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DesktopX Weather Widget Fixes

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DesktopX Weather Widget Fixes

from WinCustomize Forums

The purpose of this thread is to compile and post fixes for the recent weather widget problem for anyone who has the patience to implement them. I'll try to edit this post to keep it up-to-date.

 Edit 7/10: Important information for DX authors.

 Edit 7/12: Added clarification to 2a for DX users - ZubaZ

 Edit 7/13 : Removed fixes due to legal ambiguity

 

Contents

1. The Problem

2. The Fixes

e. Disable the Weather

3. For Authors

a. Using The Weather Channel Feeds

b. Using Another Source

c. Weather & DX Themes

 

1. The Problem

If your weather widget has suddenly stopped working properly, it is likely because the source, Weather.com, has changed their site to prohibit unlicensed usage. The majority of weather widgets on this site were built with the same code which is now outdated.

Symptoms of this particular problem are:

-You get a message saying the location is invalid
-When you try to clear this message it keeps popping up

 

2. The Fixes (as far as we know)

 

*** UPDATE 7/13/09 ***

I have tried to find more information and understand the legalities of the TWC XOAP data feed services and due to ambiguity I have removed these fixes so as not to put anyone else at risk of violating known or unknown weather.com license agreements.

A very good read on the situation with weather.com and their feeds can be found here: http://www.rainmeter.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=615

At the present time the only remaining option for end-users is to disable and/or discontinue using the weather widgets.

 

 


E.  DISABLE THE WEATHER:

If you are using a combo widget or theme and would just like to disable the weather parts read below.

There are a few objects that need to be "turned off". To do this you will open the widget/theme in DX Builder (be sure to turn off internet connection first,) find the object, right-click and uncheck Script Enabled.

These objects may be several of the following. (You can ctrl + click to select more than one object in the object list, then r-click and uncheck Script Enabled.)


Version 1:

"weather_image"
"weather_temp"
"weather_location"


Version 2:

"kdockweatherimage" (and/or "kdockweatherimage2")
"Kdockweatherlocation" (and/or "kdockweatherlocation2")
"kdockweathertemp" (and/or "kdockweathertemp2")
"kdockforecastimage1" (through "kdockforecastimage5")


Version 3:

"Weather_Output"
"Weather_Script"
"WeatherFunction_ToggleUnits"
"CUI_SCripts"
"WeatherFunction_SetLocation"

 

 

 3. For Authors

A Notice From the WC Staff:

Starting Monday, July 20th, we will start exiling weather widgets from the WinCustomize galleries that have not been updated and/or violate any ToS/ToU in regards to weather feeds.

See here for more details.

 

Q: Can't I fix and reupload my widgets?

It's fairly certain that our widgets are not in compliance with The Weather Channel's license agreements. Among other things, a widget using TWC's feed now needs to include their logo and 5 advertisement links (to see the full details get registered and download the SDK file included in your confirmation email.)

This is aside from the fact that most of these fixes hard code YOUR license ID and KEY, and you CAN NOT allow others to use these; uploading a fixed widget with your ID and KEY is in violation of the license agreement.

The short answer is no. We can't use these fixes and then reupload our widgets.


Q: What CAN I do?

Right now you need to archive your skins before they are deleted from the galleries.


Q: So that's it? No more weather widgets?

Not necessarily. We have two options:  A. Re-build our widgets in compliance with TWC's license agreement or  B. find another data source.

 

 

A. USING THE WEATHER CHANNEL FEEDS

If you are looking to rebuild your widget in compliance with TWC's agreement you'll need to do the following:

- Register, download and thoroughly read the SDK file included in your confirmation email
- Comply
- Add a function to allow the user to input their license key and partner ID.
- Add a link to the registration page so users know where to get the key and ID.
- Be mindful of the fact that TWC could change their site again and consider putting contingencies in place to prevent further headaches. (i.e., Use and external script that can be copied onto the user's computer, and have as little code in the actual objects.)

 To be clear, anyone looking to make a weather widget using weather.com services MUST be in compliance with their terms of service and license agreements.

 

B. USING ANOTHER SOURCE suggestions by Zubaz

If you decide to part ways with TWC, here are some alternative weather feed sources to consider (You will need to abide by their Terms of Service as well):

-  Wunderground.com  -- LINK

- Yahoo! -- LINK 

- rssweather.com -- LINK

 

Again, I strongly advise using an external script to save yourself (and by extension your end-users) from any headaches in future.

 

C. WEATHER & DX THEMES

If you are a DesktopX theme author, the best advice for now is to exclude the weather widget from your theme and consider uploading weather as a separate widget in future.

 

 

 

 

 

That's all for now...

Leave questions, comments, and your experience reports below.

desktopx
605,337 views 209 replies
Reply #76 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting bilbo1930, reply 24



Johnny please code this... cos this not work for my widgies 
 

XD  

Reply #77 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Well, great sleuthing by everyone, hope it all works out... meanwhile I've managed to come up with an alternative method

1. Open Door

2. Look outside

3. Close door

Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #78 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I couldn't find door code . . but I did find window

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE> Window Open And Close Tester </TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<CENTER>
<H1> Window.Open And Window.Close </H1>
<INPUT TYPE="BUTTON" NAME="btnOne" VALUE="Open One">
<INPUT TYPE="BUTTON" NAME="btnDOne" VALUE="Close One"><p>
<INPUT TYPE="BUTTON" NAME="btnCloseMe" VALUE="Close Me">
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="VBScript">
Dim objNewWindow
Sub btnOne_onClick
  Set objNewWindow = Window.Open("http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Novi%2C United States", "myWindowOne", "toolbar=no, menubar=no, location=no, directories=no")
End Sub    
Sub btnDOne_onClick
  objNewWindow.Close
End Sub
Sub btnCloseMe_onClick
  Window.Close
End Sub
</SCRIPT>
</CENTER>
</BODY>
</HTML>

 

Reply #79 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I couldn't find door code . . but I did find window

 

Thou art the clever'est bugger :congrat:

 

 

wish I could read Greek too :'(

Reply #80 from WinCustomize Forums Top

John, I hope you don't mind, I put up a semi transparent version of KROME DX. What was that font again, the one you used in your screenshots?

Reply #81 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I put up a semi transparent version of KROME DX.
And it's a real beauty,even better than the original.5*

*shameless plug for my friend Jim*;)

Reply #82 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Oops sorry about this, can't find a 'delete' option so reposted below.

 

Reply #83 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Wonder if SD will pull weather widgets off MyColors for the same reason.
Stardock has an agreement with accuweather that prevents such things.

Reply #84 from WinCustomize Forums Top

which docklet is that? my ODock weather docklet goes to accuweather ObjectDock uses an Accuweather feed. Right clicking on it will give accuweather options and choosing the properties of teh docklet provides links to their site. Yep, turns out my Objectdock weather docklet runs off accuweather while the widgies show N/A coz they ran off TWC’s feed. I guess a global switchover to accuweather etc. isn’t feasible coz they might follow TWC. I guess that’s it for weather widgets on MyColors too for now. Bichur, Zubaz: thanks for the diagnosis! yep this works only if you CHEAT... Bilbo my post says I didn't register coz I'm in Europe for that reason.

Reply #85 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Stardock has an agreement with accuweather that prevents such things.

Ok, noted.

Thanks Zubaz!

Reply #86 from WinCustomize Forums Top

crap..

too slow

 

 

dialup flashback

Reply #87 from WinCustomize Forums Top

az0th ...could you please not use whatever text edit you did in #84....the HTML was several pages long and broke this thread in Internet Explorer. ...;)

 

Reply #88 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Zubaz - rather than deleting these weather object from accounts, why can you not just flag them in some way and stop them appearing in WC?

Changing these objects is not the shortest task and some people have a lot of objects.

Brutally deleting objects is likely to drive some authors away.

I know we can "archive" them, but can you image what a time consuming effort that would be for some of us?

Reply #89 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Zubaz - rather than deleting these weather object from accounts, why can you not just flag them in some way and stop them appearing in WC?

Items are not really being deleted, exiling just removes them from WC.  Mostly everything stays in the database and if someone needs access to a widget they don't have anymore, they can contact us and we will do our best to help.

Our goal is to remove non-working items from the galleries so people don't download a bunch of things that don't work.

 

+1 Loading…
Reply #90 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hi Zu,

The first door is here: http://wiki.wunderground.com/index.php/API_-_XML

The second - retrieving the web page as HTML for parsing in the widget.

Then you may go here: http://weather.a.ua/?countryw=USMI0617 and look how some people uses not only the TWC feeds but full content of their site without any licenses and has no any problems. By the way they uses Stardock's icons too... :blush:

Reply #91 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Vad_M, reply 15
Hi Zu,

The first door is here: http://wiki.wunderground.com/index.php/API_-_XML

The second - retrieving the web page as HTML for parsing in the widget.

Then you may go here: http://weather.a.ua/?countryw=USMI0617 and look how some people uses not only the TWC feeds but full content of their site without any licenses and has no any problems. By the way they uses Stardock's icons too...
Vadim, I'm not sure I understand what your point is.

I am aware of the first link and the terms.

the second link . . has a weather.com logo in the bottom and appears to be a partner (or at least the link has a parnter code).

Reply #92 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting _Martin_, reply 13
Zubaz - rather than deleting these weather object from accounts, why can you not just flag them in some way and stop them appearing in WC?

Changing these objects is not the shortest task and some people have a lot of objects.

Brutally deleting objects is likely to drive some authors away.

I know we can "archive" them, but can you image what a time consuming effort that would be for some of us?

 

Very well said Martin! :thumbsup:

 

If you hide the weather widgets/themes, how they authors can find them to make an update (if and when it will be possible)?

How about put them in a special hidden weather-widgets library, which will be accesible to authors, but not to users, like the one we have now when a work is updated and goes to "In Moderation" library.

It can be named as "Hiden Weather Widgets", just an idea...

Reply #93 from WinCustomize Forums Top

If you hide the weather widgets/themes, how they authors can find them to make an update (if and when it will be possible)?
How many author's don't have a copy of their own work?

We are allowing the authors to download their work until the 20th.

After the 20th if an author needs something they missed, they can request it.

Building a new library, accessible to specific users or for specific gallery type, is not possible at this time.

Reply #94 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ok Jafo - sorry about that, it won't happen again.

Reply #95 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Adni...site coding doesn't allow for a semi concealed location.  Either the skin is available to all...or it is available to admins/mods only.

We can be stuck with the task of accessing publicly hidden ones [exiles] as/if requested by the skinners involved.

As Island Dog mentioned...the real priority is not about repairing broken skins...it is actually about not having broken ones still being downloaded/accessed and thus widening the effect/issue...;)

Reply #96 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Vadim, I'm not sure I understand what your point is.

Ohhh... Excuse me!  This happened because of the language barrier! Seems I didn't understood you too. I just thought that you found a link to get some weather data that you can't parse. Excuse me again.

The second thing is a big surprise for me. I visited this site a few times before and never seen any TWC logo on any its pages. And now I've found it!... Unbelievable! Is they have purchased a TWC license? Hmmm...

Reply #97 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Zubaz, reply 18

If you hide the weather widgets/themes, how they authors can find them to make an update (if and when it will be possible)?

How many author's don't have a copy of their own work?
We are allowing the authors to download their work until the 20th.

After the 20th if an author needs something they missed, they can request it.

Building a new library, accessible to specific users or for specific gallery type, is not possible at this time.

Hi Zubaz,

I thought I was writing in English, not in Greek... but I guess I was wrong, by reading your answer...


I will try to explain better.

Let's say that in 25 July an author finds an acceptable by WC solution of his weather widget, he fix it in his computer and then he must update/upload it in WC.

At this date, the widget will not exist in his library in WC. How he will update it, if he can't find it???

 

 

 

Quoting Jafo,
Adni...site coding doesn't allow for a semi concealed location. Either the skin is available to all...or it is available to admins/mods only.

Hi Paul,

Sorry, but I must add a third option.

There is the "In Moderation" state, where the skin:

1. Is not available for users

2. Is available for admins/mods

and

3. Is available for the owner/author of the skin.

I guess you never have been under moderation to know it ;)

 

Therefore the script exists; it needs only dublication and a new name.

The Admins/mods instead of "exile" of the weather widget, they can put it in this new category, which will keep it hiden from users, but visible for the author.

 

 

Reply #98 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hope I'm in the right place. What do we do with the Weather Widgets we have that do not work? Just delete them?

Thanks.

Reply #99 from WinCustomize Forums Top

SJN, you can either fix them for personal use following the instructions in the original post or discontinue using them. Deleting them forever is up to you.

Reply #100 from WinCustomize Forums Top

PLEASE! Can anyone look on this page: http://weather.msn.com/ 

I didn't find any prohibitions (i.e. any TOS or TOU) to use their weather data. If so - the problem with TWC is solved. The MSN Weather Service is even better and more user friendly than provided by TWC!