Summer's Blog tag:www.wou.edu,2009-03-26:/~kerrs/blogs/20 2011-06-07T22:35:56Z Movable Type 4.23-en New blog tag:www.wou.edu,2011:/~kerrs/blogs//20.11316 2011-06-07T22:35:04Z 2011-06-07T22:35:56Z I set up my new blog here.... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs I set up my new blog here.

]]> WebLEDS on Windows Server/2008 tag:www.wou.edu,2011:/~runyans/blogs//20.11254 2011-04-26T21:25:58Z 2011-04-26T21:27:40Z WebLEDS has now been fully tested, and certified, to run on Windows Server 2008, 64-bit O/S. Up to this point, WebLEDS was only runnable on either Windows Server/2000, or Windows Server/2003. If we're interested in migrating WebLEDS to Windows Server/2008,... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs WebLEDS has now been fully tested, and certified, to run on Windows Server 2008, 64-bit O/S. Up to this point, WebLEDS was only runnable on either Windows Server/2000, or Windows Server/2003.

If we're interested in migrating WebLEDS to Windows Server/2008, this will involve a complete reinstallation and reconfiguration of WebLEDS, as well as a custom migration of all existing user data and configurations from our old server to the new. There is a charge for this service.

]]> .preserve_whitespace tag:www.wou.edu,2011:/~runyans/blogs//20.11218 2011-04-13T00:44:36Z 2011-04-13T00:52:09Z Within the Course and Program Request application, we were getting long descriptions with formatting by white space (returns, etc.), but of course, when printed back out, the browser renders all white space as one space. I needed a way to... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs Within the Course and Program Request application, we were getting long descriptions with formatting by white space (returns, etc.), but of course, when printed back out, the browser renders all white space as one space. I needed a way to preserve the white space when rendering without changing the font type and came across some style code that will work across all browsers:
{
white-space: -moz-pre-wrap; /* Mozilla, supported since 1999 */
white-space: -pre-wrap; /* Opera 4 - 6 */
white-space: -o-pre-wrap; /* Opera 7 */
white-space: pre-wrap; /* CSS3 - Text module (Candidate Recommendation) http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-text/#white-space */
word-wrap: break-word; /* IE 5.5+ */
}

I've added the code to wou_util.css as .preserve_whitespace class. The way I've used it in my program is such:

<span class=".preserve_whitespace"> '||db_object||' </span >

wou_util.css is called in wou_util.pawprint.header, so anything using this template will have the class included.

]]> Connections Class #3 tag:www.wou.edu,2011:/~runyans/blogs//20.11167 2011-03-16T19:04:55Z 2011-03-17T20:10:59Z I went the the third Connections class put on my HR. I've been taking them all out of order due to my schedule, so I've taken Class #2 & #3, and I'll take Class #1 next week, and then I'll... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs I went the the third Connections class put on my HR. I've been taking them all out of order due to my schedule, so I've taken Class #2 & #3, and I'll take Class #1 next week, and then I'll be done :)

These classes have been quite interesting. The best part of this last class has been about defusing difficult situations. Being kind and smile and restate the problem. Apologize for the situation or apologize blamelessly - do not fault find or try to blame someone else. And then solve the problem.

]]> Scrum tag:www.wou.edu,2011:/~runyans/blogs//20.11101 2011-02-01T23:57:20Z 2011-02-02T00:12:31Z Last week seemed to be taken up with a lot of error fixes with CPR. First, the archives pages does not take into account if a change requester leaves/retires from WOU and is no longer in the directory. When it... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs Last week seemed to be taken up with a lot of error fixes with CPR. First, the archives pages does not take into account if a change requester leaves/retires from WOU and is no longer in the directory. When it would attempt to list that request, it would crash the page. I believe this was also causing the Job that runs the ucs.email program every night to fail as well. I've decided to list the request and requester, without attempting to go out and find the department and division associated with the requester. This will still keep the information on the request, without crashing the program.

I then received an email from Ross yesterday that the email job is crashing again for a different reason. I couldn't duplicate the error in testing, so I changed a couple lines of code and am hoping for the best. I've asked Ross to keep an eye on the job and see if that fixed it.

I've also started on the Scholarship application. The application part is fairly straight forward, but verifying that the student has already applied before filling out the application can be tricky if they did not apply for admissions on line, or their paper application has not been loaded into Banner yet.

I was also wondering how we would reconcile the admin/review part for the app with online _and_ paper applications to review together.

Next week I'll be finishing the new archive page for CPR, as well as getting the scholarship app ready for first round of testing.

]]> Scrum tag:www.wou.edu,2011:/~runyans/blogs//20.11067 2011-01-19T01:07:26Z 2011-01-19T01:15:15Z Last week I was sick for most of it, so I was not able to get a lot done. I did drive down last Tuesday for my meeting for the new online scholarship application, and then drove back home. I... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs Last week I was sick for most of it, so I was not able to get a lot done. I did drive down last Tuesday for my meeting for the new online scholarship application, and then drove back home. I did work on the Application initiation document and on CPR issues that are still popping up:

"...
Notice on the form it (correctly) says:

1. Give a summary of the proposed revisions with rationale/evidence for each.*
Attach a cover letter (1 - 2 pages, maximum 500 words) explaining the big picture, reasons for the proposed changes and the students and programs affected.
2. Give the current catalog description (specify catalog date and page numbers).
Give the proposed catalog description:

Notice on the version that moves forward, it (incorrectly) says:
1. Describe the proposed degree program change(s) in terms of how the changes differ from the program as currently approved and published in the latest WOU catalog (specify the latest catalog date).
2. Describe the reasons for making this change:

The submitted form shows the old version.
...
Other Portal Errors
...
**Notice on P00601 it says that Shaun Huston is the Library Dean in the approver list, so that is not functioning correctly."

I was able to fix most of these issues and then noticed some other issues that were not listing dealing with the New Program option that I fixed as well. The only issue I have left is why some requests for step 3.5 are the same as step 3, instead of having the library dean approve that step. I found the code that does this, but have no idea why, so I'm working on that before I make any changes.

Next week I'll finish the application initiation document for the scholarship app and get started on that.

Issues: I've noticed a number of undergraduate applications that have gotten "lost", that I found to have the graduate app indicator marked, so they no longer show up in the pending list. I have no idea how this is happening, so I'm going to have to figure out what's going on with this.

]]> Happy New Year! tag:www.wou.edu,2011:/~runyans/blogs//20.11030 2011-01-04T22:35:59Z 2011-01-04T22:52:38Z Back to work in the new year. Though it's been a chilly couple weeks, I have to admit, I like this better than rain, but that's soon to be back. After time off, there's always a list of issues or... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs Back to work in the new year. Though it's been a chilly couple weeks, I have to admit, I like this better than rain, but that's soon to be back.

After time off, there's always a list of issues or problems that have occurred that need to be addressed. So far, here's my list:

- Classroom services request form was throwing errors on submit. Come to find out, it was still using cougar as the mail server. I changed that to outgoing, and then the utl_smtp.helo server to ora.wou.edu. That fixed it, so I did a search on all the code for cougar and changed any place it was used for the mail server, I changed it to outgoing and recompiled.

- The International admissions application is now complete and live. I've changed all the links from the old online application to the new one and also went through and changed the links for the pdf version to the newest one wherever I could find it.

- The graduate admin application to view admissions apps was the same as the one for the undergraduate admin, so I made some modifications to it to more reflect the different process the grad office uses for applications.

- I've gotten two reports that graduate applicants are having a problem inputting their address information. One was second hand email, and I couldn't duplicate it, but the second called and I logged in as her and put in the exact information she was trying and it worked fine. She was using the same browser (Firefox) as well, so I'm not sure what's going on there. I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

- I received an email about a new process for CPR (Course and Program Request) for adding a Writing Intensive Committee. I'm not quite sure how that's going to work, so I'll need to meet with Ellis before I proceed.

- The scholarship application meeting will be next week, which I'm actually looking forward to. I need a new project.

- For the rest of this week, I'm going to attempt to figure out what is going on with the application to banner process. That has just been a nightmare from the beginning, but I hope to have it fixed soon. I know those at the admissions office would be happy to have that fixed.

- Richard told me that some students were still going into the wireless app to "sign up" for wireless service, even though they no longer need to do this, and it's throwing an error. I'm going to do a usertype check and just not let students get that far anymore.

]]> Winding down to vacation tag:www.wou.edu,2010:/~runyans/blogs//20.11028 2010-12-22T00:20:35Z 2010-12-22T00:32:39Z Since I'll be on vacation starting tomorrow, I thought I would try to get as much wrapped up beforehand. I've managed to make all final requested changes to the international application for admissions and have sent it back for final... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs Since I'll be on vacation starting tomorrow, I thought I would try to get as much wrapped up beforehand. I've managed to make all final requested changes to the international application for admissions and have sent it back for final review. That should be in production starting after the new year!

I've also updated a lot of the code for CPR (Course and Program Request). Some of it was stream-lining code, some fixing errors, and adding new code. One of the major new additions to the Course Request side is the ability to re-population a request with the data from a previous request. I've managed to test successfully with a new course, drop course, and change course with all information showing up in the form to edit. I think it makes a great addition to the process. Next I'm going to work on the same process for Program Requests.

I was asked to add a procedure for Registrar once a request was approved as a check list so they can make sure they have everything changed, but I haven't heard back. Very well could be on vacation, so I will attempt contact after the new year.

I received an email after the db migration from Huber about the echeck process (CLM) that the job was not running. Apparently there was a broken db connection after the move and once that was fixed, the job was able to restart and it appears to be working again without problem.

]]> International Application tag:www.wou.edu,2010:/~runyans/blogs//20.11012 2010-12-15T01:26:33Z 2010-12-15T01:28:08Z I've finished all the changes needed to the International application for admissions and finished the admin side to reflect all changes. Sent to international for final testing. Yeah!... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs I've finished all the changes needed to the International application for admissions and finished the admin side to reflect all changes. Sent to international for final testing. Yeah!

]]> WebLeds tag:www.wou.edu,2010:/~runyans/blogs//20.10998 2010-12-08T23:48:40Z 2010-12-08T23:51:39Z I got a call on Monday morning from Nathan that the WebLeds server that we have on burns was down. Upon restarting the services, I called Joe back at leds to confirm that everything was working again, and he informed... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs I got a call on Monday morning from Nathan that the WebLeds server that we have on burns was down. Upon restarting the services, I called Joe back at leds to confirm that everything was working again, and he informed me that the services need to be restarted every Monday morning - most likely due to the way we have our server set up.

I've now worked with Brian to set up a cron to run the restart of the services needed for webleds to run. It will now run Monday mornings at 6am and hopefully should not interfere with usage.

]]> Ajax delete tag:www.wou.edu,2010:/~runyans/blogs//20.10872 2010-09-29T00:30:17Z 2010-09-29T00:34:51Z So I was working on the International Admissions Application, and I realized that I didn't have an option for an applicant to delete a school they've entered. In previous applications, I had to open another window, do the delete in... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs So I was working on the International Admissions Application, and I realized that I didn't have an option for an applicant to delete a school they've entered. In previous applications, I had to open another window, do the delete in that, and then reload the current page. I decided this time to use ajax. What a difference. I have all the schools an applicant has entered in a list with an x next to each one to delete. When it deletes, it makes a remote call to another procedure that will remove it from the database and removes the div with that school's info in it. It's pretty sweet.

I found the base code here: http://papermashup.com/jquery-ajax-delete/
Make sure you read the last comment, because I didn't and it took me an hour to figure out why the style was all jacked. The download code needs to have:

div.clear {
clear: both;
}

in the style.

]]> Course and Program Request Chair Update tag:www.wou.edu,2010:/~runyans/blogs//20.10871 2010-09-29T00:27:31Z 2010-09-29T00:29:53Z I was able to complete the section for the course and program request application to allow particular people to update and manage all the division and department chairs. I was able to get all the division secretaries added to the... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs I was able to complete the section for the course and program request application to allow particular people to update and manage all the division and department chairs. I was able to get all the division secretaries added to the portal security to access the page and put them into a table that specifies which division they are a part of so they can only manage those chairs.

]]> CLM tag:www.wou.edu,2010:/~runyans/blogs//20.10801 2010-08-31T21:56:14Z 2010-08-31T22:11:54Z So I got an email from Mike Huber stating: "Starting the 28th of August Dona Vasas has noticed that she is getting two batch files instead of just one each day for CLM. I am wondering if maybe the test... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs So I got an email from Mike Huber stating:


"Starting the 28th of August Dona Vasas has noticed that she is getting two batch files instead of just one each day for CLM. I am wondering if maybe the test instance could have the job running that produces these files. I can't remember what schema you built this under and wouldn't remember the password anyway so I need you to check on this.


Also she mentioned that the files for the 28th and 29th were empty. She normally doesn't get a file if there are no records in it and the file for the 30th had records for the 27th and 28th and that doesn't normally happen either. So something weird is going on with this."


I remembered the clm procedure was under echeck.clmbatch, but I don't remember the password or why it would stop working correctly, as I haven't touch it in years. We did some digging and found the dbms_job on aero that was running the procedure, which was still working. Mike then thought about our new test instance, up since late last week. Apparently the job was imported all too successfully into the test instance and was running there as well, but pointing back to production tables, thereby causing errors.


Mike Ross was able to kill the job running on ora (the test instance) and we'll be able to test again tomorrow when the job runs again (on production) to make sure everything is working correctly.

]]> Updated Graduate Application tag:www.wou.edu,2010:/~runyans/blogs//20.10763 2010-08-18T01:35:03Z 2010-08-18T01:38:35Z The graduate paper application has some new changes and therefore needed to be propagated to the online application. They wanted a new program, asked how they heard about WOU, and asked if they are interested in graduate assistantship. I was... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs The graduate paper application has some new changes and therefore needed to be propagated to the online application. They wanted a new program, asked how they heard about WOU, and asked if they are interested in graduate assistantship. I was able to change everything, and made sure all answer were visible on the admin side to view the app once it's submitted. I also took the new pdf application that Linda sent me and made sure it was linked off application page - http://www.wou.edu/apply. Previously, the graduate paper application was a broken link.

]]> International Admissions Application tag:www.wou.edu,2010:/~runyans/blogs//20.10762 2010-08-18T01:30:02Z 2010-08-18T01:34:04Z The application has gotten a good start so far. I was able to rough out the registration/user creation, login, menu and all the sections of the application. I'm using the pawprint template and the box for the menu tables. I've... http://www.wou.edu/~runyans/blogs The application has gotten a good start so far. I was able to rough out the registration/user creation, login, menu and all the sections of the application. I'm using the pawprint template and the box for the menu tables. I've also got the security set for the login, but I still want to flush out the password issue for non-ldap users with Ellis before I'm done. We had discussed assigning a password and sending it to their email address, and then forcing password change the first time they log in. We may also want to have this all proceduralized so it's the same for all non-ldap forms that require login.

]]>