erlang?

Treeform on 2008/08/27 00:01
— edited on 2008/08/27 00:01

I want to to a cleint/server arch again probably some thing like an rts. I am wondering if i can do the server in erlang and client with python + panda3d. I would leave the server up for judging so there would be no need to run the erlang server. Do you think people could live with that or does the entire game has to be runnable from the package without outside control?

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Comments

richard on 2008/08/27 00:24:

I guess it's up to you -- you might get more "DNW" results, depending on the server availability. I have no objection.

Writing the server in erlang seems a little odd for a Python challenge though. What's the thinking there?

Treeform on 2008/08/27 00:30:

want to learn elrang - i use pyweek as a vehicle to learn stuff.

richard on 2008/08/27 01:44:

Fair enough :)

I've been doing a bunch of Twisted lately, and it's quite nice. I've been meaning to look into doing networking with greenlets.

RB[0] on 2008/08/27 04:41:

As long as you actually submit the erlang code with the python I would not give it a DNW, I think it says in the rules somewhere you can use other languages in conjunction with python, so long as it is python mainly...

Also, erlang server sounds like it might be a cool idea, will be interested to see what you do ;)

Martin on 2008/08/27 10:22:

I'd echo RB[0]'s comments: Sounds cool, but please do release the source for the server.

Treeform on 2008/08/27 19:41:

erlang is cool for 5 reasons for me:
  • its functional so its very easy to test same input always = same output - no "state"
  • "a program" can execute on multiple computers at once without extra thought
  • programs consists of 1000's "threads" so the program domain is not modeled as objects but as threads
  • program can reload all hot code without stopping and its build into the language.
  • its great for networking

richard on 2008/08/28 01:22:

Hmm. Mulling this over a little more...

I'm OK with Javascript because you can't script a web browser with Python. I'm OK with C extensions because sometimes you just can't get Python running fast enough. I'm not sure I'm OK with erlang "just because".

Just thinking out loud.

milker on 2008/08/28 02:23:

I don't like to learn ...
erlang on now.

Treeform on 2008/08/28 04:46:

don't worry the meat of the game will be in python that is 3,000 source lines of code of my python, 80k of panda3d's python and 800k of panda3d C++.

nihilocrat on 2008/08/28 14:41:

I think you can have your cake an eat it too if you take a look at Stackless Python.

eugman on 2008/08/28 15:52:

Personally I think two conditions would make things perfectly fine with me:

1. Server code should be included. While I'll admit it's nice to have a main server to use, I think a person should have the option of running their own if so inclined. It's quite within the spirit of including the source and the entire game.

2. Server code contains little or no game logic. If it's just a conduit acting as network glue in a sense, then I think that's cool. I think that the purpose of pyweek is to expand the collection of available python game code and if half the game is in erlang then what's the point.

bjorn on 2008/08/31 04:29:

@nihilocrat: Stackless Python is very cool, but making people install another version of python is going to cu *way* down on feedback and the number of people that try the game. Also I suspect bump the DNW score up due to people not reading the readme and understanding that they need a special python build to run the game. Stackless would be a good choice, IMHO, for a lager game which could ship the required python with the game, but may not be ideal for pyweek. Maybe I'm wrong though; it would be great to see someone use it successfully in pyweek.

richard on 2008/08/31 08:45:

From what I understand greenlets get you a lot of what stackless gets you, and it is only a C extension module.