Next Mala Update?

[mscromer]

Hey Loadman: I was just curious, is there a newer version of mala in the works and if so is there a release date you are shooting for or just whenever its done. Hope I'm not coming across as pushy, just curious.

[loadman]

Yes I'm working on the next version of MaLa.

Hopefully it will be out before Duke Nukem Forever 

I have not decided if it's better to do many minor releases or wait and have things properly beta tested by a group? I dunno

Anyway I am overcoming some obstacles right now such as using a German IDE (I speak English only) and reading Swindus code (which is great it's just getting used to it).

I also have to decide when to change the code so I can use it in that latest Delphi English IDE. This will be great for me as I will understand the error messages.    The hurdle here is the Delphi 3rd party components are not compatable from Delphi 5 - 2007 so it is a big move. My current thinking is to leave it as is until I have squished a few current bugs and leave the move to Delphi 2007 later. At that later point I can enhance MaLa in a better development enviroment for me.   

Anyway I appreciate people answering forum questions here as it allows me to spend my spare time coding :-)

My position is outlined here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=79974.msg834970#msg834970

[TheShanMan]

I vote for many releases along the lines of mame's "u" approach. Essentially many releases until things stabilize and then an official release.

You may prefer to hold off for now on migrating to an English delphi, but you might get more community assistance with development if you do that now (assuming you want that).

[loadman]

Yeah I guess .....

Ideas:

1) I can have a 'crippled' MaLa version (made in Delphi 2007) in beta avaliable and just build on implimenting all the features eventually if users are interested in playing with that. IE no video or sound in MaLa to start with and only basic layouts to start with.

2) I can stick with minor beta releases using the German Gui and in the background work on the new version using Delphi 2007 and release it 'when it's done' :-)

I am open to suggestions, depending on the number of volunteers for beta testing 'half baked' MaLa versions I guess

[solderguy1]

Do it whichever way that let's you go the longest before burning out.

[loadman]

Do it whichever way that let's you go the longest before burning out.

[Thinking_aloud] Well I might just fix a few bugs and make a release (using Delphi 5 in German) then spend some time on the next version (using Delphi 2007) but there will be a fair gap ip time for that release as its a bit of work but it may fix a few issues like video problems and crashing in sleep mode in the process.

Long term I think it's best to get MaLa compiling with the latest IDE so bug fixing and enhancements are a joy for me to tackle.

[TheShanMan]

Do it whichever way that let's you go the longest before burning out.

Absolutely!!!

[squirrellydw]

yeah, fix the known bugs now, then work on converting it over so you can read the errors.  We have waited along time for an update so if you can fix the known bugs it would be great.  Waiting a little longer for the next major update is not that big a deal.

[Space Fractal]

Which third party componets does not work?

For the sound trough, you can completely remove that, since I think the SoundWav plug-in can do all that work or just add the removed unique features in MaLa and move them to SoundWav plug-in, so the SoundWav do all the sound work, if that is possible.

Otherwice I guess the third party component used is a wrapper to a old version of bass. I think you should update to use the newest bass (which is v2.4) which have some major changes to some of the BASS commands from the old version used. There is delphi examples as well, so I sure you can get that to work instead.

I do not know about videos for Delphi. In Arcade Music Box I do used a wrapper in Pure Basic to get videos to work, AMB was wrote in Blitz Basic (which is not 100% comtabile with Blitz Max).

I do understand the time taking to convertning to Delphi 2007, because it much easier for him to  fix bugs as well.

[loadman]

Which third party componets does not work?

- Graphics strecthing, rotating  (layout)
- Videos (layout and screensaver)
- XML Parasing (mame game list)
- Sound and Mp3 tag
- KeyboardHook
- Logging
- FindFile
- MalA hardware and Pacdrive Driver

Nothing that can't be replaced in time 

I think you should update to use the newest bass (which is v2.4) which have some major changes to some of the BASS commands from the old version used. There is delphi examples as well, so I sure you can get that to work instead.

I think that would be a good idea

[youki]

Hi Loadman,

My 2 cents :

Keep a version of mala with the german IDE Delphi 5. (unless you manage to find a English Delphi 5, that could be a good solution for you at start).

On that version you fix only Showstopper bugs. You keep it on "air" just in case, you need to do urgent fix.

But don't do any new development.

Meanwhile, you start to port mala to Delphi 2007 , once done you can start on new good base and really speed up future your development.

I had the same kind of concerns for Atomic. Not for problem with 3rd party component because i don't use external component. (all his "home made").  But when i decided to rewrite completly configuration tools. I just keeped a version for urgent fix , but i freezed the enhancement.  And meanwhile, i started a brand new project for config tools. I'm working now for one year on that new config tool without being able to release any Atomic major version.  That's very frustrating because as developper you want show to others your work and answer to user expectations . But i think on long term it worth the effort. I was stucked with my old tool , now the fact to have rewrited from zero should save me lot of time and effort in the future.
At least i hope, the new version is not yet released! but should be soon now...

[loadman]

Hi Loadman,

My 2 cents :

Keep a version of mala with the german IDE Delphi 5. (unless you manage to find a English Delphi 5, that could be a good solution for you at start).

On that version you fix only Showstopper bugs. You keep it on "air" just in case, you need to do urgent fix.

But don't do any new development.

Meanwhile, you start to port mala to Delphi 2007 , once done you can start on new good base and really speed up future your development.

I had the same kind of concerns for Atomic. Not for problem with 3rd party component because i don't use external component. (all his "home made").  But when i decided to rewrite completly configuration tools. I just keeped a version for urgent fix , but i freezed the enhancement.  And meanwhile, i started a brand new project for config tools. I'm working now for one year on that new config tool without being able to release any Atomic major version.  That's very frustrating because as developper you want show to others your work and answer to user expectations . But i think on long term it worth the effort. I was stucked with my old tool , now the fact to have rewrited from zero should save me lot of time and effort in the future.
At least i hope, the new version is not yet released! but should be soon now...

Thanks for the tips...

I don't blame you for wanting to re-write atomic tools. They were a bit clunky IMHO last time I looked 

I did search for many days and did find many cracked versions of the Delphi 5 in English but they were not 100% right. So I have given up up that I won't port MaLa to Delphi 5 English or Delphi 7 English.. I will bite the bullet and go to Delphi 2007 even if it kills me as I want a good base and it has some nice built in Vista options to keep MaLa up to date,

So your advice is pretty much what I plan to do now anyway I think. However I will make a few MINOR enhancements with the Geraman IDE and work on Delphi 2007 in the background. 

I don't want to come across to everyone as 'all talk and no action'. It is just that my time is limited so I want to make sure I head in the most effeicient direction for long term results.

Thanks to everyone for you patience and support 

[loadman]

OK time to use this IDE even though it is not ideal for me. 

To assist me I increased Log Level then on a second monitor have started watching logs in 'real time' while running mala which helps a lot... 

I squashed a bug on the list today. 

Development (slow as it is) can be seen here:

http://malafe.net/index.php?page=wip-development

[Space Fractal]

did you smashed that into a wall? 

is there a bug list, how many of them you need to smash first?

[nuka1195]

have you considered setting up an svn repository? or do you want to keep the source private?

if you did this other people could submit patches. you would also get more testing (theoretically).

[loadman]

did you smashed that into a wall? 
is there a bug list, how many of them you need to smash first?

There is a bug list. About six to go. It felt good (My first kill that is) 

have you considered setting up an svn repository? or do you want to keep the source private?
if you did this other people could submit patches. you would also get more testing (theoretically).

The code was handed to me but not to be open source I'm afraid.. But I do plan to expand the plug-in system so other dev's can 'grow your own'.

[headkaze]

Can I suggest something else to help you debug certain situations.

Get yourself a copy of DebugView and then you can use the Win32 API function OutputDebugString() to output text to DebugView. In cases where you don't particularly want to output to a log file this can be quite handy. It's great for debugging things like dll's too.

[loadman]

Can I suggest something else to help you debug certain situations.

Get yourself a copy of DebugView and then you can use the Win32 API function OutputDebugString() to output text to DebugView. In cases where you don't particularly want to output to a log file this can be quite handy. It's great for debugging things like dll's too.

Cool    I just tried that.

That will be handy for putting in temporary logging i don't want ever to be in the log file.

[loadman]

On the weekend I managed to convert some of the MaLa tools from being compiled on Delphi 5 (German Version) to Delphi 2007 (English version).      

Are you all sick of me taking about this issue yet? 

This does not mean much to the average user (other than a system message will be in English) but it is a BIG deal for me as I don't speak German and Delphi 2007 is so much nicer for dummies like me. It spoon feeds you basic programming syntax etc.

Anyway my point is everyone, when you get a chance can you please try the beta versions of the tools to make sure they work the same as the current version. So far I have done
- MaLa GameList Editor
- MaLa Tree Editor
- MaLa - Mamewah layout converter

Note: The beta version of MaLa itself is still being compiled using Delphi 5. That is a big job to change that over.    ... but it needs to be done to make future MaLa development much easier for me.

[fatfingers]

 

[TheShanMan]

I can understand the benefit you're experiencing, and I like hearing about the incremental progress. Too much info is better than too little in my book!