Coding Stuff

the_dare · Post by **the_dare** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 6:12 pm

basic interface for the QCC (Quantus Core Creator)
so far only coding done is the load and save pop up boxes!

madpeople · Post by **madpeople** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:51 pm

have you decided on a core format / thought about how you are going to store the data?

HSharp · Post by **HSharp** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:36 pm

I think madp is right in that more focus on the meaty part (the actual game) rather then on the outershell (splash etc...). Course im also saying that because I can make a splash and a nice starting GUI to load up the game and your stealing my easy possible contribution /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

radruin · Post by **radruin** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:16 pm

madpeople wrote:QUOTE (madpeople @ Jan 9 2008, 02:51 PM) have you decided on a core format / thought about how you are going to store the data?

Not yet; What I'll probably do is have, on startup, the server read from a file (.txt maybe; I don't know what sort of file to use for this) to set up all the fields (Java term; I think for C++ it's called properties? anyway, the values like speed, jumping height, base sig, etc) for everything. My roommate (today's the first day of this semester) is also a computer science major, and he's in actual computer science classes (Calc 1, a pre-requisite for ALL CS classes, was over my head, so I'm taking pre-calc this semester) so he may have better ideas on how to arrange data like this.

I'm also open to suggestions, of course; I don't really experienced much more than using .txt files to store values. All else I've experienced is 'pickling' in Python (made data files that were smaller than .txt files, and was simpler to do), but of course we're not working with Python here.

the_dare · Post by **the_dare** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:44 pm

when i have time i will upload a scanned copy of my notes on the core system!

the_dare · Post by **the_dare** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:24 pm

Core system ideas so far:(* = explained at bottom)
1st line = core name
2nd line = Core designer
3rd line = core unique ID*
4th line = blank
5 - unknown = Globals
ect.

the unique id (11 digits long) can be one of 2 thing either a number generated by a server. or

Take first six letters/Numbers and convert them into what they are on the tele phone.

eg 1=All nums, 2 = a,b,c, 3 = d,e,f,

then for the next 3 numbers of our 11 digit unique id
a=1
b=2
c=3
d=4
and so on.
numbers = them selves
add the first 4 numbers together!
if the number is only to digits a 5 is added.

final the version number goes in so:
1.2 =12

Overall Example
"QuantusCore" version 0.5
would make:
78268872505

complicated but it will work!

radruin · Post by **radruin** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:27 am

Question: What's the purpose of the unique number thingy /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":o" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />? Nothing in the core files is going to be secret, so it wouldn't be for security purposes...

As for complexity, the using-a-text-file-as-data-storage isn't that difficult; since there's no reason for anything to be out of order, all that's really going to happen is the reader is going to iterate over (go over, for the laymen here) each line, chop off the title, assign it to the value it should be, and go on to the next line.

Example:QUOTE (text file)VALUE_A: Romaine Lettuce; VALUE_B: 8; VALUE_C: Lint;[/quote]
Using the first line as an example, the VALUE_A part would (optionally) be checked against what value it's supposed to go to. Then VALUE_A: would be chopped off, leaving "Romaine Lettuce;".
The program iterates over the characters (letters and symbols and stuff, for the laymen) trying to find the end-of-data character (in our case, the semicolon /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> and store everything before the semicolon into wherever it goes. Then the semicolon and the space after it would be chopped off, and it would go on to VALUE_B: 8;

(it's not as complex as it sounds, really)

madpeople · Post by **madpeople** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:04 am

you may want to read about xml.

i know it is planned to use xml to store allegiance core data in the future

asheron2k · Post by **asheron2k** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:56 am

The purpose of uIDs is to give each thing a database/computer friendly name so that they can be easily referenced
ADDENDUM: dares method is just a way to ensure the unique part

the_dare · Post by **the_dare** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:33 am

asheron2k wrote:QUOTE (asheron2k @ Jan 10 2008, 02:56 AM) The purpose of uIDs is to give each thing a database/computer friendly name so that they can be easily referenced
ADDENDUM: dares method is just a way to ensure the unique part

yep that was my idea!
but yeah text file will do! but i think we should rename it something like .core AS THEN THEY ARE EASY TO FIND AND ALSO it will stop a newbie editing by accident.

EDIT:
I think there should be a maximum of 20 Factions per core for the time being. I doubt we will ever have that many but just in case. the reason is for faction uID's.