Biocross Server Management System

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

Hope you get it released soon, it will only take me a few days to completely write the XML generator. The program is a being built around the Ioncross data maker shell code… should relieve you from having to convert Ioncross files to your format.

Hi, ich schreib das mal auf Deutsch. Da ich nicht so gut englisch kann.

Ich habe das Programm installiert und auch eine Datenbank eingerichtet. Nur leider wenn ich das Tool starte kommt die biocross lade seite, aber das Programm startet nicht. Ich habe auf dem Server die aktuelle netframework installiert ohne erfolg.

Hat jemand ne idee?

From my favourite translation engine (babelfish!) comes this gem:-

"Rear ones, I write times on German. Since I cannot so well English. I installed the program and furnished also a database. Only unfortunately if I start Tools come the biocross load side, but the program does not start. I have the current on the server netframework installed without success.

Does someone have ne idea?"

Anyhow - we get the meaning, you tried but were unsuccessful in installing the current version (3.5?) of .NET Framework.

Yes i have the Netframework v3.5 sp1 installt. Must i have only 3.5 ?

In the Computer Management under the Event Viewer -> Application i have a entry:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: .NET Runtime 2.0 Error Reporting
Event Category: None
Event ID: 5000
Date: 5/8/2010
Time: 1:14:36 AM
User: N/A
Computer: CT23382
Description:
EventType clr20r3, P1 biocross server operator.exe, P2 1.0.0.0, P3 4a7f09fe, P4 biohelper, P5 2.0.0.7, P6 4a7ad71d, P7 7b, P8 55, P9 40hndr4jb1a2x2mkd2jswshn15z3qarb, P10 NIL.

Good Evening,

I’ve setup SQL 2008 Express R2 and Biocross RC1. However when I run the main program it simply shutsdown after about 20secs of showing the main image. The updater also gives me a nasty error.

Any info would be helpful. If you need more info just ask please.

Waffles

I’ll kick Hazard and see if he can come here to help. I’m afraid he doesn’t really maintain Biocross or even visit here anymore, though, so you might have a hard time using it.

That’s a real shame. I was hoping it wasn’t dead. I was going off his last post, which I think was earlier this year.

Not much I can do on this end I guess. Back to Ioncross i guess.

Good thing I didn’t delete my server files for Ion.

Thanks for the reply and if you you do kick him and he returns, then Thank you very much.

Waffles

or use ds account/process manager
it works very well

Thanks for that, I’m looking at them right now and I do like them so far. Gonna give them a try live and see how they fair.

Thanks,

Waffles

Biocross works well - i do not remember simply what i did :))

@Bas,

I’m happy that it works for you. I tried for a long time to get it working for me and got rid of it. :evil:

I didn’t know enough about programming to fix it either. I went back to Ioncross and FLShell. Now, that my server is down and all, I give it up until I can get FLAC and a dedicated server for my mod. FLAC seems to be the choice on most servers nowadays and it’s trusted by all. That’s if they’re not using Hook.

I even tried using Igiss program to no avail.

Different stokes for different folks as the saying goes.

I don’t see why Boomz doesn’t allow others to upgrade Ioncross if he’s not going to deal with it anymore but, as it is, there’s no problems with it and it’s compatible with FLAC too.

What do I know, I’m just a n00b. :lol:

Actually, FLHook is the program of choice

I’m not even sure how supported FLAC is at this point, I’ve heard a lot of things of late.