Shoutbox

I have been using Messenger Plus for years, and I love the new chat logs, however, I am very, very disappointed that all of my legacy chat logs were forgotten about. These logs were created using the Messenger Plus logging functions and Patchou ought to make a converter to bring them up to the new XML specification with some quick options like removing the truncating to a specific line length so that they are readable in the new HTML format. Or, at the very least an addon script to convert them to the new specification so that my years of chat logs aren't left in the dark by the new logs viewer. Also, what happened to the options to auto archive the logs? The new logging options have no options for archiving or naming conventions. And the naming conventions in the new MsgPlus Live are ambiguous compared to the older ones in MsgPlus 3.x.

Thank you for hearing my suggestions.

I also can't figure out how this auto archive thing is gonna work.

I hate to say this but I feel so much regret about upgrading to MSN8/PlusLive. The two features I cared most about were chat logging and renaming contacts.

Chat logging, whilst still there, has become a whole lot more complex and I just hope it remains uniform to the prior standards (ie. folders named by month/year, and then the chat logs inside).

Custom names, whilst technically there, I lost all my own custom names from msgplus because the feature was removed. All I can hope for now is Patchou will bring it back, and more importantly, that Msgplus live didn't delete those custom names from the settings.

One big sigh.

I agree. That is a big deal breaker for me. I am using MSN8 and PsgPlusLive because I do not want the nuisance of reconfiguring MsgPlus3, and then upgrading to MsgPlusLive again. I too hope the archiving still works, but I am disappointed in the logging as well. The logs are no longer readable. Instead of wrapping the lines at a coherent end like the end of a specific word, it cuts the word off in the middle and enforces a strict limit in length then wraps to the next line. MsgPlus3 was intelligent about this and cut off after the last word before the strict text length limit had been reached. Logging is the only feature I cared about when I first began using MsgPlus a few years ago. I grew to love the other features as well, but logging is essential for me. I have years of chat logs with MsgPlus.

I know Patchou works real hard to please everyone, has a regular job, and can't always anticipate everything but I am very disappointed that all of the logs generated previously aren’t being imported, and that the logging options are so convoluted now.

The archiving will work as it always has...folders named by month/year, and then the chat logs inside.

You can't convert txt files to html files simply because html tags are not logged in txt files. Same goes for the eventlogs.

Customnames: these were taken out because WLM has its own "add nick" feature. We know this is much more limited than what Plus! used to offer. In future we'll most likely have some more possibilities for that...(adding tags to show friendlyname etc.)

Edit: you can still choose wich logging format you'd like in Plus > Preferences > Conversations > Chat Logging...choose wich you want under Save Options. For Event Logs this is located at Plus > Preferences > Messenger > Event Logging..under File Options.

Archiving of logs in Plus! Live is the same as Plus! 3. As for updating the logs to HTML, it's not strictly necessary, as the MP!L Log Viewer can understand the old Plus! 3 logs already.

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Originally posted by Sunshine
You can't convert txt files to html files simply because html tags are not logged in txt files. Same goes for the eventlogs.

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Converting text to HTML should be trivial. Just extract the text, remove the word wrapping by searching for new line markers, and then throw them into the new XML/XSL stylesheet format. The emoticons are even more simple as they're stored as the text for the indicated emoticon. The only problem is I lack the scripting knowledge to implement this. But I know for damn sure it's possible, and pretty trivial.

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Originally posted by RaceProUK
Archiving of logs in Plus! Live is the same as Plus! 3. As for updating the logs to HTML, it's not strictly necessary, as the MP!L Log Viewer can understand the old Plus! 3 logs already.

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No it cant, as it doesnt parse the Archive folder. I had MsgPlus3 go to the chatlogs folder, under a new folder "Archive." and MsgPlusLive log viewer doesnt understand this. And it lacks the capability to add a folder of logs, such as archive folder. it can only add a file at a time. That's a pain in the ass if you have years of logs.

It does archive the same way, it's just you have it set up differently, which is why the logs aren't being put in the same place.

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Originally posted by heyitsme
No it cant, as it doesnt parse the Archive folder. I had MsgPlus3 go to the chatlogs folder, under a new folder "Archive." and MsgPlusLive log viewer doesnt understand this. And it lacks the capability to add a folder of logs, such as archive folder. it can only add a file at a time. That's a pain in the ass if you have years of logs.

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maybe I don't understand exactly what you mean, but you could just copy your old folders (format like "month year") from the archive folder to the chat log folder. When I do this, I can access the old MsgPlus3 logs in the Chat Log Viewer.

Hope this helps

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Originally posted by GroteSmurf
maybe I don't understand exactly what you mean, but you could just copy your old folders (format like "month year") from the archive folder to the chat log folder. When I do this, I can access the old MsgPlus3 logs in the Chat Log Viewer.

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Yes, that's always an auxiliary solution.
I'd prefer a converter to the new XML/XSL specification though.

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Originally posted by RaceProUK
It does archive the same way, it's just you have it set up differently, which is why the logs aren't being put in the same place.

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Right, something doesn't work and the user is automatically at fault. No, it is placing the files in a folder named June 2006 in "My Chat Logs/MSN/" but the options in the interferface are ambiguous and they need some work. I figured them out but some users may find it way too confusing. MsgPlus3 had the logging better explained and more configurable. I am also saying that there exists no converter to bring it to the new XML/XSL spec. I also am saying that the auto linewrap is messed up. It cuts the line in the middle of the word and moves to a new line. MsgPlus3 did not do this--it cut the line after the last completed word before the character limit per line had been reached.

quote:

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Originally posted by heyitsme
Right, something doesn't work and the user is automatically at fault. No, it is placing the files in a folder named June 2006 in "My Chat Logs/MSN/" but the options in the interferface are ambiguous and they need some work. I figured them out but some users may find it way too confusing. MsgPlus3 had the logging better explained and more configurable. I am also saying that there exists no converter to bring it to the new XML/XSL spec. I also am saying that the auto linewrap is messed up. It cuts the line in the middle of the word and moves to a new line. MsgPlus3 did not do this--it cut the line after the last completed word before the character limit per line had been reached.

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Don't start on me, I'm only telling it as it is. I never talked about a converter, or the auto linewrap. I also never said you were at fault: all I said was you had something set up differently.

Now, I don't know whether I should type what I'm about to type, but I will anyway, as I do try to help.
I've just checked the Preferences again, and there isn't an Archive option, so it won't move logs into an Archive folder like Plus! 3. In that respect you're actually correct.

When you reply, as I'm sure you will, bear in mind I don't take kindly to 'I told you so' posts: all they do is make someone look arrogant.