[Freeciv-Dev] Re: commandline syntax and semantics (was: Server/ruleset unification)

[Daniel Sjölie <deepone@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 2001-11-05 11:27:22, Reinier Post wrote:
> On Sun, Nov 04, 2001 at 05:11:59PM +0100, Daniel Sjölie wrote:
> 
> > > I prefer to have as few languages as possible.  Your HSQL (Homegrown SQL)
> > > won't be SQL so it's best not to make it seem like SQL.
> > 
> > Hmm...
> > Are you saying that this is all a bad idea or that we should use a
> > "real" database instead?
> 
> It would be great to interface to a database, but you don't want to do that
> while the game is running ...

Right...

> > I don't agree either way... :)
> 
> No, I just stated that in order to avoid confusion, it's better to avoid
> SQL syntax unless it is actuial SQL and talks to an actual database.

I don't agree with that... :)

> > I don't a real database can be used in a good way
> 
> It can.  Just look at how more powerful
> 
>   http://civserver.freeciv.org/
> 
> would be if all the game data were in a database.  You can do lots
> of interesting game analysis - given the disk space, of course.

Yes, of course... What I meant to say was that I didn't think that a
real database could be used in good way implementation wise... Once it's
there there certainly would be lots if nice uses...

> > and I don't really
> > see the problem with a new language heavily inspired by sql... We don't
> > need all of sql but I think being hevily inspired by the parts that solve
> > the problems interesting for us here is a good thing...
> 
> Yes, I agree.  I'd prefer a 'declarative', 'SQL-like' loop, such as
> 
>   for c in cities {
>     if (c.building eq "Musketeers") {
>       c.building = "Settlers"
>     }
>   }
> 
> over a loop with explicit order:
> 
>   i = 0
>   for c = cities[i] {
>     [etc.]
> 
> but I would avoid SQL syntax.
> 
> None of this is very relevant at the moment.
>    
> > I see no point in creating a language with no similarities with any
> > other language just to avoid confusion... I think most that know sql
> > would prefer a sql-like language to something totally new and it
> > shouldn't matter to those who don't know sql...
> 
> If you want to pick an existing language to use, I'd use a Perl subset.

Well, obviously we don't have the same "vision" for this language... :)
I don't want a scripting language here but a database management
language... A language to manage the database that all the techs,
players, buildings, units and so on in freeciv are...

Sure, scripting might be nice somewhere but I think it'd be preferable
to separate that problem from that of managing the data...

/Daniel

-- 
Now take a deep breath, smile and don't take life so seriously... :)