[Solved] Save incomplete timetable in .fet file

[_indianajones]

Hi all!

I find this software is very very useful... a very good work.

I think it would be useful, in case of difficult generation, to save the incomplete timetable in a .fet file without stopping the process,
so I could convert this file with "Excel FET file import 2010 Marco Albano ver 2.0" and try to solve it manually.

Do you think this new feature is possible?

Thanks

[Liviu Lalescu]

Generate, stop, advanced lock -> lock all activities of current timetable -> save file.

[_indianajones]

Generate, stop, advanced lock -> lock all activities of current timetable -> save file.

...but in this way the generation is definitively stopped.... am I wrong?

After hours of elaboration I wish to save the best timetable found and let FET goes ahead...
is it possible?

[Liviu Lalescu]

Oh, sorry, I did not see that you wanted generation to continue.

I'll add your suggestion in the TODO, but it is not very nice, because I prefer FET to save .fet timetable files only when they are complete.

Meanwhile, you can do this, for only one interruption (if you have a multiple core computer): start two generations on the same timetable, with the same FET version, with the same initial random seed state, then interrupt one of them after a few hours, and leave the other one running.

[_indianajones]

Thank you  very much

[Liviu Lalescu]

Another possibility: writing highest stage (or current stage) timetable from the generate dialog writes the file "activities.xml". The import script could be adapted to work on the initial data file (without the timetable saved in it) + the activities.xml.

[_indianajones]

Another possibility: writing highest stage (or current stage) timetable from the generate dialog writes the file "activities.xml". The import script could be adapted to work on the initial data file (without the timetable saved in it) + the activities.xml.

This is a good idea... but....

I've tried to modify the import script...

1) very very difficult for me to understand the code made by other people
2) I'm not sure that a .fet file with incomplete timetable works with that script... I've done a test but it gives running errors


so... I think it's better if I write my own script to extract data for example from _teachers_time_horizontal.html or _teachers.xml.

[Volker Dirr]

be careful if you use teachers.html files, because:
a) activities without teachers are missing in that file
b) activities with more then one teacher are included several times (so there are duplicates)
c) you are not able to get the students structure from that file

[_indianajones]

I've done an excel file with a script to import teachers timetable from "..._teachers.xml".

It works with incomplete timetable too, as I needed.

I only need  matching between teachers and students (no activities, no rooms, etc...).

_indianajones