38 replies to this topic

[DocBru]

Hi,

here is the first release of my first plug-in.

I wanted to use the existing Alarm Plugin around here, but it did not seem to work to well with 2003 (regarding key bindings) and on my phone I would not get into the alarm menu. As I wanted to play around with the Smartphone SDK anyways, I decided to build my own alarm plugin for my phone running WM2003.

After quite much more work than expected  :roll: I have something finished now which I think works at least a little  

The plugin works a little different than others. It does not use the control panel for setting the alarm, it is completely controlled from the homescreen. It basically has three states which are cycling in this order by clicking it:
Alarm Off -> Set Alarm -> Alarm On

While in "Set Alarm" state you can change the hours by pressing left and the minutes by pressing right. Note: The alarm won't become active in the "Set Alarm" state. You have to confirm it (click the plugin).

You can still use the phone's standard alarm setting methods via the settings (at least while you're not in "Set Alarm" state). The plugin should pickup the changed alarm automatically.

The .cab file contains the plugin and also a homescreen example called "HILAlarm-Demo".

A short reference:

• The plugin clsid is: 61868840-7761-11D9-9669-0800200C9A66
  
• The label tag supports the additional state attribute with the values "alarmon", "alarmset", "alarmoff" to only draw in a certain state
  
• The tag is supported in text tags for substitution with the current alarm time set. The time format is localized to the phone regional settings.
  
• Most of the  standard options should be supported (gradient is one which does definitely not, others may not because I didnt test them)
  
• See the sample homescreen xml file for an example of the usage.

I'm pretty sure it only runs on 2003 due to some code lines. I tested it in the Microsoft Emulator and on my T-Mobile SDA music.

I'm pretty sure it has loads of bugs, consider it an alpha release for now. Especially around some layouting options. Use this at your own risk I would nevertheless appreciate if some of you would dare to test it and give me feedback about issues, problems, improvements or just to say it works.

Thanks
Bruno

Attached Files

•  hilalarm.ARM.CAB   14.72K   4503 downloads
•  preview__german_.gif   60.43K   50 downloads

[drblow]

It works a treat m8!  Top quality work all round really!!  

I installed it direct to the phone as it's only 33kb, so I didn't test it on the storage card, but it works fine, the alarm setting is straight forward and not too labourious (although scrolling through minutes/hours is a bit of a pain).  The alarm sounded when it said it would, and it snoozed for 10 and went off again.

I have had a quick muck around with the xml, and it seems to respond fine to general x, y and colour values for the text, but I can't seem to get it to set a background image.  And the only way I could get rid of the orange highlight bar was to set the default value to transparent.  :shock:

What would be really great would be to specify another application to serve as the alarm e.g. citytime alarm - in the same sort of way that the scrolling appointment plugin can be specified to open papyrus or power calendar.  I dunno if that's possible, but it would be great if it could.

Nice work all round fella!  

[DocBru]

Hi Drblow,

thanks for your feedback.
To be honest I didnt test the background image :roll: I will check that as soon as I have time.

The orange background color is defined in the default format settings of the home.xml (pretty much at the top). Just remove that or chagne it to whatever works best. The homescreen example is also just a sample, I am no great designer but wanted to deliver something so people can immediately test the plugin without having to integrate it first into their homescreen.

The scrolling is a little slow unfortunately. In my test without background image and without background color it was performing way better... But the idea is that one will not have to change the alarm too much anyways, but just activate / deactive it. I also thought of having the plugin scroll minutes in both directions but that would mean you could not easily change the alarm by some hours. I tested it and the feeling / usability was worse in my mind. Any ideas are appreciated of course.

The plugin uses native windows mobile functionality for the alarm, which should always work. I don't those other alarms and I dont know if they provide an API where I can get / set the alarm, maybe I will find time somewhen to check that. But first I would like to remove other possible bugs.

Thanks
Bruno

[Stomski]

Quote

I'm pretty sure it only runs on 2003 due to some code lines

Which lines?  Is there no way to get them ported?

[roma0803]

Runs very well (WM2003). Setting the time is a bit getting used to. I'm new with smartphones so can't think of a better way right now. Guess I have to learn to edit xml files to make the plugin show on other homescreens.

Nice plugin, for an alpha release it's great. Compliments.

Edited by roma0803, 11 February 2005 - 03:13 PM.

[DocBru]

Stomski, on Feb 11 2005, 14:20, said:

Which lines?  Is there no way to get them ported?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm using an interface to lookup system colors (like COLOR_HOMETEXT) out of the XML file which is only available since 2003.

I am not sure yet how to make that work in 2002.

The other code might be compatible.

[nikjensie]

Works great on my E200! Was looking for this since I don't like the existing plugin either. I think the way you've chosen to set the alarm is great, it scrolls just fast enough through the numbers and the "right=mins, left=hours" is plain genious!

Best Regards and THANK YOU!
Nik

[hb88xx]

nikjensie, on Feb 12 2005, 00:28, said:

Works great on my E200! Was looking for this since I don't like the existing plugin either. I think the way you've chosen to set the alarm is great, it scrolls just fast enough through the numbers and the "right=mins, left=hours" is plain genious!

Best Regards and THANK YOU!
Nik

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The excicting alarmplugin did not work under 2003 when you moved menus/shortcuts around, as it seems to use key emulation. This one is much better. Disadvantage is that you need to go round by numbers if you want the alarm time to be reversed!
Not possible to use joystick afterpressing up.down for numbere and sideways for hours or min. and to finish press again?

Edited by hb88xx, 12 February 2005 - 03:48 PM.

[DocBru]

hb88xx, on Feb 12 2005, 16:51, said:

The excicting alarmplugin did not work under 2003 when you moved menus/shortcuts around, as it seems to use key emulation. This one is much better. Disadvantage is that you need to go round by numbers if you want the alarm time to be reversed!
Not possible to use joystick afterpressing up.down for numbere and sideways for hours or min. and to finish press again?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry I didnt really get what you mean. What do you mean by "alarm time to be reversed"?

btw unfortunately there is only three actions (joystick press, left, right) which I can use... up / down is used by windows for navigating between the plugins

Thanks
Bruno

[hb88xx]

DocBru, on Feb 12 2005, 17:22, said:

Sorry I didnt really get what you mean. What do you mean by "alarm time to be reversed"?
Thanks
Bruno

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if you want to go from 9:57 to 9:56 it is 59 minutes forward instead 1 reversed. I did not know if the possibility after pressing you can block use off up./down from plugins till pressing again. seems not according you.

[RJHD3]

Great plugin.  Works very well on my Audiovox SVT 5600.  

Two Minor Issues:
1.  When the plugin is initially loaded in the home screen it's blank, until you navigate to it the first time.

2.  Outside of your home.xml sample the background highlight bar (the orange background in the screenshot above) does not appear.  Instead the text is simply shown in the highlight colour.

Other plugins I have recognize the below tag.  I'm guessing yours currently does not:

    


Thanks for the really utilitarian plugin.  Hope you continue to refine it!

-RJ

[DocBru]

hb88xx, on Feb 12 2005, 19:04, said:

if you want to go from 9:57 to 9:56 it is 59 minutes forward instead 1 reversed. I did not know if the possibility after pressing you can block use off up./down from plugins till pressing again. seems not according you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Got you. Unfortunately it's not possible (at least to my knowledge).

RJHD3, on Feb 13 2005, 03:13, said:

Great plugin.  Works very well on my Audiovox SVT 5600. 

Two Minor Issues:
1.  When the plugin is initially loaded in the home screen it's blank, until you navigate to it the first time.

2.  Outside of your home.xml sample the background highlight bar (the orange background in the screenshot above) does not appear.  Instead the text is simply shown in the highlight colour.

Other plugins I have recognize the below tag.  I'm guessing yours currently does not:

     


Thanks for the really utilitarian plugin.  Hope you continue to refine it!

-RJ

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1. is a known issue. I don't really know why it happens, but it's very minor.
2. I recognized that when I built the sample homescreen (thats why it is in the default section :roll: ). Actually it should pick that up, I must have a look what I did wrong there.

Thanks for contributing.
Bruno

[DocBru]

Setting background options for plugin individually and background images should work now.

See attached update

Attached Files

•  hilalarm.ARM.CAB   14.79K   2550 downloads

[RJHD3]

DocBru, on Feb 14 2005, 12:47, said:

Setting background options for plugin individually and background images should work now.

See attached update

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Brilliant!

Application auto reset.  I cycled my home-screen and there it was.  Very cool.  Everything I want in an alarm plugin.   Simple and sweet.

Thanks lots!

-RJ

[dlogan1]

[quote name='DocBru' date='Feb 14 2005, 15:47']
Setting background options for plugin individually and background images should work now.

OK, I feel really stupid. What am I doing wrong? When I download this file to my PC it thinks it's a zip file. I don't know how to get it installed, but would love to try it out. An easy to use alarm is something I've been looking for on my MPx 220.

Thanks, dlogan1

[cubik]

DocBru, a simply superb plugin... have been looking for a simple alarm plugin for a while. This one fits the bill nicely.

Keep up the great work.

[DocBru]

YOu need to install it directly on the smartphone.
Just push it to somewhere on the phone e.g. /temp
Than execute the file on the phone by file manager or internet explorer.

Thanks
Bruno

[quote name='dlogan1' date='Feb 17 2005, 23:22'][quote name='DocBru' date='Feb 14 2005, 15:47']
Setting background options for plugin individually and background images should work now.

OK, I feel really stupid. What am I doing wrong? When I download this file to my PC it thinks it's a zip file. I don't know how to get it installed, but would love to try it out. An easy to use alarm is something I've been looking for on my MPx 220.

Thanks, dlogan1
[right]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/right][/quote]

[chucky.egg]

This seems to be doing odd things to my Homescreen

If I put a bgcolour="#CC9900" (or any other value, other than "transparent") it seems to screw up the homescreen (removing the background image and the colour scheme)

So this works:

<plugin clsid="{61868840-7761-11D9-9669-0800200C9A66}" height="20">
<label state="alarmon">
<format state="unselected" halign="right" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="#CC9900" font-weight="bold" font-size="13" />
<format state="selected" halign="right" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" font-weight="bold" font-size="13" />
<text lang="0x0409" y="16" x="0" width="72"><alarmTime/></text>
</label>
</plugin>

But this doesn't:

<plugin clsid="{61868840-7761-11D9-9669-0800200C9A66}" height="20">
<label state="alarmon">
<format state="unselected" halign="right" bgcolor="#CC9900" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" font-weight="bold" font-size="13" />
<format state="selected" halign="right" bgcolor="#CC9900" fgcolor="#000000" font-weight="bold" font-size="13" />
<text lang="0x0409" y="16" x="0" width="72"><alarmTime/></text>
</label>
</plugin>

It's a great plugin though!
Lots of trial and error involved, but the end result is very cool!

[DocBru]

Sorry, background settings are not supported for single label elements... only for the whole plugin. I wonder if that's a bug or intention  :roll: I know that I extended the label thing a bit (by the state)

[MitzEclipse]

I tried installing this to my storage card and phone - i clicked on the .cab file in File Manager.  Nothing new appears on my home screen after several power cycles.

How can I get this on my home screen?

I'm using "Windows Default" as my home screen.

Thanks