NEW ADIF version and troubles

[IW3HMH]

I usually don't complain against standards, but the new ADIF 3.0.4 will create a lot of troubles, due some not retro-compatible changes adopted in the format.

The removal of the "V" status from QSL, that was a BIG error in the first appearance (it's a nonsense having an award specific field in the QSL RECEIVED status that is not related to any award, but it's an objective fact), will now create more troubles because a lot of logic has been made on that field for award management and statistics.

The new "MODE/SUBMODE" fields will change logics in one of the 5 KEY FIELDS of every QSO (the unique identifiers of every QSO are: CALL, DATE, TIME, MODE, BAND) adding troubles in managing duplicates and opening doors to database logical corruptions.

Old software will be cutted away by those changes. Log4OM will try to respect his nature and will (probably, if technically possible) provide an export in older ADIF format.

At the end of all, converting existing Log4OM informations to new data structure will probably force Log4OM users to trash their logs and re-import from ADIF for a full database fix. I will work to avoid this solution, but it's probably the best way to act.

It's my opinion that ADIF format evolution is at a dead end. The format is old, hard to extend, difficult to parse and the only occasion the ADIF group had to move to something better was to move the ADIF text structure in a plain, not hierarchical, not structured XML file...

[G4POP]

Well said Daniele,
We should point out that we serve on the ADIF group and argued long and hard against this change as did some other developers but a poll was taken and the new format was passed so we have to live with it.

Personally I think it is time to dump the existing ADIF format and go for a more efficient system.

[K7PT]

I agree with both Daniele and Terry.

For my part, dump dump adif and not be tied down to basically one idiots wishes.

[IW3RAB]

I'm surprised to find also adif.org.uk after adif.org

Nobody read site as xml.org, oasis-open.org, w3.org, unicode.org and many others ?
Nobody have seen XML data exchanged with popular sites ?
Nobody understand "data migration procedure" ?

Mutiline strings ? Mac Linux or Windows line terminator ?
Mix of ascii (random codepage) and utf8 ?
Step back in time or jump without a parachute ?

I agree with all comments.

[IW3HMH]

I'm already working on a draft.
Let me know if you're interested in participating a small group about that.

Lele

[G4POP]

I'm already working on a draft.
Let me know if you're interested in participating a small group about that.

Lele

Absolutely

[K7PT]

Count me in.

Chuck-K7PT

[IW3RAB]

I am too dump to understand everything

But if you tolerate me ....

No english translation for the following
el mona sa tuto....
me sembra che tropi mona ga parlà

Sandro, IW3RAB

[IW3HMH]

i fully agree with your words Sandro

[IW3RAB]

It seems to me that certain needs to be more and more distant from the actual needs.
Too many digital protocols have led to a general lack of understanding.
Expanding this misunderstanding also protocols used for over 50 years it seems to me insane.
We must at this point to create a subgroup for CW depending on the speed.
But the CW is digital?
Is not a voice transmission system.
We can merge CW to a subset of digital systems?

I must rewrite my old paper logs where first QSO is AM ?

NOOOO !

I must rewrite all my data ?

NOOO !

I need interface my data to the globe.
I need import / export my data in a international mode.
The information stored are my data and must be full readable and usable for my purposes
First 128 ascii caracters and other 128 "random coded" (omit other translation for respect) are not the right way.
(game for readers: try this simbols on your keyboard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Germa ... yboard.jpg )

I like this program, and start use it sevearl time ago.
After migration to MySQL I also remove all other log programs.

I'm happy to collaborate

Sandro IW3RAB