The first version of the Bingo Card Creator CMS needed to create PNGs and PDFs of bingo cards given word lists, but it was my first Ruby/Rails project.
I did not yet actually have a functioning SaaS version of the app, just the downloadable Java swing app.
So here’s workflow:
I did not yet actually have a functioning SaaS version of the app, just the downloadable Java swing app.
So here’s workflow:
https://twitter.com/_brohrer_/status/1471112859400687627
Freelancer uses CMS to write new word list. It gets saved to database.
Periodically, I log in and run a rake task which dumps text files containing word lists which don’t have associated PNGs/PDFs created yet.
I then download them to a windows machine.
Periodically, I log in and run a rake task which dumps text files containing word lists which don’t have associated PNGs/PDFs created yet.
I then download them to a windows machine.
On that machine, I run a scripting thing (have forgotten name) which allows the computer to software automate the mouse and keyboard.
It then: opens the Java swing app, moves the mouse to X, Y whatever, clicks “New bingo card”, moves to the input area, clicks, types first…
It then: opens the Java swing app, moves the mouse to X, Y whatever, clicks “New bingo card”, moves to the input area, clicks, types first…
word, hits enter, types second word, hits enter, etc.
It then hits Ctrl-P and prints the cards to a virtual printer driver that saves them as a PDF. It opens that PDF in the default PDF viewer and hits the screenshot key.
It opens that screenshot in MS Paint.
It then hits Ctrl-P and prints the cards to a virtual printer driver that saves them as a PDF. It opens that PDF in the default PDF viewer and hits the screenshot key.
It opens that screenshot in MS Paint.
It uses MS paint to crop out all the parts of the screen except the actual bingo card, which it saves as a BMP.
It then uses GraphicsMagick to convert to a PNG for use on the website.
Script repeats for each downloaded list, then zips up deliverables. I upload to server.
It then uses GraphicsMagick to convert to a PNG for use on the website.
Script repeats for each downloaded list, then zips up deliverables. I upload to server.
I then fire a rake task which unzips file, copies PDFs/PNGs to appropriate places, and marks those cards as live in the CMS. Pages representing them go live on the website.
A few hours later, SEO traffic starts coming in.
How janky was this? Oh boy:
A few hours later, SEO traffic starts coming in.
How janky was this? Oh boy:
Because everything was pixel sensitive any touching of mouse or keyboard would ruin a run, and because the script had no ability to see what it was doing it had to go very slowly and rely on everything working.
So runs took an hour and being one pixel off blew up.
So runs took an hour and being one pixel off blew up.
Since I had a day job at the time and didn’t want to spend my entire Saturday re-doing this in the event of e.g. a slight breeze or other gremlins, I would turn off screensaver/etc, turn on script, grab coffee, and babysit machine as it ran, aborting and retrying if it failed.
“Why’d you do this to yourself!?!”
I was a young engineer, didn’t have better options until I leveled up enough at Ruby to SaaS-ify the bingo card generation (about… a year later? Two?), and this jank made me more money than my actual job.
I was a young engineer, didn’t have better options until I leveled up enough at Ruby to SaaS-ify the bingo card generation (about… a year later? Two?), and this jank made me more money than my actual job.
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