The new updated list of CH DVDs (data miner)

[bga]

I don't know enough about OO to help you troubleshoot it, but if you don't have Java 1.3 or Java 1.4 installed on your computer, your can download it from here. I have a FreeBSD computer and a Windows 98 computer, and OO works fine on both of them.

[thawtz]

abintra, what OS do you have? Most computers come with some sort of office suite with a spreadsheet program that can handle csv files. Also what were you using to d/l the file? I also got gibberish when using IE on Win2k.

[abintra]

Originally posted by thawtz
abintra, what OS do you have? Most computers come with some sort of office suite with a spreadsheet program that can handle csv files. Also what were you using to d/l the file? I also got gibberish when using IE on Win2k.

XP Pro. It's a custom built computer so no software other than what I bought.

To download, just IE. When I open it a window pops up asking to choose ASCII Filter options and I just left it on the default ones (Western Europe windows, Times New Roman, English, and LF paragraph break). The beginning part is all gibberish and the readable part is just like what it would read if I opened it with notepad.

I'll try downloading the Java program above. Are there more than one different types of that Java one above or is that already the best one to try?

Edit- Geesh, that Java VM installed like four different things. Hope it doesn't add too much bloat.

Well, it didn't seem to change the functionality for OO and it seems to install a bunch of software that obviously I have no use for given that I didn't need it over the years. Computer seems a little slower also. Bye bye.

[bga]

If you download it as a file, and open it in notepad or wordpad does it look like a normal text file?

Anyway, there's a new version available. Not too many new titles, although Once Upon A Time In The West is available, and there are about 30 new enrollments,.

[abintra]

Originally posted by xpfshost
I had the OO problem a few months back but managed to fix it. Can't remember what the problem was, but I think it had something to do with extra characters at the end of the .csv file itself. I tried saving the latest .csv file today and opened it with no problem in OO, however, so it must not be a problem with the file. You might want to download the latest OO and reinstall it and see if that works. Oh, and you want to start OO Calc first, then open the .csv file. In the 'Text Import' option box that pops up, make sure you check 'separated by comma'. Good luck.

flamanar

I think that is my problem. Where is the text import box? I choose open the .csv file and brings up the Western Europe windows, Times New Roman, English, and LF paragraph break box but nothing that mentions seperated by comma. I think it is then opening it in the OO text program and not a spreadsheet.

If you download it as a file, and open it in notepad or wordpad does it look like a normal text file?

Yes. But OO office looks like ‹ Ì]YwÛ¸’~Ÿ_�æC÷Üsœ˜û¢7ywbÅËI¦a ¶xM:$e·òë§
)®")[¹sZ)‘D€Z¾ªú )S°YâóP9Rü$`ðßEþŸÏÈÁ’… üå‚Ñd±¿Ï×á¿N?|^âçÏüx†ïŸý8#¥Kÿ—¢»ºn¨:~‰Ï^6äúú^O.'äŠ/9%ÔÓ›iž‹Ÿ=‹è’Ÿ¯üY|DÆbÇãù+|f-ÕÌÏžÏ!ÖOÎâYÄXxDN³99¥+üÒÜ`AÛ‘‡ˆú
‹ðê …ìž O§0®ù^xEËrm…˜ÂøßÞ=«$Í'Í™ÎV C5
K

[bga]

What's the file extension? I get the box you mention when the file name doesn't end in .csv.

[abintra]

.csv

Edit: Okay. I just downloaded it again and saved it as a txt file and that opened perfectly and brought up the text import box.

Is it possible to rearrange the categories and if so how? I probably should be taking these questions a new thread is this is getting way off topic. Thanks for the help.

[abintra]

Originally posted by xpfshost
What version OO are you using? I'm using 1.0. Are you starting up OO with Calc first, then trying to open the file in Calc?? It sounds like you might be just starting up the main OO program and trying to open the file...which would probably make it open in 'Writer', not Calc. You can open Calc BY ITSELF by finding it in the OO program group off the Start menu (I don't have XP, so you'll have to translate that from W98). Try it and let me know.

xpfshost

I have the latest release on their site, just downloaded it a couple of days ago and was starting Calc and then opening the file. Also tried opening the file with OO by right clicking and choosing open with. The results were the same but saving BGA's list as a txt file made it work.

xpfshost.. Thanks, I figured out how to sort them but would like to rearrange the order of categories. The first thing I can think of that I want is to move the selection numbers somewhere else and use the A column so I can type in what titles I am interested in. That way when I go through the entire list I can then go back and sort based on the ones I want.

Obviously I am a complete newbie with spreadsheets but am shocked at how little sense things make to move around it. I would just like to click the column I want to move and drag it. I can't find anything in the options that make sense to me that would signify to move something.

[bga]

The only way I know to rearrange the order of the categories in OO is to select the column header, do a cut, select the new column header (which should be a blank column, either at the end the spreadsheet, or a column created with insert column), and do a paste.

[abintra]

That worked, thanks.

I tried the same thing in a baseball spreadsheet I am trying to start, to move a couple of categories around, and it wouldn't let me cut the selected column or insert a new column where selected. Very odd.

Edit: I think I might understand why the same thing isn't working in my other spreadsheet. I don't understand why but it appears that it isn't recognizing that there is text in the columns so anything I do to copy, cut, or add columns isn't functioning properly.

Not sure if there is a way to fix it or I'm looking at inputing the data again.

[bga]

There's a new update out. Not much new, but it also doesn't reflect any special prices on box sets.

[bga]

A new update is available. There are a lot of new titles (~80), mostly preorders, a lot of new enrollments (~45) and price decreases (~80). I'd be bitter about not getting CH to accept my enrollments if it weren't for the Deep Discount DVD 20% sale sucking up all my disposable income (and then some).

[DVDude!]

Holy freakin' crap! CH is actually carrying Blue Underground titles now! Wow.

As always, thanks, bga.

[CrumpsBrother]

Sadly. I already bought both THE CRAZIES and Q, but, indeed, that is excellent news that Blue Underground has reached a deal with CH.

Now, where's TOOLBOX MURDERS and SHOCKWAVES?

[DVDude!]

CrumpsBrother: I'd already bought Dead and Buried using a giftcard I got from my old job. Bought it at Borders with the GC specifically because it wasn't a CH selection. Drat.

That said, I almost ordered Q: The Winged Serpent two days ago using a Wherehouse GC. Glad I waited.

[undefined]

BGA- How does one get in touch with you (other than by posting right here)?

I'm trying to write a perl script to do a similar cataloging of a different site and wondered if you could help any. I know you are not releasing this script so other people will not run it (fully understand), but if you could provide any pointers I'd appreciate it.


You can email me at kahs AT therives DOT net

[Dabaomb]

Bump. BGA posted a new update on 12/9 but he forgot to bump his thread like he usually does.

[abintra]

What's the best way of going about merging a new list with one that I have customized so that just the changes take affect?

For example, I have the 11/18 one and would like to update it to the most current.

[bga]

A new update is available. I also got the blacklist letter today, so I hope that my old accounts that I use to run the data miner don't disappear on me before they let me join again.

As for Abrinta's question, I'm not sure if there's an easy way to do this with Excel or Openoffice. If your customized list has some new fields, it's pretty easy to write a perl script to do this, or maybe even use cut, sort and join with Unix command lines. I think the toughest part is dealing with embedded commas in the title, but if you use a different character for the column separator, it wouldn't be too hard.

[abintra]

Is there a way to do it if there aren't customized fields? I don't have any knowledge or Perl or Unix so that isn't an option.

What I did was to mark every title that interests me and now would just like to be able to merge your updates into the 11/18 list I have without manually having to enter every title.

Or does everyone just download one and then have to refer to the html list of changes?

[thejester]

Originally posted by bga
... I also got the blacklist letter today, so I hope that my old accounts that I use to run the data miner don't disappear on me before they let me join again.

Sorry to hear about the letter BGA. I'm half-way expecting one myself. Although, I've only had about 40-45 accounts since April 2001 - barely 2 per month on avg. with all the no-shows.

I had an account that I closed back in March 2002 that I can still log into to this day. I think that's back when I was having the CSRs close my accounts. Since I started using the web cancellation method, I lose log-in access within a day.

I'd suspect that if you had one of those type of closed account, that you'd still be able to sign-in.

[bga]

The account I use is one that was closed at least a year ago also. That's why I wonder how long it will continue to work on the website.

Abintra: I see that OpenOffice has a compare documents option. It may be that Microsoft Office also has this, but the version I have at home is Office 97. I don't know if this will do what you want, but you can always check it out. I suspect that you need to sort each file by selection # and save it before you run the compare documents feature.

[abintra]

I don't really understand spreadsheets anyway but just tried it and it didn't seem to do what I wanted. The amount of titles stayed the same so it didn't add the new ones or did so in a manner that I would still need to read through all 4000+ titles in order to find them.

Not sure how I am going to use the list in the future short of just checking the html list of changes and hand making notes since the new additions are scattered within the 4000+ list of titles.

I am curious how everyone else uses the lists to keep updated as manually copy and pasting the changes into the spreadsheet isn't an option.

[bga]

A new update is available. It looks like all the titles that should have become available for enrollment before Christmas are now available for enrollment. There are a number of new preorders, too.

[bga]

Another new update is available. 14 new titles, 38 new enrollments, about 60 price decreases.