roncli.com blog: November 2007

My FTP backup solution, aptly named Backup, stopped working properly when Kathy and I upgraded to Windows Vista. Unfortunately, there is no way for a Windows service to hook into mouse or keyboard messages for the desktop of the user logged in. This is a problem because now Backup can't tell how long the user has been idle, a key component in determining when to backup files. The .NET 2.0 framework did not provide a reasonable way for me to overcome this hurdle, so the project's sat in limbo for months.

Currently, Backup has 3 modules. First is the Setup module which allows the user to select which files they want to have backed up, and what server to back them up to. Easy enough. Second is the Service module that actually does the backing up. Third is the roncli Productions common module that handles things such as registration and about dialogs.

Since the Service module can no longer handle idle time detection, I have to split that piece out, yet somehow communicate back to the Service module when an application is idle. Windows Communication Foundation to the rescue.

With WCF in the .NET 3.0 (and now 3.5) framework, I am able to easily create messages to send from a client app to a server app. I simply alter the Setup piece to be always running in the background when the user logs on, and tells the Service when the user is idle. Of course, there can be multiple users, so all the users would have to be idle at once, which is no big deal to figure out.

This seems like an awful lot of work to get a service to know when its users are idle, but it'll get the job done, and Backup will finally be Vista-ready.

Labels: Backup, Coding

Monday, November 26, 2007

Projects, Take 2
Posted: 5:16:00 PM 0 comments

Just dropping a note that I've finally completed the first phase of the Wiki section of the Projects website, and have added my initial tasks for all of the projects I am currently working on. If you want to check out everything I've got my hands in, run through this site and see what's up.

Labels: Coding, Projects

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Time
Posted: 4:50:00 PM 0 comments

Time seems to have eluded me lately, mostly going to gaming when I'm at home. That doesn't mean I haven't been busy, though.

First up is my new Projects site. I've got trac working on my computer, and will be using it to track the many projects I am working on. I have too many projects.

Another thing I'm working on is a wiki for Cute Trance Girls (Sorry, I can't help it!). Recently CTG was thinking of shutting down, and I really didn't want to see that happen. So, I joined the staff, where ideas are flowing freely on how to improve the site. I may or may not get into coding, we'll see. But for now my main goal is to help the site stay alive and improve, and if that requires coding, then coding it shall be. PHP, yuck...

On Trax in Space, I've been as active as ever. I have just completed my third Artist of the Month article, and listen to every song on the site while compiling my "Best of TiS" playlists. The goal is to take those playlists and make some podcasts out of them. Whether I do that or not depends on how long I can rip myself away from WoW while Kathy's at work.

Labels: Coding, CTG Music, Projects, trac, Trax in Space