Locating Errors

[poizen37]

I'm sorry if this has been addressed somewhere, but it really should be a sticky or in the FAQ so the answer is easy to find

QUESTION: is there an easy way to take a thing and track down the file it comes from? Is there a way the designers could maybe factor in that when we get an error while loading data packs we don't just get the error and the thing name, but also what .user file contains the error?

BACKGROUND: At this point I have amassed an ungodly amount of .user files. The problem is, every time one of the third party data packs updates there is inevitably at least one duplicate thing, one unattached thing, or one thing something is invalid, etc.

Now, it tells me the name of the thing that's having the problem and the error, but it doesn't tell me WHAT FILE IT'S IN. Now, that could be ok, since usually I could live without the thing or the specific file that's having the problem, except of course, because it's hero lab, the program says "meh" and disables ALL the third party data packs, not just the one's generating errors.

Since I didn't author the file that has the problem and therefore don't recognize where it came from, I then spend the next 40 minutes hunting through so I can find the thing and disable it. OR give up and just accept that half my characters are now invalid because they are using datapacks that the program won't load.

self-editing and sharing is one of the big draws, but the longer I'm dealing with it the longer it's going from a benefit to a flaw.

Again, I apologize if this has been discussed ad nauseum, but I haven't found it.

[charlieluce]

When that happens to me I do a search using Windows Explorer through the game system's .user files for the Thing ID, which doesn't take very long.

[ShadowChemosh]

If you are talking about this current error:

File: COM_CampaignPack_Eberron - Spells.user (line 3420) - Thing - Duplicate record encountered ('cdShadow')

The "file" name tells you.

COM_ - Tells you its a community made file.
CampaignPack - Name of the community pack the file is from.
_Eberron - The specific book inside the pack.
- spells - the specific section of the book.

Further if you opened the file with a text editor that shows line number you would find the error on line 3420 of the file.

[Paragon]

Originally Posted by charlieluce

When that happens to me I do a search using Windows Explorer through the game system's .user files for the Thing ID, which doesn't take very long.

That's pretty clever; I'll have to keep that in mind.

[AndrewD2]

Most modern text editors can do a search through all files in a folder. Notepad++ or Atom are a couple I use.

[poizen37]

Noted, but it wasn't about any one specific error. And I have noticed that sometimes I do get this extra bit of information (as in the example you show), but it's rare. I was hoping there was something a little more fundamental to the program I could use during the 80% of the time that the error itself doesn't point me in the right direction.

The short version is I need to stop updating the morning of game as it only makes it that much more annoying.

That said, some good suggestions here to try out next time.

Appreciated, everyone!

Originally Posted by ShadowChemosh

If you are talking about this current error:

File: COM_CampaignPack_Eberron - Spells.user (line 3420) - Thing - Duplicate record encountered ('cdShadow')

The "file" name tells you.

COM_ - Tells you its a community made file.
CampaignPack - Name of the community pack the file is from.
_Eberron - The specific book inside the pack.
- spells - the specific section of the book.

Further if you opened the file with a text editor that shows line number you would find the error on line 3420 of the file.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by poizen37

Noted, but it wasn't about any one specific error. And I have noticed that sometimes I do get this extra bit of information (as in the example you show), but it's rare. I was hoping there was something a little more fundamental to the program I could use during the 80% of the time that the error itself doesn't point me in the right direction.

Currently at this time there is not a better way.

Originally Posted by poizen37

The short version is I need to stop updating the morning of game as it only makes it that much more annoying.

Correct. This the best way actually and one I argued about for RW software to STOP updating just before a weekend when 90% of games take place.

Not doing updates just before a game is the best idea.