Ways of updating the user agents.

[GaretJax]

I maintain a large website and I update our browscap with most important new UAs regularly. However I don't modify the ini file itself, to allow seamless updates to future versions. Instead of that I check my external list of UAs only if browscap returned 'Default Browser'.

In addition to that list I have a full list of unidentified browsers and number of calls from them (so it's possible to see which are more popular, which are less popular).

The problem is that I'd love for the browscap to be able to provide user agents for > 99% of users.

The question is - what's the best way to do that in the shortest amount of time while maintaining a baseline level of credibility?


I'm guessing that there are other developers around that have lists like the ones I do. It would be really nice if we could somehow submit those lists of decoded, partially decoded and most popular unrecognized browsers.
If there would be an arbitrary format in which we can put it and then upload on the website / send to the group, then the project programmers could write a script to get it all together and create a nice internal list of:

1. what browsers should be identified first
2. what browsers may already be identified by independent developers

This should help and speed up the process of adding new browsers to the browscap.


For me the problem with the idea of submitting only single entries and only with full data is that:

1. I don't have time for that, cause there are just too many entries
2. I also want to submit browsers I haven't identified but I think they are quite popular
3. I never identify my browsers fully, just with few most important parameters (name, version, family, OS, 32/64, user/bot)

So I think that this could be one of the ways to allow best updating, especially now when the project is soooo far behind in terms of current browsers.


Another ways of submitting could be:

• Save each UAs visiting the website (will probably be mostly Linux though :P)
• Save UAs that people input into "identify ua" form, if such form would exist on the website

[Joshua Estes]

yeah, one of the ideas that I had was to have the site keep track of browser information if we don't already have it. Would also like a page where someone can go to get information about the browser they are currently using. This will not be that hard to code or setup.

Would be pretty easy to go to the site and allow someone to put in a request to update a browser's information or to even add more properties to that list. Once the information is in a database, this could be very easy to grab stats out of such as UA's that need more data. Then one of the maintainers would just need to get the information and add it.

- Joshua Estes

@JoshuaEstes

"If you live periods of your life in misery, when you remember back to those times, all you'll remember is the misery. The misery robs you of great memories you could otherwise be making."

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[RAD Moose]

Part of the previous site was to allow submission of new User Agents.

This is part of what I am working to get back online.

Both of these exist, the issue is the current database is in SQL Server 2000 BAK file and not a modern db format.

Once I get that converted I can expand the tools.

[Gary K]

Both of these exist, the issue is the current database is in SQL Server 2000 BAK file and not a modern db format.

I could create a CSV file for each of the tables in the database and then you could import them into whatever database you're using. Not sure what to do about the stored procedures though as there are about 50 of them which is a lot to do manually one at a time.

[RAD Moose]

On Thursday, February 14, 2013 3:48:59 PM UTC-8, Gary K wrote:

Both of these exist, the issue is the current database is in SQL Server 2000 BAK file and not a modern db format.

I could create a CSV file for each of the tables in the database and then you could import them into whatever database you're using. Not sure what to do about the stored procedures though as there are about 50 of them which is a lot to do manually one at a time.

CSV would be fine.

For the stored proceedures, you should be able to export them as one large text file.  I don't mind if I have to import them one at a time.

I found the following online...

go into enterprise manager and highlight the server/database you wish to export from in the left hand pane. Then go to tools/generate sql script.

click the "show all" button, and then check the "all stored procedures" box.

on the "options" tab you can choose to create one file (for all the sp's) or one file per object. 

[Gary K]

I just replied to you off-list about this same issue. Thanks a ton for the instructions to export all the stored procedures. It worked perfectly and I've got  a 100KB file I'll send to you off-list.

[RAD Moose]

Gary,

Great.. looking forward to the file.

[Gary K]

Oops, I forgot to send it to you. I'll send the CSV files for each of the tables as well. ~gary.

[Joshua Estes]

You guys mind sending me a copy as well? Would like to be able to:

1) Keep things as backward compatible so the current users will not need to upgrade anything. This keeps code from completely breaking during this transitional period.

2) I think it would be very beneficial if the project was split. What I mean by this is we would have version 1 that would continue to be backwards compatible with future updates and to keep current users from breaking their current code. This means that everyone, no matter platform, framework, or language will continue to be able to use that information. Version 2 would be a branch off this that may/could/will include breaking changes.

Once I get a copy of the store procedures, views, etc. I can create a quick script that allows users to build the version that they need which is customized to their platform/language.

If you guys get me the code for the old site, then I can get some of that updated and functioning as well. I feel that the web site should be a community project that allows all users to contribute code/updates to other than the user agents. This would help people to create mirrors of the web site.

Sine things I want to get off my plate right now: @Gary, please contact me off list with your GitHub username because I want to add you as an owner to the organization page. I want you in control of that organization, will also add you to be part of this list as well. Also let me know who else needs to be listed on here or who you would want on this project. This is your project and would still like to have you as part of the process. @RadMoose I already have you listed as an owner of the GitHub organization page, so please feel free to create a repo for the web site or anything else. Just saying =)

At this time I would also like to thank @GaretJax who allowed me to put his code up on the organization page.

Thanks, and sorry I may have rambled a bit,

-Joshua

[RAD Moose]

Joshua,

Regarding items 1/2, I agree that the project should be split into "Type 1" (legacy) and "Type 2" (extended) file types. (Prefer Type 1/2 instead of version as to not confused it with the release version numbers.)

I would like to see the existing delivery methods always be available and then expand it to allow some more personalization.

I will be sending you a message off list about the rest of this and other aspects of the project so we can get on the same page to get this rolling.

-- R. Moose

[Gary K]

>> please contact me off list with your GitHub username

I deleted my account on GitHub, but I'll make a new one.

[Gary K]

My Github name is GaryKeith.