Re: [XBoard-devel] New wb2 protocol command "gui"

[Tim Mann]

It would be better to define a new "feature" command for each feature
that other GUIs have and xboard doesn't.  That's how the protocol is
supposed to be extended.

Either way, you'll have to get the other GUI authors to start supporting
this addition for it to be of any use to engine authors.

On Sat, 06 Nov 2004 23:29:03 +0100, Daniel Mehrmann <address@hidden> wrote:
> Hello folks :)
> 
> After a long time i did something for xboard/winboard.
> A lot of engine authors wish to know which wb2 GUI will be used.
> A lot of commercial/free GUI's support extend features above wb2 protocol.
> 
> With this command the engine now knows which gui running and _can_, not
> _must_, support special features for the GUI.
> 
> For example its not clear defined how to look the PV string in wb2.
> That not bad, because each author can do it yourself and have more free
> space to use it :)
> Example we send the nice line: "12. de5 Qxe5 13. Ndxe5 a7a8=Q....."
> 
> But other GUIs can't read that stuff and want to have:
> "d4e5 d7d5 f3e5 a7a8q"
> 
> I send my idea to our CVS server but that _not_ mean thats offical !.
> I only give you a change to look about, make some "brain stroming".
> Allso Tims response is very importend. If no we drop this :(
> 
> I post this suggestion to the CCC Forum too.
> 
> How it technial works please read the changed engine-intf.html file :)
> 
> The DIFF:
> ---------
> backend.c:
> 
> +      sprintf(buf, "xboard\ngui xboard %s\nprotover %d\n", VERSION,   
> cps->protocolVersion);
> -      sprintf(buf, "xboard\nprotover %d\n", cps->protocolVersion);
> 
> engine-intf.html:
> 
> -<dt><font color=blue><strong>gui GUI_NAME 
> VERSION.SUBVERSION</strong></font>
> -<dd><font color=blue>
> -This is a new feature. The GUI sending after the "xboard" command and 
> before
> -"protover N" string the command "gui <GUI_NAME> <VERSION>.<SUBVERSION>"
> -to the engine. The GUI_NAME is a string. VERSION and SUBVERSION is 
> <i><strong>one</strong></i>
> -character.<br>
> -This command will be send always. You don't need to answer because its only
> -a information for the engine. I recommend that the engine not response.
> -The idea behind this command is that the engine now know which special 
> feature
> -support the named GUI.<br>
> -To make the GUI string clear the known GUIs will be predefined:<br>
> -<br>
> -gui arena                    = send by Arena<br>
> -gui chessassistant   = send by Chess Assistant<br>
> -gui chessbase                = send by ChessBase<br>
> -gui chessmaster              = send by ChessMaster<br>
> -gui chesspartner     = send by ChessPartner GUI<br>
> -gui wb2uci                   = send by wb2uci adapter<br>
> -gui xboard                   = send by Winboard/Xboard<br>
> -<br>
> -This list is not completely and will be extend in the future.<br>
> -<br>
> -Example:<br>
> -Winboard / Xboard send:<br>
> -xboard\n<br>
> -gui xboard 4.2\n<br>
> -protover 2\n<br>
> -</font>
> -<p>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 


-- 
Tim Mann  address@hidden  http://tim-mann.org/