The Weather Company Reader Release Notes

Owned by Jonathan Schmale
Last updated: Jul 31, 2024
5 min read

Uses JSON data from https://api.weather.com.
For more app use notes see The Weather Company Reader

Requires:

  • .Net Framework 4.8 as of version 2.2.0

  • Flow build 10.12.3.1 or greater

  • MySQL 5.7 or 8.0

Windows server time zone updates may be required from time to time to ensure your installed time zone data is accurate and available for your locations.

Example: KB4577066 includes updates for the Yukon, Canada time zone and KB5001382 includes changes for Volgograd, Russia and The Republic of South Sudan.

Version 2.6.4

When installing this version it may be necessary to uninstall the previous version first to ensure it runs successfully.

July 10, 2024

  • Enable better database connection error debugging.

  • Log any errors that occurred while retrieving config values.

  • Add option to specify additional parameters in the database connection.

    • For example: Pipelining = False;

  • Enable the Extra Data lists to resize their width when the app window is resized.

  • Use ReaderUtils.MySqlConnector 2.2.0.

  • Use MySqlConnector 2.3.7 instead of MySql.Data

  • Use BLSoft 1.7.63

Version 2.5.1

December 7, 2023

  • Include the full time instead of only the date with the current forecast records.

Version 2.5.0

November 17, 2023

  • Fix for the Current Observations Version list showing duplicate entries.

Version 2.4.0

October 5, 2023

  • Improve the current observations version testing and selection.

  • Fix error that occurred when closing the app.

  • Add the check-for-updates status to a status bar.

Version 2.3.0

June 20, 2023

  • Upgrade to using MySQL.Data 8.0.33 and Newtonsoft.Json 13.0.3 and ReaderUtils 1.0.53.

  • use pressure and temperature conversions as documented on the TWC documentation: http://ibm.co/APICom

Version 2.2.0

April 6, 2023

  • Upgrade to target .Net Framework 4.8.

  • Use TimeZoneConverter 6.1.0.

Version 2.1.7

October 12, 2022

  • Add a new Help menu item - Check TLS Version to report on the TLS version the app successfully connects with. As of Nov 4, 2022 - it must be TLS 1.2 (TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 will fail).

The Weather Company will be deprecating support of API requests using HTTP, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1 protocols on November 4, 2022. After this date, API requests using HTTP and TLS versions prior to 1.2 will fail. This action is being taken to ensure the highest levels of encryption and security for our systems. If you are impacted, please make plans to upgrade to HTTPS transactions and/or TLS 1.2 prior to this date. If an extension of time is required, please direct your CISO or security office to send an email notice to twcapi@us.ibm.com. We will work in good faith to ensure disruptions of service are mitigated. Please contact twcapi@us.ibm.com if you have any questions or require an extension.

For your app to negotiate TLS 1.2, the OS and the .NET Framework version both need to support TLS 1.2.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/network-programming/tls#support-for-tls-12

Windows 8.0 and Windows Server 2012 and up do support and enable by default the TLS 1.2 protocol.

Version 2.1.6

July 29, 2022

Version 2.1.5

July 12, 2022

  • Add extra logging when old dates are found for report dates and sunset and sunrise times.

Version 2.1.4

June 8, 2022

  • Update supporting packages to use:

    • TimeZoneConverter 5.0

    • ReaderUtils 1.0.48

    • MySQL.Data 8.0.29

  • Data retrieval performance tweak.

Version 2.1.3

February 2, 2022

  • When a location isn’t added because it already exists - the response window now includes the Name and ID of the existing location.

  • Update supporting packages (Json.Net, BLSoft, Telerik).

Version 2.1.2

Dec 22, 2021

  • Download data faster via more synchronous data retrieval - testing showed runtimes cut in half or better.

  • Improved error reporting when receiving a bad request error message.

    • specifically when "Data expired on …" errors occur

  • Update supporting packages (ReaderUtils).

Version 2.1.1

May 31, 2021

  • Fix for incorrect error message syntax when failing to use a given time zone value.

  • Update supporting packages (MySql.Data and TimeZoneConverter and ReaderUtils).

Version 2.1.0

April 5, 2021

  • Auto-adjust the height/width of the status box on the run page.

  • Open the release notes when downloading a new version.

  • Display weather location progress as updates are happening.

  • Retry the next run later if the we are still running the last update when the timer goes off again.

  • Improve saving of changes to the selected data source collections.

  • Update supporting packages (MySql.Data and TimeZoneConverter and Telerik)

  • Manage database connections better.

Version 2.0.7

February 2, 2021

  • Enable the user to select the version of the API to use for current conditions (V1 or V3).

  • Enable adding new data source instances in the same database schema.

Version 2.0.6

January 19, 2021

  • Add day-part/intraday forecast support (version 1) including dynamic fields; up to 3 days of data.

  • Allow the form to be made shorter and scroll the Setup page when it's too short.

Version 2.0.5

January 14, 2021

  • Add hourly forecast support including dynamic fields and auto-detect 2 or 15 days available.

  • Add some missing extra data fields and improve ordering.

  • Add the elapsed time as a prefix to Performance logs.

Version 2.0.4

January 12, 2021

  • Enable retrieving current data for new locations as they are added instead of waiting for the next run.

  • Use a display name in the search results list instead of the city name that may be blank.

  • Tweak default icon names (don’t include a .png extension)

Version 2.0.3

December 2, 2020

  • Add the night weather icon to each daily forecast record.

Version 2.0.2

November 16, 2020

  • Automatically detect available version of current observations to use V1 or V3.

  • Simplify and improve the UI

    • Remove the stop button

    • Remove the bottom banner showing the app name and BL branding

    • Change tab label from Configuration to Setup and button Start Now to Read Now

    • Auto adjust location grid on form resizing

    • Add a location count label

    • Use a custom icon

  • Enable performance logging

  • Save the weather data in batches instead for each location to improve performance.

  • Add sunrise and sunset times to daily forecasts

  • Add support for extra data fields (dynamic fields)

  • Enable using the Standard Lifestyle Ski Index data as dynamic fields in the daily forecasts

    • the relevant dynamic fields will display in the extra data tab only if the API key supports it.

  • Add option to preserve today forecast data beyond the API 3:00 PM cutoff time.

Version 1.3.0

June 25, 2020

  • Enable support for use of MySQL 8 database instances.

Version 1.1.2

Jan 22, 2020

  • When adding new forecast data - copy in the locationID into the detail records - if required (for legacy player systems).

Version 1.1.1

Jan 16, 2019

  • Enable using the today forecast icon when the current conditions icon missing.

  • Enable searching by Geo code by specify the latitude and longitude.

    • Example: 46.233, -63.131

  • Try to fill in province codes when not provided by the search api.

Version 1.1.0

Dec 21, 2018

  • Write fewer log messages to the chameleon database and instead only write the majority of them to the local log file.

Version 1.0.0

Dec 20, 2018

  • If this is replacing the TVA Weather reader there are custom steps to ensure continuity of existing weather records and playlists.

  • This is the first official build of the reader.

  • Supports

    • Daily forecasts

    • Current conditions

    • Add and remove locations

      • search by city name, ICAO code or IATA code

    • Pull database connections from a Tickit/Chameleon Flow URL

    • Includes selection options for language and units

    • Includes a custom Day Name transformation option

      • Abbreviate to the first 3 chars

      • Convert the text casing (upper, lower, title, source)

  • Requires

    • .Net Framework 4.6.1

    • Flow build 9.12.1.1 or greater

    • Also need to have run script 10.12.3.1 or installed Flow build 10.12.3.1 or greater