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Subject: Re: Is it time for the Winboard Protocol to go the way of the Dodo?

Author: Russell Reagan

Date: 11:08:00 03/09/05

Go up one level in this thread


On March 09, 2005 at 13:30:45, Dann Corbit wrote:

>On March 09, 2005 at 12:13:26, Anthony Cozzie wrote:
>
>>After the post on how Daniel Mehrmann is still working on XBoard/Winboard, I
>>immediately starting thinking of ways to waste his time.  My question is: Does
>>Winboard really have any advantages over UCI any more?
>>
>>The Anthony WB/UCI comparison:
>>
>>+UCI:
>>
>>Interface is cleaner & easier to implement, not being based on the crappy GNU
>>chess protocol.
>>
>>Supports Multiple PVs, refutations, etc.
>>
>>Graphical configuration of engines.
>>
>>+WinBoard:
>>
>>Can operate in text mode.
>>
>>And this comparison is (obviously) quite favorable to UCI, although I may have
>>missed things.  Anyway, I'd be willing to help Daniel out over the next few
>>weeks if it meant a new version of Xboard with UCI support, and I'm guessing
>>there would be a few other people willing to help out as well.
>
>Both interfaces are flawed.
>
>I would use a database, it makes a lot more sense than string messages.


I know we've discusssed this before, but I don't remember the details. Text
pipes are about as generic as you can get. You can use them with just about any
programming language on any operating system, or send them over a network, pipe
them through a filter/adapter, or whatever else someone comes up with. How would
my engine interface with a database using your idea? Using text pipes, the only
requirement is that my programming language and operating system support
standard input and output, which is a pretty safe assumption.


>Biggest problem with UCI -- tranferring the entire move list for every move.
>That is absurd.


I don't think that's the biggest problem with UCI. The fact that I simply cannot
do certain things without jumping through hoops is the biggest problem, IMO. I
can't imagine transferring the entire move list being a problem unless I'm
running on a z80.


>Biggest problem with Winboard -- parameter setup requires editing files.  YUCK!


Amen.



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