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Re: A good set of generic questions...

On Sat, 11 May 1996, David HM Spector wrote:

> 3) Is there an archive anywhere of installation kits/tools (not just
> raw code) for various MOO objects..?  

> I think there needs to be some more tools/examples to help people get
> their Moo endeavors off to a running start, if there is no such animal
> (archive), I would be willing to host such a site, if I can pull
> together enough things to make it worthwhile...

I like the archive idea, though i do not think one site is enough, not 
for the whole world at least :) The files are mostly text, so the 
compressed or Gzipped versions shouldn't take up that much space...

As for tools for installing them, the simplest is just a '@dump with
create id=#^#REPLACE#^#', then create the object you need (the parent of
the @dumped object) note the object number, and replace #^#REPLACE#^# with
that number, in your favorite editor (provided it's not Pico ;) and
quote/cut-n-paste the whole thing into your telnet/TF connection. 

A few problems might arise though - You need at least a similar core 
(true in most core-additions, of course), you need the parents of the 
object, or a @dump of them too, and you need to be able to either quote 
(Whaaat ? no TinyFugue ?? ;) or cut-and-paste into your moo-connection. 
And it has to arrive properly :) As i understand, pasting doesn't always 
work (like when using iScreen) and from my own experiences with Ewan, i 
would bet Windows telnet apps would choke and die shouting 'General 
Protection Error' :-)

(By the way, if anyone knows a good windows (95) telnet application that 
doesn't crash every ten minutes or when you try to open more windows or 
change their configuration, please, please, let me know, for i am 
somtimes forced to work on such stravag, freebirth would-be operating 
systems :)

A nice solution would be to have an external program to log onto your 
moo, check the database/server version, check for parents and $utils and 
such, and create the object(s) necessary, if any... But this would mean a 
massive program with a massive, massive database of all MOO 
Core and server versions... (Not to mention the massive, massive, massive 
lag it would create in the MOO it's verifying ;-)

One might be able to create it, put it on a server, make a nice
web-interface to fit the latest fashion ;-) but it would still offer lots
of difficulties, not the least of which would be giving away a (wizard)
password or connection... 

But, thats all science fiction, and however attractive that might be, it's
not very realistic :) So for now, the best way is to @dump and /quote, and
fix any inconsitensies by hand. This does mean, however, that you need to
be skilled in writing MOO verbs, and finding and repairing errors... Not 
really what you want when creating a MOO archive for newbies :) What a 
newbie archive should contain is just /example/-code and lots of 
helpfiles and FAQs. And if you put object-@dumps in there, make sure they 
have lots of help info and a warning/disclaimer :)

Thomas.

PS - I use moo-cows@parc.xerox.com... dunno why, prolly cuz Pavel does ;-)

Thomas Wouters   |   Visit The Digitale City (DDS)   | Forever an Addict to 
zonny@moo.dds.nl |    The Dutch Digital Community    | Virtual, Digital,
Ynnoz @ MOOs     | http://www.dds.nl/plein/centraal/ | Unconventional Rubbish
Jay_* @ MUS[HE]s |  WWW -- World Wide Wackos :)      | (Except for Windows)
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