Gadget Database - online

Gadget Database - online

Resources to get you going on your new project, or to help you over some emergent problems during your development cycle.

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SeanHeron
Engines Of War Developer
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Joined: 09 Jun 2005, 23:39

Gadget Database - online

Post by SeanHeron »

Hi all Game devs!
Thanks to vbs's and Forb's efforts, the Gadget Database is now online at Springinfo. This is more of an invitation to contribute at the moment (rather than grab stuff of the DB), since as of now there's not yet much online. Happy for feedback, of course!

Uploading:
You'll need just two things - this file (unzipped on comp), and an account to log in with.
LuaGadgetAdmin075.zip
Required for uploading/managing Gadgets to the database
(46.18 KiB) Downloaded 81 times

For accounts, please approach me - I'll then ensure you're set up with one (if you want a specific password, you'll need to write me that - send just it's MD5 hash if it's to be one you use elsewhere). As a fall-back, you can also contact very_bad_soldier - he's doing the actual work.

To use, just fire up the executable (from within the folder with the config file), then enter Username and password, and click connect. For more info on using or uploading to the database, please view this wiki page. Some discussion preceding this post here.

To close, I'd like to express my thanks and gratitude to both Forb, who was supporting and encouraging on the matter, and very_bad_soldier, who was quick as a whip to answer my requests, and more than forthcoming in making this happen :D !

Edited to less Wall of Text, and linking to Springinfo !
Last edited by SeanHeron on 23 Feb 2010, 22:36, edited 4 times in total.
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Forboding Angel
Evolution RTS Developer
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Joined: 17 Nov 2005, 02:43

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by Forboding Angel »

I'll be adding some of the stuff in evo to it... certain portions are evo specific, but with a little editing (non-complex) could be adapted to anything.
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Forboding Angel
Evolution RTS Developer
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by Forboding Angel »

Added boxcollector + instructions on how to use it.
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zwzsg
Kernel Panic Co-Developer
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Joined: 16 Nov 2004, 13:08

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by zwzsg »

LuaAdmin.exe
WTF??

First time I see site requiring a custom exe to upload something.
SeanHeron
Engines Of War Developer
Posts: 614
Joined: 09 Jun 2005, 23:39

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by SeanHeron »

Take it or leave it - and of course you're free to implement a different webbased database management system - I wouldn't complain.

If you did give the manager a spin though, you'll see that it provides a heap of functionality, and that at speed (rather than the effing slowness that webinterfaces tend to have).
SirMaverick
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by SirMaverick »

SeanHeron wrote:Take it or leave it - and of course you're free to implement a different webbased database management system - I wouldn't complain.
Wasn't the plan to have just 1 gadget database?
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very_bad_soldier
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Joined: 20 Feb 2007, 01:10

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by very_bad_soldier »

SirMaverick wrote:
SeanHeron wrote:Take it or leave it - and of course you're free to implement a different webbased database management system - I wouldn't complain.
Wasn't the plan to have just 1 gadget database?
Since the backend is pure http you are free to implement a web-based admin-website offering the same functionality as the exe which will integrate seamlessly with the current system.
I am just too lazy (and I hate it) to mess around with html, css, javascript etc.
The LuaAdmin.exe is just one possible client, you can implement another with any technology you prefer.
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Forboding Angel
Evolution RTS Developer
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by Forboding Angel »

Google_Frog
Moderator
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by Google_Frog »

Is uploading easy yet?
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Forboding Angel
Evolution RTS Developer
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by Forboding Angel »

Google_Frog
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by Google_Frog »

Forboding Angel wrote:Dead simple:

http://springrts.com/phpbb/download/file.php?id=3941
Downloading an exe and requesting an account is the opposite of simple.
SeanHeron
Engines Of War Developer
Posts: 614
Joined: 09 Jun 2005, 23:39

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by SeanHeron »

I agree on the requesting an account bit - that is a bit of a hurdle. I'll organise you one Google - if you want a certain password, PM me or vbs with it (or with it's MD5 hash).
Google_Frog
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by Google_Frog »

The exe is massively confusing. I have logged in and can only see 2 widgets called 'box selector' and 'keyboard' a few categories. All things in the list do nothing when selected and most of the buttons are inactive. I see no place to add gadgets and I have no idea what add game is suppose to be for.
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very_bad_soldier
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by very_bad_soldier »

Well, you see me suprised.
This is not youtube nor it is twitter. This stuff is not meant to be noob-proof or anything. It is a back-office tool meant for game developers to share their gadgets (and widgets too ofc).
I think a user verification is needed because I dont want literally everyone to be able to directly edit the database. I could make a website for account requests where you would have to enter your credentials and an email does get sent to me automatically containing the request. But I dont really want to invest the work cause it is hard for me understand that someone who was able to install and play spring and is able to write lua gadgets (and even mods) finds it hard to drop me a PM saying "hey vbs, plz maek me an account for gadget-db", download one file and use a GUI like this.
Google_Frog wrote:The exe is massively confusing.
see above. :|
Google_Frog wrote: I have logged in and can only see 2 widgets called 'box selector' and 'keyboard' a few categories.
Well, if you view the database (e.g. http://gadgets.springrts.de/), you will see that these are actually the only two entries in the database atm.
Google_Frog wrote: All things in the list do nothing when selected and most of the buttons are inactive.
That is because you can only edit gadgets that you added to the database. You cannot edit other people's gadgets.
Google_Frog wrote: I see no place to add gadgets
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/9505/unbenannt1a.png
I hope you wont get picky now about the term "widget". This system is obviously (at least I thought that) a spin-off of the widget-db. The exe is the same as the widget-admin, it has just a different config-file. I didnt rename all the GUI-Captions from "widget" to "gadget". I was sure you could deal with that.
Google_Frog wrote: and I have no idea what add game is suppose to be for.
You have a point here. The reason is the same as for the previous point. The Game-Tab is totally useless for the gadget-db, sorry.
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CarRepairer
Cursed Zero-K Developer
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by CarRepairer »

Thanks for explaining, but I think you were a bit hard on GoogleFrog, those things in the gadget DB exe would have confused me as well (and I've actually used the widget DB exe, he hasn't).

I didn't say anything earlier out of respect to SeanHeron's vision, but I feel that a gadget database is much less necessary than the widget database.

The widget system you created is great. It allows Spring players to easily browse a nice application (SD) and see what widgets are available. They can add widgets to their Spring game with a touch of a button, no technical knowledge of Spring directory tree required. Finally, it keeps those widgets up to date and even saves their profile.

I don't feel that any of these benefits apply to gadgets. All a gadget database could be, in my mind, is a small webpage where gadget authors upload their gadget. Shows the list of gadgets and descriptions with download links. Heck, forget the links.. show the code of each gadget in a textarea. They can overwrite their old gadget. Mod devs don't need anything beyond this.
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very_bad_soldier
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Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by very_bad_soldier »

CarRepairer wrote:Thanks for explaining, but I think you were a bit hard on GoogleFrog, those things in the gadget DB exe would have confused me as well (and I've actually used the widget DB exe, he hasn't).
Well ok ok, sorry Google, I probably was a bit harsh.
I am certainly not begging for applause or anything, its just (I am sure you experienced it yourself in this community also), with time you get sometimes a bit grumpy when most of replies you get for stuff you have done feel basically like rantings. Again, my apologies.
CarRepairer wrote: I didn't say anything earlier out of respect to SeanHeron's vision, but I feel that a gadget database is much less necessary than the widget database.
Yeah I said something similar when Sean asked me about making a gadget-db. But since it was not much work to convert the widget-db to a gadget-db it was still a easy way to make a gadget-db.
CarRepairer wrote: The widget system you created is great. It allows Spring players to easily browse a nice application (SD) and see what widgets are available.
Thank you, thats great. Keep on posting ;)
SeanHeron
Engines Of War Developer
Posts: 614
Joined: 09 Jun 2005, 23:39

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by SeanHeron »

Ah, sorry guys (and especially vbs) - I wrote Google a relatively detailed explanation of what's what, and meant to reply here as well, but plain forgot :/.

So I guess what I meant to say (in reply mostly to Google) was that ya - I should have probably said that the manager refers to gadgets as widgets. Also, yeah - I guess it would have been helpful for me to state that all gadgets in the DB are visible, but only the ones you've added yourself are editable.

Beside's that though, I think a lot of the complexity is due to the great functionality on offer. For sure, there's a tradeoff (which you always have) of ease of use and power of tool.

Speaking of which: Car - I'd agree and disagree with you: Sure, making it easier to add stuff makes sense, but on the other hand, there's quite a few features I'd not want to lose. For example, quite a few "gadgets" are not simply one single text file, but actually multi-file modules - where the folder structure saving comes in real handy.
Okay, okay, there are non of those online yet - but this thing has not even been up a week yet - I think it's a bit early for doomsaying :P.

(Note to self - add more gadgets from Engines of War to database...)
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Forboding Angel
Evolution RTS Developer
Posts: 14673
Joined: 17 Nov 2005, 02:43

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by Forboding Angel »

CarRepairer wrote:Thanks for explaining, but I think you were a bit hard on GoogleFrog, those things in the gadget DB exe would have confused me as well (and I've actually used the widget DB exe, he hasn't).

I didn't say anything earlier out of respect to SeanHeron's vision, but I feel that a gadget database is much less necessary than the widget database.

The widget system you created is great. It allows Spring players to easily browse a nice application (SD) and see what widgets are available. They can add widgets to their Spring game with a touch of a button, no technical knowledge of Spring directory tree required. Finally, it keeps those widgets up to date and even saves their profile.

I don't feel that any of these benefits apply to gadgets. All a gadget database could be, in my mind, is a small webpage where gadget authors upload their gadget. Shows the list of gadgets and descriptions with download links. Heck, forget the links.. show the code of each gadget in a textarea. They can overwrite their old gadget. Mod devs don't need anything beyond this.
I disagree. Look at boxcollector. It's a simple gadget, but if I had never looked at lua before (like most of the game devs here) I wouldn't have the foggiest idea of how to use it and change it for a different game.

Look at the detailed instructions. Imo that gadget sets a good example to follow. Yes I spent a whole 10 minutes of my life explaining how to use it, big fricking deal. The gadget db is FAR superior than just having a bunch of links and a short description (or none at all) explaining usage.

CA devs have always whined that "there's a gadget in CA that does that!" but here's a little tip... Very few of us have the foggiest idea of how to implement and use them, and the only lua dev in CA who is capable of answering a straightforward question with a straightforward answer is/was quantum. Implementing LUPs is a PERFECT example.

So in my not-humble-at-all-opinion, your statement falls squarely on it's face.
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CarRepairer
Cursed Zero-K Developer
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Joined: 07 Nov 2007, 21:48

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by CarRepairer »

Forboding Angel wrote:So in my not-humble-at-all-opinion, your statement falls squarely on it's face.
It seems like you're being rude in order to bait me, but I'll respond anyway. I don't see anything in your post that actually gives a reason as to why my suggestion "falls on its face" compared to the current widget/gadget DB. In my suggestion said "description" and somehow you assumed I meant "short description."

However, SeanHeron did offer a valid point:
SeanHeron wrote:For example, quite a few "gadgets" are not simply one single text file, but actually multi-file modules - where the folder structure saving comes in real handy.
And also, vbs agreed with me and said it was simply very little work required to clone the widget db so there was no reason not to. If that wasn't the case however, I stand by my previous post that a very simple webpage could be drawn up to allow authors to upload gadgets and descriptions (and the detail of that description is up to the uploader!). I'd probably have even made it myself.
SeanHeron
Engines Of War Developer
Posts: 614
Joined: 09 Jun 2005, 23:39

Re: Gadget Database - online

Post by SeanHeron »

Durr - I'm too slow writing... This is what I had written before Car's last post:

Hey - no reason for us to get at each other! (even if I can understand your sentiment Forb, if you've been frustrated in the past - for going forwards a more benign attitude is more helpful I think).

I think one thing I (or we - if I may include you Forb), have not done so well in communicating is: A big benefit of the database could be to make it pretty easy for game developers to add functionality through gadgets - even if they don't have much of an idea of how to use/code Lua.
Sure, the fact is not going to change that people that want to make full potential of Lua functionality will need to learn (or get a coder on their team) - but non-coders have to start somewhere. I think the DB can offer that kind of launching stage, some stuff that is easily adapted to the game you're making (and/or well enough documented).

Edit (after Cars post): In reply to you Car - as stated further above, I'm certainly open to new/additional frontends (even if I may have been somewhat brash in saying so - in reply to Z's "What the fuck?"). I'd not see a hurry, but like I said - lowering the hurdle certainly doesn't hurt from my perspective.

To kinda repeat what's been said - my intention was to get something started (with lowish effort), rather than set up the best possible system immediately - there's certainly room for improvement.
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