First thanks for reading this file, it helps when people first read
before I get contacted for help. With this program, there are a few
things you will need to add to the files, and check for before you
will be able to use it. Below are sections over the program and changes
you need to make to the file. Last, please read over the GPL license if
you have not read it before.
------------->Version 1.0 HOWTO<---------------------
------------------
INSTALL
------------------
First unzip the file using unzip -a insertskill.zip in a directory
of your choice. Once you have done that, type this.
./install or csh -f ./install
This will compile the program insertskill. All the script does is
send a gcc command to the computer, so make sure gcc will work. A
binary file will not be provided on the page, nor will I compile
it for you.
-------------------
SECURITY
-------------------
The program will create a backup of the header and table file.
It is possible to change this by changing a few things in the
central.h file.
-------------------
NEEDED ADDITIONS
-------------------
In order for the program to work, a few things needed to be
added to the header and table files. In SMAUG (which this
program was mainly written for), there are three entries
for the do_skill. They are
if ( !str_cmp( name, "do_yell" )) return do_yell;
if ( skill == do_yell ) return "do_yell";
DECLARE_DO_FUN( do_yell );
The first two are in the tables file (typically tables.c). And
the last one is in the header file (you might need to change the
header file name in the code, more over this later). In order
for the code to know what to search through, you need to put comments
like this in the code.
/*//T1*/
The first set in the tables file starts with /*//T1*/ and ends with /*//T2*/
The second set in the tables file starts with /*//T3*/ and ends with /*//T4*/
The DECLARE_DO_FUN set in header file starts with /*//T5*/ and ends with /*//T6*/
See the next section on EXACTLY WHERE to place these comments.
--------------------
PLACEMENT RULES OF ADDITIONS
--------------------
The comments have to be placed correctly for the code to work. Below explains
how to place them, or you can look at the tables.c and mud.h file to see how
I placed them.
The first set in the tables file, you need to add the comment like this
{
/*//T1*/
case 'a'
if ( skill == "do_aassign" ) return do_aassign;
Then place the final comment like this
if ( skill == "do_zones" ) return do_zones;
break;
/*//T2*/
}
In the next set in the tables file, you need to add the comment as such
if ( skill == NULL ) return "reserved";
/*//T3*/
if ( skill == do_aassign ) return "do_aassign";
***IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to place any thing that does not have a do_ in it before
the comment, otherwise the code will remove it from the tables file *********
Then place the final comment like this
if ( skill == do_zones ) return "do_zones";
/*//T4*/
sprintf( buf, "(%p)", skill );
Next the header file, it works like the 2nd set in the tables file. You do...
DECLARE_DO_FUN( skill_notfound );
/*//T5*/
DECLARE_DO_FUN( do_aassign );
DECLARE_DO_FUN( do_accept );
***AGAIN important to place anything that is not a do_ command outside the comments***
Then the final comment
DECLARE_DO_FUN( do_zap );
DECLARE_DO_FUN( do_zones );
/*//T6*/
***A LAST REMINDER, do not place anything that is not a do_ command between the
comments, it will delete them from your file. So do not add spell_ , etc***
-------------------
USAGE
-------------------
insertskill sort
insertskill <new skill>
insertskill version
Note: the skill has to start with do_ and it will search to make
sure it is not already listed within the scope of the searching
routine.
--------------------
HEADER VARIABLES
--------------------
TABLE_FILE "tables.c" HEADER_FILE "mud.h" TEMPFILE "temp1.c"
TEMPFILE2 "temp2.c" CSTART "/*//T1*/" CEND "/*//T2*/"
BSTART "/*//T3*/" BEND "/*//T4*/" DOSTART "/*//T5*/"
DOEND "/*//T6*/" DOBACKUP 1 BSUFFIX ".bak"
The above following variables are configurable in the central.h file. For
most parts, you will onlt want to touch the TABLES_FILE, HEADER_FILE, TEMPFILES,
and DOBACKUP. The default tables and header file is setup for ->SMAUG<- codebase,
so those who do not have a mud.h or tables.c file, need to change their file
names in the central.h file and RECOMPILE. All you will have to do is place the
comments (/*//T5*/ etc) in the header or table file of your choice. If you have
your DECLARE_DO_FUNs spread allover the header files, you might want to place
them all in one header file and use that perhaps only for your DECLARES. Just
make sure to put the comments in.
As for the TEMPFILES, these do not need changed unless you are using temp1.c and
temp2.c for something else. As for DOBACKUP, this will toggle backup on or off.
1 is on, 0 is off. It is wise to leave it on, but it can be removed if you wish.
BSUFFIX stands for the backup suffix used (.bak). If you want to change this
to something else so you are not overwriting backup files you have, you may do
so. It will accept just about anything.
As for the location of the header and tables file, standardly, you will use the
program IN THE DIRECTORY of the header and tables file. It is possible to place
the program in a directory in your code directory called insertskill and change
the header/table file to something like this (TABLE_FILE "insertskil/tables.c".)
Note, this is for Cygwin/Linux systems, if you get this to work in VC++ you will
not to change that to \\ so it will use the windows directory switch instead.
LASTLY, if you need to change the comments for some reason, you can change them
in the file too. Just make sure to add those comments instead of the normal ones
provided in the distibution.
-------------------------
BUGS and COMMENTS
-------------------------
If you get everything moving smoothly and you see something like this.
make cleantables.o: In function `skill_function':
/root/dist/code/tables.c:579: undefined reference to `do_opentourney'
tables.o: In function `skill_name':
/root/dist/code/tables.c:1332: undefined reference to `do_opentourney'
Mainly the undefined reference to do_xxxxxxx, you will have to put a
comment around it. Now, if you already have it commented, a thing to
know about how comments are parsed in my code.
It is easiest for the code to read and know a // style of comment. For
those totally foreign to coding, // will comment the line of code that it is
on. So
//var x
int x = 0;
So only var x will be commented (won't get compiled). If you want to
comment out parts in the tables and header files, you need to put a //
before the name. A feature might come later to automatically add this
in, but that will be later, keep checking back to the page for such
an addition.
#ifdef USE_IMC
if ( skill == do_rbeep ) return "do_rbeep";
if ( skill == do_rchannels ) return "do_rchannels";
if ( skill == do_rchanset ) return "do_rchanset";
if ( skill == do_rconnect ) return "do_rconnect";
#endif
Lastly, using ifdef like those above will also be removed by the program, so
if you want to have these commands kept in or not, you either need to
comment them out to keep them out, or don't worry about it if you are
using them.
-------------------------
FINAL AUTHOR COMMENTS
-------------------------
There is no way this program is 100 percent bug proof and it is possible it can
trash your header and tables file, so in sort, create more backups than what the
code creates, that is mainly to go back to your old file if you put in the wrong
do_ or place a comment inproperly. As the license clearly states, there are no
warranties, and I am not liable for any damage. If such a thing does occur, I would
like to know so I can try to fix the problem. My email address as of this writing
is
rafermand@home.net.
You can always find my most recent email address by visiting my webpage at
www.rafermand.com
Or visiting my mud at
stormbringer.sysconn.com 3002
I hope you enjoy using the program, and if you do, tell someone else about it. Also,
please read the REQUESTS file for other license related information. Thanks