Update: I have started adding the funtionality of running a task when an alarm goes off. It seems to be working for the Daily Alarm. I will add it to the other alarm types in the coming days. After that is done, I will focus on snooze, and then I think we will be looking at v4.0!

It will be like a file launcher or like a task planner (as the windows one) ?

Basically, the command I am using is the equivalent of typing the file name at the Windows "Run" command on the start menu. The only catch is that you cannot use command line arguments and files open in whatever application they are associated with. So you can open any file, and then windows will treat it as if you had double clicked the file. I think there is a way around the command line problem. If you include the arguments in the path of a shortcut and put the path of a shortcut, I think it will work. I will let you know. But yes, when an alarm goes off, it can run a task just like Windows Task Manager can, I think....

Update: OK, that seemed to have taken less time to implement than expected. Anyone want to test it out (ie the running of a task on alarm trigger feature)?

Have I lost my following?? Snooze is the last feature I have down for development. Maybe RTL when I see if DS will support it, or if I have to change my code. Running of a task has worked for me with absolutely no problems. Still not sure how I want to do snooze yet. There are a lot timers active when this panel is working. I'm kinda worried about if that is a bad thing. In any event, once I finish that feature, I think I may revamp the way the panel looks.
Does anyone have any feedback as to what can be improved about the user interface?
Do you want graphics? Less text? More text?
More or less information in the details window? What do you want to see?
Be creative! I think I have an idea for a future panel, which is an improvement of the Command Line, but it will work differently.

OK. I guess that this panel is good enough for people's needs so that I will stop development of it soon. v4.0 will most likely contain the following features:
1) Automatically save when alarm is added or deleted, so you don't have to close DS to save your set alarms.
2) Fixed the display of seconds on the Timer alarm so that when it is less than 10, it will show up with a leading 0.
3) Auto-silence alarms after a set amount of minutes that you can define in the properties dialog.
4) Can run a task on alarm trigger. You can't use command line arguments, but if you make a shortcut with the desired command, it will work nicely .
5) Fixes an "enable panel" bug that the panel would enable when the timers were triggered, but not if the alarm was actually going to go off. For example, Custom daily timers trigger every day, but don't go off unless the day is right. So instead of enabling the panel every time, it now enables only when the alarm is actually going off.
6) Initial music directory in properties dialog.
*7) Snooze

*This item may not be put in b/c I don't know where the demand for it has gone.

Version 4 released!

HAPPY HANNUKAH!

http://www.desktopsidebar.com/ffdetails.php?id=178

Did anyone try the latest version out? Any feedback?

I had installed it a few hours ago, and tried it. I don't use it regularly, but for my needs, it works. I think this panel can be considered to be "finished".

No problems, it works

Well, the only 2 things left on my TODO list from when this panel's following was larger, was snooze and RTL support. I suppose I can throw them in in the next month or so, but I don't know if people really want/need it. I haven't heard in a while.

If I can figure out the HTML details window, and if I can figure out a way to do snooze, I will release version 5 which will have RTL support, Snooze, and the ability to add translations.

I just found DS today and I really think I want this alarm addition. Thank you so much for your hard work.

I've added, is there a FAQ somewhere? Don't stop the development! I'm reading this long thread backwards...so I'm not sure what's happening here.

I just set a one-time only alarm to test it and it says 10/01/06??? There was no place for me to enter the year and it defaulted to 2006, is it me??? Should I have done something somewhere that I just haven't found yet?

Again, I can't wait to put this to real use.

Hi airolq.

I'm glad you find my alarm panel useful. There is a pseudo FAQ in the first post to this thread. You can click here to read it.

I tried to set a One Time Only alarm for 10/1 and it came up as '05 on my panel. The only reason it will default to '06 is if the date has already passed in '05 (assuming that there aren't bugs in the code). Is it possible that you made a typo, and typed 1/1 by mistake? Since 1/1 already passed, the year would show '06. Try it again.

Okay, I'll just go to the first post and read forward this time.

I tried another one-time only alarm and it defaulted to today so I didn't have to change anything--if only it was a typo--I'd be so happy.

I just checked my computer clock and it says it's 2005.

This is affecting all the alarms so I can't test the panel at all. I keep getting an error message that the trigger time has past and my alarm will be deleted--all the alarms default to the year 2006--I tried all the months. For now, I have one that will send an alert--but not until next January.

Where else can I check to see why it thinks it's 2006?

Did you also note that in the documentation, all times are in 24 hour format?
So if you want to test it, since now it is 4:32 where I live, you would have to enter 16 for hour and 32 for minute. Hours are between 0 and 23, 0 being midnight, and 23 being 11 PM.

Which alarm is saying the trigger time has passed and will be deleted?
Does the timer alarm work?

Duh!!!!!

Now, I could give you all kinds of excuses why I didn't think of that myself, but then...I did mention that I started at end of this thread...

So, off to play in 2005 now!!!!

Thanks so much for Duh!!!! assistance!

Glad I could help. I was going to add AM/PM capability in a future release. I figured since the US was one of the last of the countries to do 24 hour time, more DS users could benefit from the way it is now.

I've got a little problem with "run task" in alarm panel : each time I quit desktop sidebar, I lose the tasks I've set. All the other settings stay (play sound file,show alert window,...) but in the case "run task" ... nothing. I don't know why.
It's a little disturbing for an alarm (imagine my awakening at 12 instead of 7 ).
Do you know why ? (none of my ds files are on "read only")

Yeah, the alert window disappears after a preset amount of time that you can specify within the DS options. I could have made it a message box with an OK button, but I didn't want to get in the way of the user.

Oh my gosh! I can't believe I've gone a whole month and have not seen this post. I just looked at the code, and the alarms don't save their task information in the settings file! I just fixed it, and a new version will be released when I do RTL support, AM/PM support, and Snooze. After version 5, I'm going to attempt an upgrade to the look and feel of the panel. I'll be taking ideas for how it should look really soon, so start thinking.

I'm really sorry, Patounet, for not seeing this earlier. I don't understand how this caused you to wake up late. I apologize. It will be fixed very soon.
EitanEKo

Update: RTL support is in the works. For those of you who speak Hebrew, you can make the title of an alarm hebrew, and it will show up RTL. Additionally, the details window is RTL when you have it enabled. I have to work on translations sooner or later....does one of the open source panels make use of translations?
I have to fix the issues I'm having with the details window. If I have to choose between HTML details window or regular window with updating text, I'm going to go with the updating text.

Still to come:
AM/PM options, for us Americans who don't do 24 hr time.
Translation - I hope.
Snooze - I'm waiting for the panel to be stable before I mess with the alarms again.

I fixed Patounet's bug so a 4.1 release might be in the near future.

Thank you for this work.

I'm not making any headway with the details window problem. I think I'm going to put it back to text, and then release 4.1 with the fix for Patounet, which is really for everyone. When I post it later, I suggest everyone upgrade b/c the current one forgets to save the task information when you close DS.

Though it seems you have some coding work to do, I just want to put myself back into memory...
Hope you do not find me annoying... I really like your panel, it is well done and I use it every day...

Call me superficial, but I have posted some grfx and interface suggestions, remember?
The coding work is very good, any chance you'll soon work on the look of it?

You are not annoying, and I have not forgotten your suggestions. I said that the next release would add the final requests in terms of features, and then the one after that would be an overhaul of how the whole thing looked. It is coming. I unfortunately need to get my grades up in school, so I concentrate more on that, but my free time I put in to the Alarm Panel when it is not stuck on one feature. So for clarity sake:
Next: put new features in Alarm Panel and release
After: put new features in Wireless Panel and release
Finally: upgrade look of Alarm panel to make it more flashy

Thanx, it is not regular to have someone listen to suggestions the way you do...
Good luck for your exams and I hope you get it all done the way you want...

And don't let anyone smack you in the back...



You've done a great job so far...

Sorry for the delay. I'm in the midst of midterms and the HW keeps piling up, so I've had to table it for the time being. 4.1 will be released later for the saving bug of task information and then we will see what I have time for.

JeffSmart, I assume you would like the panel itself to look differently, and not to mimic the functionality of the screenshot you posted? You posted something that looks like a list of alerts, but a similar (not exactly the same for copyright sake) layout could work for alarms. What do you think?

v4.1 has been posted to the ExEx.
http://www.desktopsidebar.com/ffdetails.php?id=178

This contains a fix for a bug reported about saving task information. Also has preliminary support for RTL, but not completed. It works for the IListOutput though...You should have build 88 to use the latest version.

If you have problems, let me know immediately. Thanks.

I assume there were no problems with upgrades?

Works fine for me, although I didn't upgrade I just installed from the scratch.

Oh, OK then. It saves task information correct? Also, do any of your sources include code to include a translation to the panel. I assume RTL support is pointless to you unless you had a translation correct?

I don't need any translation - I don't use Hebrew so much in my copmuter I can understand the panel without a translation but if you want to find how to translate a panel so yes - you can look at one of my translated panels (IP Panel, Flash Player or the Notes Editor). Or you can just ask me how to do it - it is easy: just add a *.dslang file to your panel's directory (copy one from my panels and change it). Then just add the DialogTranslator.cs file (which you can also find in my source code) to your panel. Then you have to add some code to the files.

There are 3 types of translations: Messages, commands and dialogs. The dialogs are for the properties and otehr forms. The commands are for the panel and Messages are for message boxes (although I prefer to use commands instead).

Look at my panel's source code, and if you have any problem, just ask me. I'll be happy to help

I still haven't tested the panel but so far it works fine with no bugs

that two words is hilarious

I wrote it in almost 2 A.M. Thanks for telling me - I've fixed my post

It's OK, yyy.

Does anyone think this panel should log some important events, like add/delete alarm, alarm going off, auto silence, edit, clear list etc?

Just use the DS log file everytime you do an important event. I do it in most of my panels so that if there's a bug you can find it using the log file.

That is what I mean. It isn't too hard to add either.

Ok - cool

Yes, the functionality is definitely nothing to complain about, my main aim is to manage them easier...
If the alerts would be represented as icons or buttons or whatsoever with different colours for different alarms
(e.g. personal ("birthday mom") green or business alarm ("meeting at 11") red), it might be easier to handle them.
PopUp info on hover would also be great to manage alarms... alltogether i'd like to have the details window look like
this to get my hands easier on the soon following alarms and the option to delete or edit them.

If you want more details, post here... I'd like to cooperate with you on this, if you want..
Thanx anyway for considering...

OK. I want to get the functionality done before I start playing with how it looks. I have to add AM/PM support, translations, and hopefully a snooze feature. I think, based on your suggestions, I'll add the option to choose the type of alarm (personal, business, and maybe "other"). Once that is done, we can start playing with skinning and layout. I have always thought about using colors to denote the state of an alarm, but I can do that using icons I think. So I can use colors to denote type as you suggested.

If you wish, perhaps come up with an explanation of how you think the interface for the panel should work (ie, what silences alarms, how to activate/deactivate them, what info is available looking at DS, what is in the details window, what you want to see on hover perhaps. The more specific you are, the more I know I'm on the same page as you. Just bear in mind that we are aiming for simplicity of use, informative, and concise.

Thanks for your help. You can post your comments here for other ppl to discuss or PM. It's your choice.

So what will it take to get people interested in updates to this panel again?

Update: Snooze is in the works. I have to fix a few things I broke to accommodate snooze, so it should be working very soon. I also threw in some simple logging of adding and deleting alarms. I hope to throw in AM/PM support still and command line arguments (if they can be done, although we have a nice work around that will save me the time of fiddling with a bunch of dialog boxes).

I don't know if I am going to do translations yet. I haven't seen so much popularity with them in 3rd party panels (just German I think). I have a lot of text in this panel, so doing it would take a long time. Perhaps in a later release.

Once this release is stable, I'm giong to see about how to make this panel look better .

Definately worth the wait

I actually might ask you a few questions about this antu. I'm going to need the master skinner's help when I work on the skinning of the panel. I'll PM you in a few days.

Everyone: When the snooze time is up, should the alarm just play the sound file again, or should it also show the alert window and run the task also? If anything, the alert window should, b/c it goes away quickly, but I don't know about the task....What do you think?

Snooze is done.

Should I release it now, or wait for other features. If you want it, you will have to speak up. Also, if you want the snooze to do more, then you will have to let me know as well.

I'm ready .


Yes. This reminds me of my Nokia phone .

Upload it... I wanna try I wanna try

Thanks, antu .

Snooze is done, and as far as I can tell, works without bugs. I've also modified the panel so that it tells you how much longer the panel is snoozed for. I will also have make a timer to show how much longer till auto silence kicks in. Finally, the panel should activate itself when a timer goes off, and since you need to click on the alarm itself to silence it, I'm going to have the panel scroll to the proper row for you. Then I will release v4.2.