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Higher level allegro game code (proposal)
Richard Phipps
Member #1,632
November 2001
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Sadly it doesn't seem like many people are commited enough to support something like this. :(

I wish I could help, but I'm completely overloaded with my shareware work.

nonnus29
Member #2,606
August 2002
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So aside from timer code has anyone even discussed what the supposed api would consist of? We just skipped that part and went straight to lamenting the lack of interest which is really a big time saver I suppose. Next time you could just post about no body having time/interest/motivation and save even more time ;) .

There is one big problem with the this 'mid level lib', well, two anyway. Number 1 of course is c vs c++ which hasn't been addressed.

Number two is; suppose you have some midlevel functionality defined; tilemaps and sprites. How big are they? How are animation sequences defined? Sure you can make a default tilemap 32x32 pixel tiles and sprites 64x64, but someone will surely want something different. So you add the functionality to make these things customizable, or maybe it's there from the start. Suddenly this 'midlevel' stuff is quiet detailed and not quiet as rad (rapid application dev) as you might have first supposed.

Surprisingly, no one even mentioned clanlib.

::)

Elias
Member #358
May 2000

Quote:

There is one big problem with the this 'mid level lib', well, two anyway. Number 1 of course is c vs c++ which hasn't been addressed.

There are 5 possibilities:

  • C only

  • C++ only

  • make both a C and C++ version (Can still use the same ideas between both - just where one uses STL, the other uses hand-crafted structures, and so on. Else whichever gets more interest will be done and the other eventually be given up.)

  • make it C with a C++ wrapper

  • make it C++ but export a C API

1 and 2 would decrease the number of people working on it, if there would be C as well as C++ people working on it. But all 5 sould work well enough, and can switch from some to others at a later time.

Quote:

Number two is; suppose you have some midlevel functionality defined; tilemaps and sprites. How big are they?

You specify it when you create a tilemap-layer or a sprite, I'd say. A fixed size certainly is bad. In the worst case, could use a #define or something - but I'd say arbitrary layers and tile sizes are a must.

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How are animation sequences defined?

I'm wondering about that as well. The simplest would be to just let the user specify the sequences in user code.

Quote:

Sure you can make a default tilemap 32x32 pixel tiles and sprites 64x64, but someone will surely want something different. So you add the functionality to make these things customizable, or maybe it's there from the start. Suddenly this 'midlevel' stuff is quiet detailed and not quiet as rad (rapid application dev) as you might have first supposed.

I think you should concentrate on having RAD for the end user. The engine itself can't be done with RAD, i'm quite sure it needs design and solving of complicated problems.

--
"Either help out or stop whining" - Evert

Torbjörn Josefsson
Member #1,048
September 2000
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Isn't there a pixelate wiki or something?

If so, why not just start adding individual contributions to it?

--
Specialization is for insects

Evert
Member #794
November 2000
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That's an interesting point. There have been several prior attempts to start a library or collection of code samples and routines. Maybe interests would be best served by making a list of these and noting what is missing?

Torbjörn Josefsson
Member #1,048
September 2000
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Making a heterogenous (everything is done for either C/C++, and compatible with eachother) collection of stuff seems like a too daunting task to me - it would require way too much coordination, bullying and secterism :)

Just let people add their stuff/tips, and let the users worry about making them work together :)

--
Specialization is for insects

Elias
Member #358
May 2000

Quote:

Isn't there a pixelate wiki or something?

Yeah. I linked to it above. MattyMatt actually started something on awiki: http://awiki.strangesoft.net/bin/view/Main/AllegroComputerCommunityMediumlevelExpansion

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Just let people add their stuff/tips, and let the users worry about making them work together

As a first step, yes. But the real idea of this would be to simply save users from the task to hunt for addons and make them work together.

--
"Either help out or stop whining" - Evert

Marcello
Member #1,860
January 2002
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Personally I think the concern about c/c++ irrelevent. Since in a project like this you really will only have one programmer and concerns of people helping are minimal, that person can choose whichever they prefer. (For example, were I to take on the project, I'd use c++, not caring what anyone else thinks.)

I consider c++ higher level than c, and almost a necessity for clean game design, so a c++ framework for allegro makes perfect sense. It is supposed to have clean interfaces and api. That's a personal opinion.

Marcello

Elias
Member #358
May 2000

Note how I said

Quote:

1 and 2 would decrease the number of people working on it, if there would be C as well as C++ people working on it.

:) So yes, C vs. C++ is a complete non-issue.

--
"Either help out or stop whining" - Evert

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