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Geek Culture / Programmer's Toolbox for DB Pro?

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MicroMan
21
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Joined: 19th Aug 2003
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 04:32
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I've made a small tool in VB 6 called KeyMate, and it's pushed me over the edge from ambition to insanity, in that I imagine that it would be useful to construct a set of tools for Dark Basic Programming.

I've got the following planned:

* KeyMATE, for creating keyboard input algorithms, as well as showing data about Ascii, Scancodes and such. Finished.
* ChartMATE, for creating flowcharts based on the JSP-type of charts, and thus enabling the programmer to have an overview of his project. This one I'm working on now.
* ScriptMATE, planned to enable the programmer to visually create game scripts, as well as incorporating a robust script engine in the projects.
* StateMATE, planned to enable the programmer to visually create game AI, as well as incorporating a basic AI engine in the projects.

All this to be delivered in one package, sort of like the power tools for Dark Basic Pro, but they won't of course be IDE-internal.

What I'm wondering is simply this:
Would this be useful to the community?
Would anyone want to buy such a package?
Are there any other tools that would be required in such a package?

Cheers,
MicroMan

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They SAID that given enough time a million monkeys with typewriters could recreate the collected works of William Shakespeare... Internet sure proved them wrong.
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Rwilson
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Joined: 19th May 2003
Location: United States
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 07:52
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Are you joking? I'd PAY you for some of those tools! Just as long as it works well, mind you! I'd help, but sadly I do not know VB6 in a any form or way. I wish you good luck on you project!

Usermlsra - Causing Havoc with a Smile
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Dave J
Retired Moderator
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Location: Secret Military Pub, Down Under
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 09:53
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I'd like to hear more about them, like, what possibilities they'd have, etc. Your description is kind of vague at the moment.


"Computers are useless they can only give you answers."
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Richard Davey
Retired Moderator
22
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Joined: 30th Apr 2002
Location: On the Jupiter Probe
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 11:51
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KeyMATE - There is no way I'd pay for this. Keyboard input is extremely easy, as is finding out scancode/ascii information.

ChartMATE - JSP flowcharts are of little (if any?) practical use in the DB environment. Personally I use Microsoft Project or Visio Pro depending on the nature of the task.

ScriptMATE - Now this sounds interesting, although what do you class as a "game script" ?

StateMATE - Again, this sounds interesting but I'd love to see how a generic AI tool would globally apply to anyones project.

Also - please don't post these things to the CodeBase again (you'll noticed I removed them all). The CodeBase is for DarkBASIC source code, nothing else.

Cheers,

Rich

The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel.
Your brain's just like any other appliance: it works better if you plug it in...
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MicroMan
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Joined: 19th Aug 2003
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 13:52
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Quote: "
KeyMATE - There is no way I'd pay for this. Keyboard input is extremely easy, as is finding out scancode/ascii information.
"


Well, it would be a part of the overall package.

Quote: "
ChartMATE - JSP flowcharts are of little (if any?) practical use in the DB environment. Personally I use Microsoft Project or Visio Pro depending on the nature of the task.
"


I disagree, because I think they are easier to implement and to read than the "standard" flowcharts in that they are so strict, separated only into operations, sequence, iteration and selection -- which is basically what you have in the top-down flowcharts except that the top-downs has much more symbology.

Topdowns also get messy very quickly while JSP is easier to adapt and expand on. The strictness also helps in application implementation, of course, since you need to code so much less. However, it is probably a matter of taste. I just like the simplicity of it.

However, I'm still thinking out the functionality of it. It's still only on paper, and I won't start the actual coding for quite a while yet.

The other two I haven't even started to outline yet, so I'll leave any detailed description of them until I get around to them. One thing at a time, I'd say.

Quote: "
Also - please don't post these things to the CodeBase again (you'll noticed I removed them all). The CodeBase is for DarkBASIC source code, nothing else.
"


Yes, I did notice. I was under the false impression that it was for anything relating to dark basic. But you removed my game as well, and that's a pure dark basic project. I never got so far as to post my dark basic code for the game, just the description of it.

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MicroMan
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Joined: 19th Aug 2003
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 14:03
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Quote: "
Are you joking? I'd PAY you for some of those tools! Just as long as it works well, mind you! I'd help, but sadly I do not know VB6 in a any form or way. I wish you good luck on you project!
"


Thanks

At this time, I'm just trying to get a feel for whether I should commit perhaps a year to this, and develop the application. If I had a sense that there was a need for them, I can do them. But if everyone would say 'Shush! No way', I don't know if I could summon enough stamina for the long haul. Or something.

I'm buyng Delphi, so I'll probably make it in that, btw. It looks just as easy as VB anyway, and appears to lack the MS-bloat.

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They SAID that given enough time a million monkeys with typewriters could recreate the collected works of William Shakespeare... Internet sure proved them wrong.
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Van B
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Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 14:38
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If you wanna go all out, here's a few ideas for features:

* Scientific Calculator
* Mini-spreadsheet (with ascii output, for quick easy file creation and calculations)
* Project Syncroniser (for organising team projects, like making sure everyone has the latest version etc)
* Unused file checker (Like it would check the models and source codes for file loading instances and highlight any files that aren't used, [converting models often means unwanted copies of the texture]).
* .X model texture swapper (Select an .X file, then change the texture it loads (Animation data is fairly sensitive, so a direct non-convert texture swapper is real handy [I could give you my VB6 source code for this])
* Quick and easy GUI creator (just imaged command buttons and a simple menu system would help speed up tool creation)


Van-B

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Richard Davey
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Location: On the Jupiter Probe
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 18:46
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Quote: "I never got so far as to post my dark basic code for the game, just the description of it."


Which isn't what the codebase is for It's for completed code only. No-one has any use for nothing but a description.

Cheers,

Rich

The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel.
Your brain's just like any other appliance: it works better if you plug it in...
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David T
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Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: England
Posted: 15th Oct 2003 20:23
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Quote: "ChartMATE, for creating flowcharts based on the JSP-type of charts, and thus enabling the programmer to have an overview of his project. This one I'm working on now"


Click the "web" button below my sig and have a look at iChart - been working on that for around 6 months now.

Fishie says:
"Those who fail to prepare prepare to fail"
"Rule are for the guidance of the wise and the blind obdeniency of the fools"
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