[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Documentation, Usability and Development

[Justin Moore <justin@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> >    I was rewriting the server API, not the server "shell" scripting
> > language.  Do kernel or libc developers have to worry about whether or not
> > the tcsh developers want whiz-bang features in some souped-up exec call?
> > Hell no.  The core developers write a generic, flexible, and powerful API
> > and the tcsh people use it.  I was writing the API and was told to hold
> > off while the other developers said they were going to integrate X, Y, and
> > Z, and I haven't heard anything about that integration so far.  No
> > patches.  Nothing.  And this is not uncommon.
>
> I didn't realize you were held off by the discussion.  I didn't like
> your API but it's a lot better than what we have.

   Other than the various typecasting issues, what didn't people like
about it?

   The other issue was that after several submissions of the split() patch
from me to no avail and one submission of another (identical) split()
function that got essentially lots of enthusiastic comments, I threw in
the towel for the time being.  I was starting school/research again, and
didn't have time to argue the finer points of why my solution fit the
problem.  I had code that did *exactly* what was necessary, but it got
completely bogged down in (IMHO) stupid memory management issues.  It's
hard when there's only one visible maintainer (and I do appreciate the
incredible effort that Raimar puts in), and they don't agree with you, and
you just *know* that you're right.

   Over break I may trot out the patches again.  Or I may re-write the
server from the ground up (which may include parts of the AI API).  Or
pick up glade and try to piece together the unifying GUI.  Or something.

-jdm

Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0129
Email:  justin@xxxxxxxxxxx