Messages

51

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Re: Entering SMIRF 8x8 + 10x8 Chess Program

« on: April 10, 2006, 01:19 PM »

mouser, happy to hear that. My opinion is, it would need a redesign. But - time ...

You would have noticed, that not all content is bilingual - merely chess related parts.

Reinhard.

52

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Re: Entering SMIRF 8x8 + 10x8 Chess Program

« on: April 10, 2006, 12:43 PM »

SMIRF tries to make a minimal approach to program chess and some variants like Chess960 (FRC) or 10x8 CRC (Capablanca Random Chess), which as supersets somehow compatibly contain traditional chess (that is what I name the FullChess approach). Its engine is small and currently sized 60 KB only, despite this one engine covers all those variants. SMIRF actually attempts to cover the opening stage without using huge looking up knowledge like opening books or endgame table bases. Thus it actually is recommended to play Chess960 or CRC to get different games.

SMIRF's strength currently seems to be about the Crafty level. Being my first approach to write a playing chess program, there will be of course some weaknesses and details to be improved. It uses an own public communication protocol between engine and GUI called TMCI (Third Millenium Chess Interface), which is subject to be modified if other programmers would be interested to also use it.

SMIRF is able to store and load games as PGN, cut and paste it and also positions as X-FEN. It enables PGN games to be commented, but does not (yet) support variant game lines. It has several playing timing levels. If the automatic answering is switched off, you could enter move series without having the engine answer. The gaits of the special 8x10 pieces Archbishop and Chancellor will be shown by marked squares. It is recommended to have the online hints be activated during first time. You could choose one of four languages: Eng, Ger, Fra, Swe. GothicChess actually is not supported directly, because I still have not received Ed Trice's license he promised me. Nevertheless in edit mode you could set up any starting array and switch castling rights by simply clicking at the rooks' file letters.

This here is my attempt to test, whether the distribution form as a donationware would give me sufficient support or not. If not, the project will be continued as shareware.

Regards, Reinhard.

P.S.: There also are a lot of interesting things at my homesite.

53

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Entering SMIRF 8x8 + 10x8 Chess Program

« on: April 10, 2006, 11:48 AM »

SMIRF



I just have changed my SMIRF program to become a pure donationware program. So some pieces of text might still mention 'shareware,' where now 'donationware' is meant. Also some parts of its documentation still have to be translated into English. Nevertheless the program is beta yet, it should work.

Regards, Reinhard.

P.S.: Beta tester feed backs are welcomed !

P³.S.: Now an always actual download (~1.7 MB) could be found at my page:

http://www.chessbox.de/Compu/schachsmirf_e.html

At problems with SMIRF first try to delete the local SmirfGUI.ini file once.

54

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Re: Please explain ...

« on: April 10, 2006, 10:16 AM »

... i encourage entrants to make their binary versions available to users on this forum for beta testing ...

-mouser

where and how?

55

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Re: Please explain ...

« on: April 10, 2006, 06:16 AM »

... i'm happy to sign any non-disclosure contract you might want signed sayng that only one person will have access to the source, and for the sole purpose of compiling it for evaluation. ...

-mouser

... If after such a verification all transferred source code would be deleted and the people involved would be made known to the programmer ...

-Smirf

It would be sufficient, if such statements simply would be part of the contest rules. Regarding this as finally done, I would like to write and enter a special pure donationware version of SMIRF.

Is there a roadmap, how such an entering should be done, and if and how users' feed back could be used to optimize that program until the final time line (only if such a modificating would be allowed at all)?

Regards, Reinhard.

56

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Re: Please explain ...

« on: April 10, 2006, 05:21 AM »

... add a license.txt and license in all your source modules ...

-f0dder

a) one could interprete that, as if I would have intended the source to be seen by a lot of people;
b) I use to comment my sources using my own (German) language, not willing to translate it into every other relevant language;

... mouser has my full confidence ...

-f0dder

that is fine, but where in the rules could I find the names of all people, who will be authorized to look into contributed program's sources? And why is in not sufficient to simply verify their compilability?

I still cannot see a need to look inside the sources. Contributors would be well known namely. Including bad code thus will not be possible anonymously. Instead object / runtime code easily could be qualified as been produced using BC Builder or BDS or not. Maybe elected winners' programs' sources could be revisited by a neutral trustee, whether they would compile and link with a Borland C++ Builder or not and be identical to the entered executables.

Maybe I have got the wrong impression from some postings, that the contest seems to be interested more in sources than in resulting programs. But there will be of course a lot of people who do not care at all about that question.

...what i meant about sandbox is that we might accept entries without sourcecode, and do testing within a sandbox, with the understanding that before we sanctioned official winners we'd have to be able to compile it ourselves or otherwise satisfy ourselves that the code was safe.

-mouser

If after such a verification all transferred source code would be deleted and the people involved would be made known to the programmer it could be an acceptable compromise.

Regards, Reinhard.

57

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Re: Please explain ...

« on: April 09, 2006, 02:57 PM »

No one is forcing anyone to enter if they don't want to abide by the rules.

I rather have thought to read something encouraging, explaining the rules. Thankfully some of you have reacted like that. Thank you.

As for English: I understood, that the program has to provide an English language surface. Currently I am developig an 10x8 and 8x8 Chess program SMIRF, which actually speaks four languages including English. For now it is designed to be shareware in the form of a donationware. But that design does not seem to match your rules. So I have to think the whole thing over ...

Regards, Reinhard.

58

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Re: Please explain ...

« on: April 09, 2006, 02:39 PM »

A) Otherwise the binary submitted could do something nasty like...

So I should trust in an unnamed person, which is not trusting in an identified me?

C) ... you could help out by translating it into German ...

My question was meant to learn about all targeted programmers. I am not sure, who is included.

Regards, Reinhard.

59

Borland C++ Builder Contest / Please explain ...

« on: April 09, 2006, 02:01 PM »

I still have some problems to participate, because:

a) Why is it necessary to open my source code? I have no control who would have access to it then.
    (I am not willing to make an open source project out of my programs)

b) Why must participating donationware be based on freeware? Why not on shareware?
    (the difference: the latter will work unrestrictedly only after making a donation)

c) Why has this contest been published in English language only? Are German programmers excluded?

Regards, Reinhard.