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ShipTrack 4.2.5 now available

calendar date February 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

ShipTrack 4.2.5 is now available. See previous blog post for a list of enhancements.

If you would like to use the GetShipTrackCarriers and GetVersion functions I described, simply call them as UDFs in your Excel worksheet, i.e.

=GetShipTrackCarriers()

and

=GetVersion()

They may also be used in your VBA programs. If you are following the API code on the About page, simply substitute one of the methods above for the ShipTrack method.

GetVersion will return "ShipTrack 4.2.5".

GetShipTrackCarriers returns an array of carrier codes you can use with ShipTrack, so it must be array entered using Ctrl+Shift+Enter and filled across columns. Ex: highlight cells A1:Z1, type =GetShipTrackCarriers() and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. If you want to fill the carrier codes across rows, you will need to enter the formula like this: =transpose(GetShipTrackCarriers()).

GetShipTrackCarriers

Visit the Download page to get the newest version.

Filed Under: ShipTrack Tagged With: , ,

ShipTrack 4.2.5 is coming

calendar date February 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The next version of ShipTrack will be released in the next couple of days. This version will have several enhancements:

  1. New carrier: DHL

    2. I dropped DHL support in 2009 when they stopped doing domestic U.S. shipping. Nobody mentioned it at all until now, when I suddenly received several requests for DHL tracking. With a fresh supply of tracking numbers, I was able to add them back. Thank you to everyone who contributed tracking numbers, I hope this update does not disappoint.

  2. Two new functions: GetShipTrackCarriers and GetVersion

    3. In addition to the existing ShipTrack function, there are two additional functions at your disposal.

    GetShipTrackCarriers returns an array of carrier codes you can use with ShipTrack. For example, if you forget how to format the second parameter of the ShipTrack function call, this function exists to remind you. This function auto-updates as new carriers are added.

    GetVersion returns the current version (ex: "ShipTrack 4.2.5") as a string for debugging purposes.

  3. Volatility enhancements

    4. The ShipTrack function had turned off UDF volatility, which led to various nuisances. For example, some users reported having to re-enter formulas to see updated tracking results. Also, this prevented VBA solutions in programs other than Excel from working.

    To remedy this (and avoid disrupting existing formulas), a third (optional) parameter has been added. If you want the UDF to be volatile (i.e. re-run after every calculation event), add "true" as the third parameter. Ex:

    =ShipTrack("1234567890", "ups", true)

    I do not recommend using more than a couple of volatile ShipTrack formulas, as this will increase bandwidth (both yours and the target website) and slow down Excel (as each formula fetches data across the network with every single recalculation). It's possible that excessive fetching may cause your IP to be temporarily or permanently banned by the target website, resulting in denial of service.

Watch this space or the Announcements forum to find out when you can download it.

Filed Under: ShipTrack Tagged With: ,

Another update for ShipTrack 4.2.2 now available

calendar date April 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment

An update to ShipTrack 4.2.2 is now available. Visit the download page for the addin as well as updated source code.

Please note that DHL support has been removed. They have stopped shipping domestically in the U.S. for some time now, and now their website has become difficult to parse. It was easier to simply remove DHL than implement some awkward parsing of their website that would probably require more effort than it is worth.

A problem with USPS shipping was identified thanks to some helpful users, and I believe I fixed both issues.

A new carrier has been requested, that will be my next goal (barring any issues with existing carriers in the near future).

Filed Under: Admin Tagged With: ,