Today's effort DOES, however, give me a decent list of things to work on.  Thanks to the tester's diligence, I was able to clean up some serious issues in the microSD Profiler and the backup tool.

The backup tool still locks the application up while it's working; I need to research threading more to get this issue cleaned up.  However, I was able to use a delegate to keep the file copying list displaying during the copy -- of course, if you click off the application, it doesn't refresh the way it should.  Sigh.

There are issues with custom SAVE and TEXT locations too.

Finally, there are a couple of glaring issues with the Skin Manager that I really want tidied up before the public gets it.

The good news is - there really isn't much horribly wrong - just a lot of little things that the evil anal perfectionist wants done. :)

Something we found during testing ... there are apparently skins out there that have malformed XML descriptor files.  Apparently, if they work on the CycloDS, you won't have an issue here.  However, I can see people downloading and installing skins through this tool and they will not know what's wrong.  It would be nice if whatever tools are being used to make skins would  be sure to validate XML or host sites that can check the validity when they are uploaded.

Well, that's enough of an update ... back to work.

When?

I've been getting a lot of mail and posts asking the eternal question ... WHEN?  When will it be ready?

I run a pretty full life and CycloEdit Pro isn't on the top of the priority lists at this time.  HOWEVER, it's getting pretty close to a stable beta status and I'm hoping over the weekend to tie up a couple of loose ends and make it ready for a PUBLIC beta release.

If I do release it this weekend, it will be more like an alpha - as all functionality will NOT be present (namely the deployment tool) as I'm actively pursuing different methods and code to do what I want to do.  So, I'll likely disable the tab for this release.

Keep an eye out here for the latest and greatest news and info.

The first update

Time for a little update on progress of CycloEdit Professional.

Tonight I added compatibility for 1.5b3 - namely the batter saver XML option. This led me to realize that MANY new XML changes have occurred between 1.41 (the latest stable release - which I need to support). With XML changes come UI changes and lots of logic to determine what can be shown and when. The new features also lends to several customizable folders I'll need to account for.

Unfortunately, not much of this logic was present in CycloEdit 1.x so it's having to be all written from scratch. Instead of "hacking" this support in, I created a system to handle future upgrades as well as support 1.41 - the latest build (1.5b3).

I also realized while I was kicking around the code that the SAVE XML code hadn't been brought over and implemented with the new codebase. Fortunately, with the foundation I created for handling versions of the firmware, it went pretty quickly, and it appears to work.

All that is left after various bugs and clean up is the DEPLOYMENT CENTER, which still has some work to be done - however, I do believe I can get a beta out without having it done to completetion.

So, that all being said, by the end of the week, I should have an "advanced users" type beta - just to get it out there and have the bug hunting begin.

Welcome to the CycloEdit Professional developer journal

I've had a lot of people ask for a dev journal for Cycloedit Professional so here it is.  This will allow you to follow progress of the application even if Team Cyclops' forum is down (which it appears to be a lot these days).  You will also be able to subscribe to this as a feed so you don't have to actually come and visit.