Ini's make cheating much more tempting. And I hate having my Windows folder cluttered with ini files from games I deleted long ago.
Especially when they have 'clever' names like veryimportant.dll.
I actually use arrays 99% of the time. Ini's aren't as useful as arrays in several ways, especially if you're trying to make a Crono Trigger style ally movement.
Well, not like arrays are bulletproof either. Even ones that are supposed to ENCODE everything automatically.. I had somebody do some weird stuff to Hasslevania's file, the bastard haha.
Eyes MMF1.5's array object
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Originally Posted by Knudde (Shab) INI's are awesome, especially if you rig up some way to stuff like 8 different values into 1 line.
String Parser ftw.
I use INI's for simple stuff like game options, but I use Apppath$ to make sure they don't flutter over into the Windows directory. I use arrays topped with Blowfish for save files.
PS: Why does the name "Blowfish" sound so wrong? I had to check like 2 times, just to make sure I was typing it right.
I just hate how big the INI expressions get in the expression editor. Otherwise it pwns arrays with a bit of encryption
I used to use arrays for data storage, then it got annoying finding where I put which value. I also used the data store object, but that one messes up any timed events its connected to.
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After saving all my level files as ini's with gridquest, i'll say its as easy and quick to use as possible. Its just that small matter of the filesizes being 100x as large. Seems to write/read instantly for all purposes, and allows me to do many things I couldn't possibly due in arrays (comment the file's data, store both strings and variables as needed anywhere, put random data in the same package as my level grid, etc)
Its incredibly nice to have my ini files lined up in extremely easy to read formats, at least for me. I can read through them if theres any errors and figure it out without even having to open up TGF alot of the time.
Arrays are faster at level editors merely because it has built in save and load for the entire array, and the entire extension is already built in a grid, which is what a level editor generally always is. As far as saving random information in an array, you can do that too. Remember, array's are multi-layer. You have X and Y to mark positions for the level, but you also have an entire Z layer which seems to have no real use for a 2D editor, other then storing extra information.
Arrays are good if you're making grid-based level editors. But I don't like level editors anyway, they make the levels look too mechanical
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You can encode the INI file. It just takes like, 1 event.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
INI files are handy for their ease of use, and useful for your nice, amorphously-expandable data storage needs... They get a little unreliable if you try to access them too intensively, though, and can cause fierce slowdowns or even random freezing.
I really like binary files for levels, though. You can refer to a single byte, drawing upon its value, or a particular string (which is ideal for using the Text Blitter). And if you plan the file structure correctly, you can store all the extra data you need in a file header, and have a neat little file format.
I rarely use arrays any more, but they still have their uses.
Hrmm I've never gotten any reliability issues with the INI object in TGF.... ever. Never seen any crashing or slowdowns at all. And thats including my random level generator, which outputs 400-500kb of .ini's in a single pass. It takes exactly as long to run the loops blankly and not export/write the dungeon data as it does to save it all to .inis, so in terms of speed and reliability, I think the .ini object works absolutely perfectly. Its more the terms of effeciency where it completely bogs down, as that 500kb of .ini could probably be saved as 50kb of array files.
Unless you start pushing out hundreds of loops and fast loops though, I don't think theres much room to talk in terms of stability for everything. Everything runs stable at at least some level of simplicity.
I just use ini's for settings and other stuff that players can edit. AssAray for me though, it was the only array extension that did everything I needed.
Originally Posted by BrandonC Unless you start pushing out hundreds of loops and fast loops though, I don't think theres much room to talk in terms of stability for everything. Everything runs stable at at least some level of simplicity.
Well, my dungeon generator runs about 12000 write-to-ini events in about 20 seconds of nonstop looping, and its never had any problems.
Sounds very inefficient if you ask me. Especially if you're willing to make your poor innocent kliker audience wait 20 seconds, rather then doing 1 12000 fast loop. Unless of course... fast loop spawns that lag issue we mentioned with INI. In which case, Array still wins.
err thats what I meant; theres no difference in the time taken if I'm just running my fast loops empty or I'm writing to an INI; the time is all from the algorithm I'm using to generate ~40 random dungeons in a single go
you talking about the dungeon generator thing in gridquest?
whats this 20 seconds thing? it has absolutely no problems whatsoever. at least on the time issue. i never had to wait for anything. arrays are more efficient though but id have to say neither are as efficient as they could be in clickteam products.
You didn't have to wait when you clicked "New Game"?
Christ that takes 20 seconds to run on my laptop. You must be running a supercomputer or something! I'm talking about the thing you had to do when you make a new save file. Everything else ran pretty much instantaneously, like saving/loading games. Only thing ingame I noticed that was slow at all was loading music, since I'm currently using the built-in midi player. I might switch it to use the DMC object sometime soon.
well yeah. even using dmc2 theres like a split second delay when reloading and playing music. but no, i never had to wait 20 seconds for a new game. nothing unbearable. i just went and loaded a new game and it took exactly 7 seconds for the load bar to finish. and screens load in like a second.
Pixeltheif, did you notice all the binary numbers in your post started with a zero? You would save space if you didn't include those obvious zeros for another example.
Whenever I see the thumbs-hands used on a smiley like that, I imagine that they should be spinning around it. Which then reminds me of the first boss of Chalk.
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