RRPetrol - Petrol prices for the UK - Status: Updated 30/05/2009

Enforcer · 08-05-2008, 10:34 PM

v1.3.5 20/11/09

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Changes
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Minor update as website changed order of info

v1.3
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Calculation of Postcode from GPS coords supplied via RoadRunner.
Ability to save current info and recall at a later date if no internet available (1 save per Postcode).
Stop precaching to save searches.

First release v1.1 14/09/08
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Get it from my forum

it's an extension plugin so X,petrol will needed to be added to menu.skin

When initially loaded it will look to see if there is a previously saved list of prices, it there is and it is the same as the postcode in the ini file (this is updated everytime the postcode is changed) and the date is the same it will used the stored data.

At present it is only done from a postcode, I will add the facility to get the postcode from the current GPS coords at a later date. (This is added in v1.3)

here is a screenie and a list of skincommands.

Skinning should be fairly easy as I have used mainly similar commands to the gas_pricefinder ones, just replaced the gas part with petrol. The layout should be the same so you should be able to use the same graphics (with some minor tweaks).

the .skin is just called petrol.skin as opposed to gas_pricefinder.skin

here is the current skin commands.

SkinCommands

Buttons
petrol - loads petrol.skin
petrol_postcode - brings up OSK to change postcode
petrol_refresh - force refresh of data from web if available
petrol_range - brings up range menu skin (5,10,15,20) miles
petrol_fuel - brings up fuel menu screen (Unleaded, Super Unleaded, Diesel, LPG, LRP, Premium Diesel)
petrol_fuelmenu - loads petrolfuelmenu.skin
petrol_rangemenu - loads petrolrangemenu.skin
petrol_gps - get postcode from lat and lon supplied via RoadRunner (added v1.3)
petrol_save - save current info to disk with postcode, fuel and range as filename (added in 1.3)
petrol_load - brings up petrol_saved.skin which has list of previously saved info (added in 1.3)
petrol_select - select and load previously saved info. (added in 1.3)

In the following # is (0-19)
petrol_#_fdnavigate - Send GPS coords to Freedrive and plot route

In petrolfuelmenu skin

petrol_unleaded - select unleaded
petrol_superunleaded - select super unleaded
petrol_diesel - select diesel
petrol_premiumdiesel - select premium diesel
petrol_lpg - select lpg
petrol_lrp - select lrp

In petrolrangemenu.skin

petrol_range5 - Select 5 miles
petrol_range10 - Select 10 miles
petrol_range15 - Select 15 miles
petrol_range20 - Select 20 miles

Labels
petrol_postcode - current postcode
petrol_updated - Last time/date a successful update occured
petrol_range - current range selected
petrol_searches - number of searches still available for this week
petrol_fuel - shows what fuel is currently selected

In the following # is (0-19)
petrol_#_price - price selected fuel
petrol_#_distance - distance from postcode
petrol_#_address - number and street of station
petrol_#_address2 - town, postcode of the station
petrol_#_name - petrol station brand
petrol_#_lon - gas station GPS coordinates (Lon.)
petrol_#_lat - gas station GPS coordinates (Lat.)

Indicators

petrol_changes - indicates whether Postcode, Range or Fuel type has changed since last update.

In the following # is (0-19)
petrol_#_icon - Fuel company logo

Sliders
rrpetrol - Will show progress as it gets the prices from the web

Commands sent by RRPetrol

RRPETROLSEARCHING - this is sent when RRPetrol starts looking for new prices
RRPETROLDONE - this is sent when RRPetrol has finished searching and parsing the info.

Enforcer · 08-05-2008, 10:40 PM

Frequently Asked Questions.

Q. I don't have an internect connection in my car, can I still use this.

A. Yes, run this on your home PC (obviously you will need to be running RoadRunner on the PC as well), and then copy the stations.prv file to your car PC (must be done on same day). Since version 1.3 it is possible to store prices from different postcodes. These files can be copied and loaded in the car.

Q. I put in a new Postcode but the stations haven't changed or updated.

A. It is most likely the site does not have any stations near the postcode you have entered, you do not have a connection to the internet or you have run out of searches for the week. (max 20)

Q. I don't have any Petrol Station brand icons.

A. Look in your RoadRunner folder, there should be a folder called gas which contains all the gif files. If you do not have this check attachment at bottom of this post also the one in this thread has some UK specifi brand logos.

Q. I have the gas folder but I still don't have any Petrol Station brand icons.

A. For the icons to work you will need the latest RoadRunner version released by mitchjs.

Q. Would someone care to send me this?

A. The Terms And Conditions expressly forbid the distribution of this program, please register on my forum to get your copy.

Q. Anyone have a screen built for <Insert skin name here>? it would be greatly appreciated!

A. check the skins thread, contact the skinner or you can try and convert it yourself (basic instructions earlier in the F.A.Q.)

Q. How can I download this wonderful creation?

A. Register on my forum at www.en4cer.co.uk/forum , when activated go to the downloads section.

Q. I have registered on your site but am still not activated, why?

A. I do not monitor the forum registrations 24/7 so it could take hours or possibly a day or two before I can activate you. If I am going away I will normally put this info into the news section of the forum. If however after a few days of registering you have not been activated then contact me via PM here. Using the same username as you do on here will help you get activated quicker.

Q. You have done RRGas for the US and UK, any chance of doing it for <Insert Country here>?

A. If you can find a website for your country that show the prices against individual stations, is searchable by postal code or GPS coords and doesn't show the price as a graphic, then post a link and I will have a look.

Q. I don't run RoadRunner or a frontend can I use this?

A. No. however there is a standalone exe see this thread

Enforcer · 08-05-2008, 10:41 PM

Brushed Metal (updated for v1.3)

iDrive files only work in an iDrive skin. (no text will displayed in other skins)

iDrive Classic
iDrive Night Red
iDrive Night Green

Enforcer · 08-05-2008, 10:46 PM

iDrive Transparent (Unreleased)

monkeyracer · 08-06-2008, 12:24 AM

I'll take a look at this a little later tomorrow, I think I have an idea for a screen to pop up when there is less than 5 searches left this week as a warning to the end user.

For the searches, this is just when the end user loads the petrol.skin for the first time each day, and when they press "refresh" right? Or does it refresh and search each time the screen is loaded?

Also, there's not a way to sort this like the US prices right?

Lastly, to clarify, the fuel choices are:

Quote: Originally Posted by enforcer

Unleaded, Super Unleaded, Diesel, LPG, LRP, Premium Disel

Unleaded,
Super Unleaded,
Diesel,
LPG,
LRP,
Premium Diesel,

This requires the end user to type in the OSK right? wouldn't it be easier if they could just select them from a list of options? (Especially those that spell diesel without the first e, or can't really spell well in general)

Enforcer · 08-06-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by monkeyracer

I'll take a look at this a little later tomorrow, I think I have an idea for a screen to pop up when there is less than 5 searches left this week as a warning to the end user.

Interesting

Quote: Originally Posted by monkeyracer

For the searches, this is just when the end user loads the petrol.skin for the first time each day, and when they press "refresh" right? Or does it refresh and search each time the screen is loaded?

When roadrunner loads the plugin, it first searches for a previous file, if it contains the same, Postcode,Petrol Type, range and date then it will load from that file, otherwise it will connect to the site and update. From then on it will search when you select refresh or change on of the criteria (I think I may just change that to refresh, because if you want to change more than one criteria you use up a search for each criteria.)

Quote: Originally Posted by monkeyracer

Also, there's not a way to sort this like the US prices right?

As it will only obtain one fuel type at at a time, there is really no need for a sort.
Besides you would normally only want to know the price of the fuel you use. The only time you may want a different fuel is if you want super unleaded instead of standard or vice versa, same with diesel I guess.

Quote: Originally Posted by monkeyracer

Lastly, to clarify, the fuel choices are:

Unleaded,
Super Unleaded,
Diesel,
LPG,
LRP,
Premium Diesel,

This requires the end user to type in the OSK right? wouldn't it be easier if they could just select them from a list of options? (Especially those that spell diesel without the first e, or can't really spell well in general)

Yes, those are the choices, it was late (well early actually) here so typos got in.

In the standard version I had it such that it auto filled the fuel type as you narrowed the choices, not sure how to do that using the extension plugin.

However you have given me and idea. I could have a parallel command petrol_fuelmenu that will load a menu skin petrolfuelmenu.skin that has 6 buttons and each button can set the variable $PETFUEL$ followed by the command petrol_newfuel

And for range (seeing as only four are allowed) a parallel commad of say petrol_rangemenu could bring up a menu skin petrolrangemenu.skin that has four buttons, each button sets the variable $PETRANGE$ followed by the command petrol_newrange.

monkeyracer · 08-06-2008, 11:45 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Enforcer

Interesting

I was thinking that since there's only 21 variables for the # of searches left, there's got to be an easy way to be able to have something pop up when there's 5 or less searches left.
I was thinking of using the RRstrings plugin to replace the 0-5 in the label "petrol_searches" label with "petrol_warning" so if the user presses the refresh with 6 remaining it just refreshes, but when they refresh with 5 left, the button has the "||petrol_warning" command active and pops up petrol_warning.skin with a confirm screen.

Quote: Originally Posted by Enforcer

When roadrunner loads the plugin, it first searches for a previous file, if it contains the same, Postcode,Petrol Type, range and date then it will load from that file, otherwise it will connect to the site and update. From then on it will search when you select refresh or change on of the criteria (I think I may just change that to refresh, because if you want to change more than one criteria you use up a search for each criteria.)

So someone wanting to find out the best Diesel station normally, that wants to put Premium Diesel in would use up a new search? hmmm....

Quote: Originally Posted by Enforcer

As it will only obtain one fuel type at at a time, there is really no need for a sort.
Besides you would normally only want to know the price of the fuel you use. The only time you may want a different fuel is if you want super unleaded instead of standard or vice versa, same with diesel I guess.

That's why I designed my RRgas screen like I did. I'm only going to put one type of fuel in the car, but left the other types as options. I don't need to know all 4 prices. This helped to clean it up a little. I want to make it remember the last sort order so on refresh or skin start it loads up the last method sorted.

Quote: Originally Posted by Enforcer

Yes, those are the choices, it was late (well early actually) here so typos got in.

In the standard version I had it such that it auto filled the fuel type as you narrowed the choices, not sure how to do that using the extension plugin.

However you have given me and idea. I could have a parallel command petrol_fuelmenu that will load a menu skin petrolfuelmenu.skin that has 6 buttons and each button can set the variable $PETFUEL$ followed by the command petrol_newfuel

And for range (seeing as only four are allowed) a parallel commad of say petrol_rangemenu could bring up a menu skin petrolrangemenu.skin that has four buttons, each button sets the variable $PETRANGE$ followed by the command petrol_newrange.

That's almost exactly what I was thinking of doing. I was going to have a menu with the choices, but maybe one menu instead of two, and have a save choices button. Two menus would be fine though.

Enforcer · 08-06-2008, 12:32 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by monkeyracer

I was thinking that since there's only 21 variables for the # of searches left, there's got to be an easy way to be able to have something pop up when there's 5 or less searches left.
I was thinking of using the RRstrings plugin to replace the 0-5 in the label "petrol_searches" label with "petrol_warning" so if the user presses the refresh with 6 remaining it just refreshes, but when they refresh with 5 left, the button has the "||petrol_warning" command active and pops up petrol_warning.skin with a confirm screen.

That would probably be easier to add to the plugin code and have a warning

So someone wanting to find out the best Diesel station normally, that wants to put Premium Diesel in would use up a new search? hmmm....

Yep, unfortunately, that's the way the site works.

That's why I designed my RRgas screen like I did. I'm only going to put one type of fuel in the car, but left the other types as options. I don't need to know all 4 prices. This helped to clean it up a little. I want to make it remember the last sort order so on refresh or skin start it loads up the last method sorted.

Last Fuel sorted is in the gas.ini file so when a new search or reload from cache is done, it's sorts it by that fuel

.

Answers in RED

carputer1 · 08-06-2008, 01:14 PM

right just started to test this.

so far so good, shows 16 search (Using my PC)
shows diesel and other fuel types on selection
reduced the range all fine on all fuel type
refreshies ok.

i'm going to go through the junk mail that comes through my letter box and use the return add. PC to vary the search range, but i'm sure its going to be ok.

"E" PM only 1 suggestion so far

report back after further tests plus i am going out later so i will see how true the info really is lol....

carputer1 · 08-06-2008, 01:19 PM

i take also you will be adding some form of gps cord's so we here in poor old UK can enter the cord's to our sat nav's once we have found our station.

i know the sat nav i use is not to bad , once i know the distance of the station i can look it up via POI. but some don't have this feature.

Enforcer · 08-06-2008, 01:24 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by carputer1

"E" PM only 1 suggestion so far
....

answer to PM.

Quote: Originally Posted by Enforcer

However you have given me and idea. I could have a parallel command petrol_fuelmenu that will load a menu skin petrolfuelmenu.skin that has 6 buttons and each button can set the variable $PETFUEL$ followed by the command petrol_newfuel

And for range (seeing as only four are allowed) a parallel commad of say petrol_rangemenu could bring up a menu skin petrolrangemenu.skin that has four buttons, each button sets the variable $PETRANGE$ followed by the command petrol_newrange.

Quote: Originally Posted by carputer1

i take also you will be adding some form of gps cord's so we here in poor old UK can enter the cord's to our sat nav's once we have found our station.

i know the sat nav i use is not to bad , once i know the distance of the station i can look it up via POI. but some don't have this feature.

Currently it can send the coords to FreeDrive (my Personal Edition).

However I will look at other navigation programs, it just depends on how they can receive GPS coords to plot a route from.

carputer1 · 08-06-2008, 02:40 PM

well if you can get them to be displayed , then the end user can manually input them, for now,

Enforcer · 08-06-2008, 04:05 PM

From skin commands

Labels

petrol_#_lon - gas station GPS coordinates (Lon.)
petrol_#_lat - gas station GPS coordinates (Lat.)

where # is the station number.

jonessc · 08-06-2008, 04:21 PM

Nice One for the PM E

I'l crack on with testing when i'm off next week!

carputer1 · 08-06-2008, 04:36 PM

ooop's

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