What are you working on? November 2011 Edition

[Takkenrakker]

[QUOTE=BlkDucky;33493918]that's because the vast majority of people buying the bundle couldn't care less.[/QUOTE]

I considered that, but still, they should've atleast used "Dungeons and Dredmore + Developer access to our games" as title

[Lord Ned]

[QUOTE=amcfaggot;33493906]I will agree with you that Windows, at times, feels like it has too many save-storage areas. We have some applications that store their program files in Program Files, but also save there. Some applications save their settings in the registry and not flat files. Then, we have the AppData folder for per-user storage in a number of different mannerisms.

It's unorganized, unappealing, and confusing at times for not only users to determine where to access their settings and stored goods (and even if they should be doing this, or it should be left to "advanced users") but also for developers to determine where they should be saving information (if they even care to abide by convention).

Should all program settings be in the registry? What if it's an app that you want to store on a USB drive?

Shouldn't all games be saved in a sort of My Games folder so players can access their saved games and delete which saves they no longer want? What if your saves aren't flat files of any sort?

When is it appropriate for me to use AppData and store information there? Why can't I just use Program Files?

These questions go on and on, and while we probably don't think about these things constantly, nor is it a big issue - it could be a problem for that developer or that user at the time of incident.[/QUOTE]

Yeah. Anything the size of an OS is going to have it's problems like this. I do see how it's ideal to store all things of one type in one area, or for some users to have all their files there (Makes IT backup easy ;)), but at the same time I consider myself more of a poweruser with different needs/wants.

Maybe I'm just a strange duck.

Your save comment makes me think: Why doesn't steamcloud keep track of saves? :( I'm tired of playing a game on steam, having it save it's saves outside of it, forgetting and reformatting, and then having to start the game over from scratch.

[Jookia]

[QUOTE=amcfaggot;33493906]When is it appropriate for me to use AppData and store information there? Why can't I just use Program Files?[/QUOTE]

Program Files is write protected, AppData is for user-specific stuff (like configuration files, saves, mods)

[supersnail11]

I know I should have some awesome fractal demo or something for my return, but really, I did nothing. Had a ton of ideas though. The highlight of this month was me looking at a java book, then deciding I already knew it (C#).

I also played will the Molehill APIs for AS3. Was going to make an infiniminer clone until I realized flash has no sockets for UDP.

But it's good to be back!

[Night-Eagle]

[QUOTE=Lord Ned;33493769]When I think of "Program", I think of Photoshop, 3ds Max, etc.
[/QUOTE]
Borderlands, Crysis Wars, DiRT 2, DiRT 3, Far Cry 2, Supreme Commander, Moonbase Alpha, Sanctum, Skyrim, Terraria, etc.
All of which save in My Documents/My Games
[QUOTE=Lord Ned;33493769]
When I think of Steam, it's a program, but it's also games, development tool, etc. The content doesn't work without Steam (unlike PSD'S or OBJ's or anything that can be opened by multiple programs).
[/QUOTE]
Steam is a distribution platform, not a development tool. It has development tools for Source in it, sure - but that's because they are distributed through Steam.
Source, however, is very antiquated in regards to how it handles user data - it stores configuration files in the programs folder, making it a pain in the ass to backup locally.
[QUOTE=Lord Ned;33493769]
The thing I don't like is that since EVERYTHING stores data there, it's sometimes hard to pick through crap you want to back up. I don't want to bring along a lot of config files from programs I won't reinstall, etc.[/QUOTE]
This is a personal problem. Automate your backup process if it is such a hassle. In the end, your customers/clients will expect you to follow standards - they will all have their own way of dealing with backups (which may include not at all). Developing their own method from inheriting only Windows's scheme is a lot easier than creating a backup routine customized for each and every piece of software developed. This is why I dislike Source's saving of user data in the Program Files directory.

Tell me, what would happen if a server administrator shared the folder of your program on a network and multiple clients mounted that folder to run your program? I can do this with WoW, Eve, Diablo II, Warcraft III, Battlefield II, etc. etc.
Is your program going to be unable to function properly in this scenario? How am I going to hack into the network administrator's computer, upload a copy of your game, and commence an impromptu 20-man lan party?

[esalaka]

Just got my Introversion dev access. Only had to reload twenty hundred times first.

Also
[quote]All the branches are stored in /branches. The permissions to this are readable and writeable by all users with access to the dev source, so please follow the instructions carefully. [/quote]

That's pretty cool.

[Takkenrakker]

[QUOTE=esalaka;33494420]Just got my Introversion dev access. Only had to reload twenty hundred times first.

Also

That's pretty cool.[/QUOTE]

Does that branches thing mean we can download eachothers modifications freely, and also contribute to them?

[Z_guy]

All games should put their save files in "C:\Users\*user*\Saved Games". That's what it's for!

[chimitos]

If none of them are write protected, I would back them up quick.

Someone is going to mess it up.

[esalaka]

[QUOTE=uitham;33494562]Does that branches thing mean we can download eachothers modifications freely, and also contribute to them?[/QUOTE]

Probably? Go check on the wiki, I didn't read it completely.

[editline]29th November 2011[/editline]

[QUOTE=chimitos;33494779]If none of them are write protected, I would back them up quick.

Someone is going to mess it up.[/QUOTE]

It's not like you can't revert commits or checkout certain revisions to fix that... And the files are on your computer regardless.

It's not like people who actually care about modifying something like Uplink would mess up everyone's sources.

[benjojo]

Ok, Really now. I've found HTTP Power plants, Thermostats. NOW MRI MACHINES IN INDIA:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/d7x4f.png[/img]

[esalaka]

Holy fuck you've got to report that to [B]someone[/B]. Getting access to MRI devicery is not a good thing. Especially for the people in India.

[editline]29th November 2011[/editline]

...Maybe another tweet to security experts?

[ROBO_DONUT]

Seriously, who the fuck is putting these things online?

[acpm]

By looking at the designs of the pages, a really fucking amateur developer and designer who's probably just throwing it together.

[iPope]

[QUOTE=amcfaggot;33495102]By looking at the designs of the pages, a really fucking amateur developer and designer who's probably just throwing it together.[/QUOTE]

Or an experienced developer and designer in a well paying job but has a huge amount of pressure to produce a working product, has impossible deadlines set for his work and his boss is a moron and knows nothing about software development and decides how the program is going to function. All the humble programmer did was submit his rough prototype to his boss to show to the client and his boss decided to sell it as the full product without any modifications

Your assumptions are starting to get on my nerves now.

[acpm]

[QUOTE=iPope;33495209]Or an experienced developer and designer in a well paying job but has a huge amount of pressure to produce a working product, has impossible deadlines set for his work and his boss is a moron and knows nothing about software development and decides how the program is going to function. All the humble programmer did was submit his rough prototype to his boss to show to the client and his boss decided to sell it as the full product without any modifications

Your assumptions are starting to get on my nerves now.[/QUOTE]

Sorry for having educated and experienced assumptions! This isn't webdev, so I wouldn't expect you to understand what all is wrong with the image above, regardless of an extremely speedy timeline.

You're also over thinking this; it's a bad site - that's all there is to it. Why make up some hypothetical situation to guess why it's so bad?

[icantread49]

[QUOTE=amcfaggot;33495102]By looking at the designs of the pages, a really fucking amateur developer and designer who's probably just throwing it together.[/QUOTE]

no offense but you throw around an awful lot of design criticism for someone who couldn't even come up with a good looking dirt block texture

[esalaka]

The stupid thing is that the public availability of this stuff could be fixed by any even slightly competent network admin.

Unless, of course, the customer has the same issue as the developers.

[ROBO_DONUT]

[QUOTE=esalaka;33495270]The stupid thing is that the public availability of this stuff could be fixed by any even slightly competent network admin.

Unless, of course, the customer has the same issue as the developers.[/QUOTE]
Right, but why even have a web interface in the first place for most of these things?

[subenji]

[QUOTE=benjojo;33494872]Ok, Really now. I've found HTTP Power plants, Thermostats. NOW MRI MACHINES IN INDIA:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/d7x4f.png[/img][/QUOTE]

I'd put a tenner on the supported browser being IE6

[esalaka]

[QUOTE=ROBO_DONUT;33495288]Right, but why even have a web interface in the first place for most of these things?[/QUOTE]

Maybe the company couldn't afford hiring an actual GUI designer? There's a million possible reasons. And none of them are valid because this is fucking medical equipment.

[acpm]

[QUOTE=icantread49;33495253]no offense but you throw around an awful lot of design criticism for someone who couldn't even come up with a good looking dirt block texture[/QUOTE]

Best of luck with that icon by the way, oh and sorry for wanting to help out Yogurt. I guess maybe you could do better than I can, right?

[icantread49]

[QUOTE=amcfaggot;33495403]I guess maybe you could do better than I can, right?[/QUOTE]

eventually

[rrkpp_]

[QUOTE=amcfaggot;33495248]Sorry for having educated and experienced assumptions! This isn't webdev, so [b]I wouldn't expect you to understand what all is wrong with the image above[/b], regardless of an extremely speedy timeline.

You're also over thinking this; it's a bad site - that's all there is to it. Why make up some hypothetical situation to guess why it's so bad?[/QUOTE]

come on dude

you're an awesome designer and everyone loves your design, but you don't have to be a dick about it

it doesn't take a professional to realize the website looks like shit, everyone here knows it.
iPope is just saying that sometimes you focus more on programming a way to safely interface with a fucking [b]MRI MACHINE[/b] rather than making glossy navbars and background images with soft grain

[QUOTE=Nigey Nige;33495586]Coming back from holiday briefly to say this: stop bitching at each other.

Right, I'm off again.[/QUOTE]

thats exactly what an XNA user would say, so predictable

*snickers*

[Nigey Nige]

Coming back from holiday briefly to say this: stop bitching at each other.

Right, I'm off again.

[Chandler]

[QUOTE=Z_guy;33494771]All games should put their save files in "C:\Users\*user*\Saved Games". That's what it's for![/QUOTE]

Or, you can go the "documented way" and use
[cpp]
#include <Shlobj.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

std::wstring get_saved_games(void) {

std::wstring path(L"\\\\?\\");
wchar_t* temp = NULL; // Can cause issues if we use nullptr instead;
if (SHGetKnownFolderPath(&FOLDERID_SavedGames, 0, NULL, &temp) != S_OK) {
std::cout << "Yo son, you're machine is all kinds of effed up" << std::endl;
throw 42;
}

path.append(temp).append(L"\\"); // SHGetKnownFolderPath doesn't return the string with a trailing \
CoTaskMemFree(static_cast<void*>(temp)); // We need to use this to deallocate.
return std::move(path);
}
[/cpp]

It's as simple as that! :v:

[Dotmister]

Really guys? Can we not go half a page without arguing over stupid shit?

[acpm]

[QUOTE=Kopimi;33495562]come on dude

you're an awesome designer and everyone loves your design, but you don't have to be a dick about it

it doesn't take a professional to realize the website looks like shit, everyone here knows it.
iPope is just saying that sometimes you focus more on programming a way to safely interface with a fucking [b]MRI MACHINE[/b] rather than making glossy navbars and background images with soft grain[/QUOTE]

What I'm trying to imply is that it's done entirely by a back-end developer. This look manifests itself by a number of poor design choices, which all come down to the question: Why are you putting an MRI interface on public access, rather than hospital intranet?

Stating that someone had done a terribly bad job at putting together this interface and that this had been the result of pressure is just an opinion based on a complete lack of recognition of this common style and quality of work. Bring a few developers in from webdev and this conversation would turn around 180 degrees.

Perhaps I should have clearly stated rather than implied.

[ROBO_DONUT]

[QUOTE=Dotmister;33495602]Really guys? Can we not go half a page without arguing over stupid shit?[/QUOTE]
We're not arguing.
We're raging. Together. In unison.

[artanis]

[QUOTE=Chandler;33495600]Or, you can go the "documented way" and use
[cpp]
#include <Shlobj.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

std::wstring get_saved_games(void) {

std::wstring path(L"\\\\?\\");
wchar_t* temp = NULL; // Can cause issues if we use nullptr instead;
if (SHGetKnownFolderPath(&FOLDERID_SavedGames, 0, NULL, &temp) != S_OK) {
std::cout << "Yo son, you're machine is all kinds of effed up" << std::endl;
throw 42;
}

path.append(temp).append(L"\\"); // SHGetKnownFolderPath doesn't return the string with a trailing \
CoTaskMemFree(static_cast<void*>(temp)); // We need to use this to deallocate.
return std::move(path);
}
[/cpp]

It's as simple as that! :v:[/QUOTE]

Don't use move on return values, you may prevent the compiler from doing RVO and even if it can't it will move from the object on its own.

[url]http://pizer.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/c0x-do-people-understand-rvalue-references/[/url]