1.8.7

Jerry — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 01:20:24 -0000

The main feature added is internationalization (i18n) support. That means the app can automatically display text in your preferred language … if we have a localization (l10n) file of translated strings. If you would like to contribute a l10n, look for the Localizable.strings file in the svn repo. A consequence of i18n support is the visual layout of the interface elements and text strings. You will notice extra spacing to allow for translated text. If you notice some text is cut off, please send me a screenshot since I don't see what the app looks like in other languages.

An existing, related feature is language support from the weather services. You can change the language per Location via the Location Editor. You can also set a default preference. However, each weather service has varying support for languages. Test it and see!

Finally, I also fixed a bug that was in v1.8.6. During the code rewrite, I made a typo on the version check host name. If you rely on that feature in v1.8.6, unfortunately you will not be notified of any new versions. Apologies for the inconvenience.

1.8.6

Jerry — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 06:58:50 -0000

A long delayed release, this version fixes one crucial and several minor bugs. The delay actually reinforced itself by continually tempting me to rewrite even more code. Overall, the code is better organized, with many shortcuts replaced by better structured code. Some of the notable changes include:

Fully remove Dark Sky references, which could cause crashes when adding locations.
The Cycle and Refresh intervals should have better asynchronous operation. Consequently, I have removed the artificial limitations.
WeatherAPI geocoding supports City parameter.
NWS supports summary icon.

1.8.5

Jerry — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 09:12:04 -0000

The weather service Dark Sky was bought by Apple, and DS's service was retired on 2023/03/31. Apple has developed the WeatherKit API to access the underlying DS data, but WeatherKit is tied to Apple's Developer subscription program. I have no plans to add support. This release removes DS support as well as fixing a handful of minor bugs. Two notable changes include:

Visual Crossing changed its reporting values for humidity. MC has adapted to the new format.
NWS occasionally reports null values. MC will handle these null values.

1.8.4

Jerry — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 01:58:58 -0000

This version is mostly about bug fixes plus two new changes.

If you enjoy and want to continue using WeatherStack, you must upgrade to 1.8.4. Apologies for the inconvenience. WS has had consistent, extremely high demand, which seems irrational considering WS offers the lowest call allowance and least weather data, such that the call allowance is exhausted on the first day of the month. I wonder if some user(s) has installed MC, configured it with short update interval, and essentially forgotten about it. Thus, I have reset access to WS, so older versions of MC may no longer access WS. If you genuinely enjoy WS, I would be interested in hearing why.
Just to be as well behaved as a Mac app can be, MC will terminate faster, meaning faster shutdown or restart. This Classic is fast!

1.8.3

Jerry — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 08:51:53 -0000

This release adds the remaining few minor features I had planned along with several bug fixes.

Add preference options for displaying forecast periods inline, each on one line. These options may be useful for those with larger monitors.
Add preference option for debug log. Probably not very useful unless you want to see the raw data from weather services.
For geocoding, add visual cues. Weather services with geocoding will have indicators for supported/required options. Also, text fields are enabled/disabled when using Location Services.
Display report coordinates if applicable. If you used coordinates or Location Services when geocoding, then your location's distance from the weather service's report location is displayed.
Use system preferred language. For fresh installations or if you trash the Preferences file, the language preference will check your system's preferred language. One less preference option to reset.
Fix version check. In v1.8.2, while cleaning the code, I effectively disabled the version check again, and then just discovered it on my first attempt at releasing v1.8.3. I immediately fixed it and then released v1.8.3 again. So sorry, but everyone on v1.8.2 will not be notified about this release.

Addendum
For those on systems before macOS v10.9, geocoding becomes stuck, with the only option of clicking the menubar icon and choosing Quit. My over zealous code cleaning removed one line too many. It is fixed for the next version, but I have no idea when it will be released. In the meantime, contact me so I can send you a fixed v1.8.3.

1.8.2

Jerry — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 14:32:23 -0000

There are a few important bug fixes, along with a few new features.

Automatic version check feature works now. While cleaning the code for v1.8.0 release, I inadvertently disabled it, and then only discovered it with the v1.8.1 release, sigh.
Alert windows dismissed properly. In the haste of updating to v10.6 frameworks, I missed updating alert windows.
The menubar menu now draws safely. With the new color coding, the menu could become corrupt and crash.
The rotate locations feature can be disabled by setting the interval to zero.
Locations and weather attributes now support drag and drop. Rearrange the order of how locations display, instead of always adding them in the order you wanted. Plus, you can Edit a location and rearrange the order of how its attributes display.
Date processing for {WeatherAPI, NWS} is improved.
Menubar will clear properly if all locations are removed.

I hope everyone upgrades soon, as some bugs may lead to crashes. Unfortunately with the version check bug, previous versions will fail to open the homepage, so you will have to manually download the latest version. But if you are seeing this, you know what to do. :-)

1.8.1

Jerry — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 02:05:46 -0000

For most users, the main effective change is adding support for AccuWeather. The request allowance is low, but it is still higher than WS's average daily allowance. Supporting AW required some internal changes, so you may have to trash the Preferences file.

For users running on systems before macOS v10.8, you will need to download this version. I misunderstood some version requirements for Apple's Location Services. The result is that the minimum system is now macOS v10.6. On the plus side, the code can be updated and simplified for more modern frameworks.

Addendum: Within hours after release, I discovered that WeatherAPI changed their geocoding format, such that geocoding with WAPI is broken. Since it offers the highest request allowance, I expect it to be more commonly used. I am taking the unorthodox step of deleting the release file, fixing it, and re-releasing v1.8.1. However, some sourceforge servers are down at the moment, so this is taking longer than expected.

1.8.0

Jerry — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 04:24:47 -0000

I am pleased to announce the release of Meteorologist Classic v1.8.0. The app has been rewritten while retaining most of the major features, some minor features will be added soon. In fact, it should look and feel the same, just better behaved from a programming standpoint. Much of the documentation will be updated soon, but its operation should be familiar enough with experienced users. Do not hesitate to ask questions on the Discussion forum. Enjoy!

1.7.18

Jerry — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 02:10:56 -0000

Recently discovered a bug with the option "Prevent multiple Meteos from being launched." I think it was designed with the assumption that most Macs are single user systems. As a menubar applet without a dock icon, I could see how it was intended as a cute fix. I do not know if it ever worked as intended, but I now know it causes problems on multi-user systems. Even as intended on single user systems, it was an unreliable piece of code and not worth finding a solution, so I'm disabling it.

A minor new feature supports OpenWeatherMap's data for Forecast Probability of Precipitation. It will appear only on new Locations added with OWM as a source.

Since most data sources require at least macOS v10.6, I want to add a feature I had planned a while back. In macOS v10.6, Location Services was introduced, but I remember it was unreliable. We shall see how much it has improved in ten years. Support for Location Services should be in the next version.

1.7.17

Jerry — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 23:17:24 -0000

A few minor bug fixes that I finally resolved.

Dark Sky weather alerts display in a modal window. The modal window should not cause any more crashes.
Dark Sky's service now requires OS X v10.9 for its encryption support.
Weather data timestamps, reported as Observation, now display in your local timezone.
The weatherstack service supports night status conditions, which is now reflected in the weather status icon.
The update interval now has a minimum of 60 minutes. Since weatherstack's service was added, it has been a very popular weather source. I see the statistics where its allowance of 1000 requests per month is used up within a week. Hopefully a minimum update interval extends its usefulness.

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