editing an open source windows program (enthusiast made)

[s900t8v]

Hi all

new to the forum, I'm a med student living in Australia with a reasonable background in HTML lol and simple GUI high language based web design programs (from school/uni), I'm a car enthusiast!

I'm new to C# programming but I was just wondering out of pure interest what is required to edit an open source C# .NET application. I have all the source files obviously (implanted in the installation directory) and visual studio 10 (dad owns a computer business)....

The program is a windows .net/C# based one that was made in an enthusiast community for modifying and tuning ECU's for cars.

I want to do something relatively minor to the application which is to change the live display of engine parameters such as RPM, etc etc - I just want to add a digital gauge display with a read out of an input already recognised by the software and logged in a logfile (but not displayed)... The application uses aquagauge and devexpress gauge control add ons/coding....

The amazing developer of this software has taken a break from this kind of work (Dilemma from ecuproject) and has given permission for anyone to work/do whatever they like with the software to make it better! I would love to learn this stuff and be able to contribute something back to the enthusiast community! (and learn a programming language as well in my spare time )

it seems in the grand scheme of things such a small modification would be relatively easy due to the fact I already have all the source code (and thus can easily get the relevant code/info to bind to the gauge....

The program is called t5suite and is available here
http://socalsaab.com/suites/suites.htm

Here are some pictures

This is just the option to turn Exhaust gas temperature logging on, a log is then show under the "user defined tab" but it is very small and hard to see...

This is the dashboard view, and down the bottom you can see RPM, AFR, Air, Coolant temperature gauges, I am thinking to put the EGT down there would be perfect!

Here is a similar program (t7suite) used for later model cars and designed by the same guy!


This is the idea! I want to replicate in t5suite.

T7suite is also open source, so am I ignorant in thinking that it might just be a matter of finding the code for the EGT display (that is in t7suite) and copying it into t5suite? The input device for the data is the same between both t5 and t7suite...

I dont understand much about editing the code and then building it into a program? is it that easy because it's open source?

Thanks for any help/advice/pointers/reality checks

I am so keen on learning a coding language that I am considering doing a short course at the end of the year, it would be good to go in with some more than basic knowledge! I think it would be an awesome skill to have!

Cheers

Ed

[Arjay]

I downloaded the T5 and T7 suites and opened them in Visual Studio 2012. While the source has been shared, the source code requires DevExpress components which are not opened source (nor free). When I compile, I get an error stating that there is a missing license.licx file (which I assume to be a license file for DevExpress).

PM me for more details.

[s900t8v]

hey arjay

can't find the option to PM you!?

I have vs 2010, someone else suggested I should use vs 2008, to avoid problems with compatibility,,,, did you have to convert the project files before you opened them in vs2012?

I have the devexpress demo but not the licence. I will look into it... there are a couple of other CS# files apparently missing from the project indexes, well that was what I found?

[s900t8v]

I have devexpress 11.2 registered and visual studio 2008 and 2010

I don't get it, there are heaps of errors when I try to compile (not including the licences.licx error) so is there some way to ignore the errors and continue the build? I mean is there a chance that this source stuff isn't up to date or something?

There is another much more simple application I loaded in with source code and I was able to build/publish it straight away, I practiced some of my own coding on this small application and then built it and tested it and it worked!

It's a bit frustrating when you don't know enough to fully understand why it is just erroring out (when the program was built by someone else and implemented successfully)

[Arjay]

In order to pm someone, you need to enable it in your user options (see the Settings link at the top right of the page).

In terms of compiler errors, I would try to get it going with the latest compiler as most (if not all) of the errors are due to missing references or files. VS 2012 Express is available for free from Microsoft (bing or google for the download).

I wouldn't waste time working in 2008 because that VS version is 5 years old - especially since 2012 is free.

There are many projects and many references in the T5xxx sources folder. Unfortunately, the sources folder didn't include a C# solution file, so you need to create on and add all the csproj files to it. Even more unfortunate is the fact that a references to the DevExpress.xxx dlls in these projects are broken (because the references are not in the same directory layout as they were when the projects were compiled last).

These references need to be fixed up (i.e. pointed to where the dlls really are). While this isn't difficult is is time consuming because there are so many projects and so many referenced dlls.

[s900t8v]

Hey arjay

I willl try and contct the developer to see if he can send me a zip of the latest project file and maybe include a solution file.

I did import all projects into a solution and I did fix up all the missing reference file paths, but there are HEAPS of other errors...

I thought this source information exported with the program would be the latest, but I guess obviously not!

[s900t8v]

hey arjay

the developer sent me half his computer lol!

so Ive successfully built all the projects (dll files etc) fixed up all the references, and there is a vdproj file that pulls together all the files for installation into the application folder,,,

however because the projects have moved computers I am getting errors such as this (I think once I solve these it will build?)



I cannot change the source path, I think it's just it's looking for the files in the wrong locations, how do I fix the sourcepaths as they are greyed out?

I was trying to figure out what it meant by locked,,,, how do I unlock them if they are locked?

cheers

Ed

[s900t8v]

well I figured out how to fix all the bad filepaths!

all the file system files and resources/references all are good, I can compile the program into a MSI - it executes, and hte program performs just like the original (they are exactly the same file wise) and all the features work! hooray!

now that I've established the baseline of being able to build the program/application, I want to do some editing!

however when I try to view one of the CS files I get these errors....

The CS file I'm trying to edit is for the realtime display (see picture below)



however I get all these errors!




If I ignore, I can get into the page, but if I change anything, I loose all the controls for the headings along the top (fuel, ignition, boost, etc)

it does say you will lose controls if you don't fix the errors, but I don't even know where to start, Ive tried googling but not really sure...

A lot of the CS# files I try and view either give these kind of errors OR

Exception of type: System.componentmodel.design.exxceptioncollection' was thrown...

hmmmm

Every step I get a bit closer!

I thnk the actual coding wil be easy as most of it's just there, it's just getting to the point where I can do some basic coding, figuring out errors in the code seems to be quite difficult lol

Thanks as always for any help

[s900t8v]

should I have loaded all the devexpress components from the 'add references' menu ?

I just loaded the devexpress dll's out of the source folder.... could this be triggering some twang out of the file ID's ?

oh and if they were made in devexpress then do I need to do anything special to open them, I am running the devexpress add ons (registered)

just ran devexpress converter to convert from 11.2 to 12.2 and it seems like it's fixed all the references and hence all the errors.

I am assuming I'm correct in that you cant repair a broken reference with an output DLL, rather you have to use the dll from the .NET components list > ??

at any rate, I've been able to access all the C# files now! so really happy

Ive learnt a lot about this program ina a few days, now I nee to learn some coding!!!

[Arjay]

You can remove the broken reference and then add it back with the add references/browse... option (just select the dll you wish to add).

[s900t8v]

I just ended up upgrading the references from 11.2.7 to 11.2.10 to get rid of those object reference not set to instance of an object errors! it worked

I've made the small changes, time to go test my coding to see if it works! lol if it does the next thing I'll be doing is implementing a night panel feature on the dashboard to make everything go black with orange or similar writing - it's easier on the eyes! a simple button and some srely not so simple coding lol, I will try and steal it out of t7suite (waiting to see if I can get all the source for that too!)

it's great fun though!

thansk for your help arjay!

[s900t8v]

ok I updated the entire project references from 11.2.7 to 11.2.10 as I was getting all those errors

the errors went away with the upgrade,

I got some new errors in 1 page (settings.designer) its a control for a settings dialog box - , to do with superToolTip1.OwnerAllowHtmlText = false; in settings.designer it was saying it wasnt something or other (lol I forget the error) I just bypassed the code though as I think it was obsolete... ? .//

at any rate, no errors from bypassing the code at this point in time as far as I can tell... I need to check it out thoroughly though

here is my modified dashboard -showing the EGT readout, I connected it up to the adapter that talks with the ECU and look! reading the probe temperature (room temp as engine is off)

hooray

BEFORE



AFTER!


thanks for the help