Author: José Carlos
Date: 16:59:30 12/29/01
I posted this in winboard forum some time ago, but I got zero answers, so I think I can try, though it is a winboard question: [quote] I've decided to start a new thread about this because I think it is important. My question is: what should I do in case the GUI does not support a given feature? I understand that, if I want my engine to run under any wb protocol 2 compatible GUI, I must implement code for both possibilities for any feature, accepted or rejected. In the case discussed in the other thread: usermove. If I implemented usermove was just to avoid having to parse any command and try to guess if it is a legal move. With usermove, I know that the token following it, _must_ be a move. If I implement the possibility of usermove rejected, then why should I also implement usermove accepted? As for other features, what am I suppose to do if the GUI rejects it? If I support 'setboard' but the GUI doesn't, I simply can't set a board position. Nothing I can do about. If I support SAN but the GUI doesn't, either I must implement algebraic (in which case, why would I also implement SAN?) or simple I can't run under that GUI. My point is, if I (chess engine) must implement both possibilities (accepted and rejected), then it's easyer to only implement the rejected, and not use SAN or usermove. The possibility of both GUI and program implementing protocol partially means a bunch of compatibility problems, IMO. What if a GUI implements a new feature such as handling the book. If I implement that feature in Averno: - is correct to call Averno wb-proto2 compatible? - is that GUI wb-proto2 compatible? - why the hell would I implement such a feature if I have to consider the possibility that the feature is rejected, and then handle the book myself? José C. [end quote] The 'usermove' thread mentioned was about Scid, which is supposed to be wb protocol 2 compatible, but doesn't support 'usermove' and doesn't even 'reject' the feature. José C.
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