This started out as a bug report,
and is ending up as an enhancement request.... I think. I
turn all the evidence and conclusions over to the experts for
resoultion.
It starts out as a simple task of
help a newcomer to DXL up to speed. After doing all that, the
user says " I have an old log on my Apple that I would like to
import.
He gives me the name of the
software MacLoggerDX.
I look up the program on the www
and find that it will export adif files, so I tell my friend
sure, send me the file and we can determine what will and
won't be imported as a result.
So he sends me the file and I
have a look. Header says it is Adif version 3.0.3
So I make a new blank mdb and
import it. Looks pretty good to me.
I tell my buddy it imported 561
QSO's . He says there should be a lot more than that.
Hmmm I didn't get any error
messages... and it returned to the import page normally. So I
import the adif file into ADIF master. Sure enough 6211
QSO's.
So now the head scratching phase
starts. Since the import process appears to be aborting
without reporting an error I need to find out what is causing
the issue. So I sort the ADIF by callsign worked, export it
as an adif and import that. Same issue, different place,
but now by sorting the log by callsign, I can find where the
mishap is ocuring.
First entry not imported is a qso
with OK2D. So I delete that record in the adi file and
try again. Now it goes further, but aborts again . Same
process but this time it is S51MT . So once again I delete
the record and import again. Success all 6000+ remaining
records are imported along with the exception report for
errors detected .
So now why .... looking at the
adi with notepad at the two deleted records, an square
characters is in both records . I am pasting it here, who
knows how that will translate. In fact it did not let me
paste it visibly into my mail program (Thunderbird).
Ok so time to figure out who is
at fault and why.
Looking at the two callsigns on
qrz.com yields the clue. My buddy uses the callsign lookup
features both in DXL and MacloggerDX, so he has name and
address fields filled by qrz lookup for most of those QSO's.
Those two callsigns are using
charchters note in the 437 codepage. Now we are down to the
why, on to the who.
Researching the ADIF specs
reveals that it does allow for such characters. In ourder to
use them, you should use the XML vesion of ADIF which results
in an ADX extension file.. ok MacloggeerDX can do that, so
they have accounted for the situation.
But DXK cannot import an ADX
file, so that is not the solution. Hmmm what to try next.
I go back to qrz.com and look up
ok2d ( I do not have an xml lookup account) I created a qso
record in DXK and I copy the character in question .... it
is in the address:
756 11 Valašská Polanka, CZ
It came out properly here now.
So I pasted into DXK and saved the record.
Works and displays fine. So I export it as an adi. Look at
it with notepad .... looks ok still. Import it back in
... works fine. arrrgh
Since we have done the import ok, we let it go
at that.
Several weeks later I am helpinghim again to
do an import of some wsjt qso's that got lost when dxk was
accidentally not running and he logged some qso's .
It is now for the first time I notice the
checkbox
[ ] Ignore tags with binary data
Aha, I never noticed that one before, and
never would have either except that is now likely what was
happening on that import a few weeks ago, So curious as
ever, I nuke my test mdb. check the box and import the
original MacloggerDX adi file.. Perfect. .... no one was
at fault after all, and both had solutions.
So in conclusion:
Maybe Maclogger created the ADI incorrectly
not sure, but being able to generate an ADX gets him off the
hook per ADIF specs.
DXK is able to get around it with the
checkbox, but who would find it with the description above
?? Not the average user I am afraid.
Solution : Several possible.. I think the
best might be to examine the adi file looking for tags that
contain binary data and if found, turn the checkbox
function on without asking or
add a button on the import type type list to
include an entry for MacloggerDX and turn it on as a
result.
or can DXK import an ADX and I missed it ?
or ???
Dave K2XR
