Registering my interest...

[Magnus]

I came across this page when searching out an alternative to IAL for linux. I just thought i would drop a post to register my interest in helping to test the linux version, and creating army files for the Tau.

[IBBoard]

Thanks for registering your interest. Are you a developer at all, or just a Linux user with a willingness to test? Also, what desktop and distro do you use?

Hopefully I'll be able to get some more work done soon, but after my hard disk started to die (see another post, possibly in General Chat) then I've not got much work done on it. My first baby being due in eight weeks isn't helping matters either! I may end up having to take a back-seat and leave the development to others once I release the first basic build.

[Magnus]

unfortunately i am not a programmer. just a linux user with a talent for finding bugs (or, breaking things, depending on how you look at it )

I currently run ubuntu with the gnome environment.

I do hope you manage to find a developer willing to take over, it would be a grave shame to see this project fall.

[IBBoard]

I'll try to make sure I release a version with the core features of Rollcall (possibly not the Magic Item builder).

I'm thinking the same thing, though: the project idea is good, it just needs to get more loving than I can currently give it and I don't think it's quite in a state to open to the masses yet.

Gnome is good for integration, as I'm working up a GTK# version. Ubuntu will be useful to see the difference between Fedora (RPMs and a root account) versus Ubuntu (DEBs with sudo for just about everything).

[Kyderdog]

I came across this page when searching out an alternative to IAL for linux. I just thought i would drop a post to register my interest in helping to test the linux version, and creating army files for the Tau.

Where Can I get a copy of IAL?

[IBBoard]

I just had a quick Google, and IAL seems to be GW's Interactive Army List. They sometimes sell them in stores or else they're available through Mail Order. Chances are that since they're official Games Workshop then they only work with Windows, though.

[Tsudico]

I would also like to register my interest in WarFoundry. Also, I was wondering why you chose to use C# instead of C++ or C? Wouldn't they be easier to port to different platforms? I have limited experience programming and the languages that I mainly know are C and C++, but as far as I know Mono isn't a perfect .NET reproduction on other operating systems. In addition Microsoft has many proprietary libraries they use, considering they developed the language. I'd welcome any additional information that led you to choose C#.

[Kyderdog]

I would also like to register my interest in WarFoundry. Also, I was wondering why you chose to use C# instead of C++ or C? Wouldn't they be easier to port to different platforms? I have limited experience programming and the languages that I mainly know are C and C++, but as far as I know Mono isn't a perfect .NET reproduction on other operating systems. In addition Microsoft has many proprietary libraries they use, considering they developed the language. I'd welcome any additional information that led you to choose C#.

I posted the same thing in a different forum.

[IBBoard]

I chose C# for multiple reasons:

1) C and C++ are older languages. Using something like C# lets you concentrate on a clean and well structured API rather than making sure your pointers/memory allocation are okay.
2) I know C# and I don't know C/C++
3) C# is cross-platform compatible without recompiling, so I can make one redistributable and anyone (Windows, Linux or Mac user) can run it.
4) Mono has the core of .Net 1.1 and 2.0 covered. The only things it lacks is the more unusual sections related to enterprise servers and authentication - basically all of the "unnecessary extras". It has also recently become API complete on System.Windows.Forms, although I'll mainly be using GTK#. As for the libraries, Mono has re-implemented everything so there shouldn't be an issue there.
5) Lots of people have .Net or Mono installed and apps written using .Net languages (or Java, or any other language with a virtual machine and a cache of libraries) are smaller to download (just look at my various apps on the Skins@HWT site)
6) .Net allows people to program in a variety of languages. People don't need to know C#, they can also write plugins in VB.Net, Managed C/C++, Iron Python or any of the other .Net CLI languages.

[grunt]

Hello, I find this project most interesting! Linux needs a program like warfoundery. I have been building an application like this in my spare time!

I started learning C++ about a year ago and have buildt a few small applications to be used in the lab where I took my science degree and needed something a bit more challenging to work on... And indeede it is

My knowledge of GTK and .net is limited as I have always build all my applications in QT3 and QT4
as my programs usually have to compile on several OS's

I would like to help you in any way I can.. I belive in "open software" and this project looks really cool.

PC1# Kubuntu 8.04 / $ uname -r 2.6.24.6-optimized /
PC2# debian

[IBBoard]

The advantage of .Net is that you should be able to program in something very close to C++ and still contribute to parts of the tool by using Visual C++ .Net. There will be some differences, but once you learn one language then picking up another is generally quite easy (I did one year of Java at Uni, one year of C#, one year in industry doing C#, final year project in C#, personal projects in C#, and now my day job involves Java again, plus I have done PHP and Perl in my own time).

If you use Qt/KDE then that will be quite useful, especially if you're willing to contribute. I've never taken to KDE and so work purely in Gnome/GTK. GTK# is Mono's toolkit of choice, but there is a set of Qt bindings for Mono/.Net, so it should be possible to write a Qt interface. The design of the tool so far (back-end .Net DLL that can be used with any front-end) means that it should be easy to bolt on another front-end (Qt, Cocoa, even command-line if you want).

If you want to get some practice in and start learning, I'd recommend installing MonoDevelop, finding a VC++.Net tutorial and writing some little applications ("Hello World", simple GUIs, etc).

Thanks.

[grunt]

If you want to get some practice in and start learning, I'd recommend installing MonoDevelop, finding a VC++.Net tutorial and writing some little applications ("Hello World", simple GUIs, etc).
.

I'll take a look, next time I sit down at work desktop!
And mono-bindings are avilable for Qt so it should work fine in my environment!

Thx

[IBBoard]

That's one of the main advantages of the .Net framework - there are bindings for most of the standard toolkits.

While Java would also let it be "write once, run anywhere", you're either stuck with an ugly Swing or AWT interface or else you've got a large package of SWT libraries that are moderately system-styled. The various Toolkit# bindings mean you can get a completely native look and feel for any application and no-one need have an ugly application (unless they use an ugly GTK/Qt theme, or the GUI designer makes it ugly!)