[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#2370) Path finding

[Mike Kaufman <kaufman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, Feb 23, 2003 at 05:01:48PM +0100, Raimar Falke wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 23, 2003 at 08:25:16AM -0500, Ross Wetmore wrote:
> > I suspect that there is a bit more explaining to do about EC.
> > 
> > Some user scenario type explanations would probably help the
> > unwashed understand the mysteries of EC and why any unsigned
> > number is magically an EC or what this actually does to PF.
> > 
> > Frankly, it appears totally useless and should be removed, at
> > least from any basic pf operation. It can be added back in a
> > specialized callback that understands and has some use for it.
> > But wasting scarce warmap cycles creating, manipulating and
> > storing/copying EC values around that have no function in the
> > general case is not particularly wise.
> 
> find_a_direction has to be emulated. EC is the solution. EC will also
> help on other tasks to prefer a certain path. Examples are path with
> the minimal number of steps or the path with the most tiles uncovered.

yes, yes, Ross---being more wordy that I can bring myself to be---says it
perfectly. So ok, Raimar you tell me 'what' it's for (even should it's
something as opaque as "find_a_direction has to be emulated"), but you don't 
say how it does so, and this needs to go in path_finding.h

-mike