Spring RTS Engine

I've got some programs coming down the pipe for Spring, mostly single-player frontends and, while Linux usually comes with Python pre-loaded, I noticed few windows people know what Python is. For you guys, please look into it.

Why am I going with Python? Because it's an open-source oriented, easy-to-read language. A random skirmish generator took me 2 hours to make; It's that easy. I don't expect more than a couple days to get a whole single-player menu system up.

Please answer the poll! I'd love to know. Thanks!

i think, people on windows go

"oh shit more things to install, i just want 1 installer that works" and just dont do..........

you cant (iirc) do that though because of the python licence.

Isn't TASclient python?

No, but including the Python runtime is not a big deal since its pretty small. You could also use IronPython to make it run in the .NET runtime, though admittedly the distribution base of that's isn't 100% either.

Relative wrote:Isn't TASclient python?

No, delphi.

I know about Python. Make a few very basic programs in it for fun and practise

Language wars!!!!!

C++ all the way!!! everything else is toy-languages

smoth wrote:I am a student of programing though, so I am not sure you want to strike me out as an outlier.

And me.


p.s. Python ftw, great language

Doesn't python in bigger apps have horrific CPU usage?
Isn't the pile-of-shite EVE Online client written in python?

It would be nice if Spring didn't require to install and learn 1337 different languages compilers, libraries, and others. Each new... eh Python is already listed in the http://spring.clan-sy.com/wiki/Engine_D ... the_Source !

But it's not clear what you're using Python for. If it's just for extra program that we don't really need to compile and run Spring, no reason to not use whatever you want.

But if each new dev adds support for and makes Spring requires his own favourite language, soon only one or two core dev will be able to compile Spring, and no newcomer will ever figure out his way past the dependancy maze. At least that's my worry, maybe it's unfounded and all big project are made combining several languages and it's how it goes and all is well.

Python is needed because scons, the Linux/MinGW buildsystem we use is in python. I don't think you need it when compiling with MSVC.

zwzsg wrote:...
But if each new dev adds support for and makes Spring requires his own favourite language, soon only one or two core dev will be able to compile Spring, and no newcomer will ever figure out his way past the dependancy maze. At least that's my worry, maybe it's unfounded and all big project are made combining several languages and it's how it goes and all is well.
..

Even if I agree with you that is a good thing to have few dependencies, this should be merely an effect and not a cause.

As a developer you use the best tool that you have, or know how to use. It is true that the core developers should be familiar with all tool used.... otherwise they will not be core develoers .

So the focus should be : what can you do in Python much better than in other languages and with what costs ?

This discussion is moot. Python can build standalone windows executables that require no python install.

http://www.py2exe.org/

Python has a readable syntax and loose typing. The latter is also its biggest drawback.

Oh and list comprehensions. Those are always nice. I wish it had the pattern matching of Haskell but that probably won't work without strict typing.

So when I get this finished, is there anyone here who Would like to use their windows machine to compile it for windows users via Py2exe?

Slamoid wrote:So when I get this finished, is there anyone here who Would like to use their windows machine to compile it for windows users via Py2exe?

sure thing.

I think that this might be a nonissue. Linux lacks these tools, you have an open market.

Windows already has the upcoming aflobby, tasclient, altaclient, spring client, and spring singleplayer, settings.exe, xmlsettings.exe, and a key changing program.

You may find that these python programs are simply too much hassle in comaprison to the already overcrowding competition. If python distribution wasnt an issue then you'd have Unity lobby threatening to steal away your userbase.

My opinion as a programmer: I know most of the languages that various parts of the Spring code are cobbled together with (minus Delphi). I can handle whatever is thrown at me.

My opinion as a player: I don't *care* about what's going on behind the scenes. I want it to work.

My opinion as a mod-maker: I do not want to have to learn another language and program set and IDE on top of UpSpring, 3DO Builder, Scripter, LUA, and whatnot. The game should facilitate the modmaking process, not hinder it.

Michilus_nimbus wrote:

Slamoid wrote:So when I get this finished, is there anyone here who Would like to use their windows machine to compile it for windows users via Py2exe?

sure thing.

Ditto.