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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Naming Scheme For Xnet Entries


rincewind

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Hi,

 

those who have followed the appropriate threads in the Programming forum and the one about the xnet-webinterface in CTD already know, that we well have to assign each xnet entry a symbolic name. In the xml file for the xnet this will replace the current name string.

The name to show in he GUI will be looked up in a language file.

The symbolic name will for example be used to assign each entry the right model and for being able to link the right xnet-entry to an inventory item.

 

Sp what we should agree on her is some form of naming scheme for those names so it doesn't get too confusing.

 

For now, the generel direction goes somewhere towards ITEM_PLASMA_CANNON, ALIEN_GREY, ALIEN_GREY_AUTOPSY, etc. But there has never been official talk about it.

 

So here's room for discussion, now...

 

Greetings,

 

Rincewind

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Hi,

 

those who have followed the appropriate threads in the Programming forum and the one about the xnet-webinterface in CTD already know, that we well have to assign each xnet entry a symbolic name. In the xml file for the xnet this will replace the current name string.

The name to show in he GUI will be looked up in a language file.

The symbolic name will for example be used to assign each entry the right model and for being able to link the right  xnet-entry to an inventory item.

 

Sp what we should agree on her is some form of naming scheme for those names so it doesn't get too confusing.

 

For now, the generel direction goes somewhere towards ITEM_PLASMA_CANNON, ALIEN_GREY, ALIEN_GREY_AUTOPSY, etc. But there has never been official talk about it.

 

So here's room for discussion, now...

 

Greetings,

 

Rincewind

 

IMO we should keep it simple, if it's not going to be shown to the player, then we should follow a pattern like that you suggested. We could group them in:

 

ALIEN_[] (live and autopsies)

WEAPON_[] (both Human and Alien, though they could be in two categories)

TANK_[] (tanks)

ITEM_[] (miscellaneous equipment, both Alien and Human, ditto WEAPON)

SHIP_[] (Human aircraft)

UFO_[] (Alien Craft)

FACILITY_[] (Base Facilities)

COMPONENT_[] (UFO components)

RESEARCH_[]

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The idea:

 

Category and name as taken from the XML file, for simplicities sake. All in uppercase, spaces replaced with underscores, apostroph's (in UFO's) stripped.

 

WEAPON_HUMAN_PISTOL

WEAPON_LIGHT_RIFLE

WEAPON_HEAVY_RIFLE

WEAPON_AUTO_CANNON

WEAPON_ROCKET_LAUNCHER

WEAPON_GRENADE

WEAPON_PROXIMITY_GRENADE

WEAPON_LASER_PISTOL

WEAPON_LASER_RIFLE

WEAPON_HEAVY_LASER_RIFLE

WEAPON_PLASMA_PISTOL

WEAPON_PLASMA_RIFLE

WEAPON_HEAVY_PLASMA_RIFLE

WEAPON_FUSIONBOMB_LAUNCHER

WEAPON_ALIEN_GRENADE

WEAPON_STUN_LAUNCHER

AMMO_PLASMA_RIFLE_CLIP

AMMO_HEAVY_PLASMA_RIFLE_CLIP

AMMO_STUNBOMB

AMMO_FUSION_BOMB

AMMO_PISTOL_CLIP

AMMO_LIGHT_RIFLE_CLIP

AMMO_HEAVY_RIFLE_CLIP

EQUIPMENT_HIGH_EXPLOSIVE

EQUIPMENT_STUN_BATON

EQUIPMENT_MOTION_SENSOR

EQUIPMENT_FIELD_MEDICAL_KIT

EQUIPMENT_PSIONIC_AMPLIFIER

EQUIPMENT_FLASH_POD

EQUIPMENT_STANDARD_ISSUE_UNIFORM

EQUIPMENT_LIGHT_ARMOR

EQUIPMENT_HEAVY_ARMOR

EQUIPMENT_FLIGHT_ARMOR

EQUIPMENT_PSIONIC_PROBE

EQUIPMENT_SMOKE_GRENADE

FACILITY_BARRACKS

FACILITY_ACCESS_LIFT

FACILITY_SMALL_RADAR

FACILITY_LARGE_RADAR

FACILITY_MISSILE_DEFENSE

FACILITY_LASER_DEFENSE

FACILITY_PLASMA_DEFENSE

FACILITY_FUSION_DEFENSE

FACILITY_GENERAL_STORES

FACILITY_ALIEN_CONTAINMENT

FACILITY_PSIONIC_TRAINING_LAB

FACILITY_GRAV_SHIELD

FACILITY_MIND_SHIELD

FACILITY_HYPERWAVE_DECODER

FACILITY_LABORATORY

FACILITY_HANGAR

FACILITY_WORKSHOP

ARMAMENT_SIDEWINDER

ARMAMENT_TITAN

ARMAMENT_CANNON

ARMAMENT_LASER_CANNON

ARMAMENT_PLASMA_CANNON

ARMAMENT_FUSION_MISSILE_LAUNCHER

AUTOPSY_MORLOCK

AUTOPSY_SATYRIAN

AUTOPSY_VIPER

AUTOPSY_SILABRATE

AUTOPSY_ARTOPOD

AUTOPSY_CLOAK

AUTOPSY_GREY

AUTOPSY_SPAWN

AUTOPSY_RAPTOR

AUTOPSY_VENTRICULANT

AUTOPSY_TERROR_DISK

AIRCRAFT_XC-1

AIRCRAFT_XC-11

AIRCRAFT_XC-2

AIRCRAFT_XC-22

AIRCRAFT_XC-33

RESEARCH_ALIEN_ORIGINS

RESEARCH_MARTIAN_SOLUTION

RESEARCH_CYDONIA_BUST

RESEARCH_ALIEN_RESEARCH

RESEARCH_ALIEN_ABDUCTIONS

RESEARCH_ALIEN_RETALIATION

RESEARCH_ALIEN_SUPPLY

COMPONENT_XENIUM_122

COMPONENT_ALIEN_ALLOY

COMPONENT_NAVAGATION

COMPONENT_XENIUM_REACTOR

COMPONENT_UFO_CONSTRUCTION

COMPONENT_ALIEN_FOOD

COMPONENT_ALIEN_ENTERTAINMENT

COMPONENT_ALIEN_SURGERY

COMPONENT_ALIEN_REPRODUCTION

COMPONENT_ALIEN_EXAMINATION_ROOM

UFO_SMALL_SCOUT

UFO_MEDIUM_SCOUT

UFO_LARGE_SCOUT

UFO_BATTLESHIP

UFO_INTIMIDATOR

UFO_HARVESTER

UFO_SUPPLY_SHIP

UFO_ABDUCTOR

XCAP_CANNON_TANK

XCAP_ROCKET_TANK

XCAP_LASER_TANK

XCAP_PLASMA_HOVERTANK

XCAP_LAUNCHER_HOVERTANK

WEAPON_SYSTEM_LASER

WEAPON_SYSTEM_PLASMA

ALIEN_MORLOCK

ALIEN_SATYRIAN

ALIEN_VIPER

ALIEN_SILABRATE

ALIEN_ARTOPOD

ALIEN_CLOAK

ALIEN_GREY

ALIEN_SPAWN

ALIEN_RAPTOR

ALIEN_VENTRICULANT

ALIEN_TERROR_DISK

INTERROGATION_SOLDIER

INTERROGATION_MEDIC

INTERROGATION_COMMANDER

INTERROGATION_LEADER

INTERROGATION_NAVIGATOR

Edited by kander
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The idea:

 

Category and name as taken from the XML file, for simplicities sake. All in uppercase, spaces replaced with underscores, apostroph's (in UFO's) stripped.

 

WEAPON_HUMAN_PISTOL

WEAPON_LIGHT_RIFLE

WEAPON_HEAVY_RIFLE

WEAPON_AUTO_CANNON

WEAPON_ROCKET_LAUNCHER

...cut

That looks impressive, Kander :). Thou please consult that names with Xenocide names, becouse we're not using original UFO names anymore (copyright issues).

 

Anyway, what about naming Xnet topics different way, as sometime ago Red Knight proposed. In example XNET_* or TOPIC_*, like XNET_WEAPON_AUTO_CANNON (I don't know our name for that weapon :blush1: ). Why? Here comes why:

 

For items this scheme for naming xnet entries is quite enough. But take an example of RESEARCH_LIVE_NAVIGATOR (example), this can reveal informations about any of the aliens ships, so UFO_something. Having XNET_UFO_* topics distinguish them as xnet entries from UFOs flying around earth. Or an alien research. Researching live alien gives you live alien xnet entry, researchin dead alien gives you an autopsy. How to name researches for those? ALIEN_* or AUTOPSY_*? Having XNET_LIVE_* or XNET_AUTOPSY_* gives you far more flexible design IMHO.

 

Anyway the researches design isn't quite ready becouse when we was making schemas for static data definition, we've encountered few problems (like everyone of us - Red Knight, Rincewind and me - saw the problem of researches in different way), so as I can remember we have delayed the discussion.

 

So, my propositios:

 

ITEM_* - all items, this includes categories like:

ITEM_WEAPON_*,

ITEM_AMMO_*,

or leave it as separate

WEAPON_*

AMMO_*

becouse the "class" of the item is taken from xsd:type attribute in xml file, but we have to make XNet entries names separate from the rest of names, so:

XNET_*, like:

XNET_WEAPON_*, XNET_AMMO_*, etc.

 

My 2 cents. :)

 

Guyver

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(discussion of prefixing xnet- entries with XNET_

 

I'm not quite sure if prefixing them poses other problems, if you have for example a dead alien in your inventory, it would be nice to offer a button leading right to the appropriate xnet-entry (if researched).

If the name is different, we would need another xml-file relating aliens (or items) to their appropriate xnet-entries.

On the other hand, this would allow for more flexibility...

 

Hmmm....

 

Rincewind

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(discussion of prefixing xnet- entries with XNET_

 

I'm not quite sure if prefixing them poses other problems, if you have for example a dead alien in your inventory, it would be nice to offer a button leading right to the appropriate xnet-entry (if researched).

If the name is different, we would need another xml-file relating aliens (or items) to their appropriate xnet-entries.

On the other hand, this would allow for more flexibility...

 

Hmmm....

 

Rincewind

Just had a look at basic.xsd. there, most of the prefixes are already defined, once for all kinds of stuff ITEM_, FACILITY_, etc. But also XNET_*.

So I guess, we'll have to use an XNET_-prefix for the xnet-entries and then later have to relate them somewhere to the actual items, etc.

 

Rincewind

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(discussion of prefixing xnet- entries with XNET_

 

I'm not quite sure if prefixing them poses other problems, if you have for example a dead alien in your inventory, it would be nice to offer a button leading right to the appropriate xnet-entry (if researched).

If the name is different, we would need another xml-file relating aliens (or items) to their appropriate xnet-entries.

On the other hand, this would allow for more flexibility...

 

Hmmm....

 

Rincewind

I will be possible. That way or another we need to be able to tell that when we have dead alien in store then we can research it and we need to tell what xnet entries are being actived. So this can be easily used for that feature also.

 

Just had a look at basic.xsd. there, most of the prefixes are already defined, once for all kinds of stuff ITEM_, FACILITY_, etc. But also XNET_*.

So I guess, we'll have to use an XNET_-prefix for the xnet-entries and then later have to relate them somewhere to the actual items, etc.

 

Rincewind

You know, what is now in schemas doesn't have to stay there forever :D. If something looks like it could be changed, why wouldn't we do that?

 

Greetings,

Guyver

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But some of the names in the XML file are not final yet, so that eventually will have to be changed, like

RESEARCH_MARTIAN_SOLUTION

RESEARCH_CYDONIA_BUST

RESEARCH_ALIEN_RESEARCH

RESEARCH_ALIEN_ABDUCTIONS

RESEARCH_ALIEN_RETALIATION

RESEARCH_ALIEN_SUPPLY

COMPONENT_XENIUM_122

COMPONENT_ALIEN_ALLOY

COMPONENT_NAVAGATION

COMPONENT_XENIUM_REACTOR

COMPONENT_UFO_CONSTRUCTION

COMPONENT_ALIEN_FOOD

 

Alien Alloys, UFO construction and Cydonia or Bust names haven't yet been decided. I'm not sure how this affects your work, but I'd just let you know :innocent:

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But some of the names in the XML file are not final yet, so that eventually will have to be changed, like
RESEARCH_MARTIAN_SOLUTION

COMPONENT_ALIEN_FOOD

 

Alien Alloys, UFO construction and Cydonia or Bust names haven't yet been decided. I'm not sure how this affects your work, but I'd just let you know :innocent:

 

This doesn't affect our work right now, just becouse it's yet to be programmed, so don't worry, the names will be developed in time, and when something will be needed then I'm sure that we'll ask you (CTD) to deliver proper name ;).

 

Guyver

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What about the "get more types - get more info" idea of the live alien research?

 

so an alien could go into categories:

 

Field data: Reports from field

 

Autopsy: Autopsy details

 

Specimen: Any live

 

Bagground: Live Leader/Commander

 

(medic and engineer too)

 

That would then become.......

 

ALIEN_GREY_FIELD

ALIEN_GREY_AUTOPSY

ALIEN_GREY_SPECIMEN

ALIEN_GREY_STORY

 

(I'd imagine that they'd follow each other in 1 doc)

Edited by mikker
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