adding graphs to Belchertown skin?

[Eric Koester]

I would like to enable (or add) a lightning graph to the Belchertown skin.

I'm reading the Belchertown README and FAQ here:
https://github.com/poblabs/weewx-belchertown

It mentions editing a graphs.conf file.

I am working on a default install of the Belchertown skin, I see a graphs.conf.example file  in the skins/Belchertown directory but, there isn't a graphs.conf file!

How is Belchertown displaying any graphs at all, with no graphs.conf file??

Eric

[vince]

On Friday, May 14, 2021 at 9:08:18 AM UTC-7 eric.k...@gmail.com wrote:

I'm reading the Belchertown README and FAQ here:
https://github.com/poblabs/weewx-belchertown

It mentions editing a graphs.conf file.

I am working on a default install of the Belchertown skin, I see a graphs.conf.example file  in the skins/Belchertown directory but, there isn't a graphs.conf file!

How is Belchertown displaying any graphs at all, with no graphs.conf file??

Built-in defaults.

"...even if graphs.conf does not exist, a default set of graphs will be displayed..."

If you look at graphs.conf.example in your Belchertown skin directory you'll see a graphs.conf.example file.   If you look at the comments at the top of 'that', it points you to Pat's wiki on how to customize graphs at https://github.com/poblabs/weewx-belchertown/wiki/Belchertown-Charts-Documentation which has the gory details.

 

[storm...@gmail.com]

Once you are editing the  graphs.conf.example file, you can save the file as  graphs.conf.

[Eric Koester]

Yep, that's exactly what I'm doing.

Does the content in the graphs.conf.example deliver you the stock webpage content that you see with no graphs.conf file in place?

I am guessing, yes?

[vince]

On Friday, May 14, 2021 at 2:02:27 PM UTC-7 eric.k...@gmail.com wrote:

Does the content in the graphs.conf.example deliver you the stock webpage content that you see with no graphs.conf file in place?

I am guessing, yes?

I know this is a crazy thought, but how about you 'try' it and see....

 

[vince]

And actually try to read the documentation we've already pointed you to.

https://github.com/poblabs/weewx-belchertown/wiki/Belchertown-Charts-Documentation - look above the section "File Structure" and read the last sentence.

[Eric Koester]

Based on experience, I like to get an idea of how things work and know what to expect, before making changes that might break a working system.

[Eric Koester]

There is an impressive amount of documentation for the Behchertown skin!

It is refreshing to have that level of detail to read through, but it also takes some time to figure out what isn't there, what is there, and what section it's in.  Sometimes, it's quicker to ask people.

[vince]

On Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 11:52:08 AM UTC-7 eric.k...@gmail.com wrote:

It is refreshing to have that level of detail to read through, but it also takes some time to figure out what isn't there, what is there, and what section it's in.  Sometimes, it's quicker to ask people.

With all due respect, the purpose of the docs is so you can do the research and fend for yourself, rather than asking several thousand of people questions that have answers that are already documented. (and then the 'next' person does the same thing....and the next....and the next....)

[Eric Koester]

Yes, going forward, I will scour the posted documentation, before asking.

Keep in mind, that the purpose of a forum is for people to ask questions and get answers.

It is an over-dramatic stretch to say that creating a forum post, asks (bothers?) several thousand people.  

The people who subscribe to the forum only "get asked" IF they click on the forum post and read it.

There is no requirement for forum members to click on every post.

[Julius Thijssen]

Not to burst your weewx fanboy bubble here, but its config is a total mess, to be fairly honest.

There's a weewx.conf that holds no "defaultskin =" entry anywhere. It does have

[StdReport], which every new user assumes is short for [StandardReport],

except it isn't, because under it you also find

[[StandardReport]] (which defaults to "false", strangely) and also

[[Defaults]]

both of which also do not hold default skin settings.

Seriously, it took me hours to find out how to get a skin for the standard html report to be used. I have never seen a config for a skin in any package before in my 40 years in IT that was so unclear. And no, it's not explained well in the docs.

[DR]

This is a hobby, and I a complete novice to this programming language, did figure out a lot of stuff by looking at the open code and then by reading the documents.  This is what makes learning and discovery fun for some of us trying to understand how things work.

While we are all entitled to our opinions, I didn't find your comment helpful in any way except as a vent for  your frustration.

This is a complex, beautiful program that goes very far beyond the simplistic display I was able to write for myself many years ago.  Starting with WeeWx and then continuing to Belchertown I have been grateful for these folks sharing their programming skills and the unbelievable amount of time to not only make it work, but to write documentation far more extensive, in my eyes, than most commercial products.   Not understanding Linux at all, I was able to get the first pass of my initial installation up and running in 45 minutes or less.

This is my opinion, and statement of gratitude, for the authors' and contributors' work.  Of course you are entitled to yours.  My concern is such negative comments as yours without any constructive ideas or volunteer to help write documentation that is up to your level of expectation for a free product, fade away, which would leave a lot of folks who are happy with this unique free program, without new versions nor chance to get bugs, if any, corrected.

Dale

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[steeple ian]

Maybe a little more humility would be in order here Julius. This is an experimental application which has been created by Tom and his team, devoting thousands of hours freely given. A piece of software which has cost none of us a single penny. I cannot claim 40yrs experience and I am certainly not a Python expert but careful reading has provided most of the answers to my questions. If not, a polite please and thank you usually does the trick. Most of what I know l learnt in this forum and collaborating with other users. 

So how about disseminating some of that 40yrs experience and make your mark in a positive way? If there is a better way to do it, I am sure we would all like to learn more.

In the meantime, Tom, Matt, Gary, Vince and anybody else who has contributed over the years, a huge thank you.

Ian

[t...@tom.org]

Fanboy here to second the thanks for all of the fine people who volunteer their time to write, maintain, and support this excellent tool!

[Julius Thijssen]

You may direct that towards me, but I just find it super annoying to read fan-boys/girls here constantly pointing others to "read the documentation" and never even trying to answer what are often easy short-cuts, or hints to actual helpful answers. I'm just being honest about it; The weewx and Belchertown docs are also not hiding the fact that it's quite hard and messy, so hey, don't shoot the messenger here.

Usually I will try my best to improve and translate docs, for free, for projects like these, because some really could use that here with weewx. And it would be nice to see more helpful related hints and comments INSIDE the weewx.conf file, so you don't have to constantly look up every tiny python-quirk that it's working with.

[t...@tom.org]

I love the idea of more comments in weewx.conf. Back when Apache Httpd was the big thing, one of the greatest things about it was the fact that many of the possible config options were documented in the httpd.conf that shipped with Apache as commented examples.

[Tom Keffer]

You don't get to whine unless you contribute. And, so far, there is no record of you having submitted a Pull Request.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/weewx-user/2c3706ae-d0a4-4807-a0b0-0db960b2ed4an%40googlegroups.com.

[Benedict]

I was just about to write this exact same thing. It's a very confusing config. I just wanted to install a skin and work from there, but not only was the skin dev not very helpful (it just said "see weewx docs"), it isn't even properly described in the docs. It uses "friendly" wording that is not the same in the weewx.conf itself. Why even call if "StdReport" ?

[vince]

Nothing like complaining about a thread from 4 years ago.

It is called StdReport because it is the original report from 10+ years ago.

If you have a particular question please open a new thread with actual details.