Sandbox

[1337]

Recently I saw the need to have a little 'sandbox' project. It would be a project you can simply try out everything you like. An empty project might do the trick, but what if you need some boost headers? No problem: Just specify the include paths, the library path, the libraries. But wait, that already takes enough time to write my own smart pointer...

Wouldn't it be nice to simply make an svn checkout from somewhere, run cmake and there you go? You could do this with the trunk, but have fun compiling it
That's why I think we could create a sandbox fork from the current trunk.

Two questions: Where do I place the fork? Either game/code/fork/sandbox, game/code/branches/sandbox or game/code/tags/sandbox.
And does anyone have a particular wish as to what should stay in the code? For instance I could delete the whole class hierarchy stuff, but maybe the sandbox user might require exactly that.

[greenman]

hm... i think if you want to leave any code in the sandbox (maybe except from util) you would have to create different sandbox forks just to satisfy all needs... i would propose to clear out nearly everything (except from i.e. util and the build system) and use this as the sandbox...

as for the place to put it i would suggest either code/sandbox or code/branches/sandbox

[beni]

So that sandbox. I think it's pretty amazing. Can we release it as a developer release? "Have a look in what environment we're working. We want to share it with you." Something like this as intention why we would want to release it?

[greenman]

which version do you mean?

i think it already is kind of released as it is not embedded in any trunk/branches structure

[1337]

Which one would you like to release? The light version I suppose (the one without identifier and config values).

[beni]

Yes, the light version. I'm sorry for the confusion.

I guess it IS kind of released. What I mean is: Make it official. Post it on the webpage, create a new Page for the sandbox and some of it's features on the wiki, link it to download page or something. Just promote it, as I think it's a cool piece of very useful code. Come up with a nice release name, but of course separate it clearly from the original game.

As some of that work is bothersome I believe that there is potential motivation on your side to promote the sandbox and to make other people benefit from it. To do that we must properly release it. Otherwise it will just hang around in the repository and nobody will ever now what it is, what to do with it and why (s)he should even bother downloading it.

Just a short instruction how to download it with SVN should be enough. After all it's for other developers. I bet you got the idea.

[greenman]

yes you're right the wiki part is missing at the moment ...

i'm just asking myself: what could other developers (which do not develop for orxonox) use it for ? At the moment i only see the possibility to easily test some code in a short time, but thats also possible without our buildsystem. i'm just thinking about this because we might want to give it another name if we release it ?!

[beni]

Why not release both versions? I clicked through the sandboxes and it seemed to me, that both could be valuable for other developers, even those who do not work with Orxonox. I look at the sandboxes like advanced SDKs (similar to that what comes with Ogre, but more elaborate). Are there reasons who do speak against releasing either of them?
I'm strongly against the expression released for stuff that is just floating around in SVN. Who actually has a look at our whole SVN repository and says: "Oh, a sandbox, exactly what I was searching for, let's try it."? I guess not that many people. But how many people will try it, when we properly release it, with a small introduction to the features. As I mentioned already, this does not have to be idiot prove as we are talking to developers.
I just don't see the point of a sandbox, when it is just somewhere and people could download it and use it, when they happen to be lucky to stumble over it (maybe by accidentally messing up the checkout URL when downloading the game).

I don't know what you guys think. To me you don't seem to be that enthusiastic in presenting our framework to the developer's world. Or are you just really busy? Maybe I can help you out a bit. Not that I have nothing to do, but ...

[1337]

Well, I suppose I fear that not that many people are surfing around on our website... So the motivation to release the sandboxes was never there.

But of course I agree on your points. There is absolutely no reason against it. Anyway, if you have the time, you're welcome. I'll probably do it in January when I've got more time. Currently I'm doing a bit of the minimum because of other stuff, my apologies.