Almost ready ... not really

[tofitouf]

I continue and continue to work on the Add On manager.

Vash helped me by giving me direct access to the Orbit hangar site. It is not quite perfect yet but It will be so simple when finished that this manager could be a must have tool. Many Thanks to him !

What the manager can do today :
- direct download of add'on (in background)
- manage dependencies between addons
- unzip and unrar.
- Add'on that are exe can be managed too
- Patchs of configuration (CFG and INI) Only modified parameters are recorded
- added a default orbiter configuration (screen size, joystick, genral visual parametrs)
- Direct web browser integration allowing to see the associated add'on page directly in the tool
- Auto-configuration of add'on parameters using Orbit Hangar main site.
- patch code are automatically created using directory compare.
- Association of add'ons are set using simple drag'n drop !

But that's not enough.
I need a better handling of add'ons and how to add and remove one in an existing Orbiter configuration. That the current point I must work on.

I think it can be ready for beginning of 2010, perhaps before for an incomplete beta version.

Next, I'll integrate the idea of Mission and record scores. It will take some time again.

any help is welcome

:tiphat:

 

[tblaxland]

"I need a better handling of add'ons and how to add and remove one in an existing Orbiter configuration."

I really suggest you consider the technique Face has used for COI - using a distributed version control system for the backend. All the hard work has been done for you, it is what DVCS is all about. Perhaps you could work with Face so that COI could be better integrated with Orbit Hangar based on the work you have done with Vash. I really would hate to see the wheel being invented twice.

 

[tofitouf]

well, I've had a look to Face's work, it's quite well advanced and the logic is far more interesting than my simple approach.
I'm making a tool based on simple patch sharing between orbinauts. The way they are installed are different from Face's job and it was quite difficult to integrate in my project, first because languages are different C++ (baed on mingw and QT) and VBA. Including VBA in a pure gcc project is really difficult and I wanted a complete open source project without any Microsoft tools.

I fell sorry about that but I could use it without very serious changes in my project main architecture.
Too complex and the solution I found to patch the configuration is so simple.... I didn't had the courage to try this integration.
I'll always do more than Face's tool with my patch (affecting more files I mean).
But it's is so quick In comparison to the main orbiter startup that it's not worth doing such complex work like using a control system. Simple erase and rewrite of each configuration file is done in less than a few seconds.

I understand it's stupid because of Face's long work on his own tool, But the final aim of both project are not quite the same.... So I preferred to continue with my own simple code. I know that's a pity but I've tried at least

 

[tofitouf]

There were a confusion between two differents tools.
I though I was talking about Face work but it was not the case...... I'm a kind of confused.

I've contacted Face.
He's preparing a complete GUI less version of his tool. If it appears that his approach of installation is easier than my way to do it I'll try to replace my installation mode by his way to do it.

It could be very instresting and perhaps easy to bombine.
My work can be used outside of my gui too, therefore it will be easy to adapt quickly.