UI-View32 add-on TWP server

(TinyWebPages server)

by Chris van Gorp PA7RHM ( UI-View32 is written by Roger Barker G4IDE , TinyWebPages invented by Bob Bruninga)

Using the TWP server  Defining commands  Menu Options  Installing UI_TWP  Error Messages  Settings (.INI file) Release Notes

The UI_TWP server  is an UI-View32 add-on which listens to queries and responds with messages and / or APRS objects.

TWP or TinyWebPages was invented by Bob Bruninga .  

Anybody in the local area of a TWP server can obtain local information.

This implementation of TWP is optimized for ease of use. To trigger the UI_TWP server a message to QDOS or QUERY is needed.
The messages sent by UI_TWP are short enough to fit in the THD7 handheld.

Startup

The UI_TWP server is normally started with the 'Extra option' of UIView32 which supports external programs (also known as ADD-ONS) 

The distribution of UI_TWP contains a .XTR file. For more information please see the online help of UIView32

During startup the following is done:

-get stationid from uiview32.ini

-get position of station from uiview32.ini

-checking if remote commands from ANYBODY are allowed
-checking if the Message option 'Don't show from me' is unchecked

-read the commands from UI_TWP.TXT

-read the overlay file Overlays\UI_TWP.POS (and see if objects can be defined for the commands defined in UI_TWP.TXT

-calculate the distance from the object to the station (if this distance is greater then 25 km then the object is not defined and will not be created (transmitted). (The nature of TWP is to serve the local area and not the nation).

Scanning APRS data

All APRS data is scanned for callsign QDOS or QUERY . If found the TWP server will announce itself:

1. an object is created named TWP<callsign>, where callsign is the callsign of the station running the TWP server. This object serves as an indicator of the presence of the TWP server.

2. A message is sent to the sender of the message to QDOS or QUERY

Processing queries

If a query matches one of the built-in or user defined commands then the server will respond by send the response and, if defined, create an object with the name of the command.

If the same query is received within 15 minutes then no response will be sent. A logging message will show that a similar message was already sent.

This feature is to reduce unwanted traffic.

If a request arrives at the UI_TWP server over more then 1 hop the reply message will not be sent. The UI_TWP server serves the local area (close to the UI_TWP server) , so distant requests are ignored.

Logging (what is the server doing)

In the logging text-box all the activities of the server are displayed. Information about the starting up/shutting down , receiving queries and sending of a response are listed here.

All this information is also written to the logfile UI_TWP.LOG on the Windows TEMP directory. You should delete this if it becomes too big.

Shutdown

When the server is shutdown it deletes all objects it created during its last run. 

You can check the logfile on this

Note: UI_TWP is not case sensitive.

Built in commands:

Define your own commands 

You define your own commands by editing the file UI_TWP.TXT

A command definition consists of 2 lines:

1. the command as it should be send (including ?)

2. the response, proceeded by the '>' character.

Example:

# next follows the MILK command

?MILK

>No milk today

# end of the MILK command

Restrictions:

-Command length 

  the maximum command length is 6 character (including the ?)

-Number of commands

  the maximum number of commands is 10.

Suggested commands

Note that the word Local is used on every line. Again it is stressed that the UI_TWP server should only send messages / objects about LOCAL  information.

Adding an Object to the response

You can have the TWP server to create an object which can be a navigation aid.

The TWP server searches an overlay in the file UI_TWP.POS in the UIView32 folder OVERLAYS.

If there is an overlay-entry with exactly the same name as the command then the position and the symbol information of the overlay-item is copied.

Every time a request is received UI_TWP sends the response and if it has the object information the object is created as well.

Example:

In the above UI_TWP.TXT file is the command ?HOS

UI_TWP searches the overlayfile for an entry named HOS , it copies the symbol (h) and the positional data (5154.70N/00423.61E).

Note that the other information is not used! The command response always originates from the UI_TWP.TXT file

The OBJECT's name

Since more then 1 UI-View user may be running this program the object must have a unique name.

The prefix of the object's name is the same as the command (and the same as the entry in the overlay file). TWP-server will try a suffix from 0 to 99 until a unique, non existing objectname is found.

You install UI_TWP by these steps:

1. Extracting the files from the ZIP archive to the UI-View32 folder (the folder that holds uiview32.exe)

2. Define commands by creating and edit the file UI_TWP.TXT ( you can use UI_TWP_EXAMPLE.TXT as an example)

3. Define objects by creating and editing the file OVERLAYS\UI_TWP.POS (you can use UI_TWP_EXAMPLE.POS as an example)

This is the list of files that is used by UI_TWP:

Most of the values and options you enter in the UI_TWP screen are saved in the UI_TWP.ini file.

When you close down the program or when you select menu ‘File, Save settings’ these values are saved.

When you start UI_TWP , these values are restored from the UI_TWP.ini file.

The followings items are stored in the UI_TWP.ini file:

!!!  If you are not sure what you are doing, DO NOT edit the UI_TWP.ini file  !!!

Prior to the first release the software was tested by Bart and Andy

The first released version was version 1.1.0 release date 31-jul-2001

Known bugs

1. When UI_TWP loads object information from the UI_TWP.POS overlay file it checks if objects are not too far from the UI_TWP server station. It appears that the calculated distance is incorrect.
   

Version 1.2.0 release date 15-apr-2002

Bugs reported

• None

Bugs fixed

• The distance calculation (see Known Bugs above) is now fixed

New features

• UI_TWP now creates an object named TWP<mycall>  for instance TWPPD0RHM when a string containing ?query is received
• Updated documentation

Version 1.3.0 release date 20-aug-2002

Bugs reported : 

• The 1.2.0  does not run on a UIView32 version higher then 1.69
  This is fixed with this 1.3.0 release

Known bugs

• None

New features

• This version is now compatible with UI-View32 versions from v1.55 to v1.99 (to be released)

Versions 1.4.x are test versions and are only sent to testers

Version 1.5.0 release date 25-aug-2002
This release was tested with lots of help from Ben PD2BS

Bugs reported : 

• if, as part of a regular message, "???" is sent , then the TWP server is triggered.
  This is fixed with the 1.5.0 release
  

Known bugs

• None

New features / enhancements

• This version follows the original document by Bob Bruninga more strictly. The TWP server is now triggered by a (dummy, not empty) message sent to Callsign QDOS or QUERY
• The maximum message length is increased from 24 to 45 characters
• The name of the TWP<callsign> object is changed so that the '-SSID' part is removed.
  for callsign PD2BS-1 the object is now called TWPPD2BS

Version 1.5.4 release date 25-jan-2003
This release was tested with lots of help from Ben PD2BS

Bugs reported : 

• The distance between the TWP server and some of the items in the UI_TWP.pos overlay file were not calculated correctly. Objects with a symbol-table code other then '/' were not created properly
  This is fixed with the 1.5.4 release
  

Known bugs

• None

New features / enhancements

• As with the previous version, this version follows the original document by Bob Bruninga more strictly. The TWP server can now be activated by sending  a topic to Callsign QDOS or QUERY

Version 1.5.5 release date 10-apr-2004
 

Bugs reported : 

• none
  

Known bugs

• None

New features / enhancements

• A safety mechanism to protect the server from sending too many messages is now built in.