TexasSwede

After Kathy Brown wrote about lists earlier today, I thought I would share another example of how they can be used. Back in April I shared some code showing how to get latitude and longitude for an address, by calling Google's GeoCode REST service.
Today I will show how easy it is to use that class together with a list...

First, let's revisit the GeoCode class. I made some minor modifications, so I will post the latest version here:

Class GeoData
    Private GeoString As String
    Public street As String
    Public city As String
    Public zip As String
    Public state As String
    Public latitude As String
    Public longitude As String
    
    Public Sub New(streetStr As String, cityStr As String, stateStr As String, zipStr As String)
        Dim httpObject As Variant
        Dim mapsKey As String
        Dim mapsURL As String
        Dim address As String    
        Dim retries As Integer
        Dim httpURL As String
        Dim returncode As String
        Dim coordinates As String
        Dim ret As Integer
        Dim xmladdress As String
        Dim addarray As Variant
        
        retries = 0        
        Set httpObject = CreateObject("MSXML2.ServerXMLHTTP")
        mapsKey = "your_googleAPI_key"
        mapsUrl = "http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?q="
        address = streetStr & ", " & cityStr & ", " & stateStr & " " & zipStr
        httpURL = mapsURL & address & "&output=xml&key=" & mapsKey     ' Use output=CSV for CVS file
        Do
            If retries>1 Then
                Sleep 1        ' After the two first calls, introduce a 1 second delay betwen each additional call
            End If
            retries = retries + 1    
            Call httpObject.open("GET", httpURL, False)
            Call httpObject.send()
            GeoString = Left$(httpObject.responseText,16000)
            returncode = GetGeoValue("code")
            If retries >= 10 Then
                returncode = "500"    ' Fake other failure after 10 attempts
            End If
        Loop Until returncode <> "620"
        If returncode = "200" Then
            coordinates = GetGeoValue("coordinates")
            latitude = Left$(coordinates, Instr(coordinates,",")-1)
            longitude = Mid$(coordinates, Len(latitude)+2, Instr(Len(latitude)+2,coordinates,",")-Len(latitude)-2)
            street =GetGeoValue("ThoroughfareName")    
            zip = GetGeoValue("PostalCodeNumber")
            city = GetGeoValue("LocalityName")
            state = GetGeoValue("AdministrativeAreaName")
            xmladdress = GetGeoValue("address")
            If city = "" Then
                If state <> "" Then
                    addarray = R5split(xmladdress,", ")
                    city = addarray(1)
                    zip = Right$(addarray(2),5)
                End If
            End If
            If Ucase(state)<>Ucase(stateStr) Then    ' Different state?
                ret = Msgbox("The address returned seems to be very different" & Chr$(13) & _
                "from the one submitted." & Chr$(13) & _
                "The address returned is:" & Chr$(13)  & Chr$(13) & _
                street & Chr$(13) & city & ", " & state & " " & zip  & Chr$(13)  & Chr$(13) & _
                "Do you want to use this address?",4+32,"WARNING")
                If ret = 7 Then
                    street = streetStr
                    zip = zipStr
                    city = cityStr
                    state = stateStr
                End If
            End If
            If street = "" Then
                Msgbox "The street address could not be verified." & Chr$(13) & _
                "Existing value will be saved." & Chr$(13) & _
                "Please verify that address is correct.",,"Street Not Verified"
                street = streetStr
            End If
            If city = "" Then
                Msgbox "The city could not be verified." & Chr$(13) & _
                "Existing value will be saved." & Chr$(13) & _
                "Please verify that address is correct.",,"City Not Verified"
                city = cityStr
            End If
        Else
            If returncode = "602" Then
                Msgbox "No corresponding geographic location found"_
                ,,"Google GeoCode Error 602"
            Elseif returncode = "603" Then
                Msgbox "The geocode cannot be returned due to legal or contractual reasons." _
                ,,"Google GeoCode Error 602"
            End If
            ' Return original value to avoid overwriting...
            street = streetStr
            zip = zipStr
            city = cityStr
            state = stateStr
        End If
    End Sub
    
    Public Function Accuracy() As Integer
        Dim startpos As Long
        Dim endpos As Long
        If IsValid = False Then
            Accuracy = 0
            Exit Function
        End If
        startpos = Instr(Lcase(GeoString),|accuracy="|) + 10 
        endpos = Instr(startpos, Lcase(GeoString), |"|) 
        If endpos < startpos Then
            Accuracy = 0
        Else
            Accuracy = Cint(Fulltrim(Mid$(GeoString,startpos, endpos - startpos)))
        End If
    End Function
    
    Public Function HasAddInfo(address As String) As Integer
        If Instr(Lcase(address),"apt")>0 Then
            HasAddInfo = True
        Elseif Instr(Lcase(address),"apartment ")>0 Then            
            HasAddInfo = True            
        Elseif Instr(Lcase(address),"suite ")>0 Then            
            HasAddInfo = True
        Elseif Instr(Lcase(address),"ste ")>0 Then            
            HasAddInfo = True
        Elseif Instr(Lcase(address)," #")>0 Then            
            HasAddInfo = True
        Elseif Instr(Lcase(address),", ")>0 Then            
            HasAddInfo = True
        Else
            HasAddInfo = False
        End If
    End Function
    
    Public Function Compare(str1 As String, str2 As String) As Integer
        
    End Function
    
    Public Function IsValid() As Integer
        If GeoString = "" Then
            IsValid = False
        Else
            IsValid = True
        End If
    End Function
    
    Public Function GetGeoValue(tag As String) As String
        Dim startpos As Long
        Dim endpos As Long
        Dim tempstring As String
        If GeoString = "" Then
            GetGeoValue = ""
            Exit Function
        End If
        startpos = Instr(Lcase(GeoString),"<" & Lcase(tag) & ">") + Len(tag) 
        endpos = Instr(startpos, Lcase(GeoString), "</"+Lcase(tag) & ">") 
        If endpos < startpos Then
            GetGeoValue = ""
        Else
            tempstring = Fulltrim(Mid$(GeoString,startpos+2, endpos - startpos - 2))
            GetGeoValue = Fulltrim(R5strReplace(tempstring,"&amp;","&"))
        End If
    End Function
    
    Private Function R5strReplace(mystring As String, search As String, replacewith As String) As String
        Dim source As String
        source = mystring
        While Instr(source, search) > 0
            source = Left$(source, Instr(source, search) - 1) + replacewith + _
            Right$(source, Len(source) - Instr(source, search) - Len(search) + 1)
        Wend
        R5strReplace = source
    End Function 
    
    Private Function R5split(strSource As String, strItemDelim As String) As Variant
        Dim astrReturn() As String             ' The array to return
        Dim intElement As Integer             ' The array element currently being set
        Dim z_intItemCount As Integer         ' The total number of elements for the array
        Dim z_intStartOfItem As Integer     ' The start position of the item in the source string.
        Dim z_intEndOfItem As Integer         ' The end position of the item in the source string.
        
        Dim z_strCurItem As String             ' The currently parsed item
        Dim z_strRemaining As String         ' The remaining string to cycle through
        Dim z_strStartOfItemBack As String     ' The rest of the string, from the start of the item on back.
        
        z_strRemaining = strSource
        ' Cycle through the source string and get a count of elements:
        While (Not z_strRemaining = "")
            z_intStartOfItem = Instr(1, z_strRemaining, strItemDelim)
            
            If (z_intStartOfItem <> 0) Then
                z_intItemCount = z_intItemCount + 1
                z_strRemaining = Mid(z_strRemaining, z_intStartOfItem + Len(strItemDelim), Len(z_strRemaining))
            Else
                z_intItemCount = z_intItemCount + 1
                z_strRemaining = ""
            End If
        Wend
        ' Size the return array so that it can hold all of the elements:
        Redim astrReturn(z_intItemCount - 1)
        ' Reset the holder to the value of the source string:
        z_strRemaining = strSource
        ' Cycle through the source list, parsing the string into individual array elements:
        While (Not z_strRemaining = "")
            For intElement = 0 To Ubound(astrReturn)
            ' Find the end of the current element:
                z_intEndOfItem = Instr(1, z_strRemaining, strItemDelim)
                ' If there is still an item delimiter in the string, parse
                ' out the item, otherwise assume the remaining text is the
                ' last item:
                If (z_intEndOfItem <> 0) Then
                    z_strCurItem = Mid(z_strRemaining, 1, z_intEndOfItem - 1)
                    astrReturn(intElement) = z_strCurItem
                    z_strRemaining = Mid(z_strRemaining, z_intEndOfItem + Len(strItemDelim), _
                    Len(z_strRemaining))
                Else
                    astrReturn(intElement) = z_strRemaining
                    z_strRemaining = ""
                End If 
            Next
        Wend
        ' Return the split array to the caller:
        R5split = astrReturn
    End Function 
    
End Class

Below is a simple code sample that will read all person documents from the NAB, get address information for each person, create a list of GeoData objects, then loop through the list and retrieve data out of it.
Of course it could have been done all in the first loop, but I am splitting it up for demonstration purposes.

Sub ProcessDocs
    Dim db As New NotesDatabase("dsCorp/Deep-South","names.nsf")
    Dim view As NotesView
    Dim doc As NotesDocument 
    Dim geodata As GeoData
    Dim street As String
    Dim city As String 
    Dim state As String 
    Dim zip As String
    Dim uind As strring
    
    ' Loop though all person documents
    Set view = db.GetView("People")
    Set doc = view.GetFirstDocument()
    Do While doc Is Not Nothing
        ' Read address from person documents
        street = doc.OfficeStreetAddress(0)
        city = doc.OfficeCity(0)
        state = doc.OfficeState(0)
        zip = doc.OfficeZIP(0)
        If street<>"" Then     ' Make sure we have an address
            unid = doc.UniversalID     ' Person document unid, used as list tag
            ' Create a new list item, with unid as list tag and a GeoData object stored
            Set geodata(unid) = New GeoData(street, city, state, zip)
        End If
        Set doc = view.GetNextDocument(doc)        
    Loop
    ' Now we will look through the list and get docs again
    Forall g In geodata
        ' Get the person document again based on list tag
        Set doc = db.GetDocumentByUNID( Listtag(g) )
        ' Write latitude and longitude to person document
        doc.OfficeLatitude = g.Latitude
        doc.OfficeLongitude = g.Longitude
        Call doc.Save(True,True)
    End Forall
    
End Sub

Class MailNotification
    Public maildoc As NotesDocument 
    Public body As NotesRichTextItem
    Public subject As String
    Public sendto As String
    Public copyto As String
    Public bccto As String
    Public principal As String

    Public Sub New()
        Dim session As New NotesSession
        Set maildoc = New NotesDocument(session.CurrentDatabase)
        Call  maildoc.ReplaceItemValue("Form","Memo")
        Set body = New NotesRichTextItem(maildoc,"Body")
        subject = ""
        sendto = ""
        copyto = ""
        bccto = ""
        principal = ""
    End Sub
	
    Public Sub Send()
        If subject<>"" Then
            maildoc.Subject = subject
        End If
        If sendto<>"" Then
            maildoc.SendTo = sendto
        End If
        If copyto<>"" Then
            maildoc.CopyTo = copyto
        End If
        If bccto<>"" Then
            maildoc.BlindCopyTo= bccto
        End If
        If principal<>"" Then
            maildoc.Principal = principal
        End If
        Call maildoc.Send(True)
    End Sub
	
End Class

Or perhaps the title of this post should be "Lotus should know". The story below is inspired by several suggestions at the Lotus Knows IdeaJam, including this one.

This is a true story of how one person in 6 months got a whole department to change from one word processor to another, without even involving the IT department.

In early 1993, I started working as a journalist at Computer Sweden, the Swedish edition of ComputerWorld. I had previously worked at Microsoft (in 1988-1990), and then I worked as a programmer for 2 years. At that workplace we used Microsoft Word and Excel. So I was very used to Word.

At Computer Sweden, they used WordPerfect 5.1 (if I recall correctly). When writing, they used special markup for QuarkXPress, to set headlines, body text, etc. I did not like WordPerfect, and was not used to it, so I loaded Word on my computer and started working. After a few weeks I decided to make life easier by developing a Normal.dot template so I could format the text in a WYSIWYG way, and then have a macro to create the QuarkXPress markup when I was done. I also added code to copy the resulting file to tne network share where the editors could get to it.

Some other users saw it, got Word installed and started using my macro. Within 6 months of me starting, the editor-in-chief demanded that everyone switched to Word and used my macro. WordPerfect was out from that magazine. Soon other magazines followed, and several started using the same macro. Later I modified it to generate HTML, upload the resulting file to teh web server and edit the homepage to include a link to the new story.

Not one dollar spent in sales calls/visits, direct marketing or anything from Microsoft, just one user showing how a different tool could do things faster and better. I am sure a similar macro and template could have been done in WordPerfect. But I knew Word, so I built it there.

Imagine tech-savy students coming out in the workplaces, loading their computers with "Lotus Notes Personal Edition", "Domino Designer Personal Edition" and connecting to a public demo server provided by IBM, and then develop some useful and good looking applications for their new employer in a day or two... Web-enabled and/or Notes client access in one easy-to-use environment.

A couple of months ago, I stumbled on a series of books at Barnes & Noble. Since I am interested in history, they caught my eye. The first book is named 1632, the second one 1633, and they are parts of a series called the 1632 series or "Ring of Fire". Yesterday I happend to stumble on more information about the books, and found out it is a whole series of books, e-books, etc. Many of the books are available as free legal downloads at the publisher Baen Books website, through the Baen Free Library.

From Wikipedia (slightly edited for length:

The fictional town of Grantville, West Virginia and its power plant are displaced in space-time. A hemispherical section of land about three miles in radius measured from the town center is transported back in time from April of 2000 to May of 1631. The town is thrust into the middle of the Thirty Years' War, in the German province of Thuringia in the Thuringer Wald, near the fictional German free city of Badenburg.
Grantville, led by Mike Stearns, president of the local United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), must cope with the town's space-time dislocation, the surrounding raging war, language barriers, and numerous social and political issues, including class conflict, witchcraft, feminism, the reformation and the counter-reformation, among many other factors. One complication is a compounding of the food shortage when the town is flooded by refugees from the war. The 1631 locals experience a culture shock when exposed to the mores of contemporary American society, including modern dress, sexual liberation, and boisterous American-style politics.
Grantville struggles to survive while trying to maintain technology sundered from twenty-first century resources. Throughout 1631, Grantville manages to establish itself locally by forming the nascent New United States of Europe (NUS) with several local cities even as war rages around them. King Gustavus Adolphus rapidly moves the war theater to Franconia and Bavaria, just south of Grantville. This leads to the creation of the Confederated Principalities of Europe (CPoE).

I just downloaded 1632 and will start reading it tonight. If it is good, I might just go ahead and buy the books. I think this kind of publishing is great, you get to read some, see if you like it, then buy the books and support the authors.

During IamLUG last week, John Head talked about some really exciting new things that are in the planning stage at OpenNTF. Nathan T Freeman teased a little bit about it the other day as well.

What the plan is (and as Nathan said, it is not set in stone it will happen) is that OpenNTF will offer free development hosting. When you create your project, you get a question if you want it hosted. If you select "yes", a VMware server is being setup, Linux and Domino installed, your ID file being created and sent to you within a few minutes. I think John said 120 seconds...

I think this is really exciting, it will let everyone start playing with Xpages and other technologies without the need for your own 8.5.x server. I know that I am excited about testing this! From what I hear, IBM donated an open-ended server license for this to happen.