Megatest

    (begin
      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "received bad encoded string \"" instr "\", message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
      (print-call-chain (current-error-port))
      #f)
    (read (open-input-string (base64:base64-decode instr))))
   (read (open-input-string (z3:decode-buffer (base64:base64-decode instr))))))

;; dot-locking egg seems not to work, using this for now
;; if lock is older than expire-time then remove it and try again
;; to get the lock
;;
(define (common:simple-file-lock fname #!key (expire-time 300))
    (if (common:file-exists? fname)
	(if (> (- (current-seconds)(file-modification-time fname)) expire-time)
	    (begin
              (handle-exceptions exn #f (delete-file* fname))	
	      (common:simple-file-lock fname expire-time: expire-time))
	    #f)
	(let ((key-string (conc (get-host-name) "-" (current-process-id))))
	  (with-output-to-file fname
	    (lambda ()
	      (print key-string)))
	  (thread-sleep! 0.25)
	  (if (common:file-exists? fname)
	      (handle-exceptions exn
                #f 
                (with-input-from-file fname
	  	  (lambda ()
		    (equal? key-string (read-line)))))
	      #f))))

(define (common:simple-file-lock-and-wait fname #!key (expire-time 300))
  (let ((end-time (+ expire-time (current-seconds))))
    (let loop ((got-lock (common:simple-file-lock fname expire-time: expire-time)))
      (if got-lock
	  #t
	  (if (> end-time (current-seconds))
	      (begin
		(thread-sleep! 3)
		(loop (common:simple-file-lock fname expire-time: expire-time)))
	      #f)))))

(define (common:simple-file-release-lock fname)
  (handle-exceptions
      exn
      #f ;; I don't really care why this failed (at least for now)
    (delete-file* fname)))

;;======================================================================
;; S T A T E S   A N D   S T A T U S E S
;;======================================================================

;; BBnote: *common:std-states* - dashboard filter control and test control state buttons defined here; used in set-fields-panel and dboard:make-controls
(define *common:std-states*   ;; for toggle buttons in dashboard
  '(

	     val-list)
	'())))

;;======================================================================
;; S Y S T E M   S T U F F
;;======================================================================

;; lazy-safe get file mod time. on any error (file not existing etc.) return 0
;;
(define (common:lazy-modification-time fpath)
  (handle-exceptions
      exn
      0
    (file-modification-time fpath)))

;; find timestamp of newest file associated with a sqlite db file
(define (common:lazy-sqlite-db-modification-time fpath)
  (let* ((glob-list (handle-exceptions
			exn
			`(,(conc "/no/such/file, message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn)))
		      (glob (conc fpath "*"))))
         (file-list (if (eq? 0 (length glob-list))
			'("/no/such/file")
			glob-list)))
  (apply max
   (map
    common:lazy-modification-time 
    file-list))))

;; return a nice clean pathname made absolute
(define (common:nice-path dir)
  (let ((match (string-match "^(~[^\\/]*)(\\/.*|)$" dir)))
    (if match ;; using ~ for home?
	(common:nice-path (conc (common:read-link-f (cadr match)) "/" (caddr match)))
	(normalize-pathname (if (absolute-pathname? dir)
				dir