[Freeciv-Dev] Re: RFC Metaserver overhaul

[Vasco Alexandre Da Silva Costa <vasc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 2 Nov 2002, Raimar Falke wrote:

> On Sat, Nov 02, 2002 at 04:24:52PM +0000, Vasco Alexandre Da Silva Costa 
> wrote:
> > I propose we format the information from the server to the metaserver
> > in XML. Here is a sample of the proposed format minus XML info:
> >
> > <metainfo version="1.0">
> >   <game name="Freeciv">
> ...
> >   </game>
> > </metainfo>
>
> I propose using the ini format (as implemented in
> common/registry). You can express the same. Advantage is that we have
> an existing parser (and also writer).

For the server this may be true. But for a PHP metaserver it is not.
Also, since we are bothering to use HTTP for the metaserver this time,
why not use web formats?
Besides, the server only needs to send XML, not parse it.

For the info requested by the client to the metaserver I was thinking of
using an easily parseable format:

---
1.0
1
Server:         civserver.freeciv.org
Port:           5555
Version:        1.14.0
Status:         Running
Comment:        Come on, join now or never!
Players:        10
---

But I guess we could use the ini format here:

---
[metainfo]
version="1.0"
servers=1

[server0]
name="civserver.freeciv.org"
port=5555
version="1.14.0"
status="Running"
comment="Come on, join now or never!"
players="10"
---

Or we use XML again and require libxml as a dependency.

---
Vasco Alexandre da Silva Costa @ Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa