Chess

[Richard Frost]

What is a File Manifest? 

The chess package is like most others - simply unzip it and the
chessdat directory will be created, which is where most of the files
go (pieces, mainly). The file and directory names under chessdat seem
pretty clear to me, except s2,s3,s4, etc., and one finds they're piece
sets by looking at them.  I'd include the executables for any
destination other than the Forum.  Users here like to compile stuff.

What use would a text file explaining all the files be?  They're not
meant to be changed, except by the program.

Is it wrong to have so many support files?  Should I be using some
utility to combine them all into one file? 

[Qwerkey]

What is a File Manifest? 

Thank you @Richard Frost, I didn't like to appear stupid enough to ask the same question! @bplus.

I would say that there is nothing wrong with a folder full of support files.  I do it all the time.

[bplus]

Thank you @Richard Frost, I didn't like to appear stupid enough to ask the same question! @bplus.

I would say that there is nothing wrong with a folder full of support files.  I do it all the time.

Have you heard of a ship's manifest?

It just a listing or description of all items being transported with no judgements made on their contents or number.

I was mostly wondering what TF.bas and minimax,bas were and just searched chess to see.

The help file was found under chessdata and appears very different than previous.

I dont like piece to be moved to automatically be the one I moved previously after 2 secs.

[TempodiBasic]

I'm ready fonr another chess game!

Taken .ZIP and extracted into a folder Chess into QB64 folder
Loaded into QB64IDE 1.5 I got this error relative to the path of library. Buuut the library path is correct because it is relative to the current directory where is the .BAS file.

see attachment
 

Some suggestions?

[bplus]

I'm ready fonr another chess game!

Taken .ZIP and extracted into a folder Chess into QB64 folder
Loaded into QB64IDE 1.5 I got this error relative to the path of library. Buuut the library path is correct because it is relative to the current directory where is the .BAS file.

see attachment
 

Some suggestions?

Confirmed! When I rename MEM.H file in my QB64.exe folder I get same error.

@TempodiBasic  move that mem.h file to your QB64.exe folder.

[TempodiBasic]

Yep
Cool!
I must admit that are interesting new except the mouse selection of piece on the keyboard... also if no click I find select the piece pointed at the moment. And I must use Escape key to unselect the piece.

[Richard Frost]

Bplus, the automatic thing you don't like is Hover mode, which can
be turned off with H or in the Setup menu. I'll make it OFF by default.

I really like Hover mode, because I often play in bed, with the laptop
sitting sideways on a table, and it's awkward to press a mouse button.
The downside of it is having to remember to move the cursor off the
piece after moving. As Heinlein liked to say, TANSTAAFL.

That mem.h problem makes no sense to me.  I'll start putting it in
both places in the zip (main and the subdirectory).  Maybe that'll
fix it.  *I* don't need to have it in the same directory as QB64 to
load chess into the IDE without error, or compile.  Is my computer
somehow special?  Well, yes - because I clean the dust out of the cracks
with plastic toothpicks that have a brush on the end.  A clean computer
works much better.  Keeps the bits coherent.  Placing garden gnomes on
each side also helps to keep bits in line. Border Collies would be even
better but they'd pee on the keyboard and steal my Doritos.

[bplus]

Ha! It's like you've seen my keyboard, the only thing it lacks is bits of fried squirrel but that's a Canadian thing I think.

It does get vacuumed more than the house but that's not saying much. Thanks for tip on hoover option and garden gnomes. I always wondered what they were for.

[Richard Frost]

Latest version - Other info displays bird when there are no taken pieces to be displayed.

Fixed a bug I found in descriptive notation, plus other minor improvments.

Hover mode set to OFF in initialization file (chessb.dat).

[TempodiBasic]

Hi Richard Frost
I got it, and it is so cool (except for the AI). Good job and it is fantastic to put off the hover effect as default!

About minmax....it must grew in AI but it is  stronger than Chess.exe AI.
PS: Minmax doesn't accept to loose! It's a baby!
 

[Richard Frost]

Minimax is way smarter than Dodo.  In the hundreds of games they've
played each other, Dodo has only won three times.  And Minimax is far
faster too.  The speed is due to Alpha-Beta pruning, which I've tried to
implement into Dodo, so far with no success.

I modified Minimax to be a tester for Dodo - not sure it works properly
on it's own.  I also added decent pieces.

Where my program shines is being able to take back any number of moves,
automatic saving of games for replay or printing, time tracking, the
recent addition of descriptive notation (which was difficult), overall
appearance, configurability, and simplicity of use.

[Richard Frost]

With this update the plasma effect is finally fast and smooth.  The bottleneck was the
minor bit of text processing I was doing for the menus. 

As I've said before, it isn't entirely bad that Dodo is so stupid.  Who wants to play modern
chess engines that always win? 

I hope the Librarian is deleting previous versions of the zip.  Waste of space if not.  Maybe
6 megs is peanuts these days, and it doesn't matter.

[Richard Frost]

Comments?

I've got one.  Hey, Ricardo, your color choices are pathetic.

Anyway, a lot of bug fixes, mostly too tiny for anyone to have noticed.
 

[Junior Librarian]

Library entry updated today.

[Richard Frost]

How embarrassing, found small/annoying bug of one menu overwriting another.