Programming Team

Programming Team


If you are reading this thread, you are most likely a programmer that has joined the ambitious project that is Thrive! If so, then welcome aboard! This thread is designed to best ease you and other new coders into the process of developing the game, and providing you with all the relevant information you need.

Use this thread for any general discussions on coding the game:
https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t886-programmer-coordination-discussion#17414

And here is a subforum just for you: https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/f26-programming

GitHub

GitHub, for those of you who don't know, is an online project hosting website that we use for Thrive. Our Github Repository, with all the code available for viewing, can be found here:
https://github.com/Revolutionary-Games/Thrive

Here is the readme for our code repo on GitHub:
https://github.com/Revolutionary-Games/Thrive/blob/master/README.md


Programming

If there are any issues with compiling or coding the game, please post them in this thread:
https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t999-development-troubleshooting

This game uses the entity component system, as opposed to more familiar object oriented programming. Read more about the differences between the two here:
http://piemaster.net/2011/07/entity-component-primer/

For a more in-depth understanding of the engine's architecture, check out the forum thread by the same name:
https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t1117-engine-architecture

For a program to synchronize the code folder on your computer with the code folder online on GitHub, and as a GUI alternative to just using command line git, here is TortoiseGit:
https://code.google.com/p/tortoisegit/

FAQ

What needs to be done?

Spoiler:

I have an idea of a quick thing to add. Where do I put it?

Spoiler:

Should I fork the repository or request access to https://github.com/Revolutionary-Games/Thrive/?

Spoiler:

How do I let people know of my changes if I fork the repository?

Spoiler:

Where should I suggest larger changes?

Spoiler:

If such a change is suggested, and I agree with it, should I fork the repository, implement the change, and notify people, requesting them to try it out?

Spoiler:

Where do I find API documentation?

Spoiler:

Nice! I actually thought about making something like this a few days ago.

For filling out the OP-

So, we currently have the microbe stage progress report that has the TODO list and everything. Problem is, the stuff in the TODO list should have been a little less broad (like "microbial compounds" should be divided into implementing the compounds separately), so maybe we should have something like this here, in a hierarchy of priority?

For example:

Implemented:

Player cell movement
Saving/Loading

Currently being worked on:

N/A

Priority features:

Other cells populating the pool (initially without or with very primitive AI)
Primitive ATP system (Player will lose ATP while they move)
Compounds: Oxygen and Sugar that dot the pool
Process: Anaerobic and aerobic respiration

Secondary features:

Simple microbe editor (only a few organelles initially)
User Interface (only a pause screen initially)
Compounds: Amino acids (to be used for Amino acid respiration and Fatty acid synthesis), Fatty acids (for Fatty acid respiration) and Water
Process: Amino acid respiration, fatty acid respiration and fatty acid synthesis
Improving cell AI (having them go after compounds or other cells, depending on their type)
Sound system

Other features:

Compounds: Carbon dioxide, proteins and ammonia
Process: Photosynthesis
Main menu
Cellular evolution

And to also include a link to every thread related to a particular feature.

Thanks for the response, but I don't want this thread to become like a tracker or a progress report. I just want it to be an intro thread for new programmers to get introduced to our project in terms of programming, as well as give them easy access to important links or info, kind of like this thread:

https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t692-important-read-before-posting

except for programmers.

Great idea! Let's see...

You already got a link to the GitHub repository in there. Maybe a note that the most current branch is the "prototype" branch would be appropriate. That will be temporary, though.

Probably the most important thing for new programmers is setting up their build
environment. For Windows, a link to the GitHub client or TortoiseGit for checking out the git repository is a good starting point. Then, a link to these instructions could be helpful.

I'll try and update the current code with some new documentation later today and maybe add a few easy issues to our GitHub tracker.

As a new programmer, I may know of some information that needs to be included, since the following questions are stumping me:

1. I have an idea of a quick thing to add. (In my case, it is a way to make the rotation of your organism smoother. The problem: try quickly moving your mouse around your own organism until it passes directly behind it. Your organism will suddenly switch direction).

a. On what forum should I suggest small changes like that? Programmer coordination discussion?

b. Or, since it's such a small feature, should I just add it myself and note the changes on "commit?"

2. Should I fork the repository or request access to the "prototype" branch?

a. If I should fork the repository, how do I let people know of my changes (on what thread)?

b. If I should request access to the prototype branch, on what thread should I post the request, or should I use some sort of PM?

3. Where should I suggest larger changes (such as refactoring code or adding a new feature)? If such a change is suggested, and I agree with it, should I fork the repository, implement the change, and notify people, requesting them to try it out?

I believe that a dedicated "New Programmers Start Here" thread will be great, and I highly suggest such a thread to answer or at least address these questions.

Very good points.

SuperLala wrote:

On what forum should I suggest small changes like that? Programmer coordination discussion?

I see two and a half options here. The first is creating a ticket in the GitHub tracker, which is probably preferrable for everything that wouldn't impact gameplay much. The other 1.5 options are to create a new thread or use an existing one as you suggested. Personally, I'd rather have a separate thread for each issue as it allows moderators to eventually just move the thread to the archive.

So in short: small suggestions that probably won't have far-reaching consequences (that includes bug reports) should go into the GitHub tracker. For stuff that could use a bit of discussion or is only an idea that needs to be fleshed out before implementation, use the forum.

SuperLala wrote:

Or, since it's such a small feature, should I just add it myself and note the changes on "commit?"

That would be really great. Which brings us to...

SuperLala wrote:

Should I fork the repository or request access to the "prototype" branch?

A fork is the most straight-forward way to contribute. Create a new branch in your fork, commit your changes to it and make a pull request. The pull request will show up as a new ticket in the original repository's tracker. If nothing happens with it within a couple of days, start bugging me with PMs here in the forum until I get off my lazy Belgium.

Regular contributors might eventually be granted direct commit access to the main repository to simplify that process.

Okay so I posted those questions to the OP. Nimbal, could you or one of the other coders give specific answers for each one? From your post I was only able to get answers for a few.

First off, this part:

NickTheNick wrote:

Or, if it is small enough, just add it in as a pull request and note the changes on the commit.

Should better be:

Quote :

Or, if you can implement the change yourself, fork the repository, commit your change and make a pull request.

In the second question about forking, you could add a link to the relevant GitHub article.

NickTheNick wrote:

How do I let people know of my changes if I fork the repository?

Make a pull request. (Nick: Note the link)

NickTheNick wrote:

Where should I suggest larger changes?

If you think your change requires some discussion, please use this forum. If it's a gameplay or mechanic change, post in the Design forum. If it's a change to the engine or something like refactoring, use the Programming forum. If you find a relevant one, please use an existing thread.

NickTheNick wrote:

If such a change is suggested, and I agree with it, should I fork the repository, implement the change, and notify people, requesting them to try it out?

Sure. Just remember to mark the suggestion as "being worked on". If it's a forum discussion, make a quick post about you starting work on it. In case of a GitHub ticket, make a comment or, if you can, assign it to yourself.

Thanks for all of those Nimbal, I updated all of them into the OP.

Some more things to add:

Quote :

Q: Where do I find API documentation?

A: The C++ functions and classes are documented with Doxygen comments in the header files. Lua functions and classes are documented directly in the scripts. If you prefer a browsable HTML version, you'll need to install Doxygen. Rerun CMake to make it find the Doxygen executable and you should get a "doc" build target. The output will be in the "doc" subdirectory of your build directory.

Quote :

Q: What needs to be done?

A: Look at our issue tracker. Most of the tickets you find there should be labeled as either

• Easy: Should be manageable for new contributors that have read some of our documentation, but don't yet have a firm grasp on the overall architecture and the planned gameplay mechanics.
  
• Intermediate: For those that are familiar with the engine and are experienced in programming.
  
• Difficult: Those issues usually require not only changes to the engine, but to the build system as well, e.g. adding new library dependencies. Not for the faint of heart.
  

Note that those labels are only estimates, so don't lose hope if you find a supposedly "easy" feature to be hard to implement. Don't be afraid to ask for help / advice, either as a comment on the issue itself or here in the forum.

Thanks, I uploaded those too.

Are there any other suggestions of what to fill out the OP with or is this sufficient for now?

I can't think of anything worthwhile to add right now, but I'm sure more will come up eventually. I'll just post it here whenever I get an idea.

As a new programmer one thing that i would have found quite useful for getting started would be a quick note that the game is using the entity component system instead of the more familiar to most OOP

Perhaps with accompanying short explanation (e.g. piemaster.net/2011/07/entity-component-primer/), and perhaps a link for people to go for more indepth understanding https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t1117p15-engine-architecture

Okay thanks I uploaded that into the OP.

Nimbal do you have an explanation I could add for what TortoiseGit does? At the moment it seems kind of just thrown in there.

NickTheNick wrote:

Nimbal do you have an explanation I could add for what TortoiseGit does? At the moment it seems kind of just thrown in there.

More or less, TortoiseGit is what you use to synchronize the code folder on your computer with the code folder online on GitHub.

...Don't let my unNimbalness deceive you

Thanks, got it up.

Quote :

More or less, TortoiseGit is what you use to synchronize the code folder on your computer with the code folder online on GitHub.

I would probably add that it's a gui alternative to just using command line git

Done.

Some updates to existing stuff:

Quote :

Here is the readme for the our code repo on GitHub:
https://github.com/Revolutionary-Games/Thrive/blob/prototype/mingw_setup/readme.txt

The link has changed to https://github.com/Revolutionary-Games/Thrive/blob/master/mingw_setup/readme.txt. (Also, either "the" or "our" can be removed from the sentence.)

Quote :

Should I fork the repository or request access to the "prototype" branch?

Should now read

Quote :

Should I fork the repository or request access to repository at https://github.com/Revolutionary-Games/Thrive/?

Nimbal, the first two links you posted didn't work, but I did fix the typo and the second change.

The punctuation at the end of each link needs to be removed.

I got rid of the "readme.txt." and it works. Thanks for the help.

You don't even have to get rid of "readme.txt." You just have to change it to "readme.txt" (without the period at the end)