scidvspc-users

[Scidvspc-users] Analysis Engine interface changes.

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Just a little update about the state of the computer tournament and engine analysis code.

Last week i overhauled the UCI and Xboard code to make the Computer Tournament better. ... Basically i removed the "set position from fen" code and replaced it with the proper interfaces most uci engines expect: "set position and give movelist". Xboard code has also been changed alot. Anyway - the tournament feature should work better. In my testing Ivanhoe and Komodo are much stronger than before ;>

And today i've spent all afternoon removing a silly +1 offset between two data structures (the engine listbox which starts at 0 and the Analysis Widget toplevels which started at 1). There was lots of changes required in tactical game.

So maybe some minor chess engine features will be broken or have bugs in subversion. People are welcome to test the Analysis Engines , Tactical Game, Serious Game and Tournmanet features - which are hopefully working fine, but some lesser features using analysis engines like "Mate in N puzzles" havent been tested yet though should get done shortly. Windows users can use the make-scidgui.bat script to make a new "scid.gui".

Anyway...  my long term goals are to make a "Play against Stockfish" feature (Stockfish 2.1 has strength settings), probably by merging the Tactical game interface to Serious game... so here's hoping i find the time for it.

Steven

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Crash after addding the glaurung engine

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Thanks for testing this. I think i know this bug, and will fix it todey. 

In the meantime, your engine list should hopefully still be intact :) Just edit $HOME/.scidvspc/config/engines.dat
and remove the first (malformed) engine entry.

Xboard tournament support is also a little broken at the moment, so hopefully i fix this too, and I'm going to add a "Clone" or "Copy" button to allow to easily make different configurations of the same engine.

Steve

--- On Sat, 27/8/11, Emilio Díaz <uc...@ya...> wrote:

From: Emilio Díaz <uc...@ya...>
Subject: [Scidvspc-users] Crash after addding the glaurung engine
To: "sci...@li..." <sci...@li...>
Received: Saturday, 27 August, 2011, 3:25 AM

Crash after installing glaurung 2.2-2 on an ubuntu 11.04 x64.
The glaruurng engine was the one installed via synaptic.
After the crash the engines list is empty (!)
I added the glaurung engine, and scid_vs_pc crashed. the scid_vs_pc version was the last update via svn at august 26th.
after the crash scid_vs_pc post the  message:
**************************************expected integer but got ""expected integer but got ""    while executing"ParseFormatArgs {*}$args"    (procedure "::tcl::clock::format" line 6)    invoked from within"clock format $time -format "%d-%b-%Y %H:%M""    (procedure "::enginelist::date" line 2)    invoked from within"::enginelist::date $time"    (procedure "::enginelist::listEngines" line 15)    invoked from within"::enginelist::listEngines"    (procedure "::enginelist::choose" line 88)    invoked from within"::enginelist::choose"    invoked from within".#menu.#menu#tools invoke active"    ("uplevel" body line 1)    invoked from within"uplevel #0 [list $w invoke active]"    (procedure "tk::MenuInvoke" line 50)    invoked from within"tk::MenuInvoke .#menu.#menu#tools 1"    (command bound to event) **************************************


Of course I have no idea it's either a problem by glarurung or by scid_vs_pc,  but I thought it would be a good idea to inform about it, just in case.
Regards
  E Diaz
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[Scidvspc-users] Crash after addding the glaurung engine

[Emilio D. <uc...@ya...>]

Crash after installing glaurung 2.2-2 on an ubuntu 11.04 x64.

The glaruurng engine was the one installed via synaptic.

After the crash the engines list is empty (!)

I added the glaurung engine, and scid_vs_pc crashed. the scid_vs_pc version was the last update via svn at august 26th.

after the crash scid_vs_pc post the  message:

**************************************
expected integer but got ""
expected integer but got ""
    while executing
"ParseFormatArgs {*}$args"
    (procedure "::tcl::clock::format" line 6)
    invoked from within
"clock format $time -format "%d-%b-%Y %H:%M""
    (procedure "::enginelist::date" line 2)
    invoked from within
"::enginelist::date $time"
    (procedure "::enginelist::listEngines" line 15)
    invoked from within
"::enginelist::listEngines"
    (procedure "::enginelist::choose" line 88)
    invoked from within
"::enginelist::choose"
    invoked from within
".#menu.#menu#tools invoke active"
    ("uplevel" body line 1)
    invoked from within
"uplevel #0 [list $w invoke active]"
    (procedure "tk::MenuInvoke" line 50)
    invoked from within
"tk::MenuInvoke .#menu.#menu#tools 1"
    (command bound to event)
**************************************



Of course I have no idea it's either a problem by glarurung or by scid_vs_pc,  but I thought it would be a good idea to inform about it, just in case.

Regards

  E Diaz

[Scidvspc-users] translate Scid vs Pc help pages

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Hi Fernando,

Thanks for the offer of Spanish help translation. Yes, Scid vs. PC needs some work, and it'd be great to have some help.

The best starting point is to obtain the source code from the download page (or by checking out subversion) and examine the relevant files in the "tcl" directory.

(It *is* possible to edit the Scid GUI file directly, and not use the source code. The file is "/Applications/ScidvsMac.app/Contents/MacOS/scid" (or "/usr/local/bin/scid" on Linux, and "ScidVsPC/bin/scid.gui" on Windows), but it is very big and i don't recommend this).

The english help file is "tcl/help/help.tcl". Other languages keep their help text at the end of "tcl/lang/czech.tcl" (for example). 

So the process involves translating as much or as little of "help.tcl" as you wish , putting your code at the end of "tcl/lang/spanish.tcl"

There is one subtle difference between english and spanish.
The 
  "set helpTitle(Menus) ...."
lines will now look like
  "set helpTitle(S,Menus) ...."
where the S represents Spanish.

To test out your changes, you do not have to recompile or reinstall the whole App. From the source code, running
  "./configure"
and 
  "make scid"
is sufficient to make the new GUI file "scid", which you can then copy into to the Mac App with
"sudo cp scid /Applications/ScidvsMac.app/Contents/MacOS/scid"

There is a different process available for Windows users.

Note - special attention must be made to balancing the
"{" and "}" braces which Tcl uses to quote text.
Strange error messages will result otherwise. Tcl is very unforgiving &^%*#! There is more leeway about balancing the markup used in the help files (eg <p>, </p>, etc).

------

Re the interface translations. I *have* been a little neglectful of these, but i will try to update the translations as best i can in the next few weeks, then perhaps we can compile a list of the most outstanding buttons/menus in need of translating and make some progress.

------

I hope all this helps, and i haven't forgotten anything.

regards, Steven



> From: Fernando González <car...@us...>
> Subject: translate Scid vs Pc help pages
> To: "Steven" <ste...@us...>
> Cc: "Fernando González" <car...@us...>
> Received: Monday, 15 August, 2011, 1:22 AM
> Hi Steven
>                
>   I want to help you in translation of help pages of
> Scid vs Pc to 
> spanish. How can I do it?
> 
> And some parts of the interface too, indeed, if you want.
> 
> I use it in Mac and works very well (and use, too, Scid,
> Scidb, Exachess, 
> Chessx, and Chessdb, all with a database of 4.6 million
> games of 
> Chessbase). The interface of Scid vs Mac is pretty good,
> and the 
> performance is ok. I\'d like this soft.
> 
> But localizing the help pages is a key point for new users
> (Scid lack this 
> feature, too; but Scid is not friendly with new users
> anyway)... I would help 
> to this point.
> 
> Regards
> Fernando
> 

[Scidvspc-users] Scid vs. PC 4.5

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Hi...

Here's a new release.

The main new features are small chess figurines in the PGN
Window (coded by Gregor ;>) and the per-game time control
and clocks for the Computer Tournament.

Other features include : FICs has configurable colours (see
the help file) and a bug-fix. The Game List remembers it's
view when switching between bases, and the Game Browser has 
new buttons and functionality

There's been lots of work with the new OSX package (done
with Gilles). Macs are a tough platform to code for, but
this version is really gorgeous, and comes with it's own
font installer (see below).

On Windows, there's been more than a few minor tweaks,
(but we probably need a volunteer to make a nice windows
installer).

----

In the PGN window there is now an option to display Chess
Pieces. This depends on the ScidChessBerin.ttf font being
correctly installed on your operating system. On Windows 
you'll probably have to drag the fonts (from bin/fonts)
to /Windows/Fonts. It also depends on the Tcl TkImg
package being installed, which has to be done manually
on Linux.

The full changelog and download links are at the webpage
http://scidvspc.sf.net

cheers, S.A.

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Time control in computer tournament

[Emilio D. <uc...@ya...>]

Nice

I'll wait for the next linux release

Thanks for all!


>________________________________
>De: Steven <ste...@ya...>
>Para: Emilio Díaz <uc...@ya...>
>CC: sci...@li...
>Enviado: viernes 5 de agosto de 2011 12:21
>Asunto: Re: [Scidvspc-users] Time control in computer tournament
>
>Hi Emilio,
>
>There *is* Per-Game+Increment time control (with clocks) in the next release. No proper tournament time controls... though it's just a matter of making a bigger configuration widget really, but it's kind-of too big now.
>
>Anyway, there's a windows and osx beta here: 
>http://scidvspc.sourceforge.net/tmp
>
>If you're using windows, just extract the two files from the zipfile and place them in your previous Scid-vs-PC/bin directory. I think that's all that's necessary.
>
>Linux users will have to check-out subversion for testing.
>See the web page for details. There should be a proper release in a week or two.
>
>Steven
>
>------------------------
>
>From: Emilio Díaz <uc...@ya...>
>Subject: [Scidvspc-users] Time control in computer tournament
>To: "sci...@li..." <sci...@li...>
>Received: Friday, 5 August, 2011, 6:45 PM
>
>Hi all
>I'm using scidVSPC, and when I want to watch two engines playing one againsta each other, I use the "computer tournament" option. But for the time control feature I only find the option to limit the time each engine has to make each move. I'd like to set some "standard" control time, something like 40 moves in 2 hours. Is there any way to set up this kind of time control?
>Regards
>
>  Emilio 
>
>
>

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Time control in computer tournament

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Hi Emilio,

There *is* Per-Game+Increment time control (with clocks) in the next release. No proper tournament time controls... though it's just a matter of making a bigger configuration widget really, but it's kind-of too big now.

Anyway, there's a windows and osx beta here: 
http://scidvspc.sourceforge.net/tmp

If you're using windows, just extract the two files from the zipfile and place them in your previous Scid-vs-PC/bin directory. I think that's all that's necessary.

Linux users will have to check-out subversion for testing.
See the web page for details. There should be a proper release in a week or two.

Steven

------------------------

From: Emilio Díaz <uc...@ya...>
Subject: [Scidvspc-users] Time control in computer tournament
To: "sci...@li..." <sci...@li...>
Received: Friday, 5 August, 2011, 6:45 PM

Hi all
I'm using scidVSPC, and when I want to watch two engines playing one againsta each other, I use the "computer tournament" option. But for the time control feature I only find the option to limit the time each engine has to make each move. I'd like to set some "standard" control time, something like 40 moves in 2 hours. Is there any way to set up this kind of time control?
Regards

  Emilio 

[Scidvspc-users] Time control in computer tournament

[Emilio D. <uc...@ya...>]

Hi all

I'm using scidVSPC, and when I want to watch two engines playing one againsta each other, I use the "computer tournament" option. But for the time control feature I only find the option to limit the time each engine has to make each move. I'd like to set some "standard" control time, something like 40 moves in 2 hours. Is there any way to set up this kind of time control?

Regards


  Emilio 

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

--- On Sat, 30/7/11, Gregor Cramer <gc...@gm...> wrote:

> Sending "e8e8" is a more or less a
> bug, this doesn't fit any protocol.
> The UCI standard says that "0000" (four zeroes) is denoting
> a null move.
> The use of "--" is not recommended, this string is a
> ChessBase only
> speciality.
> 
> In general the Winboard protocol doesn't know null moves,
> but a few
> engines do understand "@@@@".

There's a forum here involving HGM (the current maintainer of winboard). http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39896&postdays=0&postorder=asc&topic_view=&start=1

HGM's kind-of said "--" is ok, and someone else says
' "0000" may conflict to bad written castling moves '
but i agree, '0000' should at least be used in Position::MakeUCIString if the UCI standard states this.

S.

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves

[Gregor C. <gc...@gm...>]

Sending "e8e8" is a more or less a bug, this doesn't fit any protocol.
The UCI standard says that "0000" (four zeroes) is denoting a null move.
The use of "--" is not recommended, this string is a ChessBase only
speciality.

In general the Winboard protocol doesn't know null moves, but a few
engines do understand "@@@@".
-- 
Gregor Cramer
email: <gc...@gm...>

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Scidvspc-users Digest, Vol 1, Issue 1

[Slobodan R. S. <sl...@ya...>]

Hi,

1. A Null Move should not be allowed to be promoted to a main line.
2. I think we need a concept of Main Engine or Chief Engine and create its button next to Flip View button, which will bring
Analysis Engine tool bar so that user can make his choice what to do.
Now, he may want to Annotate a game,  so he goes to TOOLS menu -> Start engine 1, engine starts with analysis of the current position, but user has to stop it and chose Annotate option.

Regards.
SL


>________________________________
>From: "sci...@li..." <sci...@li...>
>To: sci...@li...
>Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2011 6:17 PM
>Subject: Scidvspc-users Digest, Vol 1, Issue 1
>
>Send Scidvspc-users mailing list submissions to
>    sci...@li...
>
>To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>    https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/scidvspc-users
>or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>    sci...@li...
>
>You can reach the person managing the list at
>    sci...@li...
>
>When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>than "Re: Contents of Scidvspc-users digest..."
>
>
>Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Null moves (Steven)
>   2. Castling with keyboard (Steven)
>   3. PGN windows (Slobodan R. Stojanovic)
>   4. Re: Null moves (Gregor Cramer)
>   5. Re: Null moves (Steven)
>   6. Re: PGN windows (Steven)
>   7. Re: Null moves (Steven)
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:52:28 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Steven <ste...@ya...>
>Subject: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves
>To: sci...@li...
>Message-ID:
>    <131...@we...>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>Slobodan made a post to Talkchess, asking about null moves
>http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39783&start=10
>
>Gregor... i see you've implemented them in Scidb. Was it hard to do ?
>And Scid has them too! I really didn't have the slightest. Scid is such an 
>amazing huge thing.
>
>"A null move is displayed as "--" and can be inserted ... by making an illegal 
>move of capturing one king with the other."
>
>The keyboard binding seems broke though. I'll have to try and fix it.
>
>S.
>-------------- next part --------------
>An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 2
>Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:47:27 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Steven <ste...@ya...>
>Subject: [Scidvspc-users] Castling with keyboard
>To: sci...@li...
>Message-ID:
>    <131...@we...>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>Anyway...in svn i've changed the keyboard bindings for castling from OQ/OK to 
>OO.
>If both castling moves are available the keyboard bindings are OO and OQ.
>
>The changes aren't quite trivial, so please test and report if anything has 
>broken.
>
>And while OO for castling is much more common than OK, i *am* departing from how 
>SCID does things,  so what do people think ?
>
>Null move key binding ('--') has also been made to work at end-of-game.
>
>Steve
>-------------- next part --------------
>An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 3
>Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 03:59:07 -0700 (PDT)
>From: "Slobodan R. Stojanovic" <sl...@ya...>
>Subject: [Scidvspc-users] PGN windows
>To: "sci...@li..."
>    <sci...@li...>
>Message-ID: <131...@we...>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Hi Steven,
>
>The PGN windows should have a vertical scrolling bar. In fact, it had it in the previous version 3.6.4, but it does not exist in the current one.
>
>Regards. SL
>-------------- next part --------------
>An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 4
>Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:31:32 +0200
>From: "Gregor Cramer" <gc...@gm...>
>Subject: Re: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves
>To: sci...@li...
>Message-ID: <201...@gm...>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>Hi Steve,
>
>it wasn't hard to implement null moves. So far as I know Scid is handling null moves properly, but I did not use the keyboard binding, and I did not test the interaction with engines.
>
>Gregor
>-- 
>Gregor Cramer
>email: <gc...@gm...>
>
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 5
>Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:25:22 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Steven <ste...@ya...>
>Subject: Re: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves
>To: sci...@li...
>Message-ID:
>    <131...@we...>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
>
>Gregor Cramer <gc...@gm...> wrote:
>
>> it wasn't hard to implement null moves. So far as I know
>> Scid is handling null moves properly, but I did not use the
>> keyboard binding, and I did not test the interaction with
>> engines.
>
>Hmmm... The engines seem to go ok too, except when adding variations, when null move is *at var end or game end*.
>
>I had a quick look at fixing it, but the code in addAnalysisVariation is a little complicated anyway, so i've just overhauled the variation/null-move doco instead (and added a note for the new "Paste Variation" feature too.)
>
>I *did* notice that [sc_game info previousMoveUCI]
>returns (for eg) "e8e8" - ie King move-to-same-square, which must be how it's represented somewhere.
>
>Steve
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 6
>Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:32:09 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Steven <ste...@ya...>
>Subject: Re: [Scidvspc-users] PGN windows
>To: "Slobodan R. Stojanovic" <sl...@ya...>
>Cc: sci...@li...
>Message-ID:
>    <131...@we...>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
>Slobodan R. Stojanovic <sl...@ya...> wrote:
>
>> The PGN windows should have a vertical scrolling bar. In fact, it had it in the previous version 3.6.4, but it does not exist in the current one.
>
>Thanks for that Slobodan :>. I prefer the scrollbar hidden, but you are correct, and I've re-included the scrollbar as an PGN window option.
>
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 7
>Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:17:12 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Steven <ste...@ya...>
>Subject: Re: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves
>To: sci...@li...
>Cc: Gerd <ger...@on...>
>Message-ID:
>    <131...@we...>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
>The latest commits fix engines failing to add variation to Null move if at variation end. This code in position.cpp
>
>    if (from == to) {
>      // null move
>      *c++ = '-';
>      *c++ = '-';
>      *c = 0;
>      return;
>    }
>
>makes Position::MakeUCIString return "--" instead of "e8e8" (for eg).
>
>Will anything break ???... Anyway, a couple of weeks till a new release. (Gilles and i really have the OS X version going great ;>)
>
>S.
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>Take our quick survey online.  Come on, we don't ask for help often.
>Plus, you'll get a chance to win $100 to spend on ThinkGeek.
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>_______________________________________________
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>
>End of Scidvspc-users Digest, Vol 1, Issue 1
>********************************************
>
>
>

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

The latest commits fix engines failing to add variation to Null move if at variation end. This code in position.cpp

    if (from == to) {
      // null move
      *c++ = '-';
      *c++ = '-';
      *c = 0;
      return;
    }

makes Position::MakeUCIString return "--" instead of "e8e8" (for eg).

Will anything break ???... Anyway, a couple of weeks till a new release. (Gilles and i really have the OS X version going great ;>)

S.

Re: [Scidvspc-users] PGN windows

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Slobodan R. Stojanovic <sl...@ya...> wrote:

> The PGN windows should have a vertical scrolling bar. In fact, it had it in the previous version 3.6.4, but it does not exist in the current one.

Thanks for that Slobodan :>. I prefer the scrollbar hidden, but you are correct, and I've re-included the scrollbar as an PGN window option.

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Gregor Cramer <gc...@gm...> wrote:

> it wasn't hard to implement null moves. So far as I know
> Scid is handling null moves properly, but I did not use the
> keyboard binding, and I did not test the interaction with
> engines.

Hmmm... The engines seem to go ok too, except when adding variations, when null move is *at var end or game end*.

I had a quick look at fixing it, but the code in addAnalysisVariation is a little complicated anyway, so i've just overhauled the variation/null-move doco instead (and added a note for the new "Paste Variation" feature too.)

I *did* notice that [sc_game info previousMoveUCI]
returns (for eg) "e8e8" - ie King move-to-same-square, which must be how it's represented somewhere.

Steve

Re: [Scidvspc-users] Null moves

[Gregor C. <gc...@gm...>]

Hi Steve,

it wasn't hard to implement null moves. So far as I know Scid is handling null moves properly, but I did not use the keyboard binding, and I did not test the interaction with engines.

Gregor
-- 
Gregor Cramer
email: <gc...@gm...>

[Scidvspc-users] PGN windows

[Slobodan R. S. <sl...@ya...>]

Hi Steven,

The PGN windows should have a vertical scrolling bar. In fact, it had it in the previous version 3.6.4, but it does not exist in the current one.

Regards. SL

[Scidvspc-users] Castling with keyboard

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Anyway...in svn i've changed the keyboard bindings for castling from OQ/OK to 
OO.
If both castling moves are available the keyboard bindings are OO and OQ.

The changes aren't quite trivial, so please test and report if anything has 
broken.

And while OO for castling is much more common than OK, i *am* departing from how 
SCID does things,  so what do people think ?

Null move key binding ('--') has also been made to work at end-of-game.

Steve

[Scidvspc-users] Null moves

[Steven <ste...@ya...>]

Slobodan made a post to Talkchess, asking about null moves
http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39783&start=10

Gregor... i see you've implemented them in Scidb. Was it hard to do ?
And Scid has them too! I really didn't have the slightest. Scid is such an 
amazing huge thing.

"A null move is displayed as "--" and can be inserted ... by making an illegal 
move of capturing one king with the other."

The keyboard binding seems broke though. I'll have to try and fix it.

S.