[DogParkList] Re: list of observations about my working on MLDX

[Don Agro]

Hi David,

On 13-Sep-05, at 5:25 AM, David Ferrington wrote:

> Hello Don, I’ve been working on this list for a while and wasn’t  
> going to send it yet, but a couple of the things I was going to ask  
> for, you’ve just done :-)
> And a couple appear to be on other peoples list of wants too, so  
> I’ll send it along now.
>
> I’m sending to you, partly because its covering things already done  
> and rather verbose, and partly because I’ll leave it to you to put  
> on the mail list if you wish,

OK, I've copied the list with this reply.

> or you can mail me back and ask I post the new things direct to the  
> list.
>
> I’ve been trying to determine want it is I do, rather than what I  
> want ;-)
>
>
> VFO Stack
> Would it be possible to include the call sign in the stack? I often  
> work around a cluster and go back to a call I didn’t manage to  
> work, would like to have the call sign included in the stack if  
> possible (and if present and looked up). However, since you’ve now  
> included clicking in the bands panel, that may be a better method  
> of working, but havn’t had time to determine that yet.

I saw the Stack as an analog of the radio band stacking registers -  
and there isn't always a call sign associated with it.
Sometimes you hear something interesting in a pileup and you don't  
have a call. That's what the stack is for - quick and simple...  
<shift><command>S

ALl of your lookups are stored in the "Look Ups" menu so you can look  
through them; and the band panel is clickable; and all your DX Spots  
and TNC Spots are double-clickable so I think I would like to keep  
the Stack simple and disassociated from calls.

> To clarify that,  I was going to send the following before I  
> realised the stack would do this:
> While following a cluster, I like to auto-lookup, but not auto- 
> tune. This is so that I can stay on a freq that may have some  
> interesting QSO’s going on, or maybe I’m trying for a QSO on that  
> freq.
> If the last spot on the cluster then looks interesting (ie the next  
> spot to come up), I like to tune to it.
> If its then no so interesting or I think I’ve a better chance of a  
> QSO on the previous one, I go back to it, but that means moving up  
> the record and hitting enter. not a big deal I know.
> But would it be possible to remember the current freq and the  
> current dxspot etc as I tune to a different spot and provide a  
> method of going back to it. Kinda like ‘previous DX spot’?

You can do this now by double clicking on any spot in the DXCluster  
window - even if AutoTune is off. That's about as simple as it gets.

> Then using a menu option or button would go back to the previous  
> spot, restoring all the info, including the call lookup etc.)

There is a "Last Spot" menu option and a keyboard equivalent for it -  
<command> <

> Clusters and lookup of poster
> I sometimes like to look up the poster of a spot, being able to do  
> that without having to re-type the poster call would be nice. Kinda  
> like a reverse lookup. That is, looking up the call that appears on  
> the left in DX Cluster line.

Good idea. I will add that one to the list.

> Modifying Log Record (moving around with tabs)
> I find myself modifying log records quite a bit. I do this mostly  
> in MLDX (ie don’t often use Excel). I tend to work along a record  
> and then down, rather like you would in Excel.
> Having to hit return to get the value saved, then position back to  
> the previous record, but one field over to the right is tedious.
> I realise the tab key is being used to move around the control  
> window, but would it be possible to change that behaviour when the  
> cursor is in the Log panel. So then the tab key moves right (saving  
> the entry), shift tab would move left and shift return would move  
> up (all of them saving the entry).

The Carbon tables I am using from Metrowerks PowerPlant have some  
limitations and there is absolutely nothing going to change that  
until I re-write MLDX for Cocoa. I haven't done so yet because I  
still have a few OS 9 customers and I don't want to leave them high  
and dry.

> Apple script and log fields
> Being able to retrieve all the fields of the currently selected log  
> record and also set them would be useful to allow me to change  
> records with a script. Being able to iterate through the currently  
> selected records would be even better :-)

You can do that now by operating directly on the log file - it is tab  
delimited text and the format is documented.

> 2nd Callsign Lookup
> It would be nice to be able to lookup a different callsign to one  
> I’m about to log, without changing the call sign in the SO panel –  
> something like a popup that looks up and callsign.
> I know there are widgets to do this  - I need to upgrade to tiger :-)
>
> Thanks again for such a great application, I really do appreciate  
> it and the service. The above are just ideas, nice to have, but  
> without them, its still a great application.

Thanks David, I appreciate the feedback.


73 Don Agro VE3VRW

D o g   P a r k   S o f t w a r e   L t d .

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