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| You can find me on IRC or use the discussion to post any comments or questions. | | You can find me on IRC or use the discussion to post any comments or questions. |
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| =Google Summer of Code application=
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| ==Abstract==
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| This is a proposal to work on the game clients server listing section in BZFlag. While coding for this project I would like to concentrate on providing useful features in an intuitive way. As by now, the listing provides very limited means of managing and finding game servers. In addition to low functionality, it does not make use of the already available information. Taking into consideration the future increase in the player quantity, this becomes an even more serious problem. During the Summer of Code I would like to improve BZFlag so that it becomes more user friendly and ready for the future community growth.
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| ==Assumptions==
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| The project is specific due to the fact that the server list is an important part of the UI. As a consequence, a constant community contact as well as frequent prototyping is a crucial condition of its success. Therefore, modifications can be introduced to some aspects of my idea during the process, but, if any, they will be just minor changes. I have put stress on planning the project in a way making it most extensible.
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| My idea is to keep the UI as simple as possible, I am going to base the future look and code on the present ones. On such approach everyone takes benefit, the users, who will not have to learn how to use the new interface, as long as they are satisfied with the current functionality, and the project/developers, because the number of external dependencies will not grow.
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| ==Detailed project description==
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| The new features will include:
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| ===Tabs===
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| 1. Replacing the current 'toggle view' system with a shortcut-opened menu allowing to choose the tab to be displayed. It will consist of the following default tabs: server list, favorites, recently used, buddy list and of those defined by the user. Every tab is going to have the form of listed servers, so that the set of actions one can perform on them will consist of those identical for all of them and some context specific ones, e.g adding a friend to buddies list. In the matter of the favorites tab, I am going to add the possibility of giving user-specified names to the servers and dividing them into categories, thus releasing the player from the need of remembering any additional information. The number of saved, recently used servers will be set in the options.
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| 1.1 The buddy list will be an useful, completely new feature. Currently, the player has to leave the game to check whether and where his friends are playing. This tab is going to allow making a buddy list and on its basis create a list of servers, accessible on one keystroke. I am thinking of getting the required information from the current users database used by the page http://my.bzflag.org/currentplayers.php.
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| 1.2 Creating new tabs is essencial as it will remove the need of performig repetitive actions. There will be several methods of modificating the tabs content. One of them is employing the currently seen list, either by appending it to a tabs content or by replacing it. This approach allows fast creation of tabs with previously filtered lists. The other way of modification will be a simple ‘add this server to a tab’ option displaying the list of possible targets. There will be means of removing elements from the list and creating blank tabs too. The filter settings of each custom tab will be saved seperately. This feature will be a great convenience providing a powerful tool of server managing. Some of the exemplary adaptations are: saving performed searches, creating themed tabs- e.g for leagues, making pre-defined search masks- using them would need only replacing the tabs list with the complete server list.
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| ===Features that will serve modifying the list displayed in the tab===
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| 2. The elements named in 2.1.2 and 2.2.2 will be thoroughly discussed with the community during the May Interim Period as changing them does not have greater relevance in the project complexity. The feedback of players is necessary because this is one of the most common used parts of the UI.
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| 2.1.1 Dividing the server information on the list into columns, each having its own header. This way more details about the servers can be shown in a transparent way. It will make the information not only more readable but also create an easy way of sorting it by column selection.
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| 2.1.2 My current idea of a column headers list includes: server name, ping, number of players, number of free slots, port, time, country, map name.
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| 2.2.1 Creating a list of filters. The filters will be simple multi-choice fields, like those in the options, sometimes with the need of specifying a number value. This way the user can narrow his selection to servers, closely matching his needs, by simply hiding large, unwanted groups.
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| 2.2.2 My current idea of a filter list includes: maximum ping, max/min number of players, number of free player slots, game version, required registration, public or private server, server specifics (jump, ricochet, number of shots etc.).
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| ===Other changes===
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| 3.1 Making the font smaller. The current font size makes it impossible to show long server names. Because the new features will add even more information to the server list box this change will be inevitable.
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| 3.2 Creating a settings menu in the options which will make the server listing configurable. Among others it will allow changing such parameters as: size of the history of recently used, scrolled/paged server list style, columns viewed in the server list.
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| 3.3 Adding a 'refresh view' option.
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| 3.4 Highlighting the text found with the help of the search tool.
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You can find me on IRC or use the discussion to post any comments or questions.