GoozexIndy - Road to 1.0

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JohnG Posted: 03-02-2010 8:16 PM

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I have finally had some time to revisit this app and was looking for a little outside help.

Basically, what I need most at this point is some art done. I could just MSPaint something together, but I know there is more talent out there. I would need a logo/banner. I was thinking of something like the Goozex mascot with a whip.

The stuff I have done today, but haven't deployed to the site yet:

* Created a stored login system that you can save your login information to and just use a login/password instead of storing a cookie on the users system.

* Created a database for maps and game lists so that I limit the amount of API calls to Goozex and make the app faster. I set the timer to reload the users gamelist or map when they access page and 15 minutes have passed. Between that time, they get a local copy of the info.

* Created a way to save and show off maps easily as well as catch things like "longest travelled" and "most trades" (I'm thinking I need a trophy style bragging rights system.)

* Reworked the GoogleMaps API to use YM4R/GM (A more Ruby/Rails friendly way of doings things

* Made the marker points in the map click better and show the users avatar image

Over the next couple days I'm going to be finalizing some features and code and get it online for testing as well as posting the source code up on GitHub with the GNU GPL license as dictated by the Goozex API Terms of Service.

Anyone who knows  Ruby on Rails and wants to help out or has a wishlist is more than welcome to let me know.

Current Site - http://goozexindy.goewert.org/

* The site hasn't been updated with the above changes yet. *

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JohnG replied on 03-05-2010 3:59 PM

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While working through some interesting logic, I found a nifty new feature from GoogleMaps.

Inline Static GoogleMapping.

Is generated from this:

<img src="http://maps.google.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=Saint Louis, MO&amp;zoom=2&amp;size=200x120&amp;maptype=roadmap&amp;path=color:0xff0000|weight:2|37.4605249,-81.0036821|44.9538647,-123.3461417&amp;path=color:0xff0000|weight:2|29.7502187,-95.6352801|41.2220944,-73.0464309&amp;path=color:0xff0000|weight:2|44.9538647,-123.3461417|38.5161654,-90.2901815&amp;path=color:0xff0000|weight:2|38.5161654,-90.2901815|29.7502187,-95.6352801&amp;path=color:0xff0000|weight:2|36.9019697,-76.0043731|37.4605249,-81.0036821&amp;sensor=false">

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JohnG replied on 03-11-2010 8:46 AM

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I did a bunch of rework last night to clean up the way that map nodes are stored to make them less kludgy. I also updated the theme and added a start page to make what the app is about clearer.

I also brought my beta server online at http://goozexindybeta.goewert.org

Feel free to play around and let me know of any issues.

My next step is to keep working on the trophy and bragging system as well as being able to drill down into those trades. Currently the only brags are global ones for Most Trades and Most Travelled that show at the bottom of the page.

If you find something with more, it will update those automatically.

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misschiefmaker replied on 03-11-2010 10:16 AM

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I love this app. Nice job!

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devyanks90 replied on 03-11-2010 12:20 PM

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I attempted to register on the beta site and after submitting I was hit with an error message:

"You don't have access here."

Tried logging in with the info I gave and got the same error.

EDIT:

This was a photoshop contest entry from the 2008 contest (by pcktlnt):

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tranceFusion replied on 03-11-2010 1:41 PM

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I was hoping it would plot, say your last 50 or 100 trades on the map once.

I'll volunteer to write that feature, or another you might have in mind.. I mostly work in C# for my day job but have been meaning to dip my hands in Ruby and see what the fuss is about for a couple years now.

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JohnG replied on 03-11-2010 2:49 PM

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devyanks90 - Fixed your problem. Turns out the first game on your list isn't getting any data from Goozex. It looks like an issue on the GoozexAPI end since Indy is getting a return of information. One of my games has the same problem. Thanks for the art as well.

Trancefusion - Actually, the reason it doesn't do a mapping of everything at once is that some people have a lot of trades (*cough* I-Weapon-X with over 1000) and the app would pull some serious bandwidth against the GoozexAPI server if it did that. I already included a buffer to limit the amount of traffic I need to burden Goozex with. I'm considering having it be daily instead of 15 minutes since the trading process isn't extremely dynamic. However, if it just uses what I have cached, that may be possible. I was playing around last night with having the line change color between trades so that it looked like a rainbow or steak of fire. 

Now that the major refactoring part is done, I'll git a github location to post the code. I just need to prune out some personal data (my GoogleAPI Key and my GoozexAPI Key). You can pick up RubyOnRails quickly, especially if you have had any other web framework experience. I used to do Java/Struts. Running through http://www.railstutorial.org/ in an afternoon can get you up to speed on all aspects of RoR, including helpful side info like setting up your working environment and source control. 

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h4ck54w replied on 03-11-2010 3:17 PM

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I seem to have the same problem as devyanks90.

Thanks.

Nevermind, it's working now.

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devyanks90 replied on 03-11-2010 3:49 PM

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Some more bugs I found:

• When Clicking on a map placemark, all user avatars default to your avatar
• In the select games list, it lists all of the games i sent but when it gets to my received games it lists the 1st game 4 times and ends there. (this only happens in the beta and not on v0.6)

Other suggestions:

• Not sure if this is possible via the API, but ignore trades that ended in negative feedback. Like if I requested a game and the game was never received it would not show up in the list.
• I would assume this isn't possible, but I use 2 different addresses for trading (home and school) in different states. Is their a way to show which address is used for each respective trade.

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tranceFusion replied on 03-11-2010 7:37 PM

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JohnG:

Trancefusion - Actually, the reason it doesn't do a mapping of everything at once is that some people have a lot of trades (*cough* I-Weapon-X with over 1000) and the app would pull some serious bandwidth against the GoozexAPI server if it did that. I already included a buffer to limit the amount of traffic I need to burden Goozex with. I'm considering having it be daily instead of 15 minutes since the trading process isn't extremely dynamic. However, if it just uses what I have cached, that may be possible. I was playing around last night with having the line change color between trades so that it looked like a rainbow or steak of fire. 

Ah I didn't realize you were already mapping multiple hops. I guess none of mine have gone anywhere else..

I just checked out the API and realized you had to pull each trade individually to get the next hop. I suppose since the trade history would be static, you could just keep everything you have discovered in a mysql db on your end.. might be overkill for this particular app though :)

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JohnG replied on 03-15-2010 3:57 PM

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Anyone wanting to play around with the code, I have it online and available at

http://github.com/jgoewert/GoozexIndy

Fork your own branch or send me anything you have worked on and I can work to incorporate it.