h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Release 0.1.2 is now up and available on my website at http://www.larkfarm.com/downloads.

New features include footnotes and links.

OK, I'm nuts, but version 0.2.0 is out.

This version adds support for pullquotes, pictures, and subheaders.

It's in the usual download location http://www.larkfarm.com/downloads .

Version 0.3.1 is ready for download.

Changes:
0.3.1
- Patched the clipboard code slightly
- Added the hourglass during GuideML generation
- Changed PULLQUOTE formatting to work around an H2G2 rendering bug
- Added smileys to the insert menu and toolbar
- Added Insert | Box
- Added Insert | Text Snippet
- Added Tip of the Day feature

What's it written in? I'll grab a copy at some point, and give you some feedback

Guide Dog is written in Visual Basic 6.0. At the moment the license is fairly restrictive: you can use it forever, but you can't redistribute it. When I get a few moments to sort it out, I'll probably open source it one way or another, and make the source code available if anyone is interested in helping.

I'll be interested to hear what you think. I've been using it to write my own recent entries (or, as the Microsofties say, eating my own dogfood) and it's definitely made life easier for me).

Err.. I tried to download it, but I got a 404.
Nice 404 page, though.

Well, that's not good. I just tried and all the links appear to be working for me. Which one gave you the 404?

If you like, I can email you a copy; just let me know what address and whether you need the VB6 runtime or not. You can drop me a line at [email protected] if you don't want to post an address here.

Oh, I see. It's the bloody links in this thread that are bad.

http://www.larkfarm.com/downloads.htm

There, that should do it. At the bottom of the page.

Okay, i'm having some trouble with GuideDog. The trouble is this: i can't get it to work....

Okay, i've installed it, and run it, creating a nice little test page, but when i click "Copy to clipboard" and it says "Ready to paste into h2g2"... well, it doesn't copy to the clipboard at all, so i can't paste it in.
There are some other minor bugs/faults, but otherwise this prog has amazing potential, so i hope you get a working version soon.

Yes, there is some strange bug in the compiled version. I think the VB clipboard functions may be at fault.

Two workarounds:

(1) If you've got the source, just run it in VB. My experience has been that it works fine then,
(2) Instead of Copy to Clipboard, use the Export as GuideML to save your entry as a text file on your disk. Then just open that file in Notepad (or whatever other editor) and copy it from there. Rather a trip round Robin Hood's barn, but still easier than writing GuideML by hand.

I would like to know about the other minor bugs as well, of course, either here or email ([email protected]).

I've been backed up on other things lately (like actual paying work) but I shall dive in and hunt for that clipboard bug again and see if I can't get it fixed in the next day or two.

Ask and ye shall receive.

Which is to say, version 0.4.0 is now up at http://www.larkfarm.com/downloads.htm#GuideDog .

I think this version finally fixes the Copy to Clipboard bug. There are a few other tweaks but that's really the important one.

Also I've put up a 36KB zip that's the EXE only...if you've installed a prior version you should just be able to grab and replace this one file to get the upgrades.

Thanks
I'll have a test run of it, and report any bugs i find...
I think vegiman wants to give it some coverage in the post, so i'll make sure it's in full working order...

Thanks again.

Okay, great, it's working perfectly.... well, nearly....
It's a great prog... but i'm a perfectionist, so i've found a few little things that 'could' be improved.
Sorry... i'm not trying to be patronising... just offering contructive criticims.

Okay, firstly, the 'bozo' smiley doesn't work. I know the reason for this... you've set the URL for www.h2g2.com/whatever when it should be www2.h2g2.com/blah ...
Secondly.... once you've selected text to be bold, or italics, or underlined, then it won't change it back.
As well, they won't go to italics, bold, and underline (or any combination of them) at one time.

I'm getting into really minor details now... BUT i may as well let you know everything...

When you click to create a hyperlink, the A or U is highlighted... what this means is that when someone goes to type in the rest of the page number, it'll overwrite the A or U unless they click, or press the arrow key...

There's a word for developers who won't listen to criticism. (That word should be "unemployed" but more likely it's "Microsoftie". Oh well). In any case, I don't take your comments as patronising at all. It's very good just to have someone testing the damned thing and actually giving some feedback on it.

I'll see what I can do about those bugs/suggestions in the next version. I'm pretty sure all of them are fixable. I've got a list of my own as well.

Dunno when I'll get to it...perhaps in a few days...I'm somewhat jammed up with "real" work just at the moment.

hehehe.... glad to hear it. I'm gonna keep an eye on this little project of yours. It fascinates me.
Well done, superb work.
Work? real work? what's that then????

Real work...that would be working on two books (one on the Windows Installer, one on SQL Server 7.5), a raft of magazine articles and some editing work. Not to mention trying to stack firewood, repair roofs, run electrical cable and all the other assorted work of keeping this farm more or less running.

Ahhhh.... i'm glad i'm not in your shoes....

Oh, I'm not complaining. Working at home beats going ino the office and listening to some idiot boss whine by a long shot.

Now I'm my own idiot boss

Hey Mike... mind if I use your name in the article? I figure you wouldn't be that upset, as it's in the Readme file... . Looks good (of course, I said that a while ago, but I had just clicked around and not done any serious MadMunking ). Just makin' sure.

Yep, feel free to put my name in the article...email too and/or website if you want.