Honestly, I gave up on VB long ago because of things like this. Can you check the WebClient source to see what it is doing? Probably not. With C++/MFC, Microsoft at least gives you the source to controls so you can modify them if there are actually bugs in them. I know with downloading using Async and raw API calls from C++, you have to do a lot of work to make sure large files work right. Calling InternetReadFile() in a loop to fill up a small buffer will sometimes work, and othertimes fail because of IO blockage. Then you have to check for ERROR_IO_PENDING and block on a semaphore, that you release from the Async callback. The main thread will then have the buffer filled in at that point, even though InternetReadFile() returned a failure status code and didn't originally fill the buffer in. If the callback or IO blocking isn't done right, then exactly what you describe may happen - the download stops abruptly in the middle. Different users would see the error to different degrees too. If you have a super-fast internet connection, InternetReadFile() may never block for you, and you get the whole file. Slower connections will block more and fail sooner or more often.
You're probably going to run into situations where the problem cannot be fixed because it lies inside a control that you can't change. That's the trouble with doing serious work in VB really.
In case anybody's not clear on a few things, even though I keep posting this on Facebook and Reddit, etc...
ark42.com is run by me, and just me, some random L2 judge from Grand Rapids, MI
SCG emailed me and asked nicely to remove a few specific features about showing price changes. I agreed, because they were polite about it, and didn't ask for the whole thing taken down. I didn't have to, but I felt it was the proper thing to do, because I don't want to create the impression that my site is specifically used to harm SCGs sales by helping SCGs competitors. My site is for MTG players benefit only.
There is nothing close to illegal about scraping facts from websites. There have been numerous precedents set regarding similar things. The best one I can think of is Black Friday ads -- you can get in trouble for scanning the whole ad and posting it online (copyright violation, the layout, art and graphics are protected). The stores can do nothing about people who just post the sale prices and items going on sale, even if the ad isn't supposed to be in people's mailboxes yet. Prices are facts, and not copyrightable.
There could very well be other people doing similar things as my site. It's not an easy thing to do now, because of the random CSS tags and having to OCR the images for the prices, but if I can do it, others can do. My site is not for sale, and nobody else will be using my exact code to scrape SCG though.
IP blocks are meaningless to me, because I have plenty of experience as a Linux and C++ programmer, and I'd just write a custom proxy network and/or P2P system to fetch bits and pieces of their webpage and feed it back to my site. The cat & mouse game is something that I'm pretty sure the person doing the scraping will always win, given proper dedication.
Any further questions, I'd be happy to answer here. I'd rather tell people what's going on straight up than let wild speculation run rampant.
fixed ! some HTML pages are always changing (addition, then cancellation, then readdition etc. of 'a' or 'b' in some card numbers, essentially concerning cards with altered illustrations, flipcards etc. as it is the case for Ertai the Corrupted from PS for example), so that the GEx parser is getting lost ..
I got a packet of 6 foils over the weekend, and Flusterstorm is 2/8 for 2012 (they don't have G12 on them like previous years) and Xiahou Dun is 1/8 for 2012.
For 2011, I also have Mana Crypt is 5/8 G11, Bob is 6/8 G11, Doubling Season is 7/8 G11, and Goblin Welder is 8/8 G11.
So, I'm basically a spiteful, snarky bastard with very little good to say. And I really could care less about the Orb. All that said, this is a very cool little tool and I like that you've created and shared it. Well done, good sir.
Reminder that http://ark42.com/mtg/progs/FastOrb-1.6.3.zip still exists and I'm betting you can just type in mirrodinbesieged (no space) for the Orb ID and it will work whenever the Orb actually goes live.
I see some people on Facebook who got the Hero of Bladehold as the large card, and then also got 3 Day of Judgment, 5 Treasure Hunt, 4 Searing Blaze, 3 Blightning, 1 Doom Blade, 1 Mana Tithe, 1 Celestial Purge, 1 Remove Soul, 1 Burst Lightning, and 1 Brave the Elements.
That seems like quite a bit extra to me. Also there are two large cards, one for each promo card at the Pre-release.
And if those stores were reported enough, they'd lose their ability to run FNM's. What they are doing is violating WotC policy.
I'm in favor of reporting all stores that do stuff like that.
You'd think that, but nobody at Wizards cares about little stuff like this. Trust me, people report all 4 of the local stores for different things all the time around here. Everybody has their "favorite" store and hates one or more of the "other" stores.
Around here, we have 4 stores, 1 of which runs free FNMs on thursday and thus has no store credit for prize, and doesn't sell singles. They give out 2 randoms and 2 FNM cards to top 2 though.
The rest of the stores? FNM cards are for top 4 every time. "randomly" the 3rd and 4th place person will always somehow get them.
I think the gateway cards are going to be the replacement to these. That's what the local support thing means. Notice how the recent advanced gateway kits have a 3rd card this time around.
Still no idea how to actually GET gateway cards though. All the stores have them, and I see the owners show them off, but nobody actually GIVES them out at FNM or other tournaments.
ark42.com is run by me, and just me, some random L2 judge from Grand Rapids, MI
SCG emailed me and asked nicely to remove a few specific features about showing price changes. I agreed, because they were polite about it, and didn't ask for the whole thing taken down. I didn't have to, but I felt it was the proper thing to do, because I don't want to create the impression that my site is specifically used to harm SCGs sales by helping SCGs competitors. My site is for MTG players benefit only.
There is nothing close to illegal about scraping facts from websites. There have been numerous precedents set regarding similar things. The best one I can think of is Black Friday ads -- you can get in trouble for scanning the whole ad and posting it online (copyright violation, the layout, art and graphics are protected). The stores can do nothing about people who just post the sale prices and items going on sale, even if the ad isn't supposed to be in people's mailboxes yet. Prices are facts, and not copyrightable.
There could very well be other people doing similar things as my site. It's not an easy thing to do now, because of the random CSS tags and having to OCR the images for the prices, but if I can do it, others can do. My site is not for sale, and nobody else will be using my exact code to scrape SCG though.
IP blocks are meaningless to me, because I have plenty of experience as a Linux and C++ programmer, and I'd just write a custom proxy network and/or P2P system to fetch bits and pieces of their webpage and feed it back to my site. The cat & mouse game is something that I'm pretty sure the person doing the scraping will always win, given proper dedication.
Any further questions, I'd be happy to answer here. I'd rather tell people what's going on straight up than let wild speculation run rampant.
SQL with SQLite export was super easy to add, I just added it to Gatherer Downloader in the latest release - http://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3371
For 2011, I also have Mana Crypt is 5/8 G11, Bob is 6/8 G11, Doubling Season is 7/8 G11, and Goblin Welder is 8/8 G11.
Kemba’s Legion
Horrifying Revelation
Morbid Plunder
Galvanoth
Kuldotha Ringleader
Metallic Mastery
Darksteel Plate
Strandwalker
Viridian Claw
are the unknown cards
Thank you!
Not unless you're still using the Orb ID: scarsofmirrodin
That seems like quite a bit extra to me. Also there are two large cards, one for each promo card at the Pre-release.
YouTube says:
This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment. It is not available in your country. Sorry about that.
Just out of curiosity, what country IS it available in? (I'm in USA, with Comcast Cable...)
You'd think that, but nobody at Wizards cares about little stuff like this. Trust me, people report all 4 of the local stores for different things all the time around here. Everybody has their "favorite" store and hates one or more of the "other" stores.
Around here, we have 4 stores, 1 of which runs free FNMs on thursday and thus has no store credit for prize, and doesn't sell singles. They give out 2 randoms and 2 FNM cards to top 2 though.
The rest of the stores? FNM cards are for top 4 every time. "randomly" the 3rd and 4th place person will always somehow get them.
Still no idea how to actually GET gateway cards though. All the stores have them, and I see the owners show them off, but nobody actually GIVES them out at FNM or other tournaments.