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Meet the Community

Meet the Community

Time Estimate

Summary

  • Learn how to use the search tools explained in How to Ask for Help
  • Learn the motto "Help us help you".
  • Learn what information helps in solving a problem in building or in using Loop

FAQs

  • "I'm worried I'll ask a stupid question" Don't worry. All the mentors started out as novices. Focus instead on asking a thorough question. A thorough question explains what you've already tried or read, has screenshots of what you are confused by, and any other details you can provide.

Online Groups

There's a wonderful community of Loopers who are willing to help you through the process. This link on Social Media Options walks you through those groups and how to join.

Volunteers provide assistance on building and using the Loop app at these sites. None of the people are paid to answer questions or spend time troubleshooting. They simply want to help others. Please decrease their support burden by doing your homework and providing the information they need when requesting help. Please click the image below to watch this video full of tips to make the most of your online resources.

Please watch this video (just under 7 minutes) to learn about using announcements and searches in Facebook groups and the LoopDocs pages.

Note, the LoopDocs menus were reorganized after this video was prepared to make it easier to progress through the pages.

img/looped-group.png

Screenshots

Please take screenshots of your issue and include them in your posts. On an Apple computer, press Shift+Cmd+4 keys at the same time and a little crosshairs tool will appear. Click-and-drag across the area you'd like to include in the screenshot. When you let go of the button, the screenshot will be saved to your desktop with a file name starting with the name Screen Shot. To capture an entire window, press Shift+Cmd+4 keys at the same time followed by pressing Space (the space bar) and then click on the window of interest.

Use screenshots instead of cell phone images whenever possible. Screenshots are higher resolution and easier to read.

Take a wide screenshot (full window capture) when asking for help with settings or Xcode build errors. Nightscout and Xcode have lots of valuable information off-to-the-side that can be valuable for troubleshooters.

Descriptive Language

Use descriptive language - the most accurate, detailed words possible - when asking for help. Try to avoid the word "it" and instead use details and information to explain why you're asking for help, what you've already tried, and what happened when you tried those things (including screenshots). Let's illustrate with a couple of examples.

Example 1

The Loop app no longer allows you to enter your correction range in the wrong order, i.e., 110 to 90; but it once did and the Loop app would stop working. We're using that problem as an example below.

Bad: "It's not working." <----makes me wonder what "it" is? What part of "it" isn't working exactly? The app? The glucose control? The pump integration? Alarms? Bolusing? CGM

Ok: "My Loop app won't open." <---- Ok, so now I know the Loop app itself seems to be the problem, but still don't know if this is a build error or an error that has happened after building. The solutions might be different.

Better: "My Loop app was working yesterday just fine, and now today it's not doing the things like I expect." <----- Getting closer. Now, I know this is not a build error and that it sounds like a more recent issue. I'm starting to narrow down the potential causes. This is about as much detail as it takes for me, as a volunteer, to consider helping. I might not have to ask 42 questions, but instead only 4 questions to find the remaining information for troubleshooting. If there were more details, it would save time.

Awesome: "My Loop app was working yesterday. Around lunch time, I went into the settings screen and made some adjustments and ever since it just turns white and closes no matter what I try." <---- DEFINITELY getting closer. Now I have a strong suspicion about where the bug is happening and can help with a couple links.

GOLD MEDAL WORTHY: "My Loop app was working yesterday. Around lunch time, I went into the settings screen and made some adjustments to correction ranges. Ever since I did that, the app immediately turns white and shuts down. I have tried restarting my phone, but it has not fixed the problem. I tried searching the docs for 'loop closing' but didn't see results that matched my issue." <----- This person is doing an outstanding job of describing the problem. Lots of good details. Has shown initiative to try to use the resources already. This person did an excellent job of helping all of us help them.

Example 2

This example is not quite as old, but does refer to details from older Loop and iOS versions. It exemplifies the details needed to assist someone with a build error.

Build with Browser

If you are using the Build with Browser method, we still need descriptive details but we do not need screenshots. All that is required is to list your GitHub user name. The volunteers can then read your publicly available log files. (All private information is automatically redacted in those logs.)

Bad: "My Loop app won't build." <----- What step are you on? What is the iOS on your phone? What kind of computer are you using? What macOS? What Xcode version? Have you built successfully before or is this new?

Ok: "I'm trying to update my Loop app and am getting a few errors that I don't understand." <----- Wow, sure would be nice to know what those error messages are. Are they red or yellow? A screenshot sure would help here.

Awesome: "I have a macOS Big Sur 11.5.3 computer with Xcode 12.5.1 and my phone is running iOS 14.7.1. Downloaded Loop-master (2.2.6) this morning and I'm getting some red errors about an exit code that I don't understand. I've tried everything in the docs and nothing worked." <---- While I'm super happy they "tried everything", I'm no closer to knowing what the exact error message is nor which "stuff" exactly they tried. But all the version numbers are included.

GOLD MEDAL WORTHY: "I have a macOS Big Sur 11.5.3 computer with Xcode 12.5.1 and my phone is running iOS 14.7.1. Downloaded Loop-master (2.2.6) this morning and I'm getting some red errors about an exit code 645 that I don't understand. Here's the screenshot of the error message. I tried searching the docs for "exit code 645" and didn't see any responses that helped." <---- This is the kind of detail that will get you to an answer very fast.

Often, the best answer to your question is sending a link to the answer in LoopDocs or LoopTips. This provides you a quick, accurate and complete answer. We understand that there is so much information in these sites that it can be hard to find answers. Mentors know the docs well, are experts at using the search tools and will send direct links to the sections that best answer your question.

If you've searched the docs and read relevant info already, please include that in your post or your reply. That way you don't get linked back to the part you are confused about. And if you have already read the specific section a mentor just linked, be specific about why your problem is not addressed by that link. Or just say "I'm confused when the doc says this". Letting us know when these docs can be improved is very useful.

Next Step

Now you are ready to build or continue with setting up the Loop app.

Return to Set Up

If you are a new looper who got to these pages from the Set Up app page - congratulations. Now that you've reviewed these introductory pages, please continue with the Brand New Loopers section of the Set Up Overview page.

Build with Browser

Click here if you want to Build with Browser.

Build with Mac:

Click here if you want to Build with Mac.