Biocross Server Management System

http://code.google.com/feeds/p/biocross/svnchanges/basic - RSS Feed of all the changes made to Biocross as I make them

http://biocross.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/Biocross/ - Read Only version of the code…

FLAdmin - Class Library that makes FLAdmin.DLL easier to use
FLRead - Reads values from decoded FL Files
Biocross Main - Handles all the XML Stuff (synchronization, generation etc.)
Biocross - The main program

Yay for open source

So, would there be a possibility for a light scan or something similar, that like only scans for the character names, so that it doesnt take so long?

Because we have like 50 or 60 000 chars

Not really as nearly every feature relies on that database of players, I will take a look for you see if I can speed it up somehow…

I’ll let you know how I get on

If that massive scan is only needed once, then its not really bothering me anyways

Isn’t it possible to store the data in a DB?
.NET has standard support for that mssql express version. Doesn’t that speed up things? Cos my experience with XML is that it is slow.

Then users would need SQL Express which is quite a large download, also XML is not actually that slow, I personally feel these figures are way off due to how many programs I had open, the power of my PC in general and other limiting factors - I will wait to see what happens when I use it on a real server which should be soon, for now I guess it’s the wait

You could use SQLite, it doesn’t need any services and is only one File, which is opened by the Application itself.
It also IS like a real SQL-Server, but I think it’s slower than XML

I do like SQLLite but I think it is quite slow… either way I’m looking into the speed and refining it etc…

Haha using SQL Server for the same amount of FL Files and same files!…

11 seconds…

yeah thats right 11 seconds 610 files do the math thats 11 / 610 = 0.018032786885245901639344262295082 seconds per file …

Does anyone have any problems me now switching Biocross over to SQL?

Depends how long that pushes the release away ::)

Just like to say college is really slowing me down, but the arrival of now a 4th Server operator has really spurred me on to enter the ‘competition’ as it were, however I guess really this is an oppertunity as looking at all 4 (plasma, disco, biocross and IFSO) they fit neatly into these categories:

Beginners:
IFSO

Intermediate/Advanced:
Disco

Intermediate:
Biocross

Advanced:
Plasma

Anyone got any otherr judgements on that? The thing stopping Biocross being in a beginners category is the requirement for SQL…

Things are turning out well in the server development world…

Hey, do you have a linky to the plasma one. I haven’t been able to find it…and didn’t know it existed either.

On performance matters:

• I almost used SQL but I found that XML backed file storage was fast enough. I just had to be careful on the key selection in use on the tables. I haven’t had a close look at the biocross code but maybe … (fyi I screwed up a key definition and it really (100x times) slowed down record insersion into the tables.)

• The disco source has a C# based flcodec, bini and flhash algorithms in it. I’m sure you could port the algorithms to biocross and then you wouldn’t have to call that dll thingy. (My knowledge is a little fuzzy regarding the dlls for biocross) As I understand it, the algorithms should run at the same speed in VB. I’ve also got a resource string dll reader coming in the next version so it might be useful to you and save you a little work.

I’ll add that it is friendly competition between the programs - and maybe competition is the wrong word although I can’t think of a better one right now.

http://freelancercommunity.net/viewtopic.php?t=205

This is the only place where I’ve ever seen some reference(s) to Plasma. The tool sounds nice but I’ve yet to see a lot from it.

As for the current state of things, friendly competitions are good! They give some more interest and eventually lead to better products

Now, code away people!

Well this old chestnut certainly needed some dusting off - let’s go through the A-Z of just exactly where it is I’ve been for god knows how long:

1. College

The killer of my time, life and… well everything that involves fun really - for my future career I really want to start studying medicine and this is eating me alive, the research is long, the hours mount quickly into days and so on…

Henceforth, as much as I hate to let you guys down, much of my freetime I had to cut FL out of, and that meant missing out on this community, development time with Biocross and a hell of a lot of other things which tbh I really wanted to continue doing over the time I have been away.

2.Writers Block

I’m not going to lie to you - Biocross development wasn’t at all peachy, I had some trouble especially when moving it onto others machines, it worked on mine and one of my laptops but anything else I seemed to try it on caused an error on startup, and I checked line after line for HOURS and nothing stood out and I got EXTREMELY frustrated with myself and (while I hope not) perhaps some of you noticed…

Then another server operator was released coded in C# I think, which was, in short, a hell of a lot faster - this made me even more frustrated (don’t worry if your reading this as the developer I was not frustrated at you and it is certainly not your fault)

ON TO THE POSITIVES

1. Biocross Lives (And It’s Better Than Ever)

Biocross is now (what I believe to be and based on tests) faster than the C# equivalent :P, it is based entirely on SQL and is designed to work with Microsoft SQL Express 2005 onwards which is a common component on most servers. (NOTE professionial editions and so on are also supported - anything preceding 2005 is not tested and unlikely to work!)

Biocross now speaks fluently in every language known in the world - or at least the ones you teach it, a table called Language exists in the SQL database which can be updated to include a plethora of languages unfortunately me being an ignorant English bloke I have not really learnt another language fluently enough to make a few translations, but thats what the community is for right?

The parts coded as of today now work on ALL machines - I believe I have got to the source of the problem and will make sure it never happens again!

2. Vista and Windows 7 Support

Tested on both platforms (RC1 Windows 7 and SP2 Vista) works perfectly!

ON TO THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS

1. How in the hell are you all?

I missed you all terribly, how have you all been in my abscence? Fill me in on the latest technologies breakthroughs and general forum wide news

2. Biocross Release

Due to my previous failings I am now unwilling to make guesses on a release - it only causes stress just know it is getting down and the following things work for a fact:

• Full Language Support

• 0.016 Seconds per FL File (Average)

Please be aware I have started again since my previous development - but the GUI still looks the same (ish)

\o/ welcome back man!!! get on MSN sometime ^^

I would kill for a 4 year med course in the UK they are like gold-dust, it’s either a 5 year or a 6 year - I’m thinking of going for the 6 year to refresh some old knowledge…

to get a 4 year course in the UK you have to have a degree in something else first - which to me seems stupid as I could get into a 4 year degree course even if my degree was in Geography (you need A-Levels too of course but still…)

anyway thanks for keepin the dev blog open you really didn’t have to but I will get over there as soon as I can

If you don’t come on MSN within the minute, I’m gonna have to plant bad stuff in FWs as retaliation!

Seriously, welcome back. Now, GET TO WORK! ;D