StarChart/Change log

This page is keeping the revision history of the StarChart activity. Here you will find, in reverse chronological order, a description of each version of StarChart and a list of which features were added and which bugs were fixed.

Version 14 (current)

Also known as "Version 2.3 (build 120) of 2010.11.28.1830 UT". This is the fifth stable release.

• Spanish translation adjusted so that the magnitude buttons on the "What" tab are visible.

Version 13

Also known as "Version 2.2 (build 119) of 2010.08.09.1630 UT". This is the fourth stable release.

• Improved Spanish localization.

Version 12

Also known as "Version 2.0 (build 115) of 2010.04.21.1430 UT". This is the third stable release and implements the magnification feature.

• Improved stars1.py catalog.
• Changed the algorithm of the "Identify" feature so that an extended object is favored over point objects that it hides in the plot. (Example: M42 is found whereas some of the stars embedded in it used to be found instead.) Unfortunately, for large extended objects an invisible point object may still be indentified if the user clicks sufficiently far from the center of the extended object.
• Added dso2.py which is a catalog of the larger, brighter Bennett objects (analagous to the Messier objects but in the southern skies) and the NGC objects not otherwise catalogged which have common names.
• Added the ability to display a magnified view corresponding to what would be seen through typical 7-power binoculars. In order to show the sky as it would appear with binoculars, I also added a supplemental star catalog that adds about 2500 stars which are too dim to see without an instrument (stars2.py). These stars are taken from the SAO catalog.
• Removed the radio button for magnitude 0 -- there are too few stars brighter than magnitude 1 for it to be useful to distinguish the mag 1 stars from the mag 0 stars.
• Re-arranged controls on the "What" and "Where" toolbars so that the controls still fit if Spanish localization is applied.

Version 11

Also known as "Version 1.1 (build 93) of 2010.03.14.1830 UT". This is the second stable release.

• Added Spanish language translation.
• Corrected bug #15.

Version 10

Also known as "Version 1.0 (build 89) of 2010.02.27.1800 UT". This is the first stable release.

• Added "Locate" and "About" tabs.
• Added "Identify" feature.
• Completed i18n and created POT file.
• Improved input error detection and reporting; no longer using Alert.
• Bugs 12, 13, 14 and 16 corrected.

Version 5

Also known as "Version 0.54 (beta 5) of 2008.09.24.2210 UT".

• Added gettext calls to support i18n
• Added license metadata to activity.info (license is GPLv2+)
• Added a Spanish-language program name (/locale/es/activity.linfo)
• Input errors now being reported via the Alert API.
• Bug #1 fixed.
• Bugs #12, #13 and #14 introduced. All are related to error handling.
• Bug #15 documented (it's been there awhile). Poor GUI implementation with regards to specifying time / time-zone offset.
• Bug #16 introduced. (Harmelss unless localization is attempted.)

Version 4

Also known as "Version 0.40 (beta 4) of 2008.07.15.2200 UT".

• Reorganized code into multiple .py files.
• Added the Messier Catalog to the plot. (This was filtered by size and brightness such that only about 1/2 of the catalog is plotted.)
• Added the ability to specify a temporary locale and timezone offset for travelers.
• No bugs fixed.
• No bugs introduced.

Version 3

Also known as "Version 0.33 (beta 3) of 2008.03.20:2000".

• The chart is now labeled with the cardinal directions (N/E/S/W).
• Bug #3 fixed.
• Bug #10 fixed.
• No new bugs introduced.

Version 2

Also known as "Version 0.27 (beta 2) of 2008.03.04:1230".

• Latitude and longitude can now be specified as degree-and-fraction as well as degree/minute/seconds.
• The controls which specify display options, position and time are now organized into tabbed menus ("Activity", "What", "Where" and "When"), more like other Sugar Applications.
• Bug #2 fixed.
• Bug #4 fixed.
• Bug #6 fixed.
• Bug #7 fixed.
• Bug #11 introduced.

Version 1

Also known as "Version 0.11 of 2008.02.18:1400".

• Initial release