Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Fri, 08/08/2014 - 20:15
VStar 2.16.3 has just been released.
This version contains a number of bug fixes. I know that several of you worked with David to report and isolate various problems so I thought it would be best to post the entire Change Log so you can see if the ones that concern you have been addressed in this release.
If you get an error message when you first try to run this new version, it may be because of an incompatibility with one of the old plugins. To solve the problem, simply delete all the old plugins you have in your vstar_plugins folder before you attempt to open VStar. You can always download the new versions of the plugins using the Plugin Manager once VStar has been opened.
Thank you all for your help!
- Fixed ticket 458: Authentication error post 2.16.2. - Fixed ticket 457: Commas in numbers when decimal point expected in tailored non-English locale. - Fixed ticket 460: Files saved as CSV/TSV from in non-Enlish locale generate commas. - Fixed ticket 416: APASS/BSM input dialog won't validate when Dec field has a leading "+". - APASS/BSM plug-ins set as HJD observation sources. - Fixed ticket 459: AAVSO download format files with more than 23 columns not loading. - Added ability to set Barycentric flag in observation sources. - Observation retriever can now specify time units for plot axis labels (ticket 26: X,Y axis units should be configurable per dataset). - Ticket 454: Additive load checkbox for AID, BSM, APASS dialogs. - Changed period-luminosity distance calculator menu item name and description.
Hi all and thanks Sara.
First, apologies regarding the error message on start-up. If you don't have the APASS or BSM plug-ins installed, you probably won't have seen any error. Unfortunately, the only way to get around this problem is to delete the APASS and BSM plug-ins from your vstar_plugins directory. These files look like this:
org.aavso.tools.vstar.external.plugin.APASSEpochPhotometryObservationSource.jar
org.aavso.tools.vstar.external.plugin.BSMPhotometryObservationSource.jar
The alternative is to delete or just rename the vstar_plugins directory and start VStar again. There is also a --noplugins option available if you start VStar from the command-line and we may make a similar WebStart option available but even then unfortunately, as long as the above files remain in the vstar_plugins directory, the Plug-in Manager will also fail to function.
If you don't know where the vstar_plugins directory is, go to http://www.aavso.org/vstar-plugin-library to find out. If you still have problems, don't hesitate to post a reply here (or send Sara and I an email).
If you see an error with some other plug-in at start-up, please tell us about it here (or send Sara and I an email).
I have created this ticket:
https://sourceforge.net/p/vstar/bugs-and-features/464
and this will be my highest priority for the next release which may be sooner than I would have preferred.
The error was caused by a fix I made soon before the release (APASS/BSM plug-ins set as HJD observation sources) and tested in my environment but, unlike the other bug fixes in the change log, did not ask anyone else to test otherwise it would be have been caught before the release.
This bug is in fact symptomatic of a more general problem in which VStar is currently too quick to exit in the presence of a plug-in load failure. That will be adressed by the ticket referred to above.
As Sara said, a number of people helped pin-point and test the bug fixes in this release. Thanks to Velimir, Sebastian, Sara, Marcin, and Paul in particular.
Other than the bug above, I have plug-ins in the works that I would like to make available. These were put on hold because of the need to get this release out. Paul York will have another plug-in to contribute in the not too distant future too.
Stay tuned.
David
I forgot to emphasise that once the APASS and BSM files have been deleted from vstar_plugins, you can happily install the updated versions via the Plug-in Manager.
Also, on the bright side, I'd just like to point out that one of the features I added this release (as per change log) is additive loads from AID, BSM, APASS, not just file and URL based observation sources.
David
G'day Dave, - Hi from Tassie!!
I've still got the same problem which Marcin first outlined - the csv file and error -
"org.aavso.tools.vstar.exception.ObservationReadError: Error when attempting to read observation source."
- using your latest source 2.16.3, rev. 1176.
I've attached a sample csv file - no probs in the past.
Many thanks, Merv
Nice to hear from
G'day Merv!
Nice to hear from you and it was good to catch up briefly at NACAA over Easter.
Hmm. I can't reproduce the load error with that file and the WebStarted or downloaded 2.16.3.
The build you mention is certainly the same. What OS are you using? Did you use New Star from File... from the File menu or something else?
David
I meant to attach
Hi Merv
I meant to attach what I see when I load the file.
David
G'day Dave, thanks for coming back so fast. (BTW great piece of software!)
It's got to be something this end after seeing the plot!!
I'm running Win 7 64 and Java Version 7 Update 67 (build 1.7.0_67-b01). I'm accessing the file from the VStar file menu - "New Star from File". (also running no plugins)
The weird thing is that I ran it on another 32 bit Win platform and got the same result. I then tried Marcin's simple test data and again got the same result.
I've got a "fresher" pc at home and give it a go tonight - it's got to be something silly happening at this end - in the mean time I'll just get you to run and analyze my data!!!!
cheers and thanks, Merv
Thanks.
I asked Sara
Hi Merv
Thanks.
I asked Sara to see if she could reproduce this and have just asked Paul York. If anyone else can reproduce this, can you post please? Marcin, how do you fare with Merv's file?
David
My VStar 2.16.3 reads the file OK - same output as David.
Cheers: paul
The Merv's CSV file uploads normally and the output graphic is the same as in David example.
Velimir
Hi David,
I can't run VStar 2.16.3 from webstart or off-line. I get the attached error message. Removing all the plugins from my off-line version didn't fix the problem. My computer is Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. Cheers,
Mark
What happens when you
Hi Mark
What happens when you go here instead?
http://www.aavso.org/files/vstar/vstar-noplugins.jnlp
Hmm. I wonder whether you have a vstar_plugins directory in a different home directory and VStar is looking there.
Can you do a Search Files and Folders Windows operation, looking for vstar_plugins?
The next release will prevent this kind of error from causing VStar not to load.
David
Hi David,
the vstar-noplugins.jnlp file worked but when I tried to install plugins an error message popped up. So I searched all my computer's partitions and cleaned out any VStar files I found. There were a couple of VStar plugin folders in various places. After that I could load the plugins ok. Off-line version installed ok as well. Cheers,
Mark
Do you recall
Thanks Mark.
Do you recall where the folders were? I've heard similar comments about multiple folders from other Windows users and it's odd since VStar should be looking at the same vstar_plugins folder all the time, unless someone uses VStar with different accounts (logins) on the same machine.
I suspect that someone else may be seeing the same problem.
Irrespective of this, as I mentioned, I'll address the broader problem of VStar load failure due to plug-in incompatibility in the next release.
David
Hi David,
I'm the only user of that computer so that wasn't the problem. Its my fault there were multiple plugin folders. From memory they were:
inside the zip file downloaded from Source Forge (C Drive, Download folder)
in C Drive Download folder where I un-zipped the zip file
in D Drive folder where I copied the VStar folder so it was with other software tools
in E Drive where I periodically back up the D Drive
Not sure which plugin folder VStar was looking in. I need to be more diligent when cleaning out old VStar files and folders before installing newer versions. Cheers,
Mark
Hi Mark
To be honest, you should not have to worry about whether you have multiple versions installed. For a given user, VStar should always use the same location in which to place vstar_plugins: your home directory. This differs between operating systems but should be deterministic with respect to a particular user and operating system.
David
Hmm. Thanks Paul and Marcin.
Merv, let us know how you get on with your other PC. This is all very puzzling.
David
G'day Dave and others,
Thanks for looking at my problem - I can report that the *.csv files run without a hitch and all is very normal on two home machines. (Win7 32/64)
It'll teach me not to check files on work machines! - I suspect a recent "work image" update has caused this very simple problem - file rights etc. don't seem to be an issue but at present I've run out of ideas - very quirky!!
- Again many thanks for looking into this one, if I can find some logic to the prob - I'll let you know - hopefully on the next work software update I'll be able to look at these files!
cheers, Merv
Glad it's sorted out Merv.
David
I'm getting the same error. It's been a while since I opened VStar, but I think I didn't change any settings on my PC. I'll try to open VStar without plugins!
Hi Bruno
This is not anything you've done wrong, but a problem with 2.16.3 that I didn't pick up.
Now that I've finished being a student in the VPhot course, I'm back onto working towards the next release.
I've fixed that problem, so it will be in the next release, along with a few other things.
David