[1289] in Coldmud discussion meeting

root meeting help first first in chain previous in chain previous next next in chain last in chain last

Re: [COLD] minimal db

daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mon May 5 21:17:45 1997 )

From: "Jon A. Lambert" <jlsysinc@ix.netcom.com>
To: "COLD" <coldstuff@cold.org>
Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 21:09:28 -0400

> From: Brandon Gillespie <brandon@cold.org>
> Subject: Re: [COLD] minimal db
> >
> > Hmm, try 'copy /b source + source + source textdump'
> > 
> > Also, make sure you don't have an extra plus between source and textdump
> 
> Make absolutely _sure_ you copy the source files in the correct order. 
> There should be an INDEX file which gives the correct order. 

Yep that too :-)

> 
> However, this would not be the cause of your 'textdump ends in a method'
> error.  That is likely something to do with DOS.

DOS? surely you jest ;-)
I'm pretty certain you are right.  Coldcc was choking on '/r' when I did the 1st
patch.  Any use of a Dos/Win95 editor (most of them)  will tack the '/r' back 
with the '/n' characters.  
In hindsight, I could have done a better job here.  
The header defaults for gets() & puts() on most Win95 compilers assume  the 
'/r' character with '/n', while Unix assumes only '/n'.
The cold compiler uses getc() and does process '/n' but does not handle  '/r'.  
Other uses of text files use gets() and puts().  Since the text files share 
common open routines, I just opened all files as binary.  Unix doesn't care, 
but it makes life with Win95 external editors a tad difficult.    

So to conclude an already overlong explanation:

If you are using a Dos/Win95 editor make sure you grok
the '/r' characters before compiling your textdumps or cdc
files.   

> 
> BTW, are you sure Minimal DB is what you want?  Its MINIMAL, no VR, no
> login, _nothing_.  It just includes a skeleton system/perms/network set of
> code.
> 

Speaking only for myself.   It is a rather daunting task to comprehend it.
The server and language are well documented.  But the core which
is probably even more sophisticated, needs some sort of  'big picture'
documentation.  

I'd be willing to help out in this area.  I'm not sure how or where to start
since I am missing several years of experience behind it. :-)

JL