Player File Updater v1.1 for PG96
=================================
Origonal Code v1.0 by Goliath (Matthew Bowyer), based on EW-too by
Burble (Simon Marsh). Version 1.1 for PG96 modified slightly by
traP (Mike Bourdaa) for use with the PG 96 talker release.
============================================================================
Foreward by traP (Mike Bourdaa)
In early 1996, Matthew Bowyer passed away as a result of a
fire. All of us in the Playground Development Team extend our
regrets to those who knew Matthew. He was much more than just
an excellent coder, or a great spod. To many, he was a close
friend, and we know he will be missed.
============================================================================
Player file updater
===================
Update version 1.0
==================
Introduction
------------
Update gives you the ability to safely add new saved data to your player
files and write the new files to a new directory. It has been written to be
as portable as possible, allowing you to mould this program to match the
data currently stored in your player files.
At the moment it simply takes a set of player files in and writes them out
to a directory specified by you saving new int's or strings as you require.
It will also give you some stats on the number of ressies you have on your
talker, su's, admin's and so on. Future releases will include more options
and possible tasks that can be performed. (See Future Releases below).
What does update need
=====================
At the moment all update requires is a set of player files, for example:
a - z, the system rooms used by your program and also the player rooms.
As long as update can find the associated directories it will be able to
perform an update :) So far this has been tested on Linux and Sun-OS and works
perfectly.
Steps needed to configure update to your talker
===============================================
1> Setting up updates .rc file
------------------------------
Update uses it's own .rc file which you use to tell update the location of
the files it needs. At the moment there are only 4 directories it needs to
know:
* The directory where your player rooms are. (data and keys files)
* The directory where your system rooms are. (summink.rooms for e.g)
* The directory where your current player files are. (files a - z)
* The directory where you want it to save the new player files out to.
If you look at update/bin/.updaterc you will see all you need to do is
fill in the labels <your path>.
Here is an example of what you might give it:
player_rooms_path: /home/user/mytalker/files/rooms/
system_rooms_path: /home/user/mytalker/files/
player_files_path: /home/user/mytalker/files/players/
new_player_files_path: /home/user/mytalker/new_pfiles/
You can add comments in your .updaterc file using #<your comment>
2> Specifying any new data you talker may already have
------------------------------------------------------
Some talkers have already used other methods within their talker code to add
new data to their player files. This method is fine as long as it doesn't spam
the player files, this is one of the reasons I put this program together.
If you have already added new data then you need to the following, since this
is based on the basic PG96 set up which YOU are using, if you are using
PG96. However, if you are using PG96 to modify an existing talker, then you
will need to modify this signifigantly. The other known version of this
program, version 1.0 (which you may or may not already have) should be
available at the same site from which you got this program, and it is based
on the assumption that your pfiles are summink-like, rather than PG-like
(after all, PG barely existed when this program was origonally written!)
You will need to edit the following files:
------------------------------------------
update.h
--------
In the struct p_struct_extras, you need to cut and paste any new elements
you have added to your talker. You can also put in any #defines which the
declarations of these elements may rely on. You only have to add those
elements which are saved in your pfiles.
example:
#define ADDRESS_LENGTH 100
struct p_struct_extras
{
char snail_address[ADDRESS_LENGTH];
int number_of_warnings;
/* okie lets add 2 new ints we want saved in the pfiles */
int new_saved_flags;
int spod_level;
}
Okay once update.h has been set up we now need to edit update.c
update.c
--------
Might as well initialise the 2 new int's we want to save to 0. This is done as
follows:
void initialise_data(player *p)
{
p->new_data.new_saved_flags = 0;
p->new_data.spod_level = 0;
}
Now we need to tell update to also load the extra saved data from our talker.
Let's assume snail_address and number_of_warnings are already saved in the
current player files. We need to get update to load in this new data after it
loads the usual data.
void extra_load_data(player * p, char *r)
{
r = get_string(p->new_data.snail_address, r);
r = get_int(&p->new_data.number_of_warnings, r);
}
Now we need to to tell update to save this data as well as the 2 new int's
created.
void extra_save_data(player * p)
{
stack = store_string(stack, p->new_data.snail_address);
stack = store_int(stack, p->new_data.number_of_warnings);
stack = store_int(stack, p->new_data.new_saved_flags);
stack = store_int(stack, p->new_data.spod_level);
}
This will now accomplish the task of adding 2 new integers to the saved player
files, and of course you can call them what you want in your code. All you
need to know is there are 2 extra int's and call them whatever you like :)
Next we need to edit init_your_rooms so that it loads your system rooms and
the room files associated with them. To do this for any system room we use the
following chunk of code
sprintf(stack, "%ssystem.rooms", rc_options->srooms_path);
stack = strchr(stack,0);
lf = load_file(oldstack);
init_room("system", lf);
stack = oldstack;
So in init_your rooms you put as many of these chunks as are neccessary,
depending on how many system room players you have in the player files.
All you need to change is the name of the room file in the sprintf
e.g. sprintf(stack, "%sNEWROOMS.rooms", rc_options->srooms_path);
and also the player file associated with these rooms
e.g. init_room("newrooms", lf);
4> Check the Makefile
---------------------
You are now almost ready to compile and run update. Next you need to check the
Makefile, if you are on a linux box then it should be working as is. Otherwise,
you may have to uncomment the commented lines, and comment out the corresponding
linux-unique lines.
Once you have done this type make install and it *should* compile
:)
=========================
!!!!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!!!!
=========================
*MAKE* sure you take down your talker while you carry out an update, if you
don't you could more than likely screw up some player files it saves :)
Also make sure you make a *BACKUP* copy of the player files *JUST* in case it
doesn't all go well or you do something that screws up the playerfiles.
=======================
Things to watch out for
=======================
This version of Update assumes your basic pfile structure is that of PG96,
with possibly new bits added on. If you have deviated from this then you might
need to edit the load and save routines in plists.c and also the player struct
in player.h.
Once you have completed an update and use the new pfiles remember to update
the extra_load_data function so that for the next update it will load the new
data you have just saved in the player files. But *ONLY* after the player files
actually contains the new data :)
Update contains no socket code, it runs as a normal C program and doesn't need
a port to run on like the talkers :)
=======
Credits
=======
Update is based on the code written by Simon Marsh for EWtoo and hacked to
death by Matthew Bowyer(Goliath).
The code is public and so feel free to pass it on to other talkers.
Have fun updating those player files *grin*
And remember to *ALWAYS* make backups of your player files !!!!
I have tested this extensively on Sun os and Unix, so if you don't back up
your playerfiles and something does go wrong, then *DON'T* expect me to take
any flak :)