[DM-dev] lines of communication between objects

[Stephan B. <ste...@ei...>]

Good morning!

For the upcoming changes we'll need to define some lines of=20
communication between the various objects. I mean, we'll need to decide=20
which objects know about each other, and how they interact. If we can=20
abstract this a bit (like by subclassing Rooms and Crawlers from a more=20
generic DungeonElement) they we will get the most extendability out of=20
it. These are my initial thoughts about who has to know about who=20
(denoted by arrows pointing to/from the classes):

For example:
Rooms <--- Walls
This means that Rooms need to know about walls, but walls don't need to=20
know about rooms.

Crawler <---> ???
DungeonMaker <---- Rooms
DungeonMaker <---- Crawler (??? <--- DungeonMaker)

All <---- Config (config is a bad word for this, because it implies ini=20
file, when it's really more generic than that - suggestions for a=20
better name?)

Once this is agreed upon I can start with the containers for holding=20
these objects (will use STL classes like maps, vectors, lists and=20
pairs), and the APIs for moving/copying them between objects (i.e., the=20
various AddXXX() methods).

Speaking of rooms:

The way I envision the basic Room API is something like this (of=20
course, completely up for change, though):

Remove/AddWall( Wall );=20
AddWall( int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2 )=20
// creates a Wall and calls AddWall( wall )
// must assert that x1=3D=3Dx2 OR y1=3D=3Dy2 (no diagonal walls), but thi=
s will=20
be done in Wall, and Wall will have a bool IsStraight() method which=20
returns false if the wall is not "straight".

typdef list<Wall *> WallList;
WallList GetWalls();  // DM can use this to actually lay out the room.

Various other STL-like iterator methods will also be supplied, for=20
looping through the walls.


Ideas?


----- Stephan Beal
Generic Universal Computer Guy
ste...@ei... - http://www.einsurance.de
Office: +49 (89) 552 92 862   Handy: +49 (179) 211 97 67
"Belief makes a hollow place. Something has to roll in to fill it."
-- Terry Pratchet