remoteFile in compliments module

[schlachtkreuzer6]

@jcorraliza haha I can not believe it!!! now it´s working. okay so here is what i did:

so after ending with an error and resetting all the configs and .js files to default and my latest working config.js (post it above)
i shut it down
some hours later i boot it up again, and via putty ssh I copy and paste this code in the config.js:

{
	module: 'compliments',
	position: 'lower_third',
	config: {
		remoteFile: 'compliments.json'
	}
},

the comliments.js file is still located here: ~/MagicMirror/modules/default/compliments
then i restart the MM via pm2 restart mm
now it´s working with the compliments from the readme:

{
    "morning" : [
        "heyho"
    ],
    "afternoon" : [
        "home early?"
    ],
    "evening" : [
        "finally home"
    ],
        "fog" : [
                "fog, oh no :("
        ]
}

but anyway, the MMM-Admin-Interface changed the config.json to this again ^^:

{
  "module": "compliments",
  "position": "lower_third",
  "config": {
    "remoteFile": "compliments.json"
  }
}

many thanks for your help, and time!

[A Former User]

hey, sorry for being a bit silent. was travelling with no access to my raspberry. will give your solution a shot, too. why does it have to be a local file, though? my plan was to (in a 2nd step) place the compliments.json in my dropbox folder, so i can easily change the compliments remotely.

[bhepler]

@skr Because I’m a crap coder in Javascript.

Sorry for not helping earlier, folks. I was at a wedding and delivering my mirror as a gift. I’ll investigate and see if I can’t improve the mirror code.

You should not ever have to modify the compliments.js file. You should be able to pull it off with just modifications to the config.js file.

[DvdEnde]

@schlachtkreuzer6
Because it worked with you as it should be, so I changed my whole MM installation.
I did manage to keep the compliments unchanged too.
:D I am happy …

@strawberry-3-141 @yawns thanks guys. Your info helped me too a lot!

[DvdEnde]

@skr I am working on that now.
@strawberry-3-141 has some good information in this project:
https://forum.magicmirror.builders/topic/240/soccer-standings

I am struggling with the CORS at the moment but it is solvable…

[schlachtkreuzer6]

@DvdEnde Great :) did you manage to run the weather-dependent compliments? My goal is to add all weather conditions based compliments. The normal compliments work, just need some time to load after starting MM from 30 seconds to 3mins. But if a add all of them:

day_sunny
day_cloudy
cloudy
cloudy_windy
showers
rain
thunderstorm
snow
fog
night_clear
night_cloudy
night_showers
night_rain
night_thunderstorm
night_snow
night_alt_cloudy_wind

in this format:

 ],
        "fog" : [
                "fog, oh no :("
 ],
......

MM starts to show the default comliments. Any Idea?

[jcorraliza]

@schlachtkreuzer6 said in remoteFile in compliments module:

@DvdEnde Great :) did you manage to run the weather-dependent compliments? My goal is to add all weather conditions based compliments. The normal compliments work, just need some time to load after starting MM from 30 seconds to 3mins. But if a add all of them:

day_sunny
day_cloudy
cloudy
cloudy_windy
showers
rain
thunderstorm
snow
fog
night_clear
night_cloudy
night_showers
night_rain
night_thunderstorm
night_snow
night_alt_cloudy_wind

in this format:

 ],
        "fog" : [
                "fog, oh no :("
 ],
......

MM starts to show the default comliments. Any Idea?

This is the exact problem I’m running into as well. I can get the remoteFile to work if I just use the default times of day, but if I try using the currentweather objects, it just goes back to the default compliments.

[schlachtkreuzer6]

@jcorraliza yeah… the only reason why i would use the remote file is the weather stuff, and obviously this feature has a bug, or we are to weak in coding ^^

[bhepler]

Okay, I have the weather integration working. I’ll spare you the process I went through to figure it out, but the short version is that I am a worse developer than I originally suspected. The remoteFile capability works by replacing the three compliment arrays (morning, afternoon & evening). The weather integration works (sensibly, IMHO) by adding weather-specific compliments to the existing arrays.

So in order to get them both working, you need to specify both the original arrays and the weather-specific arrays. You can delete any weather-specific arrays you wish, but you must have the morning, afternoon & evening arrays. Copy & paste this compliments.json file to your mirror and then modify accordingly.

{
  "morning": ["Morning compliment"],
  "afternoon": ["Afternoon compliment"],
  "evening": ["Evening compliment"],
  "day_sunny" : [
    "Day Sunny Compliment 1",
    "Day Sunny Compliment 2"
  ],
  "day_cloudy" : [
    "Day Cloudy Compliment 1",
    "Day Cloudy Compliment 2"
  ],
  "cloudy" : ["Cloud 1"],
  "cloudy_windy" : ["Cloud windy"],
  "showers" : ["Showers"],
  "rain" : ["Rain"],
  "thunderstorm" : ["Thunderstorm"],
  "snow" : ["Snow"],
  "fog" : ["Fog"],
  "night_clear" : ["Night clear"],
  "night_cloudy" : ["Night Cloudy"],
  "night_showers" : ["Night showers"],
  "night_rain" : ["Night Rain"],
  "night_thunderstorm" : ["Night thunderstorm"],
  "night_snow" : ["Night Snow"],
  "night_alt_cloudy_wind": ["Night Cloudy Winds"]
}

I’m going to work on this a bit and hopefully the next release of the MirrorMirror software will be a bit more friendly. As an aside, I’ve noticed that the weather integration technique continually adds to the arrays. So the memory usage will grow and grow at whatever frequency you set the compliment refresh. This isn’t terrible, as straight text doesn’t take a whole lot of memory. But it may have unintended effects if you leave your mirror running for months at a time or if you are expecting a true randomization of the compliments you enter.

[schlachtkreuzer6]

@bhepler okay a bit weird^^ anyway thank you! It worked perfecly!
@Steff the config above :)

[roramirez]

@bhepler said in remoteFile in compliments module:

I’m going to work on this a bit and hopefully the next release of the MirrorMirror software will be a bit more friendly. As an aside, I’ve noticed that the weather integration technique continually adds to the arrays. So the memory usage will grow and grow at whatever frequency you set the compliment refresh. This isn’t terrible, as straight text doesn’t take a whole lot of memory. But it may have unintended effects if you leave your mirror running for months at a time or if you are expecting a true randomization of the compliments you enter.

Hi, when I worked in this feature I remember was a flashing about this.

If you can help how improved this is welcome :)

[Snille]

Hi! I’m using a separate compliments file (for each user). I’ve noticed that when I use non english characters they are not shown correctly.
The complement in the picture should say: “Tänk positivt”.
Now it says:

If I don’t use a compliments file and put the compliments directly in the config, it works fine.

What to do? :)

Best regards Snille

[strawberry 3.141]

@Snille did you save the compliments file as utf8 encoded?

[Snille]

@strawberry-3.141 I had not, now I did and it works! :)
Thank you!

[jm]

@roramirez Is there already a solution for the memory ‘bug’?

[roramirez]

@jm What memory bug? I’ve don’t touch nothing there. @bhepler said about the improvement

If you can help with this the Pull Requests are welcome :)

[jm]

@roramirez I meant this comment:

“As an aside, I’ve noticed that the weather integration technique continually adds to the arrays. So the memory usage will grow and grow at whatever frequency you set the compliment refresh. This isn’t terrible, as straight text doesn’t take a whole lot of memory. But it may have unintended effects”

I don’t know whether to call this a bug, but you get my point ;) I’m not an experienced coder whatsoever, so I doubt I might be of help, but I am always willing to test / assist.

[strawberry 3.141]

@jm I can’t see that this is still happening on the current code base. Every time it tries to update an array will be generated with all possible values, after that the garbage collector will do his job and delete the array after usage.

[ZtM]

Here is how I got the remote file compliments to work:

1. The config.js settings must name the remote file with no path:

		{
			module: 'compliments',
			position: 'bottom_bar',
			config: {
				remoteFile: 'compliments.json'
			}
		},        

IMO it would be great if it were possible to put a full path the the remote file so it can be stored in the config directory.

2. Create a compliments.json file and be sure to put double quotes around the array names like so:

{
	"morning" : [
		"You're good enough, you're smart enough and doggone it, people like you!"
	],
	"afternoon" : [
		"Yes those jeans make you look fat."
	],
	"evening" : [
		"Please put on some pants."
	]
}

3. Put the remote file (compliments.json) into the ~/MagicMirror/modules/default/compliments directory.

4. Restart MM. It will show the default compliment (usually “Hi Sexy”) for the first interval and then will start showing compliments from the external file.

Hope this helps

[Lahim]

Guys where can be mistake:
config.js looks like:

{
module: “compliments”,
position: “lower_third”,
config: {
remoteFile: “compliments.json”
}
},
Remote file placed in ~/MagicMirror/modules/default/compliments
but it still does not work.
I made all following above written steps and nothing - still oryginal compliments are one the mirror.
I have no idea what is wrong.