My idea on how to make script installation easier

[Zidane4056]

When you have a huge zip file of a script which requires you to replace many files in RunUO, simply make it install the files to their correct folders. Then all the person installing the script has to do is extract to C:\runuo\RunUO-Version and they're set!

What I mean by this if you don't get it is that, lets say you have a script which requires you to replace the original BaseBashing.cs. So you make the BaseBashing file extract to homedir\scripts\items\weapons\maces. For upgrading RunUO versions all they would have to do is keep the zip file and extract it again on their new RunUO version, or if they feel like moving it to a Modified folder they can do that too

Just my two cents on how to make life easier for us all

[jrocks]

I thought most people did that anyway...

[Zidane4056]

What I've seen a lot of is it installing it to these folders:

runuo\scripts\TheScript\Items\TheScript\silly.cs
runuo\scripts\TheScript\Misc\TheScript\shappy.cs

Maybe I just havent downloaded the right scripts

[Dracarys]

I'm currently working on an C# installation system for RunUO scripts which hopefully automates the process of integrating code snippets in existing distro files.

[Zidane4056]

Nice!
If you can get that to work, I'll be the first to download it.

[sicron]

the problem i see with something like this is if you get a bad or otherwise malfunctioning script it will be much harder to track down and remove the conflicting scripts..or what if people dont include a full list of all .cs files that are being changed..if you later decide to remove it you wont know where to begin..just seems much easier to put new scripts in a custom folder and then back up and remove any conflicting scripts from the distro...yeah its a little more work but it would just be much neater and easier..especially for a lot of people running shards that dont have a lot of scripting experience (mysel included)

[Phantom]

Whats so freaking hard about, copy and paste?

[Dracarys]

I'm talking about bigger scripts not some small ones that require only a few lines c&p It should also be possible to create new versions for serialize/deserialize automatically.

@sicron: Currently the system is working and keeps track of any changed lines within all changed files. It's also able to undo those changes and even restore replaced lines (version tracking)

[Phantom]

Guys you make it sound like editing scripts is hard.

Its really easy and:

it should also be possible to create new versions for serialize/deserialize automatically.

Is well, pointless. Takes 30 seconds to change version value, and do a case for the new version.

[Dracarys]

Well, you're right basically.

Seems I won't finish it. :-)

[Phantom]

I will be honest.

Some things are meant to be done by hand. Programming is one of those things. If you wanted to write a program to mege two files, fine that is helpful. But for a program to add code to seralizer, its just not right.

But don't like my views stop you. If you want to make a program like this, go ahead. Just make sure its not going to cause more work for people like myself.

[Dracarys]

I know. I have worked as a programmer myself. I just thought about making script installations easier where you would have to edit a lot of distro files. This would also eliminate the need of keeping track of changed distro files.

It wasn't only supposed to add code to serialize/deserialize but also to add needed references ("using...") and the actual code.

Not that i would have used it myself.

It's in the binary nirvana now anyway :-)

[Phantom]

Well programs like that, don't teach people, and sometimes they will have to do it by hand, and they won't know how.

I think what he means is like files that install, for example phpbb, you click :
www.yourdomain.com/forum/install/installthis.php , it then installs all the neccary things onto the SQL database(Edits the dirs in the sql database)

And phantom is right, doing this would not teach people and causing more problems and MORE questions and it possibly might make it longer to script somthing...

[KillerBeeZ]

Originally Posted by Dracarys

I know. I have worked as a programmer myself. I just thought about making script installations easier where you would have to edit a lot of distro files. This would also eliminate the need of keeping track of changed distro files.

It wasn't only supposed to add code to serialize/deserialize but also to add needed references ("using...") and the actual code.

Not that i would have used it myself.

It's in the binary nirvana now anyway :-)

If your going to do this, you might look at BoardMod for the YaBB message boards at www.boardmod.org

This does exactly what your talking about only with the message boards.

About a zip that extracts to folders overwriting default files... this is bad, if someone has an edited default file, and they extract like this, it will overwrite their edited file causing errors. This will mainly happen to beginners so there will be more posts like "I installed this script just like the instructions said and now my shard is broken"

[Dalius]

Moving to the Suggestions forum.

[Phantom]

I am not sure, why you did though Dalius, he siad he isn't going to do it

[KillerBeeZ]

Originally Posted by Phantom

I am not sure, why you did though Dalius, he siad he isn't going to do it

I'm thinking his reasoning is that even if he is not going to create it, that this thread IS more a suggection/idea then support.

The thread content itself is what the topic is all about, not the outcome... so you have 3 choices...

1) leave the thread alone and have a thread buried in the wrong forum
2) delete the thread and lose anything that may have been helpful in said thread
3) or move the thread to the forum it belongs in case someone else wishes to take this project up or learn from the posts.

But then I'm not a mind reader

[David]

Originally Posted by KillerBeeZ

But then I'm not a mind reader

Hey! You read my mind!

Anyway, back to the first topic... I strongly suggest to everyone that they not intermix custom scripts with the distro scripts. Instead create a "Custom" folder in the Scripts folder and put everything there. It makes debugging easier and shaves hours off a Beta upgrade.

My two cents too. If you make the zip file with each file in a folder that corrisponds with the prosepctive folders in teh run uo directory won't it try to unzip them into the folders? The more maticulous that the creator is the better the zip will function when it is unzipped. Only problem is that not everyone names teh custom folder the same. So my idea is for the next release of run uo they should alread install a custom folder that is empty to create a uniform system. Once i can get the submit a script thing to work i will post some of my scripts in the manor i have discribed. Got any input or ideas just let me know more than glad to discuss this idea further.
DragonDan

[David]

...of course this pre-structured zip file with recursive path information may actually require more thought from the scripter than many are willing to put into their script in the first place.

[KillerBeeZ]

Originally Posted by David

...of course this pre-structured zip file with recursive path information may actually require more thought from the scripter than many are willing to put into their script in the first place.

these are the scripts I will never use.

If the scripter doesn't want to put much thought into the script, I dont want it, and I don't just mean the format they use.