
dbeard

take a look at this site. http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/
I would like to take this file, have the computer scan the dates, compare it to the current date, if within a week, start sending reminders verbally up until the date has past, then it can forget about it.
I don't care about times, just dates. Is it possible to scan the file and pull the information, date, and read the status/info text?
also, since there is so many entries can it be searchable by keyword, such as launch, comet, asteroid?
This method from a Nasa file, no, I don't think it will work. You can keep searching for alternative solutions, but ultimately the answer is going to lead to the same exact 2 paths, external app you build, or something you script.
Again, I would go back to the "Develop an app" path that could either
1. Parse the data on the fly and return back the information to a variable in ARC that could be spoken
or
2. store this information in a database table, and use a query to return back the description of the date
I am a database guy so I personally would opt for path 2. I find it much easier but not everyone does.
This data could change as new dates are added. You would probably want to write a function that looks for this data change on a daily basis and update your text file or database.
The better approach would be to write an application that uses an API from Wikipedia, Watson (although the data would be limited right now) or Wolfram Alpha. These services already scrub information from other sources so updates to this information becomes much less problematic. Also, since you are looking at going to the internet to grab data, you might as well use some of these services which would provide data about other areas and not just NASA dates.
For the information that wouldn't be available on the internet like your birthday or anniversary, you would house these things locally and then pull them from either a text file or a database.
Thanks.
This is totally my opinion but I will throw it out there.
EZ-Robot is kind enough to pay people for answering questions on this forum. This is a great model, but questions that are asked about things outside of EZ-Robot products are not distinguished from those that are. I don't believe that they should pay me anything for telling you that you could build an application outside of ARC for handling what you want to do. Database access isn't a feature of ARC so it really isn't right for EZ-Robot to pay me for telling you to use a database. The SDK is an EZ-Robot product so questions about how you would do something specific in the SDK is an area (IMHO) that would be payable but, then again, if the question is about how you would do something in C# then it isn't...
I say all of this just to say that when making posts, please try to be very careful about what you mark as a question because EZ-Robot pays the one who answers. I would hate to guess how many questions that are not specific to EZ-Robot products have been asked and answered with EZ-Robot paying the one who answers. There is such a thin line here that is so hard to distinguish in some cases. You won't get answers quicker by marking them as questions so if it were me, I would just not mark them as questions unless it is a topic specific to ARC functions or the SDK specific functions.
Again, just my thoughts...
Alan
There is no need to shut down your request threads. Just keep keep in mind what you know now for future posts. Generally it is best to choose "General Discussion" as the category for the thread. That avoids the problem of having to award a specific user with credit for solving the problem. Nor will you get the nag emails telling you to do so.
I agree with others, if it's outside of what ARC can do it should be select as a "general discussion". And also creating several threads in secession that are related to the same topic, that's a forum fopaux...and ultimately it mismatches and jumbles up the advice that members try to provide.
But you certainly aren't bothering anyone. You're part of the community.