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Friday 14 August 2015

RavenPlus Version 1.0.505

I am releasing RavenPlus version 1.0.505 today. This release, although half-baked, is of special interest to existing users of Zoundry Raven and RavenPlus who are facing problems in publishing to Blogger/Blogspot. Google shutdown 'ClientLoging' completely in late May 2015, resulting in Raven and older versions of RavenPlus getting crippled.

At the moment, only the following Google OAuth2 aware publishing functions are available to users of Blogger/Blogspot:

  • Posting new blog posts;
  • Update an existing blog post;
  • Delete an existing blog post; and
  • Downloading blog posts from Blogger/Blogspot (including labels).

This, I believe, should be sufficient for existing users of Raven/RavenPlus to continue blogging and publishing to Blogger/Blogspot. Some manual setup is still necessary though - please see "Blogger/Blogspot - Setup Instructions" below. Sorry - I am just too lazy to write this one-off Python configuration script.

Publishing functions to other blog platforms (Wordpress for example) should work as before - unaffected - since I did not modify any of the publishing modules that came with Zoundry Raven Open Source. In fact, what I did, to be Google OAuth2 compliant in RavenPlus, is to write three new Python modules and to make the necessary declaration in the configuration file

"system\plugins\zoundry.raven.blogapp.pubsystems\zplugin.xml"

so that these modules can be loaded and used in RavenPlus.

One last thing. The Zoundry Raven installer creates some entries in the Windows registry - exception though if you opted to install 'Raven2Go' previously. You may need to uninstall Zoundry Raven so that these Windows registry entries are removed as otherwise, the wrong and older OAuth2 unaware configuration files of Zoundry Raven could be referred to and used when RavenPlus starts. Obviously, RavenPlus will not be able to publish to Blogger/Blogspot when this happens.

Change Log

Apart from the 4 Google OAuth2 aware publishing functions mentioned in the second paragraph above, I have also rolled in the fixes that I have made since version 1.0.504 into this release. To recap, these fixes solve the problem with the 'Save' button when flipping between the 'Design' and 'XHTML' tabs and when keyboard inputs triggered nothing to enable the 'Save' button.

I have also fixed the "SSL problem" when uploading pictures to Flickr - a problem that I found out about a week ago. In case if you are wondering what I did, I modified the file

"Raven\src\python\flickrapi\__init__.py"

to use 'https:' instead of 'http:' when connecting to Flickr.

I have not started work on Picasa picture uploads and importing of Blogger/Blogspot blogs for new users of RavenPlus yet. These functions will be incorporated into RavenPlus in future releases when they are done.

Download Link

I have uploaded RavenPlus Version 1.0.505 to my Google Drive and you can download the ZIP file here. Do read the Disclaimer below before downloading.

Blogger/Blogspot - Setup Instructions

First Things First - Backups

Before you begin, please, please perform a backup of you blog data first - at both the

  • Blogger level - from the Blogger Dashboard, select

    Settings -> Other -> Export Blog (under the "Blog Tools" heading); and

  • RavenPlus/Windows level - see How To Backup Your Data at the Zoundry Raven development blog.

Although I have been using while developing RavenPlus since June 2015 and have had not experience any data corruption, it is always comforting to know that we have a backup when the inevitable happens. You know how the saying goes:

Prevention is better than cure.

'client_secrets.json'

The file "client_secrets.json" at its proper place

If you have not already done so, then do activate the Blogger API (v3) for yourself. Details can be found here.

Download the 'client_secrets.json' file from Google's Developer Console and place it in the Raven/RavenPlus data directory - please see the picture above. I have programmed RavenPlus to look for this file here.

Sorry for this rather awkward steps as Google does not allow me to share my Client ID and secrets in an Open Source project. And RavenPlus is an Open Source project.

'account.xml'

account_xml_location.PNG


Note: You might want to consider duplicating the file 'account.xml' first (i.e. a backup) before you modify it. RavenPlus might not start if this file got messed up.


We now need to configure RavenPlus to use the OAuth2 aware publishing modules when publishing to Blogger/Blogspot.

Navigate into the 'accounts' directory in the Raven/RavenPlus data directory (see picture above). Open the file 'account.xml' with a text editor (Windows Notepad for example). The first couple of lines for a Blogger/Blogspot 'account.xml' file should look similar to what you can see in the picture below.


Content of my Blogger/Blogspot OAuth2 aware 'account.xml' file

At line 14 (see picture above), replace the '<attribute name="type">' parameter (within '<api-info><attributes>' and '</attributes></api-info>')

zoundry.blogapp.pubsystems.publishers.site.blogger.atom10

with

zoundry.blogapp.pubsystems.publishers.site.blogger.v3

This is how this line looks like after modification:

<attribute name="type">zoundry.blogapp.pubsystems.publishers.site.blogger.v3</attribute>

Make sure you do not alter any other parameter in this file or RavenPlus might not start or function properly.

And remember to save this file after modification.

Granting Access

Now start RavenPlus, compose a test post and click on 'Publish'.

Granting Access to RavenPlus

On communicating with Blogger/Blogspot via OAuth2 for the first time, your default web browser will get launched and the above screen will appear. You might be prompted to login to your Google account if you have not already login previously.

All you have to do now is to just click on the 'Accept' button. This will in turn create a file called 'credentials.dat' (known as a refresh token, I think) in the same directory as the file 'client_secrets.json'.

That's it.

Happy Blogging!

Note:

  1. There is a time-limit to the above 'granting' process. So if you fail to publish your post, just click on the 'Publish' button and repeated the whole thing again. I know I did, because I was fumbling a bit while login in to my Google account - I should have pre-login first before I started.

  2. If you were to have messed things up and RavenPlus appears to be frozen or the publishing function never seems to end, just go to a web browser on your PC and at the address bar key in 'http://localhost:8080/' to unlock RavenPlus.



Disclaimer:
This software is provided "as is" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. You, the user, accept the full responsibility for the usage of this application RavenPlus, excluding the developer, ie. me the owner of this blog, from any liability and any consequence that may derive. Remember to do an Anti-virus scan of the downloaded ZIP file before unzipping it into a folder. You might want to consider doing a full backup of your computer hard drive with Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost before installing and running this application.









41 comments:

  1. All OK, but there are 2 bugs:

    1) I can not import schedule folder and I can not schedule a post. I schedule a post one hour later, but is published inmediately. And I can not change time and published posts

    2) I have 3 blogs with Home with thumbnails, but now I can not see the thumbs, the thumbs is not create. (I use Flickr and direct Picassa links)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From the source code, I don't think scheduling posts is available on the Blogger/Blogspot platform. This was mentioned in this Zoundry's blog posts:

      http://www.zoundryraven.com/devblog/2008/07/post-link-url-is-not-available-on.html


      Scheduling never did work for me and I do not intend to do anything about it. I don't use this feature. The programming part is just too complicating.

      I don't understand problem (2).

      Delete
    2. Perfect!!!! Problem 2 is working! The problem was "Remove Newlines". Thanks for the idea,

      And as you said, I let you think over about the 'scheduling' part. Don't forget the Picasa update, please!

      Delete
    3. A great community effort by all. I could not have done it alone since I don't have the template installed. Thank you all.

      Delete
  2. Hi T.C.

    Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

    Excuse the English, I speak Spanish

    CONGRATULATIONS!, but the schedule and home thumbnails don't work, but I can help you with the thumbs

    If I publish a schedule post, Blogger send it now, don't respet date or hour


    You can see the same post published with old and with new Raven:

    http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5801/20072272644_48df452acf_o.png


    When I send a post with The old Zoundry, Windows live writer and any blogger post edit soft, when you see the edit post, the ALL text is together like this:

    http://farm1.static.flickr.com/767/20694565895_6b2f40a442_o.png

    But with this version the text appears with spaces like this:

    http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5735/20668275886_1fb4fea59f_o.png

    Then the thumb image for home, don't create. ONLY if style line is together, the thumb is create. (<img src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/..53b.png" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; WIDTH: 217px;.......)

    I test putting all text together in Raven, but when I publish, In blogger the text appears with spaces, but this problem not happen with the old Raven.

    I test with several templates that use thumbs in the HOME and always appears this problem

    Please make something ´cause I send more that 50 post every day with images and I can not use Raven with this bug!!!
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. See my previous comment above about scheduling posts. In short I will not be doing anything about it.

      My last couple of blog posts were composed purely on Raven+ v1.0.505. As you can see I do not have any problems with my pictures and formatting, even when I use double-byte Chinese characters which I tested in my test Blogger/Blogspot blog.

      Delete
    2. But you don´t have thumbnails in the Home!!!!!

      The problem is with template with home thumbnails like I show you in the image.

      Download any template with home thumbs like I show you in the image and test sending an image with style

      Delete
    3. And one question: how did you publish with the OLD Zoundry Raven in you test? It doesn't work any more with Blogger/Blogspot.

      Delete
    4. The post working is published with Raven before May 27 ( I edit with blogger the title for you understand me), Today I publish with new Raven the same post, and now is not workin (I test with 23 post with images from old blogger post and with Flick)
      The login WORKS PERFECT!!! Thanks!m but I can use Raven in this way. The home is empty of thumbs, and I need this template style 'cause I have a news site
      Thanks for answe me

      Delete
    5. Let me think over about the 'scheduling' part. I have to dig into the code - I can't remember now why I did it this way. Something about the wrong blog post URL, I think, unless if you perform an update to the blog post.

      I have no idea about solving the 'thumbnail pictures not appearing' on your blog homepage. As far as I could tell, my blog posts got published correctly when I look at the blog post HTML source. You can see it for yourself when you right-click and view source from you browser - there is not abrupt line breaks.

      I do have "Remove Newlines" 'Checked' under "Override Account Publishing settings", if that helps. The Blogger server inserts the HTML '
      ' tag for the invisible 'newline' character resulting in double-spacing paragraph if this option is not 'checked'. There's an option too I think at the Blogger dashboard editor about dealing with
      tags but I don't think I changed anything there.

      Other than that perhaps the template that you are using is modifying the HTML source. I wish I know.

      Delete
    6. T.C.: I get down on my knees and I tell you.......

      THANKS!!!! The fix was Remove Newlines. The older version don't need checked and then I don't remember this option. Now is perfect!!!!!!!!!! I am really happy for me and for you!!!

      I can work in my blog again!!!!!

      Now you have only 2 problems: scheduling part and Picassa Api. I wish you good luck with these!!

      PS: I love your bird´s posts

      Delete
    7. The thumbs now are working for me too! I check Remove Newlines.

      Thank you T.C.! You're the best

      Delete
    8. Great. And thanks for the feedback. I can't think of any other solution if this doesn't work.

      Delete
    9. MisImagenes,

      It just occured to me, with Blogger API v3 (on which this version of Raven+ is using) there is a limit of 50 post per day. You will get an error when you exceed this limit. See this forum post here:

      https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/bloggerdev/83UlZjqnHjk

      Delete
  3. T,C:

    I use Raven for 7 year and the schedule ALWAYS works fine, include in your old Raven Plus. And ALWAYS import Schedule folder include in your older Raven Plus, but now not work,

    The other item is easy: Do you see the images?
    You must be change something 'cause your older Raven Plus don´t make the problem, only this one, and noe not show thumbnails.

    When you use Blogger post edit the test must be all together like you see in

    http://farm1.static.flickr.com/767/20694565895_6b2f40a442_o.png

    When you publish with Raven, if you see the post in Blogger post edit you ALWAYS see the text TOGETHER like I show you in http://farm1.static.flickr.com/767/20694565895_6b2f40a442_o.png

    But now the text in Blogger post edit appears separate like this:

    http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5735/20668275886_1fb4fea59f_o.png

    and now the images thumbnail don't show

    Test yourself sending an image with style (center or right) and you see the text is not together. Compare with any old post send it with Raven

    The images that I send you are very clear

    Excuse my BAD English!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Same problems, I have to delete the new posts 'cause I can´t see the images in the home.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello T.C, It's me again!!!

    You did it! Good work!

    I'm very glad for you and for me, but I have the same problem that MisImagenes and the others.

    I can't see the thumbs when the image has style, but if the image don't have style, then it show perfect in the Home blog, but I always use left, right or center position, I need the style.

    And is true, all posts published with others Raven show the text all together in Blogger HTML edit post, but not now because has several whites like MisImagenes show you, and this is the problem with the thumbs

    And I send scheduled post with others Raven without any problem (Before May I send more than 10 schedule post for day with Raven, but now I can't),

    And I can't import schedule folder, Scheduled is a new problem

    My blog is http://seccionadultos.blogspot.com (erotic tales, needs registration)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you.

      On the thumbnail not showing problem, MisImagenes got it working again. Try enabling "Remove Newlines".

      Delete
    2. Great!!! I did it and now works perfect!! Thank you!!.
      Something must be change in this version that needs enable Remove Newlines, I didn't think about it

      Delete
    3. It so happened that I had another problem that was solved with this 'Remove Newlines' option. Just a lucky guess here. Or maybe just my programmer instinct.

      Zoundry's last official release of Raven was at v1.0.375. While Raven Open Source was at v1.0.500. So there is at least 125 changes between them based on the difference in version numbers. As to exactly what they are, I do not know.

      Delete
  6. All perfect!!! : Save' button fix, Flickr, login, post (except schedule posts), delete, update, download (except schedule posts) and thumbs.

    But I read that you will solve the Picasa & schedule problems, so I will wait for them.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks T.C., all OK!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great job! Thank you T.C.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think I can enable blog post scheduling in Raven+. But Blogger/Blogspot server does not assign a valid URL (it defaults to the blog home page URL) to the blog post until after the schedule date and time.

    So, to get the valid URL assigned to the blog post in Raven+, you will have to re-publish your blog post again after the schedule date and time - even though there are no changes to your blog post. 'Download recent post' wouldn't work - I have tried.

    Can we agreed on this? It doesn't involve much work on my side - something which I very much prefer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IS PERFECT!!!!. I always work with Raven in this way from 2008.

      The only problem now is that if I put a future date, Raven publish post immediately. All that I need is that Raven respect the future day when I publish the post. Thanks.

      About your work in Picasa: is more hard that Blogger Api or this problem can take you less time?

      Delete
    2. About 50 posts, is a Blogger limit from 2008 and Raven always do the same thing: After 50 post, you can publish but you have captcha, then Raven show "none" 'cause can not publish the post without write the captcha. So you can posts more but only with Blogger

      About Schedule, always was this problem with Raven, the new is can not publish the post with a future date. Is perfect what you say T.C., please do it like you explain, I agreed on this with you

      But something that never work in Raven in maybe you can do something is this: (Windows live writer can do it, so is not a problem of Blogger) I can not change the publish date when I update a post. Example: I want update a published post from May, and I change the date to today, But when I see the post in Blogger the date is still May and not today.

      I hope you can understand me with my rare English, excuse me

      Delete
    3. Yes! I'm agreed with you. Blogger never assign a valid URL , this isn't a new problem.

      Delete
    4. Good. We have a win-win situation here. I'll try to get this 'post scheduling' thing done within 7 days. Expect a new version of Raven+ then.

      Marian: I am not sure how difficult the work on Picasa will be. But I will get it done in the end.

      MisImagenes: I managed to change the post date via an update on one of my blog post on my test blog, using the modified Python code that I have here. You will have to wait for the next release of Raven+ for this feature.

      Delete
    5. YUPI! I will wait the new version with the post scheduling fix and for the date update

      Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, and more thanks!!!!

      Delete
    6. Thanks for give good news. I see you in 7 days!

      Your Raven will be the best

      Delete
    7. One question: If I select Download ALL, Raven download only 5000 posts, but I have more than 10.000. Can you do something? Thank you

      Delete
    8. Not at the moment Jonathan. Priority at the moment is to get Raven+ back to how it was before Google made the changes in authenticating Blogger/Blogspot in late May 2015.

      Sorry.

      Delete
    9. Ok, I understand, I need the changes too.

      Only tell me if you can do it somehing with this problem in the future or is not possible

      Delete
    10. All I could say at the moment is that I will try. I dare not commit anything.

      The "Download Recent Posts" option (the portion that I wrote for OAuth2 Blogger/Blogspot) actually performs a sorting operation in the computer's memory. I have to do it this way because of limitations in the Blogger API. So I am not actually sure what will happen when downloading 5000 or more recent posts - Raven+ may just crash.

      A better option would be to do a complete new user profile download. But I haven't written this part of the code yet.

      Delete
    11. I downloaded 5000 without problems, and Raven+ don't crash.

      Thanks for say me "I will try".

      Delete
  10. Hi!

    I'm new with RavenPlus and maybe you can help me.

    For a problem with Adsense I have to update more that 1.000 posts, But my blog have 46.000 posts and these 1000 are the firsts (year 2012)

    When I select Download All posts (I test it 4 times) RavenPlus only download 5.000.

    How can I download all the post or the firsts 1.500?

    Can I download only the post with a specific year?

    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, 5000 limit appears to be hard-coded somewhere - I don't have time at the moment to trace through the code.

      Downloading of earlier post is not possible. Neither for downloading posts for a specific year. Raven has been designed to download starting from the latest and then going backwards, as you are aware.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for say to Jonathan that you want to try that Raven+ can download more than 5000 posts, this is good for me too,

      I tell you that I downloaded 5000 posts and Raven+ works perfect, without any crash

      If is easy for you, one day can you do this feature?:

      In write post "Image border" icon default is solid and "Thumbnail" is 250, but "Align image" is None. Can you do Center like default?

      And other idea, of course if is easy for you, to make that I choose my icon default, for example I really need 600 for thumb not 250.

      Thanks for your time and for your wonderful work!!! Kisses

      Delete
  11. Thanks T.C., I can work again in my blog!

    Paul

    ReplyDelete
  12. Perfect soft!!!!! I love it!!!

    I ask for the same features that Laura suggested

    Thanks for all!

    ReplyDelete