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Automated Sleuth Helper complete!
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Pidgeot
Pidgeot

Jan-30-2007 12:13

Hello, fellow Sleuths!

Over the last two months, I've been working on a brand new Sleuth helper. You might not think that sounds all that special - after all, great helpers are already available - but what makes this one different is that it's automated!

What it does is monitor your progress in the game, and extract relevant information from the pages. The information is stored and analyzed, in order to help you determine who did it, and who didn't.

It's heavily inspired by Evita's JavaScript-based Sleuth Helper, so a special "thank you" goes out there.

The application is made with Delphi 2005, and should run on any machine with Windows NT/98/ME/2K/XP/Vista and Internet Explorer 4 or later. Additionally, source code is included (ZLib license) in case someone wants to port it to another platform and/or language (such as Java).

The program can be downloaded from http://download.birdiesoft.dk/SleuthHelper.exe (330 KB), and a screenshot of the program can be seen at http://download.birdiesoft.dk/sleuth_helper.png.

Please take a look at the help file before using the program (it's very short), so you are familiar with how the program works.

(Disclaimer: The application depends heavily on the current structure of the game pages, and changes to this may break the program. Although the application is designed in such a way that it should fail entirely if something goes wrong, this cannot be guaranteed. Use of this program is entirely at your own risk, and any cases lost because of errors in the program should not be blamed on the program or the author.)

Replies

Sophie4
Sophie4
Gopher to the Sleuth Gods

Jun-15-2008 09:46

Alex, if you page back to March 13th you'll see that Pidgeot has "retired" from working on the helper. Perhaps Huglover will take it over.

Alex Cohen
Alex Cohen

Jun-15-2008 16:34

oh, thanks

Huglover
Huglover
Old Shoe

Jun-16-2008 10:59

I remember I downloaded the Sleuth helper some time ago, and was actually amazed that he called it automated? I guess that I did not figure out how to even use the program. May be I did not even have the last edition?

Later on I developed my own Sleuth helper, or Sleuth Case Assistant as I prefer to call it. - this making me independent of Pidgeot's program, which to me seemed to be so hard to use that it was beyond me.
I did expand my program with the ship people yesterday, but it's a very different program, and I don't anymore have a good feeling for sharing what I think is my "artwork", with others than good friends.

As far as I remember it said somewhere that the Automated Sleuth Helper was developed in Delphi, and even if I think I would be able to understand and expand the program source code (which I think was also availiable), I have no competence on how to compile and test it out.

If I were to involve in this task I would need help.
For a start someone would have to help me with where to find the latest version of the current helper (with source code). (No, I don't want to re-read the whole thread, if no-one else is willing to do that for me, there is no real need for me to do the job)
- and I will also need help from someone who knows how to run the Automated Sleuth Helper, so that I can learn how the program is supposed to work.
- and then dig up some information about how to translate the source code into runable code.

lilangel
lilangel
Sleuth About Town

Jun-16-2008 11:54

Here's what Pidegot said... Mar-13-2008 14:41

That error code is E_NOTIMPL (Not implemented), which suggests that Wine doesn't support using IE as a control. Of course, they might change that, but I can't really do anything about it without rewriting the program in Java or something like that, and I really don't know enough about GUI programming in Java (or any other suitable cross-platform language/environment) to do that.

On a somewhat related note, I'm sorry to say that I have to discontinue development (and support) of the program. I've uploaded a final release, v1.17, adding a Restart case feature. You can use this instead of closing and reopening the entire helper when you experience a bug.

Download locations (please try the top one first):
http://download.birdiesoft.dk/SleuthHelper.exe
http://henrikossipoff.dk/birdiesoft/SleuthHelper.exe

I will also most likely not be checking back here, at least not very often, so if you ask me something here, I might not see it (within a reasonable time, at least).
If you want to take over development, feel free to do so (the source code is, as always, included) - and if you have questions about the source, you are more than welcome to e-mail me (see the contact page of the help file).

Happy Sleuthing, guys.

LoveHugs
LoveHugs
Well-Connected

Jun-16-2008 13:05

Huglover (dressed like LoveHugs) here:
I found the source code, and did the update that seemed needed in order for the program to recognize the new people. Not familiar with using the program, I can't tell if everything have been done correctly.

Then I sent the modified module to the author of the program, and asked him if he could re-compile/re-build the sleuth helper, and upload it a proper place, and give you a short note.

If it works, and I did no mistakes, and the author of the program will do the rebuild, then have fun. ;-)

Lady Zeugirdor
Lady Zeugirdor
Pinball Amateur

Jun-16-2008 13:48

I sooo hope it works and the author will do it. Thanks for you efforts regardless of what happens.

ctown28
ctown28
Huntsman

Jun-18-2008 00:10

Big Kudos to Pidgeot, we never realized what he did for us, Sleuthetania expansion does not work with the helper.

Huglover and me put our heads together and I was able to compile a working copy.

http://dawgpoundinvestigationstoo.googlepages.com/automatedsleuthhelper







lilangel
lilangel
Sleuth About Town

Jun-18-2008 00:35

Thanks Ctown and Huglover.

The sleuth helper works great with the ship crew.

MooseLady
MooseLady
Well-Connected

Jun-18-2008 07:29

Many thanks ctown28 and Huglover! I flew through my cases last night. Thansk for your effort and hard work- so many will benefit!

turtledove
turtledove
Gopher to the Sleuth Gods

Jun-18-2008 07:51

Thanks Ctown and Huglover!! This will be really helpful on board.

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