clickteam_phi

DarkEdif improvements, and other updates

Added 2023-04-11 11:37:55 +0000 UTC

Hey folks,

So, it's time for another update. Mostly because I'm waiting for the bathroom to be free.

DarkEdif for Mac

DarkEdif SDK for Mac is now out. So you can write C++ code, and use it in Windows, Android, iOS and Mac. Built-in C++ standard stuff like text manipulation and header-only libraries are particularly good, as they don't require extra libraries.
If you pull in any third-party libraries though, you'd obviously need to build them for any platforms you use. Bluewing Server demonstrates how to use them in DarkEdif, as it uses OpenSSL for its HTTPS-and-WSS-using HTML5/UWP clients.

DarkEdif even still works on Fusion 2.0, if you still need that. Unfortunately, mobile/Mac exporters have changed quite a bit since 2.0, but the basic code is still usable; you'd just have to rearrange the built files inside their packages.
If there is demand, I'll make it so the SDK can build for both, but outside of a few nostalgia developers I doubt there will be any.

Bluewing Client/Server for Mac

On that related note, Bluewing Client (b103) and Server (b36) now work on Mac! Any patron can grab them the same as they would any platform - provided you pay the fee to me, the troll under the bridge.

The Mac server supports mobile and everything else. At some point, I will use my evil knowledge of VS to make the C++-only bluewing-cpp-server Mac-compatible as well. Right now, that server supports Windows and *nix (so Ubuntu, Linux, Unix etc), and supports all the client types, including client Mac.

I have still been unable to sort out code signing. Apparently the only option available to me is to hire a lawyer or accountant to write a legal opinion letter that proves my business exists. That's quality UK law for you; dead easy to trade under a new name, and no way to prove you're the one trading under that name.
Code-certificate selling guys used to accept DUNS, who call you to check your details, but admittedly I could've set up ten companies with that verification process.

So far I've spoken to one lawyer team who've said they didn't know what to do with that request, another lawyer team who haven't got back to me, and I'll hit up a third one later. If anyone has a cheap UK lawyer they can recommend for a legal opinion letter, let me know. 😒

DarkEdif SDK prep tool

I'm writing a new tool that will make ext developers happy, especially the newbies.

The tool lets you generate a VS project set and solution file from the DarkEdif Template.

Everything will be pre-renamed inside the files, you can remove Fusion 2.0 Unicode configs, you can include templates of HTML5/UWP, you can generate a single project for Windows-only development, it exports Android/iOS/Mac wrapper files in case you want to write native code, etc: it's got it all.

It's currently sitting pretty at around 700 C# lines, still got some of the features to add. It's mostly adaptive, so if I change the DarkEdif Template later, the changes will be copied over too.

DarkEdif SDK help file

After this, hopefully I can create a DarkEdif SDK help file. There's lots of features and while I outlined quite a bit in the MMF2Exts wiki pages, to be honest a wiki just feels like the wrong format for it... and if I'm honest, I easily forget the wiki exists at all.

My plan with SDK is not to hold the ext dev's hand too much. Perhaps I'll make a tutorial, maybe even a video, but at some point with going from Fusion to C++, you're going to have to learn C++ == hard and investing the effort to understand is the only way. The only reason you're capable at Fusion was you told yourself dragging little images and reading in mostly English was easier - and honestly, it's not that much better, particularly with Fusion's glitches and oddities.

The DarkEdif help file will include a simple example of how to add A/C/E, an explanation of text encodings mostly ripped from the Bluewing help file's Unicode notes, how to debug crashes, and common problems when porting to new platforms.

I'm not planning to go into C++ fundamentals like pointers, memory management, binary, etc. Perhaps motivation will strike, though.

And of course, a list of all the DarkEdif SDK features and what to use them for. Although, there's several DarkEdif extensions on MMF2Exts so you can find by example.

What's next?

But next on list is getting SDL Joystick -> SDL Object transition done.

The rename opens it up for adding other SDL features, of which audio and keyboard interception has been requested.

Those, though, will have to wait, as they're either complicated or only useful in niche cases. I do value consistent code, but I'm not developing in Fusion myself, so it takes away a lot of the impact compared to say, a DebugObject update, which I would feasibly need for any quick Fusion app I made.

SDL looks like it needs a rewrite, as I don't agree with several of PkR's design choices, so now that I'm renaming and MFAs will need rewriting anyway, I can clear out the old stuff and reorganize the A/C/E's. His continued development on his variant also means our code was separating; a rename will help cement them as two different objects, rather than confusing any Fusion user why Fusion is crashing trying to load their Joystick MFAs.

So, current to-do list, in rough order: