New installation errors

[hdradio]

Today a friend who has a radio station too, brought me a new pc to install for him PFOA to try it.
I installed everything for him and started showing to him how it works.
I created some libraries, some scripts and scheduled them on program scheduler.
I then wanted to show him how the overlay scheduler works.
I created a Script with the top of the hour jingle and scheduled that with Overlay Scheduler to play every hour at XX:00.
Then I created another schedule for the same script to play every XX:30
At this time I don't know why, but when I finished this new overlay, the first one disappeared and only the second was available. Ooops I say. What is going on ? I then created again the XX:00 overlay and this time it appeared ok.
Then I was waiting for XX:30 to see if it plays but NO it didn't play
My friend started being sceptical. I say don't worry I might did something wrong.
We 'll do it another way. I created a playlist and dropped some jingles on it.
Then I created a library with this playlist. Then a script and set it to play a random track from this playlist.
I scheduled again this script with two overlays one for XX:00 and one for XX:30
Unfortunately it did not play this time too.
My friend asks what is going on ? I am getting red.
Wait. I 'll try the other way to see what is wrong. I create a new playlist and try to add some tracks by using right click add tracks from that script. No. Not again.
I see the CPU getting 95%. What to say now ?
Wait again, PF has a debug log! Let's see what it will show. I enable debug logging.
Try the same steps. Same result.
I go to Log and try to open the debug log. This time an out of memory error and PF closes! (the PC has 4BG RAM)
My friend left and I am here trying to find what has happened.
The debug log became too big 2.5GB!

Bernd
I am sending you the all the log files. Check your pm.

[radio42]

That sounds again like a history size error!
E.g. the script is trying to add tracks, but all are already contained in the history.
Each 'unsuccessful' try is logged to the log file, becoming bigger and bigger...until your memory probably exploded - I don't know.

So you should have checked the global and script history settings...probably the same reason, why the overlay couldn't start that script!
I.e. it was trying to add new tracks, but couldn't find one, which didn't violate the history! So it got stuck in a kind of endless loop...that's probably why the CPU was at 95%, as it was constantly trying new tracks...

So when doing a demo with only a few tracks in media libs; you should make sure to disable the history (or the history checks)!

Just sad for your the friend getting a bad impression, just because of such a simple mistake!

You might also have used the 'UseLastTrackOnFinalFail' script option - but it was even your own 'wish' (after a long discussion) to skip script-lines by default where the history check fails!

[hdradio]

Bernd, this is a new installation and all history settings are the default.
Now I checked the settings and the scripts have 0 in history.
The TOTH script has 3 tracks that had NEVER played.

[radio42]

Yes, and the default for the global history count is 100!

When looking to your 2.5 GB log file:
As expected! The log ONLY contains history errors, e.g.:
"... Global-History: entry directly contain in history..."
or
"...Global-History: entry 'Artist' word matches in history..."
No wonder, that the user got an out-of-memory exception with such a huge log file!

When you defined a single media lib with 3 entries and use only one script line, you should disable the history checking, if that's set to 100!

[hdradio]

Please help me to understand.
That script had 3 tracks that had NEVER played. How can something be in history if it has never played ?

Also please check the Error.log and tell me if all those exceptions are related to history check.

And at last, I think that you have to provide an "escape plan" on those endless loop situations.

[radio42]

Tracks are added to the History when they are scheduled (and NOT when they are played)!
Otherwise a history check wouldn't be much helpful

E.g. assume you are adding 10 tracks to a playlist...should a history check only be valid once you finally played those 10 tracks?
I guess not.

They might be removed though from the history, if never played (e.g. in case your scheduled playlist is closed).

[hdradio]

So...
I started from scratch.
I formated the HD, installed win7 and run PF for the first time.
I was very careful on the steps I followed now.
As I told you in the first post, I created an overlay and without closing the overlay scheduler I tried to create a new overlay.
The first one disappeared. I had to recreate it.
Errors in overlay log :

Code: Select all

11/11/2014 12:49:56 πμ: Calendar 'D:\ProppFrexx\Overlays\Overlay.calendar' updated (last modified: 1/1/1601 2:00:00 πμ)
11/11/2014 12:57:23 πμ: ERROR: Calendar 'D:\ProppFrexx\Overlays\Overlay.calendar' could not be read! Root element is missing.
11/11/2014 12:58:28 πμ: ERROR: Calendar 'D:\ProppFrexx\Overlays\Overlay.calendar' could not be read! Root element is missing.
11/11/2014 12:59:29 πμ: ERROR: Calendar 'D:\ProppFrexx\Overlays\Overlay.calendar' could not be read! Root element is missing.
11/11/2014 1:00:32 πμ: ERROR: Calendar 'D:\ProppFrexx\Overlays\Overlay.calendar' could not be read! Root element is missing.
11/11/2014 1:01:35 πμ: ERROR: Calendar 'D:\ProppFrexx\Overlays\Overlay.calendar' could not be read! Root element is missing.

Errors in scheduler log:

Code: Select all

11/11/2014 12:47:27 πμ: Calendar 'C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\radio42\ProppFrexx ONAIR\3.0\ProppFrexx ONAIR.calendar' read-in (last modified: 1/1/1601 2:00:00 πμ)
11/11/2014 12:57:03 πμ: ERROR: Calendar 'C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\radio42\ProppFrexx ONAIR\3.0\ProppFrexx ONAIR.calendar' could not be read! Root element is missing.

There is also an exception in Error.log :

Code: Select all

11/11/2014 1:11:35 πμ [v3.0.14.21]:********** Error/Exception Information **********
Error Message: ScriptLib-GetNextTracks Error in 'Random [Random.pfs]' at line 2 [1 LeastTimesPlayed : Folder1]
Error Type: System.Exception
Error Source: .
Inner Exception: Unable to sort because the IComparer.Compare() method returns inconsistent results. Either a value does not compare equal to itself, or one value repeatedly compared to another value yields different results. x: '',  x's type: 'ha', IComparer: 'ProppFrexx.a5'.
********** System Stack Trace **********

Error Message: Unable to sort because the IComparer.Compare() method returns inconsistent results. Either a value does not compare equal to itself, or one value repeatedly compared to another value yields different results. x: '',  x's type: 'ha', IComparer: 'ProppFrexx.a5'.
Error Type: System.ArgumentException
Error Source: mscorlib.Void Sort(T[], Int32, Int32, System.Collections.Generic.IComparer`1[T])
********** System Stack Trace **********
   at System.Collections.Generic.ArraySortHelper`1.Sort(T[] keys, Int32 index, Int32 length, IComparer`1 comparer)
   at System.Array.Sort[T](T[] array, Int32 index, Int32 length, IComparer`1 comparer)
   at System.Collections.Generic.List`1.Sort(Int32 index, Int32 count, IComparer`1 comparer)
   at ProppFrexx.br.a(Boolean A_0, l A_1, MediaLibraryGetRandomMode A_2, Nullable`1 A_3)
   at ProppFrexx.an.a(Object A_0, DateTime A_1, DateTime A_2)
********** Environment Stack Trace **********
   at System.Environment.GetStackTrace(Exception e, Boolean needFileInfo)
   at System.Environment.get_StackTrace()
   at ProppFrexx.z.a(Exception A_0, Boolean A_1)
   at ProppFrexx.da.a(Exception A_0)
   at ProppFrexx.an.a(Object A_0, DateTime A_1, DateTime A_2)
   at ProppFrexx.ah.a(DateTime A_0, DateTime A_1, Byte A_2, ha A_3)
   at ProppFrexx.ah.a(Boolean A_0, Byte A_1)
   at ProppFrexx.ah.i()
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.InnerInvoke()
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Execute()
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.ExecutionContextCallback(Object obj)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean ignoreSyncCtx)
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.ExecuteWithThreadLocal(Task& currentTaskSlot)
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.ExecuteEntry(Boolean bPreventDoubleExecution)
   at System.Threading.Tasks.ThreadPoolTaskScheduler.LongRunningThreadWork(Object obj)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean ignoreSyncCtx)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart(Object obj)
********** End **********

[hdradio]

Ok
But how do you explain that the very first overlay I created disappeared a few seconds later and had to recreate it ?

[hdradio]

It seems impossible but it happened TWO times.
First time when I installed PF on a clean pc.
And second time again on a clean pc after format and win installation.
I created the overlay with PFOA. Not other instance was running nor the pc was networked.

[radio42]

I can try again; but so far I am absolutely unable to reproduce it!
If you can clearly reproduce it, can you tell me the exact steps what to do...?