Forum:Help with creating a program

Forums: Yew Grove > Help with creating a program

I'm currently planning to write a program. It will essentially do what the Equipment Stats screen on RuneScape does - but 1. it'll be quicker, 2. you won't have to be on RuneScape, 3. you can compare multiple items from the same item slot at the same time without having to switch back and forth, 4. it'll be written in VisualBasic.

For those who think otherwise, this program will not infringe on any of these rules (the four bits in section two) so it's allowed, though they don't want you to because of the risk.

Now, I'm wondering if anyone here would be willing to help me with this. I can think of three ways:

1. Helping me out with distribution. I'm told I can upload it to the intertubes so other people can download. Where? How? I've no idea.
2. Feedback on the current version of the program. This won't happen for a while - I've only just started writing the program, and don't actually have the knowledge to complete it yet (I'm learning!). There's also a lot of tedious work with regards to putting the items stats for every item in. I'm currently making the layout, and I might need feedback on that.
3. Advertising the complete program on this website. Would you? As far as I know, nothing like this exists anywhere else. Though, to be fair, that's because it's probably not all that important.

Now, is anyone willing to help out with any of these three points? JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 22:52, October 30, 2009 (UTC)

Discussion

I'll help give feedback - this sounds like a great project you have going!

Elijah ^talk

00:14, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Firstly, www.mediafire.com and www.uppit.com are both free file hosting websites which are, in my experiences, very easy to use. Secondly, I would have to see what the final layout is before pledging my support for linking it on the Wiki. http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/Psycho_Robot/Sigs%20and%20Avatars/kitty.pngPsycho Robot talk 00:18, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

I've finished the layout already. Visual design is neither my forte, nor my primary purpose - I'm after functionality. I'll upload it somewhere. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 00:25, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Tadaa. http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/2429/statspy.png

Can we test it or something? As I mentioned ingame, I don't know anything about programs, so forgive me if that was an ignorant question.  Tien  00:39, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

I think instead of an example piece of equpiment for each slot, it'd be better to use the picture for the slots as they appear in the equip screen, like File:Ammo slot.PNG, File:Weapon slot.PNG, etc. Also, what will be in the blue column? http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/Psycho_Robot/Sigs%20and%20Avatars/kitty.pngPsycho Robot talk 00:42, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Yes, Tien, you can test it - when it's written. This currently has no code at all, it's just an empty design. The blue and green columns have identical purposes - a weapon entered in the blue column wil have its stats shown, in blue text, in the columns in the middle. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 00:43, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Ah so its a way to compare up to three sets I see. Still I am worried that the icons indicating the different attack styles might not be clear to a new time player. Even experienced players might not know what the rapier and cutlass are. http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/Psycho_Robot/Sigs%20and%20Avatars/kitty.pngPsycho Robot talk 00:47, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Oh, I see. Thanks.  Tien  00:48, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Psycho: You think I should use more well-known weapons for stab and slash? The images will have tooltips (hovering your mouse over them will bring up what they represent). JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 00:50, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

We have these: File:Stab attack icon.png File:Slash attack icon.png File:Crush attack icon.png, and so forth. But at the very least, yes more well known weapons, like a dagger for stab, a scimitar for slash, warhammer for crush, etc. http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/Psycho_Robot/Sigs%20and%20Avatars/kitty.pngPsycho Robot talk 00:53, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

I'll take it into consideration. Wouldn't be very nice to steal those images that someone obviously made for this website. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 00:56, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Here's an update, I've had to make some changes due to my own lack of skill. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 15:19, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/493/statspy2.png

The three boxes look better; I was wondering a bit about how it'd work with just one box >_> http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/Psycho_Robot/Sigs%20and%20Avatars/kitty.pngPsycho Robot talk 16:16, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

I was originally planning to separate the three equipment values with commas, but having different colours in the same text box is beyond my knowledge, if it's even possible. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 16:36, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Comment - This could be a good project. I offer a suggestion that your program somehow accepts data files for the stat data. That way you could have a few people entering the info in spreadsheets or something similar, so that you don't get left to enter all that info in yourself (a wikiguild perhaps?). I'd be up for testing or even inputting data so if you need me leave a message on my talk. Good luck. Tollerach hates SoF 17:31, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

I'd love to do that. Unfortunately, I wouldn't hav the first idea how. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 17:49, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Perhaps if you get excel spreadsheets, you can convert them into comma seperated lists, then copy them into your code some how, idk, just thinking of ways to break up the work. Tollerach hates SoF 19:31, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

That would depend slightly if this is written in Visual Basic .NET, or Visual Basic 6. In any case, there should be a library built-in to VB that will import at least CSV files, if not Excel files too (remember, VB is made by MS...) Also, why not use the webtool http://rstools.ath.cx/compare_items.php? 99.238.39.223 21:50, November 1, 2009 (UTC)

Also, wouldn't four columns look better? Two on each side.

I'm thinking people would mostly be concerned with comparing two sets. When they want to compare more than two, they will most likely want to compare one "primary" set (the one on the left) with any number of secondary sets (on the right). JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 17:27, November 2, 2009 (UTC)

Quarenon's tool (wich doesn't work for me) doesn't compare whole sets, only individual items. It also uses RSW as a source, giving it both the wiki's strengths (update speed) and weaknesses (vandalism). My tool can also be used while offline, if you desire such a thing. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 17:29, November 2, 2009 (UTC)

Hosting

Wowbagger tells me it's possible to host such a program on this here wiki. O rly? I'd need permission, if it's possible. It seems the logical way to do it, though. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 13:18, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Support - I think Vimes is trusted to have a program hosted on this site. Tollerach hates SoF 17:59, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

I'll upload it tomorrow if no-one voices their objections. Work will stall until I can actually upload it to test how it will work. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 19:21, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Support I like the idea for this Vimes, and I think when the program is put together well it will be a great asset for the RuneScape community. I've been slowly working on a RS fansite of my own, and if I ever get around to finishing it I may be able to post your program there too if you'd like. ^TIRRIAN_GANT ^(TALK) 20:09, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Maximum exposure is certainly what I'm after. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 20:13, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Support - It would be a very useful program. Andrew ^talk 20:20, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Support - I think this would be way better to use than the in-game equipment screen. Oil4 ^Talk 21:21, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Support - Seems useful, and we all want to be useful. ~Muz^Talk 13:26, November 1, 2009 (UTC)

Support - Good job man. BTW, what program are you using for that ? C++ combined with C#? ^Talk Newbie856 ^{edit count} Nomad guide 22:17, November 1, 2009 (UTC)

Didn't he say he was using VB...? 99.238.39.223 22:38, November 1, 2009 (UTC)

Oh, nvm then ^Talk Newbie856 ^{edit count} Nomad guide 23:03, November 1, 2009 (UTC)

Support - Per above User:Stelercus/Signature 15:26, November 2, 2009 (UTC)

Hosting will have to go on hold for a while, until I've figured out how it's going to work. Good to know it'll have somewhere to go, though. JalYt-Xil-Vimescarrot 17:30, November 2, 2009 (UTC)