[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#12706) Events framework

["Per I. Mathisen" <per@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

<URL: http://bugs.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=12706 >

On Thu, 7 Apr 2005, Raimar Falke wrote:
> for what do we want to use it?
>  - event handling
>  - AI
>  - client side tutorials
>  - scripting in general (whatever this means)
>  - modpacks (whatever this means)

It is meant for events, and perhaps later some other ruleset related
tasks. Nothing else in the server. "Client side tutorials" should not
exist; tutorials should be scripted through server events. Scripts has no
place in the server AI, as far as I can see.

Why lua?
 1. It is very fast. Faster than python and nearly any other language for
    the tasks we want it for.
 2. It is tiny when linked in (approx 90kb).
 3. It is tiny in terms of source (approx 600kb). It can fit within cvs,
    so it will not be an additional dependency.
 4. The C bindings are simple.
 5. The lua source is highly readable, esp for non-programmers.
 6. It does not have funky indentation, which may cause problems with copy
    & paste (esp with web pages and web forums).
 7. We can put it into cvs so we have total control. No version
    incompatibilities with the user installed library. No need to bother
    the user with installing the library or its -dev packages.
 8. Lua in cvs makes for easier windows builds. Vasco covered this.

For the record, I'm against the idea of adding support for multiple
languages to Freeciv. I think this will splinter any mod community Freeciv
might develop. Ideas and code are more easily shared in one language
(remember mod makers are usually not programmers). Multiple langauges
increase the chance of good contributions getting lost because nobody can
maintain them. Since modpacks are not programming projects (the code is
but a tiny part of it), requiring a single (easily understood) language is
not a problem, and will not drive people away, nor will conversely the
availability of multiple languages attract people for this same reason.
Finally, tutorials need to be written, and I'd hate to have twenty
different, partial modpack tutorials each for a different language.

Perfectionism is the enemy of achievement. We need events, not a language
love-fest.

  - Per