[486] in Coldmud discussion meeting
[ColdMud FAQ] Version 0.0.2
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sun Oct 30 14:34:03 1994
)
From: image@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Jeff T.P.)
To: coldstuff@MIT.EDU
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 94 14:30:44 EST
Here's a minor (read: pathetic) update to the FAQ. I just don't have
the information to do much, I'm going to attempt to add some more basic
information into the FAQ for the next release (at the end of next
month).
COLDMUD FAQ VERSION 0.0.2
0. Table of Contents
* 1. Introduction
+ 1.1. Introduction to ColdMud
o 1.1.1. ColdMud Server Development
# 1.1.1.1. ColdMud's History
# 1.1.1.2. ColdMud's Present
# 1.1.1.3. ColdMud's Future
o 1.1.2. ColdMud Core Development
# 1.1.2.1. ColdMud Cores' Past
# 1.1.2.2. ColdMud Cores' Present
# 1.1.2.3. ColdMud Cores' Future
o 1.1.3. ColdMud Servers Online
# 1.1.3.1. Robert de Forest's FrozenApples ColdMud
+ 1.2. Where to get ColdMud Servers & Cores
o 1.2.1. ColdMud Servers*!*
o 1.2.2. ColdMud Cores
* 2. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
+ 2.1. What advantages are there to the yet unimplemented
"private methods?"
* 3. ColdMud FAQ Credits & Contact Addresses
+ 3.1. ColdMud FAQ Credits
+ 3.2. ColdMud FAQ Contacts
* 4. History
_________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
New/Changed Items are marked with "*!*".
1.1. INTRODUCTION TO COLDMUD
1.1.1. ColdMud Server Development
1.1.1.1. ColdMud's History [RdF]
Versions through 0.11.0 were written by Greg Hudson. Version 0.10 was
his last official release, and the last documented server. Patches
were once available to fix several bugs and add a function for testing
method tick usage. Version 0.11.0 had more internal than external
changes. The external changes were a change in the return of
traceback() to a list of lists instead of a list of strings (so
traceback formatting could be performed in-db), the removal of
error_str() and error_arg() (because they are included in
traceback()), and the removal of the functions dict_add_elem() and
dict_del_elem() because they are easily implemented in-db with
dict_add(), dict_del(), dict_contains(), setadd() and setremove().
Greg didn't quite finish 0.11.0, but Colin McCormack kindly finished
it for him. I applied the patches for version 10 to this source,
resulting in what has been passed around as 0.11.4. This version is
"stable" except that its binary-db storage seems to be broken and it
may hang at random on Linux boxes.
1.1.1.2. ColdMud's Present [RdF]
Jordan Baker took my copy of 0.11.4 and added suspend(), resume(),
tasks(), cancel(), and callers() to it, resulting in a VERY-BETA
0.12.0. He also changed the message_op function to make (x).foo()
syntactically equivalent to get_name(type(x)).foo(x) for all
non-obj/non-frob x. This means that [1,2].reverse() => [2,1] if
$list.reverse() does what its name implies.
1.1.1.3. ColdMud's Future [RdF]
Colin McCormack has been publicly secretive about what his plans are.
They seem to be re-writing the server from the ground up in C++, but
being textdump compatible with 0.11.0. He has also hinted at
multi-threading, and has shown interest in supporting distributed dbs.
Jordan Baker continues to do server hacking. He and others are trying
to find and squash the bug which is causing the server to hang on
linux machines. He also plans to add floating-point support. There has
been talk of adding more attributes to methods besides
"disallow_overrides", specifically "private" and "instance_only". The
first has been successfully added to 0.12.0, but was removed because
Jordan didn't trust the changes bug-wise. He also isn't yet convinced
that it is a Good Thing (tm).
Private methods are "invisible" to other calling objects. They have
the same accessiblity as object parameters. In the test
implementation, ".foo();" caused only the object defining the current
method to be searched for a method named 'foo. If found, foo() would
be executed, otherwise the server would throw a ~methodnf error. If
another object tried to access the method it would not be there, and
the method search would continue at the next parent.
I believe Jordan has plans of re-writting in C++ and/or adding
threading to the server some time after the next official release.
1.1.2. ColdMud Core Development
1.1.2.1. ColdMud Cores' Past [RdF] [JTP]*!*
Worlds 0.1 through 0.6 were available with various releases of the
server. World-0.6 will not run under 0.11.0 without changes, but the
changes are simple and obvious with the manual and the above info in
hand. None were very complete by most people's standards, as they do
not support a help system, mail, editors, aliases, pronoun
substitution, or a bunch of other features considered to be necessary
in any MUD core. They do however provide the platform from which all
cores that I know of developed.
The Cold Dark was perhaps the best known ColdMud core to hit the 'net
so far. It was a core based on World-0.6 with many features necessary
for normal VR Server operation. The Cold Dark server is no longer
publicly accessible.
AbsoluteZero was a core being developed by Jordan Baker and some
associates of his, until he lost net access. It has a help system of
sorts, pronoun substitution, and some other bells and whistles, but is
a very incomplete attempt due to being a work in progress interrupted
abruptly.
1.1.2.2. ColdMud Cores' Present [RdF] [JTP]*!*
FrozenApples is the core Robert de Forest has been working on since he
left tCD. It provides little functionality over world-0.6, but
includes a re-written I/O object system, and @d command, and many
general cleanup/util writing. It is anything but done.
TheColdDark is still being developed by Brandon Gillespie. It is, at
this time, not ready for distribution.
AbsoluteZero is available, but not in a distributable state.
1.1.2.3. ColdMud Cores' Future [RdF] [JTP]*!*
FrozenApples is on hold until I finish a project with Jordan. When we
are done with that, we will start a serious effort which should result
in a top-notch core within a month of starting. User-command level
functionality will not be significantly increased, but the structure
and design of the core will be as complete as they come, and will
include pronoun substitution, better IO handling, an events system,
and many other components sorely lacking in world-0.6.
Abs0 is being incorporated into FrozenApples.
tCD is not dead. No release date has been mentioned, but Brandon has
assured me that there will be a release sometime in the future.
RyouKold, a core being developed by Jeff T.P., has been on the
programmer's table for a few months now. It's programmed from the
ground up, borrowing ideas, but not code from World 0.6. RyouKold is
still in it's infancy, but with many bells and whistles (which is
slowing down the development, of course). Release date is expected to
be Spring of 1995.
1.1.3. ColdMud Servers Online
1.1.3.1. Robert de Forest's FrozenApples ColdMud [RdF]
"I am running a version of FrozenApples on 0.12.0 of the server that
has a HUGE security hole. There are also many disgusting, sloppy,
irritating, and otherwise stupid bugs in it. However, if you need a
site to go to to research cold, you may come to sequoia.picosof.com
/ 6666. I make no guarantee of any kind. Save your work locally if
you value it."
1.2. WHERE TO GET COLDMUD SERVERS & CORES
1.2.1. ColdMud Servers [RdF]*!*
ColdMud Server Version 0.10.x is available at:
ftp://ftp.ccs.neu.edu/pub/mud/drivers/coldmud
ColdMud Server Version 0.12 [WARNING: VERY BETA!] is available at:
ftp://ftp.crl.com/users/ro/riche/
1.2.2. ColdMud Cores [RdF]
World-0.6 is available at:
ftp://ftp.ccs.neu.edu/pub/mud/drivers/coldmud
FrozenApples is available at:
ftp://serial.io.com/incoming
_________________________________________________________________
2. Answers to Common Questions
2.1. WHAT ADVANTAGES ARE THERE TO THE YET UNIMPLIMENTED "PRIVATE METHODS?"
[RDF]
Private methods have two advantages. The first is that the lookup for
a private method call only searches one object, as opposed to
potentially all the ancestors of this(). The second advantage is that
it provides a programmer with a way to be sure that "sender() ==
this() && caller() == definer()" because obj:foo() is a syntax error.
This is a common perms check in any method which is shared by multiple
interface methods, for example. That is, the private flag on methods
provides a simple and efficient tool for enforcing an object's
interface.
_________________________________________________________________
3. ColdMud FAQ Credits & Contact Addresses
3.1. COLDMUD FAQ CREDITS
This FAQ was originally prepared as a rather Impromptu FAQ by Robert
de Forest. Jeff T.P. took over the FAQ after that first version.
3.2. COLDMUD FAQ CONTACTS
* [RdF] Robert de Forest
* [JTP] Jeff T.P.
_________________________________________________________________
4. History
* Version 0.0.0 - Written by [RdF]. September 15, 1994.
* Version 0.0.1 - Maintained by [JTP]. September 16, 1994.
* Version 0.0.2 - Minor Update & Spelling Corrections [JTP]. October
23, 1994.
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