file/mod comparing

[Lemmy]

it seems like a good program, but it's not what i had in mind with my program.
Right now my program compares two component.txt files and lists all of the components that exist in the first file but not in the second file, at least not with the same values for mineral costs, tonnage space etc.
So it doesn't just compare the txt files, but the components itself.

This actually works now, but it only compares the "component part" of a component, so two AP beams which are exactly the same except for the damage, will still be seen equal, for now. There are still many features which i would like to add to it, but that will take time of course.

[Lemmy]

i'll see if can post a beta Version of the program tonight, it pretty much works as i intended to, i only have to expand it so it also compares the weapons completely. That will be finished next week i think.

[This message has been edited by LemmyM (edited 25 May 2001).]

[Lemmy]

posted right here
http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/For...ML/000019.html

if you have any questions just post here, i check this place as often as my e-mail

[Dubious]

LemmyM: Just some quick feedback on your comparison tool.

1) It didn't take me long to figure out that I needed to select an item in the differences list to get the display of that item's parameters under the two files' columns. However some guidance, such as a "tool tip" (a pop up textbox when the cursor is over a specific spot such as the column title or button), would have been helpful.

2) Once I had selected two files for comparison, I tried out the comparison buttons ("2 to 1" and "1 to 2"). Both showed me the same number of differences and in the same order, just under different columns. Why are two "differences" columns needed? I feel the screen "real estate" would be better utilized if one column were dropped and the file columns expanded. Otherwise, your intent is not obvious enough and needs some clarification of what we should be looking for. Changing the two comparison "buttons" to a "radio control" might also be more effective.

3) I suspect you intend to put highlighting of the file differences in the Version where you intend to implement comparison of the parameters' value. I would also like to suggest a synchronization of the scrolling of the two files. When we scroll, we are definitely interested in seeing the same parameters remain side-by-side in both files. Since it is going to be the case in some (most?) files that the number of lines/parameters are not the same, it would also be necessary to provide a mechanism to "resync" the comparison lines for scrolling. My preference would be inserting blank lines in the display of the file without the corresponding lines. This makes the additional lines much more obvious. It is also necessary to distinguish between "blank" lines which exist in the file (ie. display them "white" or the same color as the background of parameter lines) and those which are a display "artifact" of your program (ie. display them "gray" or the same background color as the tool). Blanks lines are critical. In some instances they are required, in others they prevent the file from being interpreted correctly.

4) The addition of a "save setting" or similar option to remember the Last files compared would be most helpful. This could be "automatic". A "Most Recently Used" (MRU) list to include pathing would be a nice touch. Along the same lines, I suggest that the default game data file ("Space Empires IV\Data\components.txt") and the equivalent from the current "modpath.txt" file make reasonable "default" files for comparison. A directory search from the root of the drive where your tool was launched would be a reasonable starting point, though I would also guess most people will have your tool in either a sub directory at the same level as the game directory or in one or two levels under it.

BTW: If you will give me some idea of what files you intend to develop a comparison tool for next, I will try to get them into the next Version of the "Modders Guide". At the moment I am simply picking files at random based upon my impression of what people are most interested in modifying. My (soft) target is weekly updates until all the files are covered.

[Lemmy]

1. i've been thinking about doing that, but i still have to figure out how, if it's possible it won't be that hard to implement.

2.if you use "1 to 2" and file 2 has components that file 1 doesn't have, those components won't be showed because 1 doesn't know they exists, that's why there are two lists. In your case both of the files had the same components but with different values. But you're right, i could use just one column. Think i'll change that and use the radio control.

3. Definitely need synchronized scrolling, forgot about that.
Highlighting will be included, but that will take some time i think. The same goes for putting blank lines in.

4. That's a good idea, "Space Empires IV\Data\components.txt" is the default setting on most computers, but i have the game installed under a "games" dir, also so for testing purposes it's better for me to keep it blank. I've still got to add a menubar, so load/save options will be included, same goes for making different comparisons (3).

I think i'll still be busy with this for at least 2 weeks. I'm also thinking about adding a popup if you click on a techarea in the comparisons box, the tech will be shown.

about my next file, it'll probably be the techarea file, like i said, that'll take a few weeks.

Thanks for your input.

/edit in 2 + typo's

[This message has been edited by LemmyM (edited 28 May 2001).]

[This message has been edited by LemmyM (edited 28 May 2001).]

[Dubious]

LM:

Re 1). This will depend upon what you are programming in, but in Visual Basic6 (and I believe the other tools which are part of the 'Visual Studio' line from MS; they share tons of code as DLLs and VXDs) the 'ToolTip' is a property of the various controls. Just set the value to your description.

Re 3). Highlighting should just be a matter of changing the background/foreground colors. If I were doing this I would simply read the files being compared into separate 'display' arrays and as discrepancies are detected for each 'row' in either file as it is read deal with the display issues (blank lines, highlighting, line numbering, etc.) in the appropriate array. But every programmer has their own style.

Re 4). It would not be unreasonable to ask the user to point to the installed game directory, but I would simply do a directory 'hunt' for the SE4.EXE file first and ask only if more than one was found. Or (less desirable in my view but not unreasonable either), require they install your tool in a specific subdirectory directly under the game directory so you can use relative pathing (ie '..' for the parent directory, '.' for the current directory) so you use '..\AI\<filename>' or '..\Pictures\Races\<RaceName>\<filename>'.

I'm just thrilled someone is willing to pursue this. (I have ZERO time to program outside of work these days.) Glad you find my comments useful.

[Lemmy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dubious:
LM:

Re 1). This will depend upon what you are programming in, but in Visual Basic6 (and I believe the other tools which are part of the 'Visual Studio' line from MS; they share tons of code as DLLs and VXDs) the 'ToolTip' is a property of the various controls. Just set the value to your description.

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I'm writing it in java and Last night i took a quick look in the java documentation and couldn't find anything about tooltips. It is possible to make my own tooltip, but that will take some extra work.

quote:

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Re 3). Highlighting should just be a matter of changing the background/foreground colors. If I were doing this I would simply read the files being compared into separate 'display' arrays and as discrepancies are detected for each 'row' in either file as it is read deal with the display issues (blank lines, highlighting, line numbering, etc.) in the appropriate array. But every programmer has their own style.

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To display the component as text in the textarea i use one long string which is then put in the textarea, and one textarea has only one font, i think that also includes color. So there are two problems with highlighting
1. how do i find what i should highlight ?
this could be accomplished with several changes in my code

2. how do i show it ?
thi depends on java, if java supports different colors in one textarea or something similar, it's no problem. Now that i think of it, it is possible, but it will take a while to implement it.

quote:

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Re 4). It would not be unreasonable to ask the user to point to the installed game directory, but I would simply do a directory 'hunt' for the SE4.EXE file first and ask only if more than one was found. Or (less desirable in my view but not unreasonable either), require they install your tool in a specific subdirectory directly under the game directory so you can use relative pathing (ie '..' for the parent directory, '.' for the current directory) so you use '..\AI\<filename>' or '..\Pictures\Races\<RaceName>\<filename>'.

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of all the options you mentioned, i think the first one (ask the user) is the best. Doing a 'hunt' for the .exe files may not be possible in java. And i agree that installing the program in a specific dir is undesirable.

quote:

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I'm just thrilled someone is willing to pursue this. (I have ZERO time to program outside of work these days.) Glad you find my comments useful.

---

i'm thrilled also

[Lemmy]

just a little update...

layout :
i have added the radio controls so right now there is one column in which the differences are shown.

menubar :
i've added a menubar, with the following menu's, view and compare, in voew you can only check "view differences only", and in compare you can choose to compare all cmoponents, only weapons, or only non-weapons.

yet to come :
i still have to save the Last used settings, so that if you restart you don't have to set everything again.


things i'm thinking about adding :

save the differences :
the posibility to save the difference in a txt file.

value specific comparing :
not just weapons or non-weapons, but maybe also just the mineral cost, or the reload rate of a weapon. it will take some work to add this, so unless it's really needed, i probably won't do it.


things i won't add :

tooltips...long technical story
highlighting, another technical story.

let me if you have any other options that should be added.



------------------
Q: When he went, had you gone and had she, if she wanted to and were able, for the time being excluding all the restraints on her not to go, gone also, would he have brought you, meaning you and she, with him to the station?

A: Objection. That question should be taken out and shot.

[Lemmy]

done!

it's posted here

i didn't add any if the "things i'm thinking about adding" stuff, not enough time for it anymore

the features are:
saves most recently used settings
choose what you want to compare :
everything
nonweapons
weapons
choose what you want to see:
differences only
everything
select up to two(!) files to be compared.

and let me know whar you think of it


[This message has been edited by LemmyM (edited 15 June 2001).]

[Dubious]

Unfortunately it hangs consistently at "Tractor Beam II" while loading the default "components.txt" from either v1.35 or v1.30. My modified file from the TDM modpack in the "modpath" directory loads fine. 256MB of RAM so I doubt it's a free memory issue. I didn't find any extraneous blank lines around that component. Any suggestions?

It saved the settings, and reloaded them correctly except for the file which hung. That entry came up with the default directory where I installed your program.

The screen layout works fine for me, and the options look sufficient. Looking forward to getting it to load.